[TechWeb] On March 21, according to FT Financial Times, Microsoft plans to launch a mobile game app store to compete with Apple and Google.

However, Microsoft's completion of the acquisition of Activision Blizzard will be a key condition for achieving this goal, as it will allow Microsoft to own a wider range of mobile gaming products.

As we all know, Microsoft is always trying to open up new markets, particularly in the gaming sector. Phil Spencer (Phil Spencer), head of Microsoft's Xbox division, said that if regulators approve Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Microsoft is preparing to launch a new gaming app store on iPhone and Android smartphones as early as next year.

He also said that Microsoft currently lacks mobile games, which is “an obvious loophole in our abilities” and that the company plans to fill this loophole with Activision Blizzard games.

In January 2022, Microsoft announced that it would buy Activision Blizzard at a price of $95 per share. The total price of the deal reached US$68.7 billion and is expected to be completed in fiscal year 2023.

Due to the scale of the deal and its potential impact on the gaming industry, regulators including the European Commission, the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), and the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have investigated the deal, fearing that Microsoft may use Activision Blizzard's hit game “Call of Duty” series to gain an unfair competitive advantage.

In addition to facing scrutiny from regulators, Microsoft's deal to buy Activision Blizzard was also opposed by competitors such as Sony. Sony believes that Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard will limit players' choices and give Microsoft's home video game console Xbox an unfair advantage in the industry.