Xbox Live Games on Windows 8 point to exciting new gaming experiences for Windows Phone and tablets

By Robert Brand
last updated

Looks like Windows Phone’s big brother Windows 8 has coughed up some interesting details on allowing games to be paused, resumed across various platforms. The Xbox Live games, Minesweeper, Solitaire and Mahjong all seem to indicate we’ll finally experience the dream of picking up one device and resuming play on with another.

Early on in Windows Phones lifecycle, we saw a demo of the continuous client principle with the arcade shooter The Harvest, but so far, this kind of interaction has all but eluded us. Whilst these games are essentially turn-based, this could be the start of great interactive experiences coming to Windows Phone.

It’s not clear at this stage if these features will be applicable to existing WP 7.5 and WP 8.0 devices at this point since nothing has been announced officially. What we do know is that Windows Phone 8 is going to pack some serious gaming credentials. As well as being a much closer stable buddy to Windows 8 on a core level, it’s also going to get full Direct X games too.

The hope being that now WP8 will be able to deliver knock out Xbox live experiences as either a standalone device or conjunction with Microsoft’s other rich gaming properties like the Xbox 360 and of course PCs. Windows Phone has so far only touched the surface of what is possible for companion experiences.

Later in the year we’ll see much tighter integration with Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 and the Xbox 360 with the introduction of SmartGlass. SmartGlass will be ysamet another piece in the puzzle, ensuring these great devices work harmoniously together to form one cohesive platform.

The complexities of engineering games to do more than allow pausing and resuming on a mobile platform are well known. This could be a sign that Microsoft intends, finally to bring the current multi-player goodness from Xbox Live fully to Windows Phone. We would only hope that the current generation of Xbox Live games on Windows Phone 7 get in on the action too.

Let us know what you think in the comments.

Source: wpdownunder

Robert Brand
Robert Brand
22 Comments
  • Any details about Whether an app I bought on phone will be free on the tablet. I dont think they'd do that being how different platforms
  • You have to buy the game twice on the iPad/iPhone and it is extremely frustrating.  They should make it free unless there is a price difference between the two platforms. In that case I am fine paying the remaining difference. Having to buy a game twice though is rediculous and I refuse to do it. What I am hoping to do is be able to play XBL games I have bought on the console and play them on the surface pro without having to buy them again on steam or another server.
  • You don't always have to buy things twice on iPad/iPhone.  That is totally up to the developer.   Draw Something is one example.  I just bought that once and it's formated for both.  They could have gone the route of making Draw Something HD and tried to screw you out of a few extra bucks.
    So I can only imagine that it will be up to developers.. I dunno.
  • One thing that really bugs me about the universal apps on iPhone and iPad is the humongous size it takes up to accommodate the resources. Lego HP took up over 500MB on my iPhone. Hopefully MS finds a way around that such as a phone and tablet app share ids but are separate apps.
  • Ms needs to change the direction and include the games for both platforms in one price. Sony just announced the ps3 and vita releases of a few titles and they are charging for the game on ps3 and you get the vita free, and game saves transfer. This is a competition and other company's are making good choices for the customer.
  • Sony only did that because the vita is failing badly though lol
  • I bought vita on launch day. Was a great little device but had no games at launch and store was so broke..
  • Finally
  • This is a major reason as to why I picked WP in the first place and a major reason for why I'm still here. So it's about time Microsoft! ;)
  • I hear ya sistah
  • LOL
  • Jaja iOS may get our games but they won't have the ability to do that.
  • This is huge! I've been dreaming of this for a while now
  • i'd edit yor title appropriately to say these experiences will be available for Windows Phone 8 devices cause MS is hell bent on making 7.x go away.
  • I hope we only have to buy them once...
  • Sony just set the standard for multiformat gaming experiences when they just announced several days back that certain PS3 games will only need to be purchased once and still be playable on the PS Vita.  MS has to offer something comparable or this is going to look like a money grabbing rip off.
     
    And as someone that was initially really excited about XBL gaming on my phone, I have been woefully disappointed with Microsoft's approach to WP as a gaming platform.  As the only smartphone developer that also is an established first party game developer, the missed opportunity so far has been highly unfortunate.  Maybe they've been building up/saving themselves for WP8, so we'll find out shortly I suppose ...
  • I agree, in fact I posted this after you. Should have read all the comments first.
    I own all devices except the vita at this point, but Sony's announcement is encouraging me to buy one. I want this for MS. Arcade title on Xbox, get to play it on surface and WP. For one price! Make it happen MS
  • Sonic 4 Episode 2 anyone? Still waiting, suppose to have this functionality, Sega said July, its now half way through August. If you look at Sega's Blog at the last True Blue Initiative post comments are mainly "where's the WP version?"
  • Will WP8 allow you to unlock your achievements properly?
  • That would be a great feature! There has been so much trouble with glitchy cheevos and stuff. Go Microsoft big push for xbox live!
  • Would be a cool for full games like dark souls to be there and just sign in and get some achievements
  • Would be a cool feature but ill be getting the surface pro and that should be able to run steam and steam games so I probably won't use this feature much