Any day now, the first official Xbox LIVE games from Microsoft, Hexic and Flowerz, will appear in the Windows Phone Marketplace. These games are “real” Xbox LIVE titles in that they have achievements and work with the Xbox LIVE service.
I also noticed yesterday that the Marketplace app display has changed again, with the addition of an AT&T AppCenter. AT&T is apparently testing its online store capabilities and has a (lame) store section and sample app called Test_Journal available. Here’s how the Marketplace app looks now:
As you can see, I still can’t get that pesky Layer app to update. :)
More to the point, this represents one of the ways in which Microsoft’s partners–in this case, the wireless carriers–can customize the Windows Phone experience. They don’t get their own store, but they do get their own section in the broader Windows Phone Marketplace. That seems like the right way to do it.
More Good News: Windows Live Messenger for Windows Phone 7 :D
Looks A Lot Like The SMS App, But Still Looks Good!
http://www.mobiletechworld.com/2010/09/30/messenger-and-msn-applications-coming-to-windows-phone-7/
It’s hard to tell how the WLM app will look from just one screen, which isn’t even the apps main/home screen so we have a good idea of how it even is.
Are any games included for free with the phone? I can imagine that Hexic and Flowerz might, given that Hexic is a free arcade game with a 360.
Also, if you have e.g. Hexic on 360, can you get the same achievements by playing the same game but on a different platform? I guess the achievements can be different, but when games are released that are designed to run on both systems, would they share the same achievements? So you could do 1 on the 360, perhaps pick up where you left off on the phone, and do another of the achievements on the phone?
If I look at all various component of WP7, it seems that MSFT has made some really good decisions. I feel if they are able to sell these phone, the apps story is going to be incredible. I have been working with MSFT technology for past 6 years and I tried to make a test app, it just took me a day to have it up and running.
I really hope they are able to sell these device…developers will follow.
Yeah definitely agree, carriers with their own store really is a disaster of an idea.
When does the store open for 3rd party apps?
I think at some point in Oct? First week I remember reading somewhere they’ll start to take app/games for review and so on. I’m sure it’ll be sooner rather than later though.
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Paul, I’m real excited about Xbox Live on the phone. Will you be doing any reviews on games for WP7? And are you allowed to talk about Avatar Gadgets? If so, what do you think about them?
I’ll be reviewing games and apps, yes.
This disconcerts me a little bit because you can already see that AT&T doesn’t get the Metro aesthetic. That “AT&T AppCenter” just looks so… corporate next to the other entries and the rest of the UI.
Is it just me?
No, it’s not just you. They’ve done nothing so far to really design the UI, it’s just a stock pivot page. But I’m sure this will change over time. You know, to become truly terrible.
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