微软Windows Phone 7来了，谷歌Android在手机游戏领域的老二地位可能保不住了，以下是笔者作此推断的理由：

WP7-vs-android

首先，WP7绑定了Xbox Live功能，而Android在这方面的作为却是一片空白。今年7月，Xbox 360在线社区的玩家帐户、软件以及其他多媒体产品的销售已经突破10亿美元。据微软CEO史蒂夫·鲍尔默（Steve Ballmer）介绍，用户在WP7就可以登陆自己的Xbox 360帐号。这就是说在家玩游戏，在手机玩游戏都可以获得积分，无论是在哪个平台上登陆帐号，只要是用户玩成了游戏任务，在掌机上、手机上玩游戏都可以积累分值。

Xbox Live为微软提供了一个拥有数百万用户的在线社区平台，这一点无论是Android还是苹果都无法企及。但这也正是苹果极力追赶的领域，因此才匆匆抢在WP7问世前，于今年9月推出了Xbox Live的苹果翻版GameCenter。

岂料，手机游戏公司都没想到苹果会来这么一手，对该服务的反应也并不热情，目前为止，在数千款苹果游戏中，仅有50个游戏使用了GameCenter功能。而Xbox 360游戏却能支持Xbox Live和成就积分功能，WP7上的大部分游戏也同样如此。

windows_7_xbox_live

其次，在这几个主流手机游戏平台中，Android的表现最让人遗憾，既没有苹果、WP7的在线游戏社区、成就积分功能，也没有强大的游戏品牌支持，就算是有胜算也不大，比如说电子艺届所提供的游戏往往限制旗下用户与其他品牌游戏玩家的沟通和互动。而像Open Feint这种独立性的在线游戏社区，不但支持玩家与不同游戏用户互动，提供跨游戏积分服务，还能与GameCenter功能兼容。相信WP7也将采取同样措施，在这一轮比拼中，Android成了唯一出局的选手。

最后，微软在智能手机领域打造的电子游戏品牌最为强大。据Gadget Watch报道，《Halo》以及其他多款顶级游戏已经确认将进驻WP7平台。苹果有《愤怒鸟》（该游戏暂无投放WP7的消息）和其他原创游戏作为筹码，但微软却拥有将WP7打造成铁杆游戏玩家乐园的资本。PC游戏改革者约翰·卡马克（John Carmack）近期曾表示，他对第一人称射击游戏《Rage》寄予厚望，该游戏将首先投放于手机平台，其次才是掌机和电脑。在采访中，卡马克还称他和其他游戏开发商已经受够为Android不同手机开发游戏的折腾了。从这些片段中可以看出，微软WP7确实拥有震痛苹果，重创Android的潜力。

苹果可能是最受欢迎的手机平台，Android则是最多产者，但WP7可能威胁苹果的钱途，同时使Android的游戏发展战略彻底泡汤。（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译）

Why Windows Phone 7 Could Top Google Android Gaming

.View more ..Microsoft’s (MSFT) Windows Phone 7 represents an earnest push into mobile gaming. Google (GOOG) Android should take notice, as its precarious second-place status on the mobile-gaming front is in danger for several reasons.

First, Windows Phone 7 has XBox Live while Android has nothing of its own. As of July, the popular XBox 360 online community had earned more than $1 billion in premium account fees, software sales and other multimedia purchases. According to Microsoft head Steve Ballmer, Windows Phone 7 users will be able to connect their XBox 360 avatars. Like the home games, the mobile games will earn achievement points, the theoretical, yet important score that increases as gamers reach certain in-game goals, so console gamers will be rewarded for playing Microsoft mobile games and vice versa.

XBox Live gives Microsoft a built-in online community of millions — something neither Android nor Apple (APPL) iPlatforms have, even with a head start of several years. Interested in playing Monopoly with a friend on her home console? She’ll be connected as soon as you’ve bought a Windows Phone 7.

This is one area dominant Apple is struggling to catch up: As reported previously in Gadget Watch, Apple tried to cut off the XBox Live community off at the pass with its GameCenter. The problem is that game companies, perhaps caught off guard by Apple’s hasty GameCenter launch in September, have been slow to enable the service: As of this writing, only about 50 of the iPlatforms thousands of games actually use GameCenter. All XBox 360 games support both XBox Live and achievement points, and mostly likely those on Windows Phone 7 will as well.

Android is the worst of the bunch here, as it lacks the online community or achievement supports of iPlatforms or Windows Phone 7, and the support given within a particular brand — say, all Electronics Arts (ERTS) games — is limited, of course, to interacting with gamers playing a game from that brand. Indie online communities like Open Feint, which connect gamers and provide  achievement points across several brands, are already making themselves compatible with GameCenter. It’s safe to assume the same thing will happen with Windows Phone 7. Android is the odd man out.

Finally, Microsoft has the strongest video game branding among the smartphones. As reported in Gadget Watch, Halo and other AAA titles have been confirmed for the Windows Phone 7 platform. Apple may sport Angry Birds (which, contrary to reports, hasn’t been announced for Windows Phone 7) and other original titles, but Microsoft has those serious goods that could make it the platform hardcore gamers take seriously. PC game innovator John Carmack recently said his highly anticipated first person shooter, Rage, will be launching on mobile first, then consoles and computers. In an interview, Carmack also told me he and other game developers were frustrated creating for the different Android devices. Connect the dots and Microsoft has the ability to hurt Apple and mortally wound Android.

iPlatforms may be the most popular base and Android the most prolific, but Windows Phone 7 can give Apple games a serious run for their money — and blow Android’s gaming strategy out the water.（source:bnet）