![]() When access was first opened on the 19th of November 2019 for Denmark, I thought it was the greatest thing! I had so much fun with it, but missed adventures nearby. The failure of Minecraft Earth shows that. The standards of what constitutes a "good" mobile game are constantly moving higher. I suspect that Microsoft will continue trying to build native mobile games for Android and iOS, but it should take a look at the long string of failures in this space and ask itself if it's been giving it enough investment. But who knows? The latest Snapdragon processors will bring a large graphics leap this year, putting more power than ever into the palm of your hand. With Xbox Game Pass, it begs the question of whether or not Microsoft needs to continue investing in native mobile experiences since streaming games should eventually be good enough in their own right. Microsoft has long recognized Android and iOS as a platform for expanding Xbox, which is why Xbox Game Pass now supports touch controls for various streamable games on mobile devices, like those in our best tablets for Xbox Game Pass streaming roundup. Games like Genshin Impact, Fortnite, PUBG Mobile, and Microsoft's own Minecraft mobile version continue to pull in enormous engagement and revenue. Regardless, the mobile gaming market continues to be wildly lucrative. It was Microsoft's own game design decisions that stopped the game from grabbing a viable userbase at the outset, with aggressive time-gating and a lack of advertised featured like publically-viewable installations. Blending the creativity of Minecraft with the overworld augmented reality of Pokémon Go should've been a hit. Minecraft Earth seemed like the perfect idea. Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central) Will Microsoft keep trying its hand at native mobile gaming? The game, like many of Microsoft's other mobile games, simply had no business existing in this state. ![]() If you're going to copy something, it should be at least as good as what you're copying - otherwise why not just play the real thing? Minecraft Earth's overworld felt less rewarding than Pokémon Go's, and its crafting felt less rewarding than regular Minecraft. It feels like Microsoft thinks that slapping a brand name on some basic adaptation of an existing game is enough to win at mobile. I'm not sure what Microsoft thinks mobile gaming is supposed to be, but typically they should feel fun in some way, either with rewarding mechanics that make you feel like you're building and growing, engaging combat, or a combination of these. Fallout Shelter wasn't exactly an original concept, but it was fun, with piles of content you could access for free. I'd argue that all of these games share a common problem: They just aren't really fun, or they're riffs on existing games that are just better. In recent years we've had Gears POP!, Age of Empires: Castle Siege, Forza Street, and a handful of other games like Halo: Spartan Strike. Most of the games Microsoft has tried to make itself though have failed, but why?Īll of these games share a common problem: They just aren't really fun. In 2021, Microsoft will also own Fallout Shelter and Elder Scrolls Blades as part of the ZeniMax Media acquisition. Microsoft's other successful mobile game is Solitaire, banking on the established format from the classic Windows game. ![]() Of course, there are some success stories - Microsoft owns Minecraft Pocket Edition, which is one of the top mobile games out there, even if you could argue that came before Microsoft was involved with the franchise. Microsoft's failings with mobile games are just plain strange, and it's not for lack of trying. There are issues translating established franchises I received no press releases about the game, I saw no marketing about it, and it received no meaningful updates to make it worth any form of investment. Microsoft did nothing to try and pull people back. Like most who tried the game, I moved on once I realized how dire these restrictions were. I have no idea whether or not Microsoft eased these restrictions over time. This just wasn't the case with Minecraft Earth, which was only playable in brief 1-5 minute bursts while you set up crafting, then had to close the app (or perhaps even uninstall it). I have barely spent any money on Pokémon Go, and it remains a rewarding and engaging experience. Every time I open Pokémon Go, there's something free to do. The system was idiotic, and is the kind of hostile game design that plagues mobile gaming in general - other companies just either tend to be better at hiding it or ensure the core gameplay loop is fun enough by itself to pull in microtransactions on the side. Source: Microsoft (Image credit: Source: Microsoft)
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