Game Center on iOS has always been a bit of a let down. As a bare bones social network to keep track of your friends and achievements, it does its job, but it can’t compete with the functionality of most gaming networks. That’s why Microsoft is thinking about expanding its hugely popular Xbox Live to every mobile platform under the sun.
The Verge discovered a recent job posting for a Software Development Engineer on Microsoft’s Careers site which states that the company is looking to “create a modern framework that is open source, light-weight, extensible and scalable across various platforms including Windows Store, Windows Phone, iOS and Android.” The engineer will also help “win back” game developers that have since abandoned Microsoft for its competitors.
Both Android and iOS could benefit greatly from more robust gaming networks, and no one has had as much success as Microsoft when it comes to social gaming. The Xbox One might have fallen behind the PlayStation 4 in early goings, but a lateral move like this could position Microsoft to claim an untapped segment of the market that Sony hasn’t even considered.
