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?