Windows 7 Phone and capabilities for games

[Charles]

So, they have announced the new phone, 7 series, or something very close to that, release date is expected for holiday release 2010. A few months away yet....

But it states xbox live games, and the xbox live system, connecting with your friends, and all that other good stuff.

It is basically, a zune but a phone, or I should say a Zune Hd. But, do some looking around, because its capabilities for games is the next level of graphics.

Discuss

[KuriousKook]

Am am very interested in XBLA like possibilities for the Win7 phone. Given that there is and will be even more competition for the iPhone I may be able to afford a smart phone some day soon!

I often find my girl friend playing games on her Android, and I feel like smart phones are a really good way for game developers to get the female gamer. As I feel that getting a new female gamer to buy a 360 is a much harder sell then to buy a smart phone, and then "Oh, what is this?" as she finds the games.

What are everyone else's thoughts? Are smart phones the next big market for game developers? How much can game dev's charge for a game? I mean does everyone expect free?

-Kyle

Also, on this very topic anyone interested in this should be at our first igda gb meeting this Saturday the 27th. We are having an iPhone panel and these other smart phones will be brought up in our discussion.

[Serwol]

Quite the impressive machine from what I have currently read up about it and with the ability to play X-box games, in terms of graphic quality, is doubly impressive. It would also serve as a good place for game developers to launch phone exclusive game titles along with porting old favorites. The only downside is that smart phone technology seems to change faster than the home game console where we see a new upgraded phone nearly every year as opposed to the lifespan of a console which can last easily 4 - 5 years and perhaps longer before a new console is released. Therefore to develop for mobile phones one would need to keep a close eye on the technology and capabilities of the phone market given how often they seem to change.

[Exil]

Personally I feel its a really dumb idea. I mean yeah sure playing games while on the road...but not on a phone. its just more useless crap trying to oneup everything. call me old school IDC, a phone is a phone, it should be used to call people encase of an emergency! i mean, what good is a game when your upside down with a broken leg on the side of the highway?

May seem cool, but its like everything else, in a year, or less, there's going to be, The Next Big Phone! blah, waist of time and money that people could be using to help the world with, but no, everyone needs flashie flashie crap that will become trash in very little time.

But again, that's just me.

[Teriki Tora]

Eh, I got the same feeling in that regards (above). On one hand, it's awesome to be able to play nearly any game you want. Being able to squeeze that much hardware in a little device like that (Instead of a big ol' dinosaur you would have seen in the 1960/70s). But on the other hand, a phone is a phone, not a gaming system. If they truly want a gaming handheld like what they're doing with phones, come out with one standardized one and forget the phone crap. The last thing I need really is to be paying a phone bill when my phone isn't being used for one.

[Shadowlurker]

I think its a pretty cool idea in terms of being proactive in a way. Its something new that we havent seen. ( In terms of xbox live ) I think in order for microsoft to get this right they have to get the interface right and simple enough for any user. That is one thing that has always helped out apple for first time users. For example you pick up an I phone or I touch, and you can open up an app easily without having to navigate through menus etc etc.. If they pull it off it could be very successful.

[Cgreen]

I think that the windows phone 7 is a cool Idea. But I think that the screen on it’s kind of small and the “Hubs” look crammed in there. I think that if it was a little wider and longer it would look better. For some people all that Face Book and My Space extra stuff is cool but to me it’s in the way of the real reason I would buy the phone which would be for the Games, Phone and Music. Also when you type thing in on the little screen I think the little buttons you have to push are too small. But still I’d buy one.

[teetee]

I think the windows 7 phone is a good idea and it's nice that it can play games but if I am going to play cames that it can handle I would rather play them on my handle helds. Also cell phones playing games is nothing new. Sure it can handle xbox type games but all cell phones can handle some type of games and those games are made to play on a cell phone. The xbox type games aren't and I think that it would make them difficult to play.