Microsoft to port Xbox, PC games to Android and iOS

[Shawn Knight]

Microsoft is reportedly preparing to port several Xbox 360 and PC games to Apple’s iPhone and Android platforms later this year through a licensing deal with Japanese smartphone game maker Klab Inc. One of the first titles available will be Age of Empires and it’ll arrive as a free-to-play game according to a report from Nikkei via Reuters.

There isn’t a lot to go on at this hour but if true, it’ll be good news for mobile gamers that don’t have a Windows Phone. Microsoft’s mobile platform has had access to dozens of Xbox and PC games for some time now while only a small handful of titles have thus far found their way to Android and iOS.

A decision to bring additional Microsoft games to other platforms isn’t a huge stretch of the imagination, especially when you consider Redmond recently released Office Mobile for iOS – well, sort of.

While it’s true that a mobile version of Office is finally available for iOS, there are a few caveats to be aware of. First, the software suite is currently only optimized for the iPhone. That doesn’t mean it won’t work on the iPad but it’ll only run in iPhone compatibility mode. What’s more – and perhaps more frustrating to millions of potential users –  is the fact that Office Mobile for iOS is limited to Office 365 subscribers only.

Any bets on some other key titles that Microsoft might port over to mobile platforms? Halo, anyone?

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https://www.techspot.com/news/53014-microsoft-to-port-xbox-pc-games-to-android-and-ios.html

 

[Ranger12]

Hmmm, halo would be cool but virtual thumbsticks are the worst thing ever invented imo.
Used to have the original age of empires on my pocket pc back in the day. It worked wonderfully because of the precision of the stylus on the screen. Idk how it would work using fingers trying to sever individual units and whatnot.

 

[Jad Chaar]

Age of Empires on iPhone. Nope.

 

[Adhmuz]

Great, so mobile devices will now have a bunch of old games no one wants to play, that also run terribly if not buggy, control like crap and well I think thats enough reasons not to do this. Last thing, playing games on a tiny screen is not appealing, it gets worse when the game was never intended to be played on such a small screen. I really hope Microsoft doesn't bother with Halo, who wants to play a mediocre at best FPS game from 2001, it's almost as sad as all the individuals still playing CS 1.6 on their CRT monitors.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

MS games for PC are far too old to warrant consideration.

 

[St1ckM4n]

Regarding CS1.6: hardcore fanatics prefer it over CS:S due to an unfortunate by-product of the new code - aim accuracy is slightly lost.

AoE1... how that will work is beyond me. The amount of micro-management and mouse clicking required.....