14 DAY TRIAL // Hardcore Windows Phone fans know that Microsoft’s mobile platform is collapsing these days, with developers and users alike leaving for Android and iOS.
And while third-party app makers are losing their interest in building apps for Windows Phone, Microsoft remains completely tight-lipped, even though the software giant should be the pioneer of everything on this mobile platform.
But what’s worse is that Microsoft itself seems to be doing the same thing, as the firm is now preparing to discontinue one of its essential titles for Windows phones.
A new report reveals that Microsoft will soon discontinue Minecraft Pocket Edition for Windows phones for a reason that’s not yet known. But on the other hand, it’s not hard to see why the company sees no reason to continue investing in this project.
Painful decision, but it does make sense
The number of users on Windows phones is dropping at a fast pace, and since it’s not available for free, the number of Windows Phone users who are actually paying for Minecraft is likely to be extremely small. As a result, improving Minecraft on the platform simply does not make sense for Microsoft, even though Windows Phone is its very own operating system.
The money currently comes from Android and iOS and Microsoft needs to bring home the bacon at the end of the day, so sticking with platforms generating revenue is the right thing to do.
For the moment, however, Microsoft does what it knows best and remains completely tight-lipped on everything regarding Windows phones. Minecraft works on both Windows Phone 8.1 and Windows 10 Mobile, so the game would wave goodbye to all Windows phones should this decision become official.
In the long term, Microsoft’s mobile vision seems to be entirely based on Windows on ARM, a new project that would essentially bring the full version of Windows 10 on ARM chips. The first devices running full Windows 10 should see daylight later this year, including what could be a Surface Phone developed by Microsoft itself.