When word got out about Microsoft bringing Cortana to Windows Phone 8.1 devices, there were a slew of “bring it to Android” and “I’d take her over Siri” comments firing off across the web. While there’s still no word on whether or not we’ll see Cortana go cross-platform, the next best thing may be in the works, as Microsoft has reportedly set its sights on taking the Xbox Live service to mobile devices in the biggest way possible.

Sources have informed TheVerge of Microsoft’s plans to expand Xbox Live onto iOS and Android, with the primary focus being on “winning back” developers by making Xbox Live easier to integrate across multiple platforms. The claims don’t appear to be far fetched, as revealed by a recent job posting made by Microsoft:

“We will create a modern framework that is open-source, lightweight, extensible and scalable across various platforms including Windows Store, Windows Phone, iOS, and Android,” the listing stated.

As it stands, Xbox Live requires that all content pass through a thick firewall of certifications and clearances before being green-lit, thus making it difficult for indie developers to bring their games to the platform. Microsoft hopes to loosen these restrictions and provide better tools for developers moving forward.

The current Xbox Live app is sufficient for what it is, so it’ll be interesting to see how much they expand on it moving forward. Regardless, I’m definitely for the toning down of complexity with SDKs as well as making software work seamlessly across multiple platforms. We’ll be keeping an eye out for more updates to this Xbox Live expansion as details are divulged.

HT: TheVerge