Microsoft has acquired the cloud-based streaming platform, PlayFab. As part of the company’s need to further extend its reach into the gaming market.
Over on the official Microsoft blog, there’s a post about how Microsoft has brought the PlayFab group under its wing. The platform is designed for cloud-connected game streaming, and allowing developers to utilize the tools across mobile devices, PC and home consoles like the Xbox One for live streaming games to said devices. More below.
Some of you might be thinking “But doesn’t Microsoft already have a hand in gaming with the Windows Store and Xbox ecosystem?” Yes, it does. However, the Xbox ecosystem is a closed ecosystem, and the Windows Store still has a short reach based on those using Windows 10 and, even more than that, those using Windows 10 for gaming.
The point of PlayFab is to reach the expansive market beyond Microsoft‘s own market-generated ecosystem. Interestingly enough, PlayFab will be used to further help bolster Microsoft‘s Azure cloud-based services to accommodate the gaming market. The company already provides services for games such as Roller Coaster Tycoon Touch for mobile devices, along with Angry Birds and other games under Disney, Rovio and Atari.
PlayFab looks to be a long-term plan for the Xbox. Setting up the infrastructure for cloud-based streaming could be a solution to allow Xbox gamers, for instance, to play OG Xbox games, Xbox 360 games, and maybe some games that are designed specifically to take advantage of the Xbox One X and are too big to run on the vanilla Xbox One‘s hardware.
For now, it’s early goings in the acquisition, so we’ll see what Microsoft and PlayFab cook up now that the company is part of the Microsoft family.
