Let’s try and forget for a moment all of the negative press and snark that’s been floating around in Microsoft’s (News - Alert) end of the videogaming pool. All of the anger has hurt the Xbox One’s feelings and is making Microsoft backtrack on policies that were not only largely bemoaned and unpopular, but had many shouting accusations of “Big Brother.” On the heels of this semi-change of heart, Microsoft made an announcement that will not only come as a shock to long-time gamers, but also shed some light on whether or not the console maker is actually that hungry for your analytics.
Japanese game maker Klab will be helping Microsoft bring its Xbox game catalogue to smartphones, including Apple’s (News - Alert) iPhone and mobile devices running Android. Not just limited to console games, mobile users will also have access to PC games as well through this licensing deal expected to start paying off with gamers-on-the-go before the end of the 2013 fiscal year.
Image via Business Insider
There are two things that are pleasantly shocking about this development. Firstly, Microsoft already has a mobile OS, and the Xbox gaming library is a perk Windows Phone (News - Alert) and Surface users used to exclusively have. By opening the game library up to the competition, Microsoft is positioning itself as a multiplatform game provider in an industry that is famous for making the consumer choose expensive on-brand devices.
Secondly, longtime Mac owners are well aware that those who chose to live the Apple lifestyle have historically found themselves on the short end of the joystick. Though the classic competitor to the PC paradigm generally suffers from a lack of Microsoft games, the fact that the iPhone (News - Alert) will be able to play Xbox and PC games is very encouraging for true cross-platform gaming (something that gamers have been awaiting for a long time).
By making Microsoft games available on all mobile devices, the Xbox brand can grow into the lives of more than just “Call of Duty” fans and people who like videogame fitness routines. In fact, this move opens up the possibility of bring your own device (BYOD) gaming, a development that could be truly revolutionary in the world of the console, and one that was further suggested with the Xbox One licensing system that may no longer be on the table after all the backlash.
Then again, if the alarmists were right, and Microsoft just wants to spy on you, having a hand inside your iPhone is another great way to harvest private information. And as we’ve been learning the past couple weeks, your data is more important than you thought.