Xbox Live for Windows Phone 7 brings Guitar Hero, Earthworm Jim and Halo to your handset

In a move that might give the other upcoming mobile gaming projects a run for their money, Microsoft introduced Xbox Live for WP7 at gamescom 2010 in Cologne. The Redmond giant didn't choose the biggest consumer-oriented game show in the world by accident to unveil the gaming hub for its new mobile OS. The initial list of games that will be available from day one on any WP7 handset has been created with an emphasis on quality over quantity.

Puzzles, arcades, racing titles, jump-and-run, action shooters, strategies – from Bejeweled to Halo, there is something for the hard-core and the casual gamer alike. The titles are tailored specifically to the mobile realities – controls can be with both touchscreen and QWERTY keyboard, if one is present. The games will also take full advantage of the smartphone platform – in Crackdown 2: Project Sunburst, for instance, levels can be created with Bing maps, and the possible access to your chosen location is quickly marked by the game on the real-world maps.

An interesting approach is taken to the content supply sources – the big names for the Xbox are certainly onboard, Microsoft's own Game Studio will be releasing titles adjusted specifically for mobile, and on top of that 3rd party indie developers will have access to Xbox Live. This is done to ensure steady supply of quality titles for a game catalog that will be updated on a weekly basis. With all bases covered, Microsoft is aiming at a flying start in the mobile gaming realm, counting certainly on the 25 million active Xbox Live subscribers to become potential clients for the smartphones with WP7.

The immersive experience is aided by the interactive avatars, which can also populate your phone apps, and represent you on the Xbox Live network. Demos, Friends, Messaging, Leaderboards, turn-based and later real-time multiplayer are all on offer to make the Xbox Live gaming hub for WP7 as close to the desktop version as possible.

Well, this will surely be a great contender before Apple's Game Center and Google's social gaming efforts hit the streets. Now we know for sure that Windows Phone 7 will ship with at least 60 apps ready, be them all gaming titles. Read the full list of Xbox Live games for WP7 on the next page and tell us if you think this is a game changer (no pun intended).

source: Engadget



Well, just Earthworm Jim, Guitar Hero 5 and Halo: Waypoint would have made the Xbox Live experience on WP7 droolworthy, but we wouldn't sneeze at any of the other titles, too:

"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)

source: Microsoft