Microsoft shows off single game running on Windows, Windows Phone and Xbox

Guess we don't have to wait until MIX to have all our Windows Phone 7 Series questions answered! Microsoft's Eric Rudder, speaking at TechEd Middle East, showed off a game developed in Visual Studio as a singular project (with 90% shared code) that plays on Windows with a keyboard, a Windows Phone 7 Series prototype device with accelerometer and touch controls, and the Xbox 360 with the Xbox gamepad. Interestingly, not only is the development cross-platform friendly, but the game itself (a simple Indiana Jones platformer was demoed) saves its place and lets you resume from that spot on whichever platform you happen to pick up. Pretty impressive stuff, and while the words "Windows Phone 7 Series" weren't spoken by Eric, the use of the prototype ASUS device and the clear emphasis that this would place on Xbox Live for making the magic happen make it obvious that this is the "wave of the future" for all three platforms -- at least for casual gaming. Check out the demo on video below the fold.

[jack who]

pretty cool

[IdleLeeSiuLung]

The key here are:

- cross platform development: Xbox 360, Windows Phone 7 and PC
- 90% of the code is shared between all 3 platforms
- seamless saving system for all 3 platform. start on your phone and pick it up where you left off on the xbox 360 or pc.

This is very exciting!

[JokesOnYou]

Smart of micro to put all the pieces together it just makes each platform that much more appealing, I was just thinking about something like this when I was bored as hell a few days ago in line for 2hrs at DMV(fooking DMV). I'd loved to be able to play Shadow Complex on my cell phone and then pick up where I left off when I get home from work. Put it on my ZuneHD too micro and it would be another huge selling point for 360 and Zune platforms. Micro is doing some great stuff with Windows 7.

JOY

[butterfinger]

this is a really interesting idea. I wonder if we will hear more about it at GDC or E3. It also makes you wonder if Sony is going to incorporate something like this into their new plans for the Sony Online Service. Microsoft should make this work on the courier when it comes out too!

[ArmrdChaos]

Microsoft never innovates... /end sarcasm

[blu_yu_away]

An idea long overdue. Too bad MS will prolly expect us to pay extra to run the game on multiple devices.

[randomwiz]

I doubt Microsoft is going to make you pay extra. Sure they charge extreme prices for their gaming related stuff, but in all other sectors, microsoft offers good pricing.

[Seraphemz]

Hey, you ever heard of remote play?

[DSI]

That's not the same as remote play. He said it remember where he was when he was on his phone. He never took over his xbox or PC. Please don't hate.

[Ju]

I fail to see how this is any different than any other multiplatform development. If you listen closely, all three devices must implement platform specific code. One binary does not run across all three platforms. Assets need to be created specifically for high- and low-res graphics.

Just adding 3 target platform into one solution and share most of the code is not new, usually you have a platform abstraction layer anyway (in that case it might be a common DirectX layer). Sure, with that level of developer studio integration it makes it easier.

Also, those games must be programmed for the lowest common denominator, that is the cell phone. Games won't just run magically across multiple platforms. No Halo Reach would run on the cell phone - not the exact game, anyway (if it's so easy, why doesn't it run on the PC?).

He also did not mention, how you sync you levels on the go (blue tooth would certainly be nice to sync from the xbox to the phone, for example). So, how is your level progress synced between xbox and phone ?

[XDF]

This might be a killer app in the making.

Can you imagine playing a version of Castle Crasher on your X360, then continue playing it on the bus on your phone, and can finish the game at work on your PC.

Xbox live vision is finally getting closer.

[Consoldtobots]

"and can finish the game at work on your PC."

LMAO somebody has obviously never held a real job. you go play games on your work computer and see how fast they call you in to inform you of your future unemployment situation.

[Seferoth75]

Where I work we can play games on our PC's as long as it is our lunch or break..

Just so you know, you working for a bunch of a$$holes doesnt make your job real. The military is also a much stricter job than what you have most likely but I bet you would feel funny if one of them said your job wasnt a real one because your bosses weren't as strict as the government.

[siyrobbo]

meh, its just the same as an eyetoy, theres nothing there that an eyetoy cant do

sorry i'm so used to seeing those words in MS threads, its starting to screw with my brain

I hope this isnt restricted to XNA indie games

[hakeem0996]

What the hell does this have to do with the EYETOY. Freaking Fanboy!!!!

[Elven6]

I think you misread.

[edhe]

Heh, I laughed...

[The real killer]

Nice, finely Apple get some competition.
This is a good idea from Microsoft, only problem is can you use other phone's to get this feature?

[Salvadore]

Please make this compatible with music and movies.

[hoops]

Can you imagine if they include the Zune Pass with Winmo7 as the ZuneHD has? Full XBL and ZUne MArketplace intergration with Xbox arcade games? The code is 90% so its happening. Never thought MS would or could pull it off...they did

[silvacrest]

if they make it with proper buttons like i hope sony are doing with the PSPhone this could be pretty good

[Silver360]

Just wOw

[gdguide]

This is remote play on the PS3/PSP but with more devices but with crappy controls. Can anyone think of a single 360 game that they would want to continue to play on that phone? You can't just force any game on a control scheme that has next to no buttons. Feel free to list games that will work well on this device besides Tetris or maybe bejeweled.

It's a great concept, but the phone will kill those games with a useless control scheme. It'll be interesting to see if the PSP Phone makes the same mistake.

[beans]

I don't make games but I'm sure who ever does will find ways to make things happen! :P

[XDF]

I am sorry, I own a phone and it better be as simple as possible with touchpad and at most only a qwerty pad.

These are not X360 games, they are games designed to be on XBLA and can incorporate different control scheme to fit the need of each platform.

Developers are the one with the ideas so they will make it work.

[jalen247]

This is pretty cool. Good job Microsoft!

[Anon7349]

So I'd have to use an M$ phone for this right? Oh god, I can't imagine how crappy the controls would be.

Although the 360-PC thing is sorta interesting, but I don't have a working 360 or any microsoft products for that matter.

I use linux OS and google/sony products for almost everything. I really hate M$, and I can't say I'm very fond of apple either.

@Kareem

I agree, I can see this be much more useful for music and movies than games because if you start a game on the 360 you'll probably want to finish it their too, and who's actually that busy that they can't finish a round of bejewled or other various short games that would even work on the phone.

[hoops]

MS is not building the hardware. Winmo phones will be made by Sony, Nokia, etc. SO you are not locked into one type of hardware like the Apple Phone.

[Hitman0769]

This looks pretty awesome!

[jjesso1993]

this looks really intresting looking into getting a windows phone.

and can admins get rid of those stupid spamming accounts !

[DailyAddict]

So, other than connecting to a PC, this is essentially Remote Play for PSP, PS3 and Sony Ericsson phones. Welcome to several years ago Microsoft? For those without a PS3/PSP or Sony Ericsson device you will understand that from what we can tell from this video there is nothing that this is doing that Sony's Remote Play doesn't do other than also allow for the games to be played on PC (which isn't actually a feature Sony controls unless they also make the game...that's a developer decision what platforms the games are on).

Kudos to Microsoft for borrowing an idea from Sony, which is a really good idea, but for those thinking this is new, I guess we know who doesn't own any Sony products. Been enjoying buying games on my PS3 and then continuing them on my PSP for a while now.

Welcome to years ago.

[XDF]

"Remote Play works by encoding a live video stream of the output image on a PlayStation 3, then delivering it over a wireless network connection to a PlayStation Portable. Actions performed on the PSP such as the pressing of buttons are uploaded back to the PlayStation 3 over the same connection."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wik...

Remote play requires you to have your PSP and the PS3 at the same location to stream it through the WIi-Fi. You cannot continue your game while you are away from your home without the PS3.

The Microsoft vision is linked to your gamer tag XBL account.

[Ju]

Its not remote play nor is there anything linked together. Its 3 games for 3 platform. Sure, 3x the same game. 3 compiler switches, 3 platform specific adjustments in code like

#if def WINDOWS_PHONE_7
#endif

I like that, particularly. Like it has never been done before. Right. /s

[Consoldtobots]

lol look at the fanboys disagreeing with Ju when he's got more of a clue of how these games work than any of you EVER will. Fanboys don't even respect knowledgeable people in pursuit of justifying their crappy platform and even crappier software company. lol

[josh14399]

this looks cool but im sticking with my 3gs

[ASSASSYN 36o]

I still might get an iphone.

[hoops]

This was the vision consumers wanted to see the Xbox360, ZuneHD and Winmo7 to follow....and it seems MS has finally put it together.
Cross platform with those devices and services. Something even Apple, Androind cannot do as of now.
Kudos for MS finally doing this. Took them awhile but its here it seems.

[SDF Repellent]

In the next several years,

Microsoft will have real X360 games shared between PC/X360/Windows 7 Mobile platform.

This will be BIG for Microsoft. And yes, if developers want to have a game shared between a PC/X360/ and in some cases the phone...they will have to pay license fee to Microsoft.

Imagine Playing Mass Effect 3 on PC and PS3 owners with PC Rigs are supporting Microsoft in a way. That would kill them in the inside.

[LittleBigSackBoy]

You said "PS3 owners". Just because someone owns a PS3 doesn't mean they hate MS...I don't care who gets my money.

[Consoldtobots]

imagine not, I don't even like Mass Effect so nice way to assume everyone will "be giving $$ to m$".

[Stryfeno2]

Make XBL Game Room/XBLA have that feature and it's a deal.

[hoops]

Its coming. The program code is the same across the board so it will be easy for them to do this.
This could be big

[cpuchess]

I love the idea but I wonder how you would play a game from a PC that has tons of key functions on a mobile phone.

[Random404]

They talked about this 3 years ago at an e3 I believe. You can have experiences from full x-box live titles on your phone, but probably not the core gameplay. For example you could customize your car in forza or your character in Mass Effect or make a customized map with forge in halo. I think it would have come out sooner if the iphone hadn't have come out and make windows mobile look so dated.