Xbox Live For Windows Phone 7 On The Way
Microsoft has been talking about bringing Xbox Live to mobile phones for years now, but it looks like they’re finally serious about it. They recently announced a slew of details about Xbox Live for Windows Phone 7, including an extensive line up of launch games, and a slew of features.
The games are the real star of the show here. Microsoft is bringing some big names to Xbox Live for Windows Phone 7, including Crackdown, Guitar Hero 5, Uno, and Castlevania. There will also be a bunch of indie games covering just about every genre you can imagine. Just like on the Xbox 360, each game will have a demo version that can later be unlocked if you choose to buy the game. Each XBL for WP7 game will include achievements, allowing you to add to your gamerscore right from your phone.
Unfortunately, there won’t be any real multiplayer gaming on XBL for WP7 at launch. The best Microsoft will have to offer will be turn based multiplayer. Microsoft seems confident that true, real time multiplayer gaming will come to mobile phones in the not too distant future, but it’s not in the cards for launch titles.
XBL for WP7 will feature a lot of great social functionality. You’ll be able to message your friends and see what they’re doing online at any given time. You’ll also be able to take a look at their avatar, and compare your gamerscore and achievements to theirs.
The features and games Microsoft is currently showing off look great, but it’s hard not to feel a little underwhelmed. For years now, Microsoft has been talking about what Xbox Live could be like on mobile phones. Back in 2006 at E3, Microsoft showed off a demo of Xbox Live that showed many of the features present in XBL for WP7, as well as a few features that seem to have been left behind. For example, Microsoft showed off a feature where an in game car could be passed freely between an Xbox 360, a phone, and a computer so that it could be edited and tweaked, and then placed back into the game.
Xbox Live for Windows Phone 7 looks like an excellent service, but it’s still hard to forget about all of the unfulfilled promises Microsoft has made about mobile gaming over the years. Still, with a rich feature set, and a solid library of games, Xbox Live for WP7 is poised for a strong launch.
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