Microsoft Windows Phone 7 Series Will Have 3D Gaming, Robust LIVE Integration

That title shouldn't be that big of a surprise. If you'll recall, the Zune HD does 3D gaming as well, and considering that the XNA Studios is heavily invested in the Personal Media Player, we're not surprised to hear (again) that XNA and Windows Phone 7 are going hand-in-hand. We've seen that a game developed by XNA Game Studio 4.0 allows for developers to create three-screen gold, but the details that are starting to seep out of GDC are mouth-watering to say the least.

The Game Developers Conference is under way, and Microsoft is making sure that people know they are there. Despite the company's big investment with console gaming, Windows Phone 7 Series is offering up a new, innovating, and in-depth new way to play games, with the sort of integration between platforms that we've only ever dreamed about. Microsoft noted that XNA Game Studio 4.0 will include accelerated 3D APIs, which means advanced 3D games are going to be the standard, and not the exception when it comes to gaming for the mobile platform.

The news doesn't stop there, though. Just as was previously mentioned, the Xbox LIVE integration is pretty robust. It offers new ways to acquire those coveted Achievements, and there will be push notifications for turn-based gaming. Of course, at this point the big question is whether or not we're going to get some real multiplayer games, but Microsoft is keeping mum on that subject for now. They're releasing morsels right now, but MIX10 is just around the corner, so we're expecting quite a bit more details to come from there. If you're not interested in Windows Phone 7 yet, maybe you should watch this video again, just to make sure it sinks in.

[via engadget]