Cellular phones are arguably the most commonly used electronic device, and it is a marvel how this communication device has evolved in just the past few years. Accessing email and surfing the web, taking pictures and streaming video, downloading games and playing music; all are now features people enjoy on top of having the convenience of a mobile communications device. Microsoft hopes to capitalize on this evolving communication device by introducing XBOX Live Arcade to the mobile community.
The current build for the XBOX Live Arcade mobile user interface is remarkably simple, divided into three sections:
- All Games
- My Community
- My Gamer Card
The "All Games" section contains the mobile games you can download and play. The interface will be intuitive enough to know which games will be compatible with your phone hardware, and will only list titles your mobile phone will be capable of playing. Game detail and descriptions are provided for each title, and the games can be categorized and searched by different parameters like alphabetical order and genre.
What’s nifty about this interface is the demo option available for each game. You can sample the game first to see if it’s to your liking. After playing the game for about a minute or two, a prompt will appear asking the user if they wish to subscribe or purchase the title. Microsoft slyly incorporates this sales pitch in the middle of play to better convince the gamer to download the game, and kindly resumes where the player left off should they decide buy it. This interface will also recommend game titles to demo and buy, all based off different parameters such as popularity or the game genre you typically play.
The "My Community" portion will allow you to keep in constant contact with the XBOX Live Community. This interface will incorporate the community settings you have on main hardware console; a unified friends list, XBOX Live news and downloads, and member communication all will be available within the convenience of your cellular phone.
What’s particularly cool is that the user can download XBOX Live content from their mobile into their XBOX or XBOX 360 console. If the game system is not online at the moment, the content will be queued for download, and the user will be alerted of the content pending for download when the console is later turned on and online capable. Additionally, messages from online friends and clan members can be read and responded through the mobile interface. One really impressive feature Microsoft plans to implement with the XBOX Live mobile messaging will be video game streaming. If the cellular phone supports video files, you can actually watch recorded or live XBOX gaming feeds through the service.
Finally, "My Gamer Card" will keep track of your XBOX Live account. Profile, gamer tag, rankings, and other relevant account information are listed. Fairly straightforward, the interface allows for convenient management of your XBOX Live account via a cellular phone.
XBOX Live Arcade is still in development and most likely won’t be available for another year. Regardless, online gaming enthusiasts should look forward to having the added convenience of XBOX Live access with their mobile phones, at the same time enjoying the variety of games the arcade section has to offer. In addition, the mobile XBOX Live Arcade can expose casual gamers into the immersive XBOX gaming world and turn them into potential customers. Further developing XBOX Live into the constantly evolving cellular phone is an appropriate and natural fit. - Jeff Biglete
