Microsoft Considers Windows Phone 7 To Be “A Games Console”

Microsoft has stated that it consider its upcoming Windows Phone 7 to be “a games console”, and aim to debut the device with a large selection of games at launch.

“We’re going to have a launch portfolio of games that’s bigger than the one we had with the Xbox 360,” Kevin Unangst, senior global director for Games for Windows, told TechRadar.

“We’re fully thinking of [this platform] as a games console. Games like Fruit Ninja will be important, harnessing a number of features like access to friends and connecting to other Xbox Live users.”

Unangst also said the company’s hard at work on new features to improve cross-platform gaming functionality between Xbox 360 and Windows Phone 7.

“We’ve talked about the possibility in the future to use DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) to use your Windows Phone as a companion screen [where additional content would be displayed alongside the main game],” he said.

“And it could be that one day you pay a simple price and get the same game in various forms on multiple devices – although that won’t be coming at launch.”

Microsoft has previously said that it hopes to provide a gaming experience that is “much more like Xbox and Xbox Live Arcade” on Windows Phone 7.