Gameloft's Asphalt 8: Airborne arrives for Windows Phone 8 as a non-Xbox racer

Good news for those of you are who racing fans as Gameloft’s Asphalt 8: Airborne is now available for Windows Phone 8 devices. The bad news is it’s a massive 819 MB to download, meaning you’ll need even more to install. The worse news is the game is not an Xbox Live title, as Gameloft has evidently decided to eschew Microsoft’s rigorous certification.

The upside to being a non-Xbox Live title is that Gameloft can update and tweak the game as often as they want, and presumably they will. The other upside is this massive racer only costs $0.99 and yes, there is a free trial as well.

So what is Asphalt 8: Airborne? It’s a relatively new title to the Asphalt series, only launching on Android and iOS back in August. While that’s a three month delay between those platforms and Windows Phone, that is considerably less time that previous games, especially for Gameloft. Of course it did just drop in price to free on Android, but hey, we’ll take what we can get.

The game is fueled by a new graphics engine and features airborne stunt moves, bringing a new twist to the series. Indeed, as can be seen from the teaser trailer above, the graphics are nothing short of stunning. Other than that, the game packs a huge amount of gameplay, locations and cars.

LUXURY DREAM CARS

47 high-performance cars (80% of them NEW!)
Top licensed manufacturers like Lamborghini & Ferrari
Newly recorded high-fidelity car motor sounds for realistic audio immersion

GET AIRBORNE

Hit the ramps and take the race above
Perform barrel rolls and wild 360º jumps
Maneuver through the air, pulling stunts while racing

NEW EXOTIC LOCATIONS

Race in 9 different settings like Venice, Guiana & the Nevada Desert!
Discover plenty of hidden shortcuts

NEW FEATURES FOR SPEED FREAKS

8 seasons & 180 events in Career mode
A detailed damage system
Check out the new Infected and Drift Gate game modes

SIMULTANEOUS MULTIPLAYER & GHOST CHALLENGES

Simultaneous multiplayer action for up to 8 real opponents!
Dare friends to asynchronous races
New leaderboards

MUSIC TO REV YOUR SOUL

A heart-thumping mix of amazing licensed music for your game
Featuring real tracks from Bloc Party, Mutemath & The Crystal Method!

Maybe they’re just hyping their own game a bit, but to our eyes that seems like quite the game, especially for $1.

We’re still downloading the massive game, as 819 MB can take some time even or Wi-Fi, so we can’t give any first impressions—we’ll leave those until later. For now, you can head to the Store here and download Asphalt 8: Airborne. 99 cents, free trial Windows Phone 8 only.

Also available for Windows 8 devices--Read more!

Thanks, Jason D., for the tip!

Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central, head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007 when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and for some reason, watches. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes!), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun.

242 Comments

Bought it, downloading
RIP Xbox on windows phone???
Damn cool its available for 512mb devices even
Angry Birds New Version coming to Winows phone see here http://ow.ly/qO7We
Save Xbox on WP; make your voices heard: http://ow.ly/qMZ4z
Bro tell me after installing how much space it takes
you need atleast 3.5gig free storage before it accepts to download
its always... 4 times more.. 819MB*4 = 3256MB at least
Download it manually and save to SD card and then install. I did the same as I had around 2.2 GB free space. After install it will take 1.4 GB.
That's quite a load. I hope I have space.
That's what she said
LOL
how to buy?/
No Xbox live makes me kinda upset....
But if it was Xbox Live, you would wait till 2015 for the game.
Sad but true
This .. Wanted it to be Xbox title , anyways bought it
No Xbox live means more frequent updates.
No Xbox means no buy for me. Xbox games was the primary reason I bought a windows phone.
The primary reason? On a phone?? LOL.
Smaller screen, lower specs, less apps. So yes Xbox gaming was the primary reason I switched to windows phones.
Windows Phone has only gotten the tiny hold it has on the market because of achievements. It is literally the only reason I as well as all my friends have one. Every single aspect of Android phones are far superior to Windows phones except for having achievements in the pitiful selection of games they have. MS needs to step it up or people are going to start flocking back to Android when it's time to buy a new phone.
You clearly forget about main and superior aspect - the sole OS. WP >>>>>>> ANDROID Screen size, hardware? lawl
Can someone tell me what the big deal is about Xbox Live? So I get my avatar and some points for completing stuff. So what???
You're obviously not competitive and don't have a ego. Achievements are for people who:
Competitive
Braggers
Big ego's
I guess I could've just said "MANLY"
I guess i`m not competitive, or have an ego, or maybe i`m not even "MANLY", since i don`t like playing games on my phone (except for a few strategy games). I´m gonna go find me a psychiatrist now.
Try Dr. PHIL and some Testosterone treatment. You'll see things differently.
are you real ?
For real? Just laughed at your conversation right there though. So, Peace be with you both. Lol.
wait a minute you mean you feel like a man when you have lots of xbox achievement points !?HAHAHAHAHAHAHA that's hilarious ! being a man has nothing to do with competition.
i guess (hope?) you're a teenager still living with your mum to say such idiotic things !
Dude you need to get laid....
lol seriously you seduce girls with your achievement points ?
try just once in the street to get real
Actually I seduce them with my joystick which unlocks achievements ;)
Too bad there's no challenge in that. Achievements need to be hard to earn!
Gosh, what did I start! Ok, so as I thought achievements are meaningless unless you are a nerdy teenager who likes to brag to his equally nerdy friends. Which is fair enough, there's a market for that and MS should tap into it. If it makes you feel like a man great, just don't expect that to get you anywhere once you step outside your front door.
So you can be "MANLY" and bragg about it. I hear it`s a big thing :-)
LOL
Agreed. If we're not going to get Xbox games on WP then what's the point of Xbox live on the phone then? So we can mess with out avatars? Again Microsoft has messed up what should be a core selling point of WP. No sale here.
I am also troubled by this. The recent trend of smaller developers (e.g., Doodle Jump) releasing games without Xbox certification was bad enough, but now, arguably the biggest mobile games developer doing it? This is not good, and we need to let Microsoft and Gameloft know it. Hit them up on Twitter. I would've gotten this game on either Windows Phone 8 or Windows 8/RT. But without Xbox achievements, I have no interest in it. Xbox games on our phones and tablets is one feature that sets it apart from Android and iOS. Without it, all we have now is the same games coming later. At least the wait was worth it before. Now it's not. This is not good at all.
Same here, I don't buy games anywhere that aren't Xbox live enabled. If I'm going to I might as well get a mac and iPhone, they have better non Xbox live games anyway. I have been with Microsoft on this since my ppc6600 but I'm losing faith. Microsoft is playing catch up and not doing a good job at it at all. Almost 2014 and I still can't play Xbox videos I have purchased on my phone, hopes of it coming soon, like everything else. I don't even want to play games since if I lose my phone I have to start alllll over. I think we are all deluded.
Everybody who wants this to be an Xbox title go and email or give feedback some where complaining about Xbox should ease certification and allow more updates for different platforms like WP email me people send it to Nokia feedback rate it with 4 stars but blame Microsoft and point out their certification restrictions all those points!Microsoft is still listening now is our chance!
I would, but im sick of giving feedback that goes nowhere. They pay people much smarter than me to work this out but they arent. If they need feedback to know that thi is wrong maybe they dont need to be in this business. Apple gets it.
I have been a Microsoft enthusiast since Windows XP (I know) but I'm giving up. I gave them a few years, still cant even backup my phone. Day one l920 user with a cracked screen hoping I can backup Chaos Rings before I exchange it. A year later and I cant do something simple like backup my games.... This is getting rediculous now.
+920 on the backing up particularly Xbox games!! I'm waiting till my contract runs out they have until then....
You are blaming Microsoft for Square not having a backup feature for a game?
No, blaming Microsoft for not having a backup feature for all the games and apps I've already purchased. That SkyDrive backup, nice, a year later how useful has it been?
How come could Apple "get it" more than MS while they have no achievement point system at all ? Also this is not MS fault, it's the developer that decided not to use achievements... so if you have any feedback to give, send it to Gameloft, not MS ! wtf is wrong with you people with your childish game points... get a life
If not for the gamerpoints then why buy the game late on Windows Phone? Might as well do without them and use an iPhone that gets it months ahead no? What's the compelling reason to purchase it here? And its not all the devs fault, if it was easier to license am Xbox live game like Mr Rubino stated earlier then maybe more devs would use it. So its not about the points at all but sadly that is the ONLY reason to purchase a game here instead of other platforms. I do like the OS but its nothing extraordinary that I can't live without.
If I even want to download a game right now I'll have to delete something since my phone is full of Xbox games. Those are what I show off while some dude with an iPhone shows off the latest Batman game we'll probably never see, without Xbox live I'd just be twiddling my thumbs. I'd love to buy that batman game now, too bad I own a Windows phone, at least I have achievements, oh wait...
The same goes for my tablet. I bought everything Microsoft looking for continuity, now I'm disappointed.
We've started a movement: #SaveXboxWP. We're letting Microsoft know on Twitter. The more of you that join us, the better.
No Xbox support = no buy. Just not interested, Xbox achievements at least ptesented some incentive to play the game and buy it in the first place.
You guys are so manly, arguing on a comments section
Woah I think this article got published before I hit Send on the TIP. Cool.
Won't even play with out it being an Xbox title.. But happy for the support for the platform!
+1
This is good. I would rather take non-Xbox game if it means more frequent updates.
Same here. Xbox points mean nothing to me, like Reddit Karma, but clearly it means a lot to some folks. Solution? Have a better Xbox Live system for developers :/
Funny, I don't give two craps about karma, but I am a gamer score whore from way back! About to break 40k on one tag and just broke 11k on another.
It also means a lot to me. I hope they change this shit. I might buy it but I'm not going to play it alot because there's no achievements.
I like to see things come to the Xbox side, but with the way support works for it I can see why they are stearing away from it. Maybe we can try to do something to help Microsoft see this.
Without Achievements why play games on Windows Phone, better games are available on the iphone and sooner, why put up with this?
I say hats off to Gameloft here. It isn't Gameloft's problem that the Xbox Live certification, update, and publishing process is so incredibly tedious. Let's look back for a second here; The Dark Knight game was an Xbox title, did it have achievements? yes. But what's the point when the game framerate is awful and runs terribly? It's the xbox fanboys on here that I can't stand. On one hand, a game is an Xbox title, but it's plagued by bugs, and you bitch about how the game crashes and how it doesnt run properly. Now that Gameloft have done off with the Xbox certification and brought out, in my opinion, the best third-party WP game to date (no seriously. the game runs perfectly, is huge in replayability, has working online multiplayer - it's the cat's pajamas), the fanboys come out with their blamethrowers and say how it's all Gameloft's fault and "save Xbox for Windows Phone". Nobody is saving anything. Microsoft needs to save it themselves by making it less of a chore to publish games. Simple as that. Again, hats off to Gameloft for publishing a fantastic game, and finally, get your friend's iPhone with Asphalt 8 on it, and give it a go. You'll notice instantly that it runs a lot worse than the WP version (I tested my Lumia 920 vs an iPhone 5S - The 920 runs it perfectly).
It means a lot to me .. I bought WP just because I had a Xbox 360 & wanted to gain some cheevos
Same here buddy
Well you should probably use a iPhone or android. You can get most games FREE.
Precisely my thoughts. Without Achievements why play games on Windows Phone, better games are available on the iphone and sooner.
You must not be very familiar with gameloft, they have worst customer care ever, there won't be frequent updates at all.
Wish it were an Xbox game.
Steal for RS 55/-...Gonna download it!
great news!!!
Regardless of the lack of XBL... I still freaking loved Asphalt 7... insta buying this. Can't wait!
no xbox is fine.. but it is freaking FREE on iOS and android.. hate this treatment of WP.. :( they delay the release of game, don't give xbox, and keep it paid while keeping it free on other platforms.. :|
it WAS NOT FREE on iOS and Android at first.. Derp. I have an Android tablet and it was .99 like us. maybe down the road it will be free, but think of it this way... No ads like a lot of Android BS!
Its free on iSO because they make so much money they did a promo.
And its MS making it hard for devs.
Yea, £0.79 is so outrageously expensive, I won't pay so much for a quality gaming experience that will last me many hours. Now I'm off buy a burger from McDonalds that tastes bad, lasts a minute and costs more.
Truer words have never been spoken!
Asphalt is f**king awesome, but I really loved Need for speed when I had WP7.
I wish they release more NFS version.
(I know asphalt and NFS are different developers)
I have only 1.07gb left now I guess it required around 2.5gb free space
No Xbox Live, no sale.
It's on Windows 8.1 too, I'm downloading it from the store.
Non-Xbox? WTH? I really hope gameloft won't make a habit out of this.
As for me, I really liked Asphalt 7 but the lack of Xbox with 8 is a deal breaker to me. I'm not paying for a non-Xbox game that is free on iOS and Android.
I have pretty sure that all the next Gameloft games will not be live enabled...
You base that on...?
Well...if their next games won't be Xbox-enabled, I guess they lost a customer. In the end, it's not really my loss, is it? ;P
You do lose out on the experience of playing many quality games that aren't Live-enabled if you take that hard stance. Not that all of Gameloft's games are great, but Asphalt 8 sure is.
Getting Xbox Achievements is the only thing that really compels me to play on such a small screen as a phone. Without that incentive, I'd rather not be bothered to play on the phone at all. Hence my stance regarding Xbox-titles. (Not to mention, I'm not paying for a game that is free on other platforms and that doesn't even have that unique feature that is the Xbox achievements)
It wasn't free at launch on iOS and Android. It switched to free in a recent update. I expect the WP and Windows 8 versions will get the same update before too long.
I'm slowly starting to take that stance myself however its hard. I bought an HTC Trophy because of Xbox 360 and achievements. Games run so much better on my L822 and achievements add to the experience. Considering the multitude of games on iOS (less so on buggy android) its difficult to justify purchasing non-Xbox games. Halo was a very nice addition however there aren't enough games to ever make Windows Phone a mobile gaming competitor. I hate being a downer on the platform but im fed up. I expect Terraria and Fiesta Run will likewise have Xbox functionality striped. With the positive indie stance on Xbox One im still hopeful a fix is happening in the near future. I haven't given up.
What's the point of having Xbox live on our phones, then? It was a talked about feature when WP7 launched but now it seems like something Microsoft wants to forget as soon as possible. Its not the devs fault Microsoft doesn't give a toss about WP but I want to have that connected experience with my current friends, not having to sign up for numerous other gaming services.
Of course Xbox Live *should* be taken advantage of. I wish Microsoft would see the light. They put themselves at a distinct disadvantage compared to iOS and Google Play.
But whats the use of making it for 512MB ram.
the file size is 819MB after installation it will take 1.5gb-1.8gb.
MS should allowed app to be installed in SD card.
What has RAM got to do with storage space?
As all 512mb ram phones have only 8gb internal.
and the game might take about 2.5gb.
So what's the use of making it for 512mb as only some of the guys will download it not everyone.
RAM has nothing to do with the phone's storage (8/16/32 GB). This game requires 2.5gb of STORAGE .... not RAM. Understood?
No, I don't think you understand what he's saying. All the phones that are currently out with 512MB RAM only have 8GB or less storage, thus making it pointless to have it for 512MB phones (whether it is or not) because it requires so much space.
Willied: yaa bro i was telling that only.
hipporama: i know ram and phone storage are different things.
it just makes no sense.
why is having a 2.5GB game on a 8GB phone pointless ?
I didn't say it was, but if you only have 8GB to start with (which is really less than 7 with the OS and what not) then it's not likely you'll have any room for a game this big if you have anything else on your device. I have 16GB on my 822 and I didn't have any space for this game, though I do have a lot of games and such installed. But it's nice to have the option to play this game on a 512MB device anyway.
I agree that installing apps to the SD card would be a good thing. That said, the 2 sentences above have nothing to do with that. RAM is not the same thing as phone storage.
I know both are different things i was saying that all have 8gb memory so no use of making it as only some will download it.
Dissapointed that it isnt a Xbox game. Microsoft needs to make the certification much easier for big name publishers. This game should absolutely be a Xbox game.
They should make it easier for everyone, period.
Microsoft needs to make that certification easier for everybody, not just big publishers.
It's not just about certification, though they could go easy on that part. It's also other things that they really need to let go of because it's not helping Xbox on Windows and Windows Phone. The strict control of upates, the fact you need a publisher and all the other stupid stuff they've dropped from the Xbox 360 and also the Xbox One but still keep around for Windows and WP. It makes zero sense at this point and developers are showing it by not using Live yet still releasing the game on the platform. It's like a double slap to the face if you think about it.
No Xbox Live :( I would love some Achievements
Does it work on 512mb ram devices??
Yup
1. it's not xbox.. fine..
2. it's free on iOS and android.. not done.. :-/
It started off as $0.99 and only now is free. Parity is parity, but it doesn't mean it should be free on launch.
let's see..i'll wait for a while..maybe they make it free for us too! :)
I have to agree with you on this one. Even though i wont be buying this (even if i could, because of the credit card issue for windows store in Portugal), i think $0.99 is a very very reasonable price, especially for a game which i´m sure has a lot of work put into it.
Its 99 cents. Skip the bag of Doritos today and buy the game.
I would've have, if it had Xbox achievements. Without that, I wouldn't even download this game if it were free.
It's hilarious that you don't play games to actually get joy out of them, but rather just for some meaningless points.
Achievments add to the fun. The big draw is the social benefits and the added replay value. Achievements make games more fun by giving you more, and usually more fun, things to do, but more so it makes gaming much more social, allowing you to easily compare achievements and scores with your Xbox LIVE friends as well as strangers, and provides a sense of camaraderie, friendship, and source of accomplishment as you complete achievements, max out games, and compete with your friends. Games without achievements are boring. Games with achievements are inherently more social, and therefore, more fun. In short, Achievements only add to a game. Some people naively state that achievements are meaningless and that it's a shame people interested in them can't simply play a game for fun. Well, we do play the games for fun but achievements are the added extra that makes it even more fun and more social. There is also a sense of exclusivity which aids in furthering the Xbox community.
But the dorittos can win you an Xbox one!
I would give you $0.99,umm no I give you $1.99 if you can create this game deal?
Downloading !
And downloading and downloading and downloading and downloading and downloading and downloading and downloading and downloading and downloading and downloading and downloading, ok finger is getting tired.
Lol indeed takes a wile
i bought A7 for WP8, got A7 free through my Asus W8 ultrabook (then allowed me to install free on desktop since i owned it ) so i'm gonna try the same trick for A8, and see if I can get at least the windows 8 version free... all in all, $3 for 3 devices is acceptable ;-)
Let us know if it works.
Nope, unfortunately (maybe cuz it's brand new) it still says 1.99. BUT what's cool is it's a 1.28GB download for Windows 8, and says it recommends 2GB RAM hopefully meaning it's a much nicer version for higher res screens!
I don't understand why no XBox Live ¬¬
It works but u need more space free around 2.5 3gb or around 2gb+ if you download xap file to sd card
They really need to do something about this certification thing. It will be the deth of windows phone
And also their death!
Boooooooooo non Xbox
The Asphalt 8 launch is the begining of the end of the Xbox Games on Windows Phone...
And I'm happy for this... Maybe this will make MS rethink about the whole arcaic Xbox Live certification process...
It's not just about certification, though they could go easy on that part. It's also other things that they really need to let go of because it's not helping Xbox on Windows and Windows Phone. The strict control of upates, the fact you need a publisher and all the other stupid stuff they've dropped from the Xbox 360 and also the Xbox One but still keep around for Windows and WP. It makes zero sense at this point and developers are showing it by not using Live yet still releasing the game on the platform. It's like a double slap to the face if you think about it. Exactly, It's about time they get a clue over there, seriously this is stupid. They should make it as easy as possible to get anyone and everyone using Xbox Live but instead they want to make it hard for some retarded reason. Maybe we need a patition or something? Maybe we should cause a fuss about this more?
Once its dead I doubt it will ever come back. The fact that Microsoft is willing to allow the situation to continue though and with such a big name dev says they still don't give a toss about Windows Phone and Xbox probably will be dead on WP.
Indeed. How many Xbox games has Microsoft Studios released for Windows Phone 8 this year. Two? (Halo: Spartan Assault and Skulls of the Shogun). Were there others? Either way it's nowhere near as many as they launched the previous year for Windows Phone 7. We need to let them have it on Twitter.
If it dies, it dies. And I wouldn't expect it to resurrect like that other guy.
However, if Xbox Games on WP dies...it's yet another nail on the Windows Phone coffin. With the looks being the only thing that sets them apart from Android and iOS, it won't be hard to see WP dead even faster than it will die if Nokia disappears. Microsoft just doesn't give a damn about WP. And that's more and more evident as days go by.
SAD because they passed up the XBL certification but GLAD to the MAX it's finally HERE! Downloading NOW!
Wohooooo super week is going realyyy awesomee :-) asphalt 8
WTH, not going to buy this since it is free on android and ios
buy it so they continue supporting it! if everyone waited til its free, they'd see no downloads and say to hell with WP! it's a whopping $.99
Kripya faltu baat na karein .. Thanks developers for bringing it to 512 MB ram devices..
Come on guys, not Xbox live means frequent update, yeah :)
I'd rather have Xbox achievements.
I'd rather have achievements. And that "more updates" is bullocks. Rovio and EA have no problems updating games (EA's Tetris already got 2)
Yay! Insane game play
...and this is why 32GB storage should always be an option for the "premium" handsets. Or allow games to be installed to SD cards.
Cool man
Your welcome guys!
Xbox live games is what sold me on windows phones. It is the only advantage windows phones have over other OS. Microsoft needs to fix what ever the hurdles are developers have with the certification process. Microsoft has never took advantage of Xbox live gaming on their phones. Hopefully this'll change.
At the end said wp8 only everyone with a Windows Phone 7 should upgrade now its sad
Daniel, are you all sure this isnt the 512 Mb device version of the game and Xbox live version is incoming soon? Well i think the whole "more updates " is a croc, Tetris Blitz has so far had 3 updates.
I've only noticed 1 Tetris Blitz update... But Xbox game updates do require extra time and money compared to non-Xbox games. Hence, a game can be updated more frequently and at less cost if it's not Xbox-enabled.
Best racing game for phone but cant download because i have nokia lumia 800 :D
You can download asphalt 5 instead...
What's so important with xbox then it's achievement point, just to bluff with your friends who has the most point. Leave xbox for xbox console.
Non-Xbox? Way to kill my buzz. Hard to care enoguh to buy it now, since I have so many Xbox games to play. If it goes free, I'll definitely grab it, but paying the game price for a game removing the functionality it previously had is a tough sell.
are we nearing death of xbox on WP, a major studio skipped xbox certification for a popular series, I dont see them be bothered about xbox certification anymore and others will also follow, what is MS doing.
Finally, :)
Hey Daniel its really disappointing to see you down playing useful Xbox connectivity in any game. I was planning on getting an iPod to try out games before they come to wp, but since they are getting rid of one of the few differences between WP games an ios games... Why would any gamer not switch to ios, other than the tiles ???
Am I not entitled to my opinion? I don't care about Xbox "points". I know some of you guys do and that's fine, not telling you not to enjoy it. Hell, I even mention the fact that it's not Xbox in the title to highlight the issue. But Microsoft needs to fix the Xbox cert problems. Regarding "Why would any gamer not switch to ios, other than the tiles ???", I take offense at that. There's more to Windows Phone than childish Xbox gamer points and Live Tiles. Windows Phone apps are consistently rated/reviewed higher than the same app on iOS. There is also better hardware, more choices and overlap with Windows 8.
I respect your opinion... But if you were to do a poll as to why the early adopters got WP most would say Xbox connectivity as well as live tiles. Why because features as well as apps were lacking behind the others..wp7 is like the original Xbox & wp8 feels like the launch of the 360 before the updates, lots of potential but lacking... I think you would agreed with me in saying if android&ios is exactly the same a year from now people would be like I'm not upgrading to the new iPhone galaxy but if WP is being upgraded in the app feature department at the same pace come end of next year, people will switch platform's... Why because WP is lacking
Calling Xbox gamer points 'childish' is a tad condescending. Some people get a lot of enjoyment out of them, and they particularly enjoy the social aspect that they bring to gaming. I'm sure there are some things you enjoy that others would find childish, and vice versa. That's fine that you personally don't care about them, but you downplay the important role they play in distinguishing Windows Phone from its competitors, Android and iOS. I agree with you wholeheartedly that there is way more to Windows Phone than Xbox games and live tiles and that it would therefore be foolish and rash to jump ship to Android and iOS just because Xbox on Windows Phone is dying off. But many of us feel that Microsoft should be doubling down on the Xbox stuff as a further differentiator from iOS and Android, and the fact that they're letting Xbox on WP die off is not a good sign for the platform. If they want to close that gap, they've got to utilize all of their resources and strengths, and Xbox gaming is one of them. Xbox is easily one of the few, if not the only, 'cool' brand that Microsoft owns, and it is very popular among a certain niche of consumers, many of whom go out of there way to convince their friends and family to get Windows Phones just so they can play Xbox Live games with them. Microsoft needs to be pushing this more. Instead, they're letting Xbox on Windows Phone die off, and, even worse, releasing Xbox games on Android and iOS (Wordament, Kinectimals, etc.)
Kinda fed up with 3D games that seem to run at 800x480. Well, if the performance is better that way then okay... Meh. Still fun though!
That download size makes this a non-starter for my Lumia 810. It doesn't even feel like I have that much installed, but I'm still down to my last gig and this size won't even attempt to install.
It's free on iDroid. Just sayin...
(1) It was already said in the post (2) It didn't start off as "free" on Android, not sure why Windows Phone should be different (3) it's 99 cents, not worth bitching about
I wish I had space...when are these phone manufacturers going to start making phones with more storage? Storage has been going down in price, yet we get the same storage we had 4-5 years ago.
++9999
Cant agree moree.
FINALLY!! forget the trial AND the Xbox achievements, I bought it already!
Shit!!! My old computer can't handle this type of graphics. My 820 can!!!!
Totally unrelated question to the game. Could someone please provide details of the yellow mobile case that is displayed on the photo attached in the article? Thanks.
That's Nokia's charging cover, as the phone in the picture doesn't have built-in wireless charging.
Good.i trying
I don't understand why MS won't push, do all they can to push these studios to release as "Xbox" games. One of the reasons I got th phone was because of this. Now only a few games worth playing, and most st freemium.
I'll only play this if i can save my progress to the cloud in some way. Upgrading to the 1520 in a week and dont wanna start over. Not to mention how many times I've had to factory reset my phone
Still waiting for temple run 2
Wow! Close to one gig! Could they put RE5 on here. Its only 7gig I think.
Bad news for XBOX on WP..
Microsoft and xbox department must take advantage of popular games like this..
Realy disappointed!
Let them know your opinon on Twitter and Facebook: #SaveXboxWP. Read here for more: http://forums.wpcentral.com/gamers-lounge/249754-asphalt-8-not-xbox-titl...
sorry not download this one . reason ? its useless because of low storage and my weapon its only L520 . Next, it doesnt integrated with xbox . why should WP user buy non xbox games ? the only reason i got this Phone is the achievement feature that iOS and Android doesnt have . i prefer uninstall HALO:SA and buy it again then buy this game.
I needed to clear 3GB before it'd install on my 520.
I needed to clear 3GB before it'd install on my 520.
Wow
On iOS and Android that is for free....
I hope Minion Rush will be XBL Game
Wow people are really upset about the whole Live enabled Xbox achievement thingy. I have a Xbox 360 and I'm honestly confused why people are so furious over this. I didn't realize achievements were so important to people. If you like the game then buy it, isn't that the whole point. I also have a iPhone 4S, and I know some of these big games initially cost and then go free later. I don't know, it just seems a little strange is all. Don't wanna offend anyone.
How would you say the smoothness is between the iPhone and WP8 version?
Ya this is true why people require XBOX. There is no meaning of those achievements other thn just showoff. Crazy isn't it?
well to you maybe its just showcase . but maybe later it will have some good use , like in post before, MS giving out free xbox One based on gamerscore and others >.
Achievements add replay value and contribute to social gaming (competing with friends, comparing achievements and top scores, etc). They only add to the game, and personally, I won't buy any video game that doesn't have Xbox branding. I'm actually going to buy Asphalt 7 instead of Asphalt 8 just because of this. I was holding out on the former purchase but today's announcement made the decision easy
Game is not in hd this is big dissapointment.
Fucccc Microsoft. I have a Lumia 820 and i cant install It. I deleted almost everything. I need my other storeg Space.!!!
I have an 820 too.. Just move the media to sd card. You'll be able to download it then.
Even more reason to get the L1520
Bought.
Now a thing I been thinking off. Nokia complained some time ago about Microsoft not moving fast enough. And now WP Xbox titles from even big publishers are skipping the hassle.
Is Microsoft actually the ones holding Windows Phone back? And maybe the W8 app store? Are MSFT to slow for the market?
Only 2 comments out of 100 said something about how game looks and performs. It's understandable why game packs lower resolution, cause it lags even on Snapdragon 800 chips, plus that every WP game runs much worse than iOS/Android version...
Are you drunk? WP games always rocks compared to android..(i don't know about ios)..let games come late but games are highly enjoyable compared to android
Couldn't care less. Even with brand new phone with no apps I barely have place to install such behemoth. Either MS will allow installing to SD, or you can buy those games by yourself.
Looks good, man.
Hey Daniel and team, it would be very appreciated if you give us your estimate of how much free space these huge games need to download . Tiny stuff, but if you accompany it with the article,it helps a lot of us with 8gb devices to know how much to clear up :)
I noticed the controls section has a game pad option, MOGA?
Daniel, why is it bad news that the download is 819MB? Would you rather developers downgrade the textures to low resolution, cut the trackside detail, sound effects and car models just to have a smaller download file? WP fans would complain of sloppy game ports, inferior graphics and it would be ammunition for anti WP people to proclaim that WP sucks, devices are weak and so forth. I have the game for my iPad 4 and this is by far the best port that I have ever seen! I bought it for my 1020 and W8.1 desktop and I will be buying it for my wife's 920 and I'll even make an IAP because Gameloft put a lot of time and effort into this port. I was afraid we were going to get sloppy thirds, it may be third in release but by no means sloppy! Complaining about game size is counter intuitive to the fact that better graphics, sound and content takes up more space.
Some people already have alot of other apps so a big file is kind of a big deal. But I agree, its better that its a big file for those graphics.
Finally!!! Now we just need Modern Combat 4 on Windows 8.
I m going to buy this game for my surface and connect to my TV and use the 360 controller.:D
What did you kids do when there were no achievements and you played a game because you like it? All we wanted a WP owners primarily was better release parity with iOS and Android. We're finally getting closer and all you complain about is how there are no XBL achievements? For a relatively new game? That's only .99?? WITH A TRIAL??? I'd rather have a game released on the same day as the other mobile OS's as a non-Xbox game with more frequent updates than having to wait 6 - 8 months for it to get XBL enabled, pass through cert and barely get any updates. Kudos to Gameloft. I may get this just to make up for the whiners.
+1000
EXACTLY!!!
+1020
100% agreed!
Does this mark the end of Xbox titles on Windows Phone?
Doesn't bother me. Can't understand why Windows Phones have to be tied to Xbox anyway. Microsoft make Xbox, Microsoft makes Windows but they aren't connected. Hyundai make large construction vehicles as well as cars but I wouldn't expect to buy a small hatchback to find I had to fit caterpillar tracks to drive it. I'd quite happily not see that stupid X logo at all.
What are you talking about? Windows 8 is baked in to the Xbox One UI. Windows Phone's live tiles were the inspiration for Windows 8. There is a ton of cross-pollination here. Xbox on Windows Phone is Windows Phone's greatest feature, and it's dying! #SaveXboxWP
I wouldn't know mate, I don't play with consoles but in any case XBone has only just arrived. If it looks and feels like the modern UI then there is a certain logic there, but the forced use of the XBox name for games and music has been there since the Lumia 800 and WP7. If you are loyal to another console, would you be happy seeing it on your phone and PC screen every time you used it? "Windows Phone's live tiles were the inspiration for Windows 8". Correct. Is what I said. I'd suggest there is a massive percentage of people who have a Windows 8 environment on the PC, recognise the UI on a Windows phone but DON'T play with consoles. It just doesn't work for me. Maybe this is why the swing away from XBox has happened - are people being put off by it or is the market share of interested users not as great as MS predicted? I'd be interested to see any stats about WP owners vs XBox owners.
I now played Asphalt 8 for some hours and I got to say, its prettier and more fun the there previous Asphalt 7 game. Facebook invite seems,to crash the game. Otherwise no faults detected on my L1020 (Oh, the battery don't get blasted hot)
Sad day...if I want to play asphalt 8 without xbox, I use my Note...dang this is one big disappointment.
Why there is so much fuss about xbox achievements? Just play the game and enjoy it. XBox achievement is just an additional feature not the make or break feature.
That's why I love the Lumia 920. 32gb is enough for any and everything I want without having to delete anything. Wish Nokia/T-Mobile would've gotten that right with the Lumia 925.
To those who might be wondering, when unpacked, the game installs at 1.4gb (Nokia Lumia 925). My remaining storage so far is 6.46gb which is not bad. Still kept my favorite games. :) This is a worthy download despite the non-Xbox support. Quite harder opponents and even more lush environments as compared to the predescessor .
Yehey! Finally. :)
Also give for wp7.8
There no new games available for wp7.8 its bored to be use windows 7.8 give update for them
Needs achievements... Not buying which is a shame. enjoyed A7.
I miss the "hood view". :(
If it get's free then only I'm gonna download...what about you guys? I'm from India.
Anyone with T100 and low FPS ?? Or any other win8 tablet?
Horrible, had 3gb free space. Downloaded it, the phone won't show home screen because it had no space. Force restart, notification saying I don't have much space, delete game (it didn't install as it had the attention notification). I delete it, and still saying I don't have much space left. Where the heck did my 3gb space go?. Even nokias storage check doesn't work when deleting temporary files. This is just pathetic really. L920
Is any one facing low graphics issue on 512mb ram devices?? how to solve?
Yep, got the L620 and graphics are not half as good as on screenshots or trailer. Blurry textures, no proper lighting/shading :( At least it runs smoothly and it's fun though :)
Wth ?? No graphics + No xbox + Not free + No free space..
Could you please stop the whining about the XBL and achievments?
You won't buy it, okay. Who cares???
Go and write to Gameloft, or MS about your """problem""" ...it won't do any good if you spam this topic. Lots of people are still buying this game regardless of this and will be looking for information about the GAME itself and won't find it because 90% of the comments are whining about XBL.... Btw as said above: Game takes 1.4GB space after installation.
It runs 'fine' on L920 (no lags), however its not as smooth as Asphalt 7.... no surprise, it looks way better. A bit higher fps and it would be perfect... still .99 is not much for it imho. It has quitted once randomly during a race... battery is very hot (as always) while playing.
It's important to some people. Hense why ALOT of people have mentioned it. Besides game developers often check the media sites to see the feedback people are giving them so they will still see the comments ;).
how to buy please help mein
how to buy in pakistan?????????????????/
Congratulations to the designers of this game because it is perfect. The quality of graphics, the reality of cars.. great game on Windows Phone 8 accessoires galaxy note 3
It's free on Both iOS and Android,why not on WP8 too?
though its free in android..it actually contains in app purchases!!happy to shell 0.99$..the game is awesome!!h3
I get fewer FPS than I'd like on a 920, but still very playable. The game is very much improved all-around when compared with asphalt 7, so I think it is indeed worth the 99cts. But I can't get myself around it being free on the other 2 platforms :(
does anyone remember when asphalt 6 cost around $5.00 for ios and android? i purchased it during the holiday specials for less than a dollar. afterwards went right back up. after playing the game (for a couple months) i said to myself, "you know what this is worth $5.00. when a7 comes out, im going to purchase it at day 1 for full price." i feel 99¢ is worth it even though its free on other platforms. i understand that a8 is not an xbox game. as a result, it does not offer achievement points. it sucks because i love getting achievements. i visit xbox360achievements site often whenever i need help. however, consider the following. no one else will get xbox achievements on other platforms. also, (this might not be applicable to this situation but) no one should not limit themselves just to xbox games. there are platform exclusives on playstation or pc that are worth playing and not missing out on. also there are titles that were meant to be played on pcs and not on a console. i originally had a ps3 but i got a xbox 360 as well just to play gears of war and the follow up to that. (now xbox is my main squeeze.) as for asphalt 9, it should be a xbox game with achievements. if you are really passionate about this, contact the respective parties and start a campaign. do whatever it takes so by the time it arrives we do not need to repeat the same conversation again and again. hopefully by that time windows phone and windows rt will be merged making it easier on developers to create apps. keep in mind there will always be 1 or 2 titles that will be released that will not be part of the xbox system. my last 2¢, at this moment i just feel xbox on wp8 just displays games in an organized manner and offers easier access to them. that is what android is starting to do. since xbox is one of the leaders in the gaming industry, they should definitely be making and marketing themselves as a platform that offers the best gaming experience whether on the console or mobile device. "not only do we have a great smartphone but we have the best gaming experience that does not rival no other." (man too many points of view.)
Asphalt 8 is a well known racing game developed by gameloft has put its step forward by launching this game for Windows phone 8 users as well with some unleashed gameplay. Check them out it - http://www.cyberfreewishes.com/blog/asphalt-8-airborne-now-available-for...
Why is the graphics so low compared to Android? There is no "Visual Quality" setting and default is just awful compared to Android. I mean, it's not that I have low end device, I installed it on L1020 which I think should be able to run on highest quality settings.
No Xbox Live integration, no buy. I really hope Gameloft doesn't pull this crap with Dungeon Hunter 4... I'm really looking forward to that.
Plese tell me how to download it to sd card
Help!
If any of you wonderful guys have downloaded the asphalt 8 airborne hack file, would you be so kind as to send it to me. praetorian_xp@yahoo.ca
Would be very greatful.
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