Windows Phone 7 games and Xbox Live integration announced

Microsoft has announced the first wave of video games that will be available for Windows Phone 7 at launch (or shortly after) at Gamescom 2010. The first 50 titles – a mix of new and familiar games – are apparently but a sample of what we can expect to publish over the winter. Interestingly, the company also announced that its Windows Phone 7 games will be closely linked with Xbox Live, the Xbox 360’s downloadable game service.

“We’re really approaching this as we would a console, so we have to deliver the breadth of games and the quality people expect from Xbox,” said Kevin Unangst, senior director of PC and mobile gaming. “To have this quantity and quality of games committed this far ahead of launch, with even more to come, is a statement of support that says Windows Phone 7 will be a big success.”

Among the first titles are familiar casual games like Bejeweled and Uno as well as new ones like Game Chest – a collection of card and board games as Microsoft look to take on Apple’s iPhone in the gaming stakes. Windows Phone 7 will connect with Xbox Live, meaning that mobile users can earn achievements on-the-go, update their Xbox avatar and keep track of their gamerscore.

At Gamescom, Microsoft announced several familiar Xbox titles that will offer companion experiences on Windows Phone 7. Halo: Waypoint an Xbox Live hub where Halo fans can go to watch videos and engage with the Halo community will be available for example.

Crackdown 2: Project Sunburst, a mobile companion games that offers different gameplay than the console version but within the same universe, was also announced. In addition, selected titles from Xbox Live Arcade like Rocket Riot also will make their exclusive mobile debut on Windows Phone 7.

Unangst said the integration of Xbox Live, together with a “quality launch lineup”, will be what sets Windows Phone 7 apart from its competitors. “Consumers clearly look to gaming as an expected experience on their mobile phone now and we’re going to take that expectation and that delivery up to a different level,” he said.

Quite how much games will cost has yet to be detailed but in order to compete with the iPhone and Android gaming services titles will have to be on the cheap side. Microsoft have dedicated a team, tasked with extending the best console games onto Windows Phone 7 and delivering all new mobile-specific games, so they clearly aren’t going into the competition half-hearted.

Expect more details on Microsoft’s new gizmo as its October release date looms ever closer; in the meantime let us know what you think – hit or miss?

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