Windows Mobile was once a core player in the mobile gaming market. However, Microsoft's flagship mobile platform has slowly waned down through the years eclipsed by the popularity of Android and iOS. Now, there are reports that Windows Mobile will cease to release updates for the "Minecraft: Pocket Edition" mobile game.
Sources with insider knowledge about the issue told Windows Central that "Minecraft: Pocket Edition" will no longer support mobile devices running on the Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 platforms.
The amount of time that Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 gamers spent on "Minecraft: Pocket Edition" has reportedly dwindled to an all-time low. The statistics are so low that it is no longer worth the time to develop new contents or even just keep the game in tip-top shape, especially when the game's developer Mojang can use these resources for much more important projects.
"Minecraft: Pocket Edition" will still be available for download. However, new features or contents will be sparse or even absent. As of this writing, Microsoft is yet to confirm whether "Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition" will continue to receive updates. In the past, both the "Pocket Edition" and "Windows 10 Edition" received updates simultaneously, but the two games are still separate apps, and both are not considered part of the Universal Windows Platform, according to Digital Trends.
Late in 2016, Microsoft announced that Windows 10 would soon be able to run on devices with ARM processors. This is a great achievement for the company and one that may define its future when it comes to the mobile platform.
Based on Microsoft's latest ventures, it appears that the company is looking to develop a true all-in-one device that combines the mobile functionality of a smartphone and computing prowess of a desktop computer.