Microsoft has finally announced and given more details regarding the Xbox LIVE integration on their upcoming Windows Phone 7 release at Gamescon. Their announcement involved games for Windows Phone 7 and it appears there will be two types of games for the devices: Xbox LIVE games and non-regulated device games.
Xbox LIVE games for the device will include functionality that other games will not. Integration with Xbox services such as: game trials, gamertag information, achievements, friends and avatars will be available for Xbox LIVE titles. As is the theme with Windows Phone 7, some functionality will not be available right out of the gate. Some multiplayer modes will most likely be added later.
The amount of apps and game titles will probably be either the life or death of the new OS and it looks like Microsoft knows this because the release titles in their press release are impressive, to say the least:
“3D Brick Breaker Revolution” (Digital Chocolate)
“Age of Zombies” (Halfbrick)
“Armor Valley” (Protégé Games)
“Asphalt 5″ (Gameloft)
“Assassins Creed” (Gameloft)
“Bejeweled™ LIVE” (PopCap)
“Bloons TD” (Digital Goldfish)
“Brain Challenge” (Gameloft)
“Bubble Town 2″ (i-Play)
“Butterfly” (Press Start Studio)
“CarneyVale Showtime” (MGS)
“Castlevania” (Konami)
“Crackdown 2: Project Sunburst” (MGS)
“De Blob Revolution” (THQ)
“Deal or No Deal 2010″ (i-Play)
“Earthworm Jim” (Gameloft)
“Fast & Furious 7″ (i-Play)
“Fight Game Rivals” (Rough Cookie)
“Finger Physics” (Mobliss Inc.)
“Flight Control” (Namco Bandai)
“Flowerz” (Carbonated Games)
“Frogger” (Konami)
“Fruit Ninja” (Halfbrick)
“Game Chest-Board” (MGS)
“Game Chest-Card” (MGS)
“Game Chest-Logic” (MGS)
“Game Chest-Solitaire” (MGS)
“GeoDefense” (Critical Thought)
“Ghostscape” (Psionic)
“Glow Artisan” (Powerhead Games)
“Glyder 2″ (Glu Mobile)
“Guitar Hero 5″ (Glu Mobile) “Halo Waypoint” (MGS)
“Hexic Rush” (Carbonated Games)
“I Dig It” (InMotion)
“iBlast Moki” (Godzilab)
“ilomilo” (MGS)
“Implode XL” (IUGO)
“Iquarium” (Infinite Dreams)
“Jet Car Stunts” (True Axis)
“Let’s Golf 2″ (Gameloft)
“Little Wheel” (One click dog)
“Loondon” (Flip N Tale)
“Max and the Magic Marker” (PressPlay)
“Mini Squadron” (Supermono Limited)
“More Brain Exercise” (Namco Bandai)
“O.M.G.” (Arkedo)
“Puzzle Quest 2″ (Namco Bandai)
“Real Soccer 2″ (Gameloft)
“The Revenants” (Chaotic Moon)
“Rise of Glory” (Revo Solutions)
“Rocket Riot” (Codeglue)
“Splinter Cell Conviction” (Gameloft)
“Star Wars: Battle for Hoth” (THQ)
“Star Wars: Cantina” (THQ)
“The Harvest” (MGS)
“The Oregon Trail” (Gameloft)
“Tower Bloxx NY” (Digital Chocolate)
“Twin Blades” (Press Start Studio)
“UNO” (Gameloft)
“Women’s Murder Club: Death in Scarlet” (i-Play)
“Zombie Attack!” (IUGO)
“Zombies!!!!” (Babaroga)
Microsoft also notes in the official press release that additional titles will be released between now and the official launch. Check out their website, for more details, including video, here.
There are numerous pictures and video of actual device gameplay posted on different sites like Engadget, so be sure to check out the video and see it for yourself. From the looks of it, it seems Microsoft is pulling out the “big guns” with regards to their new devices. Gaming is just one area where Microsoft needs to come into the game as a strong contender to make a splash in the very competitive mobile field.
