Activision Blizzard Had a Plan to Launch Its Own Android Game Store

Activision Blizzard had plans to develop its own mobile game store, as revealed in internal emails and documents from the courtroom during the Epic vs. Google trial. This store would have allowed users to download it from the Internet and install it on their Android phones, offering the ability to purchase, download, and install games. Activision Blizzard aimed to position this store as the "Steam of Mobile" and proposed transaction fees of around 10 to 12%, lower than Google's Play Store's standard 30% fees.

The plan was to launch it in 2019 or 2020, include games like King's Candy Crush, and target the United States. By 2021, the vision for the store expanded to include all of Activision Blizzard's mobile games and more. If the Android store proved successful, the company would also target iOS. However, despite the ambitious plans, that didn't happen.

Instead, Activision Blizzard opted for a deal with Google, aiming to secure better financial prospects across multiple aspects of their business, including mobile, YouTube, advertising, media spending, and cloud services. This deal was reportedly valued at over $100 million.

During trial, it became apparent that Activision Blizzard's alternative app store was just a strategic move to gain leverage and pressure Google. However, the company's Chief Financial Officer mentioned that they ultimately gave up on the app store plan due to it lacking financial attractiveness.

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