Microsoft will launch Xbox Live on iOS and Android

Microsoft is going to make the Xbox Live social network cross-platform, launching it for iOS and Android devices. This was reported by The Verge .

According to the publication's sources, Microsoft is going to develop a platform for introducing Xbox Live functionality on the iOS and Android mobile operating systems owned by its competitors Apple and Google, respectively. This is indirectly confirmed by the job description for a software developer posted on the Microsoft website a few days ago.

The company says it is going to rethink the way it looks at the gaming industry and game development. “We will create a modern framework that is open, lightweight, extensible and scalable across multiple platforms, including Windows Store, Windows Phone, iOS and Android.”

It is known that Apple has its own gaming-themed social network, Game Center, which allows you to compare achievements and invite friends to participate in multiplayer games. Google also has a similar service called Play Games. According to The Verge's sources, Microsoft is going to position Xbox Live as an alternative to these services.

Compared to other gaming social networks, Xbox Live has the smallest user base. As of the end of October 2013, the service had 48 million registered users, while Steam had 65 million active accounts and PlayStation Network 110 million.

As of early June 2013, Apple had approximately 200 million registered Game Center accounts. Google Play Games was announced on May 15, 2013.

Microsoft has previously tried to introduce Xbox Live functionality into competitors' mobile platforms. In December 2012, the company released a version of the game Wordament for iOS with the ability to earn achievements by logging into Xbox Live. In October 2013, a similar version of Wordament appeared on Android.

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