Nikkei: Microsoft porting first-party game franchises to Android and iOS (update: not quite)

Microsoft is selective about where its first-party game franchises appear -- outside of lightweight releases like Kinectimals and Wordament, it prefers to use games as technology showcases and system sellers. It may not be picky for much longer, though, as Nikkei claims that Microsoft has reached a deal with Japan's KLab to develop Android and iOS versions of its first-party titles. The deal reportedly includes adaptations of both PC and Xbox games, and would start with a free-to-play variant of Age of Empires that could launch before the end of the 2013 fiscal year. We've reached out to Microsoft to verify the rumor, but it's clear that the arrangement could be a breakthrough for gamers who aren't wedded to Microsoft's existing mobile strategy.

Update: Microsoft's Phil Spencer says that the report wasn't completely right -- the company isn't bringing Xbox games to non-Microsoft devices, Kinectimals and Wordament notwithstanding.