Microsoft is looking to develop an Xbox-branded mobile game store

Microsoft is hoping to carve its own space in the mobile gaming space. The company's filing with the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) reveals its plans to build a "next generation" Xbox store focusing on mobile devices. And its proposed Activision Blizzard merger is a big part of this plan, with Call of Duty Mobile and King's more casual games serving as a draw for gamers to flock to this new platform.

According to the company, the acquisition would boost its mobile gaming and ad revenue and offer "much needed expertise" in developing and marketing these titles. But it acknowledges it'll need a "major shift" in consumer habits to pull consumers away from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. It plans to apply an open app store philosophy to this mobile shop with equal treatment for third-party apps and choices for in-app payments.

The CMA is investigating Microsoft's acquisition due to concerns that it might hurt competition. The strategy behind the filing isn't subtle. The company wants to convince UK regulators that its Activision Blizzard deal would preserve or improve competition, and the prospect of an Xbox mobile store could theoretically help. But we don't know yet if regulators will see it that way. Microsoft might also have a difficult time getting a third-party app store on iOS, so if this ever gets released, it might be an Android version.

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