Old news new again: Gameloft Windows Phone teaser video and PlayXBLA Windows 8 page

Sometimes information come along that doesn’t exactly seem newsworthy, because we already know it. I mean, if Nokia added a webpage touting Angry Birds Space for Windows Phone to their website right this minute, would we have much reason to go shouting about it from the mountains? But not everybody hears every piece of news the first time around, so when it gets reiterated somehow, it becomes new to them.

As such, we’ve received enough tips on a couple of already-known stories lately that we might as well address them now. One: Gameloft’s got a teaser video for their upcoming lineup of Windows Phone 8 games. Two: Microsoft has dedicated a page to Xbox-branded Windows 8 games on their PlayXBLA site. Read on to find out what this all means for you, the faithful Xbox gamer.

Gameloft’s next

Microsoft has recently added a Gameloft teaser video our Windows Phones’ Xbox Spotlight page. You can head to the Xbox/games tile on your phone and then swipe to the left to see the Spotlight page. The video might not show up every time you look at the Spotlight, but return to it enough times and it’ll surely pop up.

Gameloft originally revealed their 12 Windows Phone 8 games (and the teaser video) back at the end of October. The lineup includes several graphically intensive, major franchise titles including The Amazing Spider-Man, The Dark Knight Rises, Modern Combat 4, and N.O.V.A. 3. From a technical standpoint alone, each of those games is far beyond any of the currently available Xbox Windows Phone games.

When Gameloft made the announcement, some sites were content to copy and paste the press release and call it a day. But we provided our own impressions of each game in order to help our readers understand their significance. We’re not just here to complain all day, folks! And yes, Windows Phone is currently undergoing an Xbox game release drought, but all 12 Gameloft games are still scheduled to arrive for Windows Phone 8 (not 7) later this year.

Play games on Windows 8

“Hey guyz, did youse know we can Xbox games on Windows 8?”

Yes, like the Windows Phone platform, the Windows 8 Store offers both Xbox-branded games and non-Xbox games. Think of it as the evolution of Microsoft’s failed Games For Windows Live platform. Unlike GFWL titles, Windows 8 Xbox games are limited to 200 GamerScore apiece (as are Windows Phone games). Their prices range from $1.49-$9.99, which some gamers find expensive. But in fairness, Windows 8 game prices tend to be either the same as or lower than Xbox Live Arcade games on 360.

Microsoft’s new Play XBLA landing page for Windows 8 games consists of a multigame trailer and links for 15 Windows 8 Xbox games. Highlights include Skulls of the Shogun, Gunstringer: Dead Man Running, and many other franchises that have graced Windows Phone. By tapping on a games’ image from the website, users can read a short description and follow a link to its Store page.

Microsoft announced every one of the PlayXBLA page’s games back in August and all but Skulls of the Shogun (due out on January 30th) have been available for weeks or months now. The page gathered a lot of interest from viewers and even other tech sites, so its creation certainly wasn’t a bad move. Just don’t mistake it as some new initiative for Windows 8 or Windows Phone. Windows 8 has always had Xbox games and will likely continue to do so in the future.

Thanks to everyone who tipped us on these subjects!