In early December, Microsoft released an Xbox Live app for iOS, along with an Xbox Companion app for Windows Phone, and now, according to a recent job posting on Microsoft Careers, they’re planning on bringing more Xbox Live experiences to other platforms, including “location based gaming, social networking, and avatar with presence”.
The Xbox Live Mobile team within IEB is looking for developers (“Experience of Windows Phone, iOS, or Android development is a big plus”) “to bring the latest and greatest gaming and entertainment experience to mobile platforms including Windows Phone, iOS and other mobile platforms”:
As a software development engineer on the team, you will have the opportunity to help define and design the experiences for the project, you will get to work with a team of energetic and talented developers, and you will have the luxury to work with all sorts of mobile devices to create the official Xbox LIVE mobile experiences.
Clearly, although there is some sentiment for Microsoft to keep Xbox Live on Windows Phone only to differentiate it from iOS or Android, Xbox Live is planning to expand further into a number of mobile platforms, even as they compete directly with Windows Phone. Getting Xbox Live into as many hands and as many different experiences as possible trumps pushing Windows Phone and its miniscule market share, and we think this is the right approach. What do you think, are you looking forward to playing Xbox Live games on your iPhone or Android device?