Microsoft is pushing Windows Phone 7’s gaming capabilities pretty hard. While Apple’s iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch have made a name for themselves as portable gaming machines, the truth is that people have been playing games on mobile devices running Windows Mobile, PalmOS, and other aging operating systems for ages. What’s new in Windows Phone 7 is Microsoft’s focus on gaming as a key part of the phone experience — complete with Xbox Live integration, allowing you to see gamerscores and other achievements for yourself and your friends. There will also be multiplayer capabilities, Xbox Live messageboards, and other features.
The company has just announced some of the game titles that will be available when Windows Phone 7 launches later this year. They include titles from big names in the field including Gameloft, Glu Mobile, PopCap, and Konami. There are also some familiar titles including Bejeweled LIVE, Castlevania, Earthworm Jim, Guitar Hero 5, Uno, and several Star Wars titles.
There’s also a game called Crackdown 2: Project Sunburst, which is a tower defense game that draws data from real-world locations, using Bing Maps to provide real-world imagery. Instead of protecting your tower in some random landscape, you can protect you house from attackers coming through your neighborhood.
You can find more information and additional game titles in Microsoft’s press release.