Must Read: Sorry, but bringing back the Start menu won't help Windows 8

Topic: Mobility

Windows Phone 7 to bring more than 50 Xbox LIVE games mobile

Summary: Will Microsoft's launch titles be enough to lure prospects to Windows Phone 7?

Joel Evans

By for The Mobile Gadgeteer |

If you were wondering when Microsoft was going to make good on its promise to tie Xbox with its new Windows Phone 7, your wondering can now cease.

At the gamescom 2010 conference today Microsoft will announce that it will be bringing more than 50 Xbox LIVE titles to Windows Phone 7 this year. Titles include Halo: Waypoint, Crackdown 2, Bejeweled LIVE, Guitar Hero 5, The Harvest, Brain Challenge, Age of Zombies, Asphalt 5, Assassins Creed, and a whole lot more, from publishers including Gameloft, Konami, Namco Bandai, PopCap, THQ, and more. The company has also managed to secure Windows Phone 7 versions of many popular indie titles, too, as you'll see in the list below.

As for what part of Xbox LIVE will be coming to Windows Phone 7, Microsoft plans to offer these unique mobile gaming experiences:

  • Avatars: Connect to your Xbox LIVE profile and Avatar, or create a new one if you don’t already have an Avatar or Xbox LIVE profile; take your 3-D Avatar and props with you on the phone with full closet access.
  • Friends: Bring your Xbox LIVE friends with you everywhere; compare Achievements, challenge rivals to your favorite game, and even see who’s online and what they’re doing on their consoles, PCs or phones.
  • Game access: Easily view and launch your full game library from a single location; find, try and buy new games either in the Marketplace or Games hub.
  • Achievements: Earn, view and track Achievements, view Xbox LIVE leaderboards and build your Gamerscore across Xbox 360 and Windows Phone 7 — every time you play an Xbox LIVE title.
  • Messaging: Communicate with all of your Xbox LIVE friends, any time you want, through Xbox LIVE messages.
  • Multiplayer: Invite, connect and play against friends on other Windows Phone 7 phones or the PC with turn-based (asynchronous) multiplayer gaming.
  • Spotlight: Access Xbox LIVE Spotlight feeds, including the latest game titles, breaking news from Xbox LIVE, game tips and tricks, and more.

It looks like Microsoft should have a decent roundup of launch titles. The company definitely needed a reason for customers to want a Windows Phone 7 device. Now they have great Exchange integration, the new Hub interface, and perfect syncing with their Windows machine. What's missing, though, is an app store with tons of apps. Now at least there will be more than 50 well-known games to choose from, and the ability to interact with your Xbox LIVE experience.

So, will users get excited about having Xbox on their phone? My guess is YES, especially those people that are addicted to their Xbox games. The question is more about whether or not there are enough differentiators for Microsoft to win over users of BlackBerry, iPhone or Android. Perhaps Microsoft should rename the phone to the Xbox phone, just for the holidays? I would bet that would definitely drive sales.

Do you think that there's enough coming in Windows Phone 7 to lure customers back to the Windows Mobile-ish platform?

By the way, if you're not convinced that there are a bunch of games coming, just take a look at the launch portfolio below:

  • 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)

Topics: Mobility, Hardware, Microsoft, Windows

About

With more than 15 years of mobile, Internet and wireless experience, Joel specializes in taking existing brands and technologies into the mobile and wireless space. Joel is currently the VP of Strategy Integration for Mobiquity, an enterprise-class mobile solutions provider.

Google+ Contact Disclosure

Kick off your day with ZDNet's daily email newsletter. It's the freshest tech news and opinion, served hot. Get it.

Talkback

17 comments
Log in or register to join the discussion

  • Now, we need the fart applications, etc.

    ... and we will be set
    Roque Mocan
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Windows Phone 7 to bring more than 50 Xbox LIVE games mobile

    Looks like lots of ports from the iPhone. Many of the games I've had for a while. I do wonder how many developers they needed to pay though?
    dave95.
    Reply Vote

  • 50.000 games

    so wait a minute? the blogosphere is excited because 50 games are coming to wp7? you gotta be kidding me.

    how about 50.000 games at the app store?
    banned from zdnet
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Windows Phone 7 to bring more than 50 Xbox LIVE games mobile

      @banned from zdnet

      I note how you posted something similar on another thread! lol - you're obviously an i-Clone.

      Anyway, it's simply a choice between Quality and Quantity.

      The point is, XBox is a well-established and highly regarded gamining platform and community - Apple has neither. That is why Microsoft are able to garner all the best games from the biggest game developers.

      If you're a fan of the latter, then go and enjoy your (apparent) 50,000 games - no doubt you'll find one or two mediocre and playable games amongst the dross! lol.
      Poppets
      Reply Vote

      • .

        .
        banned from zdnet
        Reply Vote

      • news flash

        @Poppets <br>most of the games listed above are already on iOS. these are ports from iOS games that microsoft actually paid developers for to port them.<br><a href="http://www.pocketgamer.biz/r/PG.Biz/Windows+Phone+7/news.asp?c=21387" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><a href="http://www.pocketgamer.biz/r/PG.Biz/Windows+Phone+7/news.asp?c=21387" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.pocketgamer.biz/r/PG.Biz/Windows+Phone+7/news.asp?c=21387</a></a><br><br>in other words microsoft has to bribe developers, otherwise they wouldn't develope for this too little too late, unproven platform.<br><br>of course no one here at zdnet would ever give some balanced view on ms' pr bs. they are excited: 50 games coming to wp7 sometime at the end of the year!!<br><br>i can't believe it.
        banned from zdnet
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Windows Phone 7 to bring more than 50 Xbox LIVE games mobile

        @Poppets <br><br>You do understand that many of these games listed and developers (PopCap, Namco, Gameloft, Digital Chocolate...) have been enjoying success on the iPhone for years right? You're making it sound like because of the XBox, Microsoft were able to get these games and developers and Apple wasn't. No, Microsoft is paying many iPhone game developers just to port games over to WP7. You have it reverse. <br><br>Also just because games are selling well on XBox that does not mean they will do well on WP7. These are separate gaming markets (hardc0re and casual). And last time I checked, XBox catered to hardc0re gammers.
        dave95.
        Reply Vote

  • You've GOT to be kidding me!

    This isn't intended to be critical of Joel Evans, but - does Microsoft REALLY think this is important?! We've waited 2+ years for a mobile OS that people can USE, and THIS is what they're touting?

    Microsoft must see their market as the kids now happily using iPhones. The're NEVER going to get those customers. Their target audience, IMO, are business users who need integration with their offices - apps, docs, emails. IOW, current Blackberry users and MAYBE some Android users. The ONLY thing Microsoft has going for them right now phone-wise is their ability to leverage Office and Exchange. Concentrate on that - build a mobile extension of the office - and people will come. NOT games! Sheesh!
    Ira Seigel
    Reply Vote

    • Have you been ignoring all the other announcements?

      @Ira Seigel <br>I don't understand why announcing support for games <b>at a gaming conference</b> would lead you to believe that games is the only thing WP7 will be able to do.<br><br><i>We've waited 2+ years for a mobile OS that people can USE</i><br><br>BTW, up until fairly recently, Apple thought that Windows Mobile was useful enough to enter sales at their Apple stores. :)
      NonZealot
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Windows Phone 7 to bring more than 50 Xbox LIVE games mobile

        @NonZealot
        >>BTW, up until fairly recently, Apple thought that Windows Mobile was useful enough to enter sales at their Apple stores. <<
        And Apple was doing this because WM was so pathetic that it made them look good. Apple is probably not feeling so confident against Android.

        >>I don't understand why announcing support for games at a gaming conference would lead you to believe that games is the only thing WP7 will be able to do.<<

        My point being that spending lots of time and money touting WP7 at a gaming conference does not reach the audience that they SHOULD be going for, IMO, which is the RIM market. As noted earlier in this thread, most if not all of these games are available on iPhone or elsewhere. Just because they'll soon be available on WP7 doesn't mean that gamers are going to upgrade their phone to a WP7 phone. IMO, gamers won't be interested. Android and iPhone have the cachet to draw that crowd. MS doesn't.

        I'm a Microsoft stockholder. I have nothing against them, and no axe to grind. Just being realistic, as I see it.
        Ira Seigel
        Reply Vote

  • RE: Windows Phone 7 to bring more than 50 Xbox LIVE games mobile

    Sounds good to me, looking forward to the WP7 phones!
    Loverock Davidson
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Windows Phone 7 to bring more than 50 Xbox LIVE games mobile

    @Ira Seigel<br><br>You've probably got a few more years of MS dividends before the stock begins it's terminal decline to being totally worthless. Maybe 5 years, if you're lucky. In ten years the company will be broken up or dead.<br><br>But Microsoft have a lot less time than that to get their act together, and start learning this new game. Owning a credible slice of the pie today isn't about owning any one sector, it's about offering products and services ordinary people actually want to use, and therefore buy... in all sectors. <br><br>Microsoft's success to date has relied upon the majority of IT managers recommending their very average products in volume and then selling them bundled to the enterprise. That's not where the centre of gravity is in this new market. <br><br>Desire plays a huge part, but the key elements are usability and trust. Microsoft have neither of these - except perhaps in gaming.<br><br>I therefore disagree that they should concentrate on business markets. It's vital to their survival that they have a serious presence in all sectors. But to do so they have to offer credible products and services. They don't have enough credible products and services. The development lead-time is too long to create any before their main competitors gain the lion's share of all the key markets. So they won't survive.<br><br>And it's very very clear why this has happened. Ballmer is an accountant with the personality and skill set of a used car salesman, who fancies himself as a tech maven - pretending to predict the future with his ludicrous statements about "3 screens and a cloud" and perpetually promising "many new products in the pipeline". Ballmer has pursued the most lamentably poor set of strategies, and committed some catastrophic errors over the past ten years. He's virtually guaranteed his company's failure all on his own.<br><br>So, even though spending lots of time and money [they can obviously afford] touting WP7 at a gaming conference looks pathetic, and in truth it is [especially given MS had to bribe developers to port to WP7], if they want to maintain any credibility, it is actually what they should be doing. But of course they should first have ensured that WP7 was something that people wanted. There should also never have been a Project Pink/Kin. And if there was, it should have been kept secret - and obviously it shouldn't never have been released. But Microsoft have a pathetic need to boast about their projects - all of them, many well before they're ready for the market. <br><br>But it's precisely because of all this utterly flawed thinking that they needed to be starting from a very different place if they wanted to win. So many things needed to have been done differently. But it's in the DNA of the entire company, from the founder down, to play the game this way. It was bound to be their undoing eventually.<br><br>But please don't confuse me with someone who actually cares. I admire good brands. I forgive good brands when they make errors. But I don't forgive poor brands who's very foundations are as lamentably flawed as Microsoft's. And backing them is not something I would advise over the long term.
    Graham Ellison
    Reply Vote

    • We won't confuse you with someone who cares

      @Graham Ellison
      After all, someone who cared wouldn't bother writing a 9 paragraph article about why he didn't care. :)
      NonZealot
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Windows Phone 7 to bring more than 50 Xbox LIVE games mobile

        @NonZealot

        It's an opinion-based piece, but all the evidence is there in plain sight, for all to see.

        I design and study business models. So my post was an academic treatise on why MS is where they are today, and an assessment of their future prospects, based on the case notes and my experience.

        What was yours based on? Oh yes, sarcasm - the lowest form of wit. Do enjoy being the jester in the pack. We do.
        Graham Ellison
        Reply Vote

    • Double post (nt)

      .
      NonZealot
      Reply Vote

  • RE: Windows Phone 7 to bring more than 50 Xbox LIVE games mobile

    So Microsoft has got the gaming-thing down...... What about the actual phone-thing??? I mean, the biggest issue i've had with all Microsoft phones has been the lack of performance. I'm not saying they don't make good phones, because they do. BUT.....they never seem to listen to consumers when you flat-out tell them to do something about a task manager that requires you to constantly kill everything after you are done using it. That was always why the windows phone OS ran so slow and significantly hurt performance. It wasn't even adding to the multi-tasking requirement that some may have wanted. You close the application and are done with it (not that re-opening it would put you back where you were before you closed it), but you still have to go and kill it AGAIN in the task manager. Now, if they have that fixed, then we're really making progress. Also, I hope they have beefed up ram and processor performance on this, as well. As a sysad, i have never been able to reliably use a windows mobile phone on windows network to remote into my servers and work on them like I have recently been able to do with an iPhone (and more recently an Android device). Sysad administration mobility is key in my work and the new mobile ecosystem is just now enabling this at a reasonable price. Hope they've hit the mark with this one.....
    richardanelson000
    Reply Vote

  • You have to wonder what Microsoft has been doing for the last 7 years

    The phone community has asked MSFT to get their act together long before there were any serious challengers to them in the smart phone space, besides blackberry ofcourse and still they did nothing. the previous platforms were crude and unreliable at best, but had lots of cool features that could have been built out more.

    7 years later they are trying a relaunch and for my money I just am not buying into it. They should have rebooted long before now
    DS-Solutions
    Reply Vote
CNET Join | Log In | Privacy | Cookies Close