Flexion and EA to partner up and bring the publisher's hit mobile catalogue to alternative app stores
Alternatively, yours
- Flexion and EA have partnered up once more to bring the latter's mobile catalogue to alt app stores
- That means more accessibility for those not using Google Play or the iOS App Store
- And a major sea change for how big publishers are perceiving the possibility of life beyond Apple and Google
It's been a big year for alternative app stores. Ever since Apple was forced to open its floodgates to them in places like the EU it's the only thing on anyone's lips. And now Flexion, who previously brought another massive release in the form of Candy Crush Solitaire to alternative app stores, has also partnered with EA to bring the publisher's mobile back-catalogue to alternative storefronts too!
Alright, alright, I can already hear you saying (or, er, typing), "But what does this mean for me?" Well, as you may know up until now when it comes to mobile the only real games (pun not intended) in town for publishing to smartphones have been either the iOS App Store or Google Play.
However, since a bunch of legal disputes forced Apple and Google to drop many perceived anti-competitive practices there's been a big move towards opening alternative app stores. The upside for the average player? A lot of these platforms are operating huge incentives to attract users.
For example, you only need to look as far as the Epic Games Store and their free game programme. Now, I don't think any of the platforms Flexion is bringing EA's back-catalogue to will go quite that far, but I don't doubt that there'll be a lot more flexibility (pun intended) on policy that Apple and Google have otherwise outright rejected.
Long-term though, what does this mean? Well, EA for better or for worse are one of the most monolithic companies in gaming. These are the guys who gobble up smaller developers and spit out the bones. So if they detect the way the wind is blowing it basically means clear sailing (Enough of the Puns - Ed.) for everyone else.
Right now we don't know exactly which games will be coming to the suite of alternative app stores they're publishing to. But at the same time, I've got a few ideas, such as Diablo Immortal and of course the other Candy Crush titles to boot.
