As stated previously on this blog, Windows Phone 7 is due to be released in the near future, and many commentators are already getting very excited about the imminent launch. However, the general feeling seems to be that, while Windows Phone 7 is exciting as a whole, there is one feature that really sets it apart from its rivals.
That feature is Xbox Live integration, and it genuinely is a feature that no other mobile phone can easily replicate. The closest offering is Apple’s Games Center, available through the latest update to the iPhone 4, but even it does not have anywhere near the same kind of traction in the games market as Xbox Live does.
What is it about Xbox Live that makes it so appealing to what appears to be the overwhelming majority of commentators in the mobile industry? It is very simple to just say that it’s because Xbox Live is something completely new to the industry, and it sets Windows Phone 7 apart, but that does not get to the heart of the issue.
When Windows Phone 7 was announced, the Games Hub (which includes Xbox Live integration) was officially stated to allow turn-by-turn multiplayer games, as well as a variety of casual games for users. However, its support for downloadable games (including full 3D games) was a far more enticing feature, as it allowed games which, graphically, are virtually indistinguishable from Xbox Live Arcade games on the Xbox 360 itself. These games would also allow users to earn Achievements and increase their Gamerscore, exactly as they would on the console.
However, recent announcements have, if anything, made Xbox Live more anticipated. It has now been confirmed that Microsoft are working including real-time multiplayer, and this feature will not be limited just to playing with other Windows Phone 7 users. It will facilitate cross-platform gaming, allowing phone users to play multiplayer games with (or more likely against) friends who are using consoles or PCs. It is also being planned to allow cross-platform games onto Xbox Live, so that users can play on, for example, their console, save their progress, switch to their phone, and then pick up exactly where they left off.
That is a unique feature, and until Sony get around to making their theoretical PlayStation Phone, it will remain a unique feature for some time to come.
Thus, it is not unfair to say that Xbox Live is easily Windows Phone 7′s most important feature. Microsoft are clearly pinning a lot on its success (which would, incidentally, explain why they have set a minimum list of specs for WP7 phones, to ensure games can run on all of them), and if it performs as well as these early glimpses of it would suggest, than Microsoft can be assured that Windows Phone 7 is going to be a huge hit.