The Three Pillars of Xbox LIVE on Windows Phone

We had a lot of great responses to my “Your Thoughts on Xbox LIVE and Windows Phone” post – well worth reading if you haven’t already. That said, over the last few months I’ve had a few folks ask how we decided what Xbox LIVE features we would bring to mobile. Some of those questions had a subtext of “do you guys get that mobile is a different space?” I’m pleased to say that yes, we get it… and that we actually put quite a bit of deliberate thought into what features we’re delivering for Xbox LIVE on  Windows Phone 7, and when.

Gaming on a phone is fundamentally different than the wired-in-place experience of gaming on a console or PC: phones travel everywhere with their users, and they are always connected to the network. Windows Phone 7 represents a significant step toward our vision for a multi-platform games and entertainment offering, with our first steps focusing on enabling consistent identity and rewards (such as Xbox LIVE achievements) across games and platforms, and additional social, connected game experiences with friends.

Today’s technology-driven mobile culture enables people to connect with each other wherever they are. We use mobile phones, the internet, social networks, instant messaging and e-mail to stay in touch; access to friends and information has never been easier or more ubiquitous than it is now. This ubiquity, however, brings new challenges – we’re all busier than ever! With new entertainment devices and social experiences vying for our attention, we all want to feel that our time is well spent, and that we’re staying connected to the people and networks we care about. We also want our time and effort to be valued and rewarded. It’s tapping this ubiquitous “connectedness” that drives our larger vision for Xbox LIVE services.

This holiday, with the release of Windows Phone 7, we’re taking another step toward that vision by enabling gamers to access Xbox LIVE wherever they are, connecting with friends, checking leaderboards and participating in LIVE-based social gaming whenever they want. Whether they’re playing on their phone, an Xbox 360 console or through Games for Windows – LIVE or the web, the LIVE service will be the social thread that connects all of these platforms and people.

So what does all of that that mean for Windows Phone 7 and Xbox LIVE specifically? Well, we sat down and thought hard about what Xbox LIVE should mean to a mobile user, and what sorts of experiences were most appropriate. As we worked through our plans, we began to crystallize three major principles (or “pillars,” as Microsoft often likes to call them.) Similar to Charlie’s “King for a Day” post, I wanted to share a bit of our thinking by giving you a quick snippet of the guiding principles we used when planning Xbox LIVE on Windows Phone 7.

The Three Pillars of Mobile Entertainment

Our vision for Xbox LIVE is to bring gamers the entertainment they want, with the people they care about, wherever they are. Three major pillars will guide our development efforts:

Simplicity Matters

Gamers who are familiar with Xbox LIVE on the console or Games for Windows – LIVE on the PC expect a consistent, unified experience for their gaming, and the mobile experience must be the same: everything must work as the gamer expects it, and must be seamless and familiar. Mobile gamers who experience Xbox LIVE for the first time should feel an instant appreciation for the simple, intuitive way that they can connect to and share their gaming experience with their friends.

Everything Counts

Any time the gamer spends playing a game, no matter how small, should be respected. Games should automatically save the player’s progress, and any actions taken in-game should be allowed to count toward the player’s larger goals in your title. For games that target multiple platforms, this might include adding benefits to console versions of the game when the player engages in short play sessions on a mobile device. It is important for the time that a player spends in a game to be both recorded and rewarded. Awarding achievements is a valuable way of rewarding the player for his or her efforts, and it is an essential part of the Xbox LIVE experience.

Let Friends Play Together

Games should make it easy for gamers to connect with their friends and to form deeper connections with them through frequent, shared, online experiences. Xbox LIVE allows gamers to participate in play experiences with each other through game invitations, leaderboards, and by comparing achievements and gamerscore. Deeper social bonds are promoted by displaying players’ status updates and their personalized Xbox LIVE avatars.

Though Xbox LIVE now has over 23 million members, it’s important to recognize that Xbox LIVE isn’t the only social network with a gaming audience. Games can connect with other social networks such as Facebook or Twitter and make it easy for players to share gaming experiences with friends (such as game invites or leaderboards) who might not have an Xbox LIVE account. Friends may be located in multiple social networks, and gamers should be able to play with them all.

While this won’t answer all of your questions, I think you’ll agree it’s a pretty strong set of principles to build our mobile gaming vision around. Would love to hear what you think – and what else you’d like to see in the future!

Related posts:

1. How Do I Use Xbox LIVE APIs on Windows Phone?
2. Your Thoughts on Xbox LIVE and Windows Phone?
3. How do You Sign In with Xbox LIVE on Windows Phone 7?
4. Xbox 360: 28M Sold WW | Xbox LIVE: 17M Subscribers, Majority Gold
5. Wired on Microsoft’s Challenge for Windows Phone 7: Wooing Developers