Xbox Live For iPhone And Android? Microsoft Hopes To Bring Games To Mobile Platforms

Microsoft allegedly wants Xbox Live to power iOS and Android games. The multimedia conglomerate is planning to promote its Xbox Live cross-platform capabilities in a major way in the near future, the Verge reported on March 3.

The site stated that inside sources claimed Microsoft is creating a platform to expand Xbox Live abilities to iOS and Android games. A Microsoft job posting also confirmed this with specific details about an open position at the company. "We will create a modern framework that is open-source, lightweight, extensible and scalable across various platforms including Windows Store, Windows Phone, iOS, and Android," read the job listing, which is no longer available.

“Microsoft is aiming to ‘win back’ game developers from its competitors by making Xbox Live a lot easier to integrate into apps and games. Xbox Live,” said the Verge. "In its current state, requires certification and permission from Microsoft, but in the future the company is planning to have fewer restrictions and better tools for game developers to integrate the functionality into titles.”

Microsoft has been attempting to accomplish this for several years, first with the SmartGlass in 2011, then with a handful of other iOS and Xbox hybrid apps.

Smartglass currently allows players to access their Xbox game consoles to view content and display and monitor achievements. You can also use the Smartglass app as a remote control and keyboard for the system.

In December of 2012, Microsoft released “Wordament” for the Apple iPhone. The game was the first to come to iOS that allowed users to earn Xbox achievements. The word game allowed players to compete with everyone else playing at the same time, unlike games like Zynga’s “Words With Friends,” which allows one user to complete a round – and then sends the information to another user that plays back at their convenience.

Are you interested in mobile games that utilize Xbox Live? Leave a comment below.

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