After a couple of months of successfully topping the charts, Helldivers 2 is currently facing the brunt of player outrage over the latest PSN (PlayStation Linking) requirement. And by the looks of it, Xbox and Microsoft are learning from this mistake.
Microsoft is currently looking to release a web-based online store for mobile game consumables to directly rival Apple and Google’s app stores and the subsequent fee structures.
However, the outcome remains bleak, as a majority of players feel that the lack of an application for the same is going to spell doom for the project inadvertently.
Microsoft Gaming Store To Be Accessible Everywhere unlike Helldivers 2
The new gaming store is supposed to debut with Microsoft’s own games. It will also offer discounts on in-game items associated with some titles. A good example of this is Candy Crush Saga. However, not all fans are super happy regarding the announcement by Sarah Bond.
The new store is supposed to be completely independent of all the closed ecosystem policies that usually affect gamers so much. The best case in point has to be that of Helldivers 2. The immensely popular game faced a lot of review bombing and negative promotion. This stems from the fact that players from countries that do not have PSN can no longer access the game.
No matter the intent, fans are predicting another massive loss for Microsoft. The most common argument given by fans is that the lack of a consolidated app would hinder the success of such a store. And some other fans are of the opinion that the games that Microsoft has on its roster are not up to par.
Sarah Bond had made the announcement at the Bloomberg Technology Summit. She also stated that the store will be opened to publishers soon after. The main reason behind the web launch, in Sarah Bond’s words,
accessible across all devices, all countries, no matter what, independent of the policies of closed ecosystem stores.
While this definitely does sound like an ambitious plan, Microsoft’s latest treatment of game development studios is enough to question their true motives.
Brand New Store, Same Old Xbox?
Microsoft is branding the new store as a platform that seamlessly traverses platforms and brings all the games together. In Sarah Bond’s own words,
goes truly across devices — where who you are, your library, your identity, your rewards travel with you versus being locked to a single ecosystem. This web-based store is the first step in our journey to building a trusted app store with its roots in gaming.
But it needs to be remembered that this is the president of the same company that had brutally closed the studio behind the beloved rhythm-based action game, Hi-Fi Rush.
The new store is a direct result of the European Union’s Digital Markets Act. While the legislation did end the monopoly of Google and Apple, they are still the biggest shots in the mobile gaming business. It remains to be seen how big of a chunk Microsoft can carve out of the 90 billion-dollar industry.
What do you think of Microsoft’s new store? Do you think it will help avoid future controversies like the one surrounding Helldivers 2? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
