It feels like it’s been forever since Microsoft announced Windows Phone 7. And, despite the fact the details came afterward, it almost feels longer since we actually heard any details about one of the future mobile Operating System’s coolest features: Xbox LIVE support. We know it goes beyond just having your Xbox LIVE profile/avatar, and we know the XNA framework will make it easy for developers to integrate features from the console to the handset, but apparently Microsoft is going for the throat on this one.
According to Oded Ran, who is the Head of Consumer Marketing for Windows Phone, “There are four million Xboxes in the UK compared to 2.5 million iPhones; we’re now working with developers who know how to make games, and they’re able to port Xbox Arcade games to mobile phones easily.” Obviously, the defining line has been drawn in the proverbial sand, and Microsoft wants to leverage the strength of their Xbox 360/LIVE/Arcade platforms, and make them a paramount feature on their upcoming handsets.
With the XNA framework, it’s also possible for developers and game publishers to create LIVE Arcade games for the PC, the console, and the mobile phone — meaning the level of playability, integration, and overall fun could go through the roof if the Redmond-based company actually implements it well enough to be interesting.
[via TechRadar]
