Namco Bandai has come forward with support for Microsoft's new mobile phone platform in a big way. The publisher has confirmed five titles for the new operating system, with a commitment to stay there for a while.
We know Microsoft is looking to gaming as a differentiating factor for Windows Phone 7. With Xbox Live integration and an established history of gaming in its other departments, Microsoft is stepping up the mobile game arena.
Above: Pac-Man and I Love Katamari for iPhone
So here's what Namco Bandai is bringing to the new operating system as its initial rollout:
I Love Katamari
Pac-Man
More Brain Exercise
Puzzle Quest 2
Flight Control
Most of these will be simple ports of existing iPhone/Android games, but they'llof course will be tailored to Windows Phone 7. They'll get Xbox Live achievements and all the social connectivity coming to the new platform.
It's a far cry from the iPhone platform, which is approaching a game library of 100,000 titles. However, Microsoft is focusing on quality rather than quantity. Thanks to the company's existing relationships with all of the top game publishers, it's able to pull in some great talent.
Namco Bandai said nothing about a rollout schedule for these games, nor how expensive they would be. However, having another high-profilepublisher announce support for Windows Phone 7 is a big deal for Microsoft.
Windows Phone 7 officially launched in the US earlier this week, with AT&T and T-Mobile as the flagship providers. Sprint and Verizon will get their hands in the cookie jar early next year.
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