GameStop announced Monday that it is working with Microsoft to start using the Washington-based company's Azure cloud computing platform in its retail stores.
The collaboration will have the video game retailer use the Xbox One's cloud-powered services to stream video game and promotional content directly to mobile devices, which will let shoppers watch game trailers, promotional material and other content on their smartphones and tablets while they are in the store, according to GameSpot. The move will be carried out by GameStop Technology Institute business unit, which made its debut in March of 2014.
The goal for the U.S.-based company is to "enhance the in-store engagement of its customers in interactive, informative, and entertaining ways."
Game trailers will also be streamed to TVs in GameStop's stores, and customers will also be treated with an in-store mobile shopping cart, Polygon reported.
Jeff Donaldson, senior vice president of GameStop Technology Institute, said Microsoft is a great partner for GameStop due to its innovation in technology, not just with video games and consoles.
"We are continuing to work closely with them to discover and aggressively elevate ways to enhance the retail experience for our customers today and in the future," Donaldson added.
The company said working with Microsoft will give GameStop employees a chance to offer a more personalized shopping experience for customers by letting using the GameStop Technology Institute app to share their previous buying history and other information.
GameStop has had issues with streaming technology in the past, having tried it out with its own service last year but chose to go with Sony's PlayStation Now instead. With the partnership with Microsoft, however, GameStop has no intent of using Azure to stream full games.
The announcement comes almost a year after Microsoft named Satya Nadella as its new CEO, who emphasized in a letter last July the importance of Azure in the company's future, Polygon reported.
She said in the letter that the company will "continue to innovate and grow our fan base with Xbox while also creating additive business value for Microsoft."
