|
Even hardened gamers have to leave the house sometimes. But a new function in Microsoft’s forthcoming Windows Mobile 7 series means that it may be possible to simply carry on playing on the move.
The company has given its first practical demonstration of the closer integration it promised for gamers in the new mobile operating system. The firm’s technical strategy chief Eric Rudder demonstrated the possibilities by playing an Indiana Jones platform game on a PC, then switching to a smartphone, and finally moving over to an Xbox 360. In each case, he was able to pick up the game where he left off, with his character in the correct position (both in terms of game geography and experience.)
One clear potential benefit of the integration is that in technical terms it could mean an end to the idea of buying a game for separate platforms. Thanks to this development, there’s no practical reason why a Microsoft-backed game couldn’t be bought once through a license and then accessed on a console, PC or smartphone. In reality, if you think that means Microsoft allowing its revenues to drop, you may be disappointed.
Another benefit is that the integration could well mean it’s easier for game developers to produce a game for PCs or consoles and then easily shrink it down for a smartphone release. That opens up a larger audience and makes the Microsoft platform more attractive.
While the idea is fantastic in theory, how well it works in reality will depend entirely on how many games can take advantage of it. Clearly there are going to be some major limitations to how many games will work equally on all platforms: anything developed with a smartphone in mind is probably going to struggle to be more than a budget-priced download for consoles rather than a full physical release.
That said, even where there are separate games for consoles/PCs and smartphones, there may still be possibilities with the link-ups. For example, in any game series where characters develop (such as an RPG or fighting series), developers could make it possible for a character to transfer back and forth between the games, carrying their updated experience with them.
Even hardened gamers have to leave the house sometimes. But a new function in Microsoft’s forthcoming Windows Mobile 7 series means that it may be possible to simply carry on playing on the move.
The company has given its first practical demonstration of the closer integration it promised for gamers in the new mobile operating system. The firm’s technical strategy chief Eric Rudder demonstrated the possibilities by playing an Indiana Jones platform game on a PC, then switching to a smartphone, and finally moving over to an Xbox 360. In each case, he was able to pick up the game where he left off, with his character in the correct position (both in terms of game geography and experience.)
One clear potential benefit of the integration is that in technical terms it could mean an end to the idea of buying a game for separate platforms. Thanks to this development, there’s no practical reason why a Microsoft-backed game couldn’t be bought once through a license and then accessed on a console, PC or smartphone. In reality, if you think that means Microsoft allowing its revenues to drop, you may be disappointed.
Another benefit is that the integration could well mean it’s easier for game developers to produce a game for PCs or consoles and then easily shrink it down for a smartphone release. That opens up a larger audience and makes the Microsoft platform more attractive.
While the idea is fantastic in theory, how well it works in reality will depend entirely on how many games can take advantage of it. Clearly there are going to be some major limitations to how many games will work equally on all platforms: anything developed with a smartphone in mind is probably going to struggle to be more than a budget-priced download for consoles rather than a full physical release.
That said, even where there are separate games for consoles/PCs and smartphones, there may still be possibilities with the link-ups. For example, in any game series where characters develop (such as an RPG or fighting series), developers could make it possible for a character to transfer back and forth between the games, carrying their updated experience with them.
|
NEWS
