Microsoft Announces Xbox Live for Android and iOS

Microsoft is beginning its world domination - okay, not really, but still, it's making some hefty strides - by not only releasing the entire Halo Master Chief Collection on PC but also announcing Xbox Live for any iOS or Android game.

And yes, Solitaire and Wordament already have Xbox Live integration, but this whole implementation will affect all games - if devs choose to use Xbox Live features.

To put it simply, Microsoft will be launching a new cross-platform mobile SDK (or mobile software development kit) to bring Xbox Live functionality to games running on iOS and Android operating software.

In other words, friend lists, achievements, Gamerscore, hero stats, and family settings will be available on these mobile platforms.

Microsoft is entirely open to having Xbox Live on all platforms - including the PlayStation 4 - but will Sony allow it? Likely not. Maybe someday, but certainly not now.

Furthermore, the huge company introduced Microsoft Game Stack, a full suite of developer tools, including:

• Azure PlayFab
• DirectX
• Havok
• Microsoft Azure
• Simplygon
• Windows
• Mixer
• Visual Studio
• Xbox Game Studios
• Power BI
• Visual Studio App Center
• Xbox Live

By the way, Microsoft obtained PlayFab a little bit ago. PlayFab will grant developers multiplayer servers for games, matchmaking, user-generated content, as well as voice and chat services.

Yeah, I think Microsoft will be able to carve its own niche this year.