New Windows phones to link with Live

By Ellie Gibson Published 16 February, 2010

Microsoft explains how it will work.

Microsoft has revealed how Xbox Live users will be able to use the service via the new Windows Phone 7 series.

The new handsets, unveiled at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, will offer "the first and only official Xbox Live experience on a phone", according to a press release.

That means you'll be able to earn Achievements and boost your Gamerscore on the go. Turn-based games are promised, along with the ability to view Xbox Live leaderboards. Plus you can keep an eye on your Avatar and manage your friends list.

"Windows Phone 7 Series was built from the ground up with entertainment in mind, and its unique design allowed us to bring some of the best gaming and community features of Xbox LIVE to the Windows mobile platform," said Xbox Live Mobile exec Ron Pessner.

"It has always been our vision to expand the Xbox Live service to connect people to their games, entertainment and friends wherever they go, and the launch of Windows Phone 7 Series is an important step toward that goal."

The first Windows Phone 7 Series handsets will be available in time for "holiday" 2010.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (27) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • The-Bodybuilder #1 2 years ago

    Looks like an enhanced zuneOS...which is a great thing.

  • kangarootoo #2 2 years ago

    "the first and only official Xbox Live experience on a phone"

    A suspicious company line like that makes me think that there is an unofficial version doing similar things already out there. Anyone know more?

  • UsernamePending #3 2 years ago

    Are they going to offer a "play as you go" tariff?

    /gets his coat

  • Sniper_007 #4 2 years ago

    There are xbox live applications with friends checking & sending messages etc. on the iPhone & Android kangarootoo - so it's possible MS were referring to those?

  • Terribly_Mauled #5 2 years ago

    Re: Kangarootoo

    There are iPhone Apps that let you connect to Live and keep an eye on online friends, but no gaming or anything like this offers

  • Xerx3s #6 2 years ago

    "A suspicious company line like that makes me think that there is an unofficial version doing similar things already out there. Anyone know more?"

    You can download an unofficial one from open marketplace for free. It's shit though.

  • berelain #7 2 years ago

    Bloody hell, you covered this late EG ;p

    Actually, im pretty excited by the Live profile stuff. It means I can access the same friends, gaming history, and achievements whether Im playing a game on my Xbox, PC, or phone. I'm still angry with Sony for not including this kind of functionality with the PSP GO!, and here Microsoft are, pipping Sony to the post when it comes to fully transferable, unified gaming profiles- on a phone.

  • Widge #8 2 years ago

    Yes, sounds like a great function and the way forward really.

  • ignatiusjreilly #9 2 years ago

    I'm actually amazed at how good this new OS looks (although not amazed at how bad the name is - Windows Phone 7 Series - really?). This launch was like the opposite of the iPad launch - low expectations but the reveal was hugely impressive.

    The Xbox Live features look nice, and obviously is what would be concentrated on by EG, but the whole OS looks like bringing Windows Mobile as a real third competitor in the smartphone market, which will kind of make them a major competitor in the handheld gaming market by default.

  • Murton #10 2 years ago

    I'm not sure what MS is trying to do here, are they challenging Apple's iPhone or Sony Ericsson's Aino (and the plans for a range of other PSN capable phones) or is it a little of both?

    The mobile phone market at the moment is ridiculously competitive with every major manufacturer pushing a smart phone at the moment, the "Mobile 7" range is going to have to be offering something very special if its to make any real impact on the market.

  • ignatiusjreilly #11 2 years ago

    Is the Aino really any kind of competitor?

    They're challenging iPhone OS and Android for the smartphone market - keeping the business customers with solid Exchange support, and adding the consumer/iPhone market with the media and gaming stuff.

    I think they've got something pretty special right now - only trouble is, it's not even launching until Christmas 2010, and who knows where iPhone and Android will be at that stage. Still, most impressive MS product for many, many years in my eyes.
    Edited by 1 at 16/02/10 @ 10:14

  • PezzaDispenser #12 2 years ago

    I'm Interested, but will it make me depart my iPhone... That still remains to be scene...

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #13 2 years ago

    the "Mobile 7" range is going to have to be offering something very special if its to make any real impact on the market.

    Quite possibly, gamerscore could be that very thing. In their on-phone marketplace (i.e. app store) promotional mockups, they seem to have persuaded Firemint to port Flight Control, presumably with achievements.

  • mattigan #14 2 years ago

    Watched the Dev interview last night (sad I know) and he definately mentioned that users would be able to view/earn gamerscore on the phone, looks like a possible stealth handheld gaming platform.

  • Peew971 #15 2 years ago

    So Live Anywhere is finally coming, no more mocking Bill Gates :D

  • The-Bodybuilder #16 2 years ago

    The way some of you are talking, you would think that MS are new to the mobile OS market. They've only been in it for over 12 years now, and virtually ALL businesses that use mobile technology to keep track of data use windows mobile.

    Make no mistake, globally Windows Mobile is still the most dominant, just much much much less so these days (I should know, I defected 2 years ago).

  • Crembo #17 2 years ago

    Video for whoever wants to see a 20 minute-long demo of Win7Mobile:
    http://ch annel9.msdn.com/posts/LauraFoy/...

  • ps3owner #18 2 years ago

    wouldn't it be funny of SE realeased a smartphone that runs Win Mob 7?

  • ignatiusjreilly #19 2 years ago

    SE have already released lots of Windows Mobile handsets (Xperia X1, X2, Aspen etc.) I'm sure they will have a few for 7 also.

  • MiniAmin #20 2 years ago

    Years of awful editions of Windows Mobile have scared me off approaching a Windows based phone again. Apple and Android are so far ahead now...

    Still Windows 7 is great so i'd probably consider a phone 7 series handset.

  • WinterSnowblind #21 2 years ago

    This looks very impressive, I'm glad to see they're finally integrating their prodcucts more. They could very easily combine the Zune, Mobile and 360 users into one big audiance base, but for some reason they've failed to do that thus far. Why can't we buy music via Zune on the 360 yet, or simply log in to our accounts to access playlists, etc?

    (besides the obvious fact they haven't even launched the Zune outside of the US yet, which is another critical failing)

  • kebab1701 #22 2 years ago

    It will be interesting to see if there will be a tie in with the indie games marketplace as well to develop xna games for the phone, finally make indie games take off properly.

  • onyxbox #23 2 years ago

    I hope it can run XNA stuff, like Zune... then I'm interested!!!

  • Koozer #24 2 years ago

    So will we have to pay for a gold subscription for this kind of service? I hope not, but I wouldn't put it past them.

  • braydee89 #25 2 years ago

    I'm currently an android user, but an Xbox gamer. The iphone doesn't interest me massively, but the new windows series7 looks great. I've got to be honest, live intergration is the killer, but overall it looks like it can compete with the iphone finally!

  • BM #26 2 years ago

    @ignatiusjreilly

    I've got an X1, pretty sure that with the X10 SE are moving away from the Windows Mobile platform. The Xperia range wasn't particularly successful in the UK, they're not even releasing the X2 over here. X10 runs on Android

  • Quak #27 2 years ago

    Weren't they going on about this like 2 years ago?