Major Nelson tells us what the 'must have' Windows Phone 7 games are

While Windows Phone 7 is a unique mobile platform because of its interactivity with Xbox Live, it hasn't made a huge splash with Xbox fans, and game announcements have been left rather muted. That's set to change this spring, as Microsoft plans a marketing blitz to release the "Must Have Games for Xbox Live on Windows Phone 7."

Hidden at the end of a lengthy blog post from Major Nelson, Xbox Live's Larry Hryb details some of the upcoming games planned for Microsoft's burgeoning mobile platform.

Beginning at an unspecified spring date, Microsoft will release one game per week for six weeks, and presumably promote the hell out of them to drum up support for Windows Phone 7, which faces an uphill battle to compete with Android and the iPhone in the highly treacherous smartphone market.

The six games that will be included in the promotion are:

- Plants vs Zombies
- Hydro Thunder Go
- Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I
- GeoDefense
- Doodle Jump
- Fable Coin Golf

In Fable Coin Golf, players will actually be able to unlock exclusive weapons for use in Fable III: Traitor's Keep on their Xbox 360.

Windows Phone 7 is acting as the portable Xbox platform, since Microsoft is the one key console maker that doesn't have a dedicated handheld. As a result, it's pushing the mobile operating system as an extention of the Xbox 360, offering players the ability to earn achievements and send message to their XBL buddies while on the go.

[Source: Major Nelson]

Feb 24, 2011