Microsoft (MSFT) Aims for Exclusive Apps to Drive WP7 Sales

December 29, 2011 8:30 AM EST Send to a Friend
Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is digging deep in an effort to win back consumers and out compete the competition with a new strategy taken from the pages of yore: make exclusive content.

Well, not just any exclusive content. Stuff so good that people will buy a product simply to play or use what it being offered. Think Mario to Nintendo, or Sonic the Hedgehog to Sega Genesis.

With Windows Phone sales lagging the competition, WMPowerUser (WMPU) cited a "reliably [sic] tipster" that Microsoft might be aiming to produce exclusive titles and apps for its Windows Phone realm, so it can attract consumers away from such 'icky' rivals like Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) and Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) in the smartphone race.

WMPU said that games are already in development, and Microsoft might release one per month.

Further, Microsoft might still be aiming to work with Apple on bringing more iOS apps to Windows Phone 7, WMPU noted.

Microsoft saw early success with its Xbox and Xbox 360 due to wild adaption of the "Halo" franchise. Since it's initial release in November 2001 as a launch tital with the Xbox gaming console, "Halo" and all of its iterations have sold 40 million copies worldwide.

Whether or not Microsoft will be able to achieve the same level of success with another title has yet to be seen. At least one company aside from Microsoft, namely Nokia (NYSE: NOK), is hoping that another grand-slam is in store from Microsoft and its developers.

Or, verily Microsoft says unto thee: "[consumers] saw that the [app] was good, and [they] separated the [Windows Phone 7] from the darkness."

Shares of Microsoft are slightly higher Thursday morning.


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