The more time passes between the development between video games on PCs, the Internet, Consoles and in a mobile capacity, the more gamers are going to see them come together at a focal point. This is the case with Microsoft’s recently announced ‘Windows Mobile 7’ phone. Finally delivering on their four-year-old promise of LIVE Anywhere, Microsoft is set to completely rule the LIVEs of their customers when their new smartphone finally hits the market. Touting a touch screen and a gorgeous display aside, it does give players something that may seem more important than previously thought, complete Xbox LIVE integration. This doesn’t just go to say that you can see your avatar and see who is online, but Microsoft is looking to cater to both the hardcore and casual crowds through the use of this phone. Yes, I currently have an app on my G1 that allows me to see who is online, check their Gamerscore and see if they’ve made any clever wardrobe choices for their avatar, but I still can’t play any games on Xbox LIVE or earn any achievements on my phone – and it’s not official software, this is.
The real question is whether or not this major push by Microsoft to get into the mobile market will put a dent in Apple's iPhone domination, and if so in which way (gaming, hardware, apps, etc.)? This changes all that by allowing Xbox LIVE users to do just that and relatively soon, aiming for a holiday 2010 release. In a statement from Microsoft, CEO Steve Ballmer stated, “This hub delivers the first and only official Xbox LIVE experience on a phone, including Xbox LIVE games, Spotlight feed and the ability to see a gamers’ avatar, Achievements and gamer profile,” that alone makes the phone cool enough. While some inhabitants of Xbox LIVE may disregard this with a slight ennui, but those gamers who’ve grown tired with the Xbox LIVE programs offered in the draconian iPhone and laissez-faire G1 marketplaces stand to benefit the most.
In a video released last week, the phones features are accentuated in a way that leave just about any gamer capable of being excited if for no other reason than being a phone that is designed with 360 users in mind. This isn’t just a hapless app that was rolled out by a faceless developer; this is Microsoft attempting to give the gaming community something new and fresh. By integrating Xbox LIVE with a mobile platform in a fluidic, competent and overall satisfying way, Microsoft stands to unseat the iPhone as an up and coming game source as well as put PS3, Wii and PC users to shame. After all, what better way to kill time on the commute to work than gaining another achievement? That is what this new phone is flaunting. The ability to play turn-based as well as other games with Gamerscore and achievements being recorded in real-time and being uploaded to the Xbox LIVE servers for everyone to see. While this is a far cry from jumping into a game of Modern Warfare 2 or ODST during a trip on the subway, the ability to play Geometry Wars 2, Ticket to Ride or any number of games possess a decidedly significant amount of potential.
Sitting back and wondering, it becomes one of those little things that make me speculate why Microsoft didn’t make the effort to do something like this sooner, despite promising it for the better part of four years. However, as the holiday season of 2010 grows ever closer, it’ll be interesting to see whether or not the phone is truly able to deliver on its advertised potential or will shape up to be just another marketing letdown. In the meantime, the concept is enough to keep just about all of us wondering if Microsoft has a potential iPhone killer on it's hands.
