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Microsoft's Xbox Live Service Is Coming To Mobile
Hot on the heels of news that Microsoft was going to bring its Xbox Live to both mobile devices and the Nintendo Switch, it's now definitely official. The mobile Xbox Live Service has launched as of today, after years of Microsoft's subscription service being exclusive to its flagship console.
It was announced last month that Microsoft was considering, amongst other things, a mobile Xbox Live service. The choice to place such an important component of its exclusive services on the devices of competitors was picked up on as potentially unusual. However, the company has clearly gone full steam ahead despite any doubts from consumers and launched Xbox Live for mobile, less than a month out from its original announcement.
The Verge has reported that this mobile Xbox Live service has launched with a host of the original features from the version available to Microsoft's consoles. It currently encompasses a lot of the things that fans have come to know and expect from Xbox Live, including but not limited to, achievement tracking, Gamerscore display, friends lists, and more. There's also been a mirror initiative launched for game developers which is a software development kit meant to bridge the gap between Android and iOS, enabling devs to ensure that they can integrate support for this mobile Xbox Live into their apps across the two different platforms.
Microsoft launching its mobile Xbox Live service at this point in time is likely just one part of its overall initiative to diversify its brand and to increase its reach in the market. The console wars have long split fans and consumers over the past few years, and while this is only a small measure in terms of burying the hatchet compared to the cross-play initiatives already worked on by Fortnite, it's a start for the previously reticent company.
It can only be a good thing to have more Microsoft services and legacy Microsoft products made available to consumers. Judging by how the likes of Nintendo have been capitalizing on consumer nostalgia recently and how Microsoft has announced the Master Chief Collection for PC, it looks like the brand is looking to ride that wave. Ensuring that they're introducing an existing ecosystem like Xbox Live to a host of new users will likely do wonders for brand exposure, and it'll be interesting to see if this translates to more accessible mobile ports of fan favorite legacy titles in the future.
