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Xbox Live coming to Windows Mobile 7 phones

Queasy

Queasy

Moderator<br>Console Gaming
xbox-live-windows-mobile-7.jpg



Something that was originally announced back when the Xbox 360 was first announced is finally happening; Xbox Live is coming to mobile phones via Windows Mobile 7. The new phone software was announced today at the Mobile World Congress and promises the following via the Windows Mobile 7 Game Hub:

  • Collect Achievements and build your Gamerscore
  • View Xbox LIVE leaderboards
  • See your Xbox LIVE Avatar
  • Access Spotlight feeds, including the latest tips and tricks, game news, updates and more
  • Add Xbox LIVE friends to your friends list while out on the go
  • Turn-based (asynchronous) multiplayer gaming

Microsoft states in their press release that, “Windows Phone 7 Series was built from the ground up with entertainment in mind, and its unique design allowed us to bring some of the best gaming and community features of Xbox LIVE to the Windows mobile platform. It has always been our vision to expand the Xbox LIVE service to connect people to their games, entertainment and friends wherever they go, and the launch of Windows Phone 7 Series is an important step toward that goal.”


No announcements have been made as to what games will come to the Xbox Live Windows Mobile 7 platform. Windows Mobile 7 phones will be released later this year.
 
Sorta neat but until they add a few more features that people really want (I mean come on, are you so lonely that you need to see your Xbox avatar while at work) I don't see it being a particularly big selling point.
 
> No announcements have been made as to what games will come to the Xbox Live Windows Mobile 7 platform.

Not very interesting until they do. View my avatar . . . woohoo?
 
I can see a case for adding friends while on the go. I know of a few times I met someone or talked to someone who gave me their GT and I forgot it/lost the note never to add them.

Being able to check/send messages would be cool too.

They need to bring an official App to the App Store though...
 
I would expect that Microsoft is going to slowly make their mobile gaming push via this platform. A couple thoughts:

1. People seem to not be paying attention to the "Turn-based (asynchronous) multiplayer gaming" bullet point. That's a really huge idea in its way, because it's hinting towards bringing the multiplayer experience to the casual gaming market: pull out your phone during a work lull, make a move, and your opponent's WM7 phone pops them a notification that it's now their turn. If Microsoft provides the appropriate development support and libraries, this could lead to some very interesting new games.

2. By stressing the Xbox Live integration of WM7 rather than the raw gaming aspects of it, Microsoft gains themselves time to put together a quality game library for their devices while fulfilling expectations. They _don't_ want to put themselves into immediate direct competition with the iPhone's game library until they're ready for it.
 
erwos said:
1. People seem to not be paying attention to the "Turn-based (asynchronous) multiplayer gaming" bullet point. That's a really huge idea in its way, because it's hinting towards bringing the multiplayer experience to the casual gaming market: pull out your phone during a work lull, make a move, and your opponent's WM7 phone pops them a notification that it's now their turn. If Microsoft provides the appropriate development support and libraries, this could lead to some very interesting new games.
Click to expand...

The iPhone has turn based gaming already, although chess is the only game I've seen played (I don't have an iPhone). Still, I guess it would be fun. Turned based strategy games and such...I can almost hear the sound of Risk nerds jumping up and down.
 
I'm excited to see how this pans out. Xbox Live on my phone is intriguing.

In an Endadget video demonstration the MS employee demoing the OS said that your avatar will be fully animated like on your Xbox dashboard and you will be able to edit it from your phone.
 
Kabob said:
The iPhone has turn based gaming already, although chess is the only game I've seen played (I don't have an iPhone). Still, I guess it would be fun. Turned based strategy games and such...I can almost hear the sound of Risk nerds jumping up and down.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but this is just some app with their own framework providing the gaming. This would be an MS hosted solution with MS branded apps. The take rate by being that alone will be many times more than just some random app in a sea of random apps.

Edit: I've played this game personally on my iPhone with a friend. It wasn't that "easy" get get going. We had to create accounts, etc, etc. It would be much easier just to use your already logged LIVE account. The way it was setup, you would also have to know who you wanted to play with. I believe you could play with the cloud and play with some random person, but what is the fun in that?
 
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Lotheron said:
Yeah, but this is just some app with their own framework providing the gaming. This would be an MS hosted solution with MS branded apps. The take rate by being that alone will be many times more than just some random app in a sea of random apps.

Edit: I've played this game personally on my iPhone with a friend. It wasn't that "easy" get get going. We had to create accounts, etc, etc. It would be much easier just to use your already logged LIVE account. The way it was setup, you would also have to know who you wanted to play with. I believe you could play with the cloud and play with some random person, but what is the fun in that?
Click to expand...
Exactly. Thanks for elucidating that point more clearly for me. 🙂
 
Can we get a better built-in browser please?

Honestly, the one thing I love the most about my iPhone over my AT&T Tilt is the browser isn't a huge piece of shit... I can actually browse without pages looking like complete, poorly-rendered garbage! Oh and no worries, I think the iPhone has a few annoying little things about it too 😛.

But anyway... yeah, I still think a better browser is long-since overdue for WinMo a lot more than some better gaming platform.
 
Oh man, I can't wait until they drop a bombshell at E3! Maybe they might release the full specs and then announce XBLA games that are compatible with it!
 
Aikouka said:
Can we get a better built-in browser please?
Click to expand...
The Zune HD browser (which you'd figure is about the same as WM7's) is surprisingly good, actually. Not quite as good as Opera Mobile or Mobile Safari, but good enough that you don't feel like you're missing out.

I think that some kind of "buy once, play on console and mobile" would be great, but then again, you'd probably wind up playing mobile quality games on your console rather than play console quality games on your phone...
 
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