Microsoft Wants to Expand Xbox Live Capabilties on iOS and Android 'In a Big Way'

[mrobit]

Agreed - this will make the xbox one much cooler!

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You do realize Xbox One Live is a subscription service that costs $59.99/yr

In addition to that, PSN also has a price to it as well. Not everything is free. I love when people are uninformed.

why would apple let them add achievements to game center?

i hope it happens

Achievements would be entirely separate from Apples achievements, or whatever they are. They would be the achievements like you'd get on an Xbox game, etc.

 

[Pman17]

Good move since most iOS users are pretty much locked in with the cloud and purchases. I would much rather use Xbox Live than Game Center. Too many gaming services to keep track of and I really don't want to go all Windows. Parallels on my Mac is good enough for me.

 

[Nahaz]

Now that the ecosystem of Windows Phone appears to be growing, Microsoft is aiming to get it's GameCentre into games that offer achievements or "unlocks"

There are currently a few major game companies on the Windows Phone platform, Gameloft being one of them, that releases games with it's own achievement system. A large Windows Phone base wants these achievements linked to Xbox Live's reward system.

An Example of what I am referring to can be read here: http://www.wpcentral.com/gameloft-launches-world-arms-windows-phone

 

[2457282]

I have said this multiple times whenever game consoles come up. Their days are numbered. I think in about two years, games on the iPad and iPhone will be as good or better than the console games we are playing today. And if ATV opens up, well just forget about it. Sure there will be the diehards, but I will state that in 2 years we will see the huge decline in console sales. Apple is already there essentially. As the quality of the games improve, their chips improve, and the MFi accessories improve, they will own the consoles in two years. If ATV opens up this year, it may be sooner. It's my prediction and I am sticking to it.

Oh, I am sure that Chromecast and Roku will have a strategy of their own, so if I am right the competition will heat up and Nintendo, Xbox, and Sony PS will get clobbered. Eventually they will have to morph into something new. I think they can still try to sell hardware, but something closer to a roku. Otherwise they will need to look at what Sega did and drop the hardware all together and focus on the software.

 

[bungiefan89]

A gamer's perspective

Nothing to be excited about here. It's just Microsoft pushing their half-assed answer to the half-assed Nintendo Wii U's touch-screen controller.

Microsoft crapped out Smart Glass over two years ago talking about how it was the best thing since Kinect (LOL!) and it's STILL gone nowhere in all that time.

I've got nothing against Microsoft specifically here, but this whole Smart Glass thing is about as pathetic as when Steve Jobs told us how cool Ping was. :/

 

[alent1234]

I have said this multiple times whenever game consoles come up. Their days are numbered. I think in about two years, games on the iPad and iPhone will be as good or better than the console games we are playing today. And if ATV opens up, well just forget about it. Sure there will be the diehards, but I will state that in 2 years we will see the huge decline in console sales. Apple is already there essentially. As the quality of the games improve, their chips improve, and the MFi accessories improve, they will own the consoles in two years. If ATV opens up this year, it may be sooner. It's my prediction and I am sticking to it.

Oh, I am sure that Chromecast and Roku will have a strategy of their own, so if I am right the competition will heat up and Nintendo, Xbox, and Sony PS will get clobbered. Eventually they will have to morph into something new. I think they can still try to sell hardware, but something closer to a roku. Otherwise they will need to look at what Sega did and drop the hardware all together and focus on the software.

i thought that as well, so far it looks like its not going to happen

 

[iSayuSay]

I have said this multiple times whenever game consoles come up. Their days are numbered. I think in about two years, games on the iPad and iPhone will be as good or better than the console games we are playing today. And if ATV opens up, well just forget about it. Sure there will be the diehards, but I will state that in 2 years we will see the huge decline in console sales. Apple is already there essentially. As the quality of the games improve, their chips improve, and the MFi accessories improve, they will own the consoles in two years. If ATV opens up this year, it may be sooner. It's my prediction and I am sticking to it.

Oh, I am sure that Chromecast and Roku will have a strategy of their own, so if I am right the competition will heat up and Nintendo, Xbox, and Sony PS will get clobbered. Eventually they will have to morph into something new. I think they can still try to sell hardware, but something closer to a roku. Otherwise they will need to look at what Sega did and drop the hardware all together and focus on the software.

As far as I can see, iPad and iPhone do not have native video output hardware. It's all wireless via Airplay mirroring, even Lightning to HDMI cable is essentially Airplay transmitter. And it does that crappily @720p, not even close!

How can a device which has problems connecting to huge *** TVs or projector, let alone a surround sound system can replace a home console?
Even if Apple want to eat console gaming, it will be via a newly designed Apple TV, not iPhone, not iPad because iOS is too crippled as it is today.

You want Flappy Bird on your projector? I wouldn't call that hardcore gaming

 

[Black Magic]

Agreed that there isn't nothing new here to get excited about. I think this is another example of how Microsoft is confused and don't know what to truly focus on. X-BOX is nice but they have that tied into their phone system as like a serious selling point. They act like everyone is a gamer and wants a gaming avatar. Hopefully the new CEO gets them laser focused.

 

[Tech198]

Is it just me, or is Microsoft "muddling the waters here" ?

This oly happen because they know Windows 8 is a failure, so they must try piggy-backing on the most popular iOS instead....

Why all of a Xbox interest all of a sudden ? I don't get it..

I think the biggest question is, well Apple let them...

All i had to read was "...optional replacement for Game Center" That tell us all. MS is trying to interfere again. Apple's not gonna allow this.

 

[MH01]

I just realized I take what Microsoft says with the same interest as a three-year-old telling me what she wants to be when she grows up...

"Oh, yeah?! Really?!? Then what happens!?! Uh huh... Oh, That sounds wonderful!"

The three year old is fine, problem is with you

 

[szw-mapple fan]

This is why I love Microsoft more than Apple (when it comes to services, calm down). Microsoft will do everything possible to get things like OneDrive, XBL, and Office onto Apple devices, but will Apple do the same with their counterparts? No. They're way too proud to even think about going down that road.

Yes, but that is also the biggest reasons I like using Apple's devices. We get the choice to use services from anyone (Apple, Google, Microsoft, etc.) while you can't use Apple's services on other OS's. It's funny how Apple's walled garden offers more choice for the consumer. I agree with you that Microsoft's apps and services are quite good these days.

 

[Xenc]

Oh boy, I can't wait for Microsoft to copy someone else's free service but charge a subscription fee for it. Can you imagine? It'll be just like Game Center, but cost $20/year for no apparent reason! How exciting - the possibilities are limitless.

Just like they've done with every other internet service they've ever made. (That's why I will never buy an Xbox: although it has a counterpart for every PlayStation feature, the features are free on PlayStation but have subscription fees on Xbox.)

Xbox One and PlayStation 4 both require subscriptions to play online.

 

[Michael Goff]

Is it just me, or is Microsoft "muddling the waters here" ?

This oly happen because they know Windows 8 is a failure, so they must try piggy-backing on the most popular iOS instead....

Why all of a Xbox interest all of a sudden ? I don't get it..

I think the biggest question is, well Apple let them...

All i had to read was "...optional replacement for Game Center" That tell us all. MS is trying to interfere again. Apple's not gonna allow this.

Windows 8 isn't a failure for them. They've earned the money they put into it back.

 

[jaison13]

this is the one thing i wish PS3 would copy from xbox. i'd love to be able to scull through menus on my iPad instead of using my controller. make plays quickly on sports games like madden.

 

[brinary001]

That's bc MS is a software company and Apple is a hardware company in its roots.

Apple likes a closed eco system with full control and it works great. Look how far they've come.

Now go to a MS store with your Dell PC. They'll look at it and say, oh, you need to contact Dell -its probably a driver issue.

Ah. You make a good point, my friend.

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Yes, but that is also the biggest reasons I like using Apple's devices. We get the choice to use services from anyone (Apple, Google, Microsoft, etc.) while you can't use Apple's services on other OS's. It's funny how Apple's walled garden offers more choice for the consumer. I agree with you that Microsoft's apps and services are quite good these days.

I love it! This is very true. I can have iCloud, Google Docs, One Drive, and Dropbox all on my iPad. But can I say the same for my Lumia 1020? Absolutely not.

 

[travis64]

They aren't, the apps would log into xbox live instead.

apple would not let them do that, they want people to use game center

 

[goobot]

apple would not let them do that, they want people to use game center

There are already apps that do do that.

 

[unplugme71]

apple would not let them do that, they want people to use game center

There are quite a few apps that track achievements. Apple is not the only one.

 

[vpndev]

funeral

Maybe first Microsoft should apologize for the "iPhone funeral" it held back in 2010.

I know that was on Ballmer's watch but - hey - you don't get a free pass.

 

[tigress666]

Xbox One and PlayStation 4 both require subscriptions to play online.

Yeah but PS4 requires a sub to play single player games that also have an MP aspect online. You don't need it for F2P games, for games that already have a sub fee, for Netflix, to browse the internet, to use Hulu, to watch HBO Go, to send PMs on your computer on the playstation forums, to reply to pms sent to you on your computer to playstation forums.

Everything I listed above that PS doesn't require you pay for, MS does (Well replace playstation forums with xbox forums). And it's funny more people aren't upset about this. Because I assure you, if MS tried that with Windows or Windows Phone (or Apple with Mac or their iPhone), people would be in an uproar on how ridiculous that really is. But some how on xbox that's not ridiculous at all. Even when you consider you can buy a cheap Chromecast device that does all of that for less than the cost of xbox live gold. And you don't have to keep paying that fee every year to use it.

Oh, and yes, PS requires it now for some MP games. We can thank MS and the people who went ahead and went with it and paid for Live Gold for that. Did you really expect Sony to ignore that it was a working way of getting money and that people apparently will pay for it? At least they were less sleezy about it (Honestly, if MS had only charged for MP I myself would never have gotten so offended by it).

 

[Trius]

The three year old is fine, problem is with you