No new Xbox game for Windows Phone again this week. Here are some possible reasons why...

Things haven't been looking too good for Xbox games on Windows Phone lately. Every bit our readers probably know, there hasn't been a new Xbox game released since KenKen on December xix^th. Simply earlier that at that place were ii more weeks with no release: i before and one afterwards AlphaJax arrived. Nokia users have a chip more than to play thank you to iBomber Defense, simply that does non aid anybody else. Well, this week the disturbing trend continues: Microsoft has confirmed that there will be no new Xbox Windows Phone game or Deal of the Calendar week this week. Yikes!

Dangerous drought

This officially marks the longest menstruation of time Windows Phone has gone without an Xbox game release since Windows Phone seven debuted. A twelvemonth ago at this time nosotros were getting new games like Zombies on the Telephone and Issues Village. Not that the latter is an astonishing game, simply at least it's something! Unremarkably a platform gains releases steadily as time goes on and its popularity grows, so what gives? I'1000 glad you asked. Here are the most likely explanations for the drought…

Possibility 1: Microsoft has decided not to allow Windows Phone 8-incompatible Xbox games to exist released

Many popular games similar Tentacles don't run on Windows Phone 8 notwithstanding.

As I speculated in yesterday'south article about Take chances returning to Windows Telephone 8, perhaps someone at Microsoft doesn't desire any more embarrassing Windows Phone 8 incompatible Xbox Live releases popping up. If that's the case, and then but maybe all of the scheduled releases for the past few weeks have suffered incompatibility issues and thus couldn't be released.

As unlikely as this scenario might sound, it's really the all-time case scenario. Windows Telephone 8 is on its mode to replacing Windows Phone 7 (sad, I'k not allowed to abbreviate today), so Microsoft needs to brand sure the new Bone looks good. Windows Phone 8 owners similar myself really become bellyaching when a new game comes forth that we can't play… Though you could say the aforementioned matter about owners of Windows Phone seven devices.

Nailing downward the various causes of incompatibility and ensuring that all future Xbox Windows Phone games (fifty-fifty those designed for Windows Phone 7) work on the new Os right from their launch is not the worst idea in the world. Most gamers would agree information technology'due south not better than actually releasing games though.

Possibility ii: Microsoft is backing abroad from Xbox games on Windows Phone

Halo Wars would easily adapt to impact screen controls. Northward.O.5.A. proves that mainline Halo games would too.

This less optimistic explanation really seems more likely to your friendly neighborhood Games Editor. We've seen many trivial signs that point to a lack of organized religion in Windows Phone from the Xbox Alive squad over the last twelvemonth. Initially Microsoft had announced batches of 4-8 news games at semi-regular intervals throughout the year, often accompanying events like CES an E3.

In 2022 they did tease a launch lineup of Windows Phone 8 Xbox games, kickoff at Major Nelson'southward blog in October and shortly thereafter at Xbox.com. The lineup included the popular Jetpack Joyride, Fairway Solitaire, Gravity Guy 2, and a handful of Gameloft games. That Xbox.com page has now been removed, though its spirit lives on in our story about information technology.

Furthermore, none of the games listed actually comes from Microsoft Studios (though they did finance Fairway Solitaire). We don't know about a unmarried first-political party game that's in development right now, and the just other upcoming second-party games I tin name are Skulls of the Shogun and Ascend: New Gods – games announced in June 2022 or before.

Microsoft has still to commit to a Halo or Forza game for Windows Phone – two of their superlative gaming franchises. Heck, at this signal we'd be willing to settle for a sequel to Beards & Beaks! Meanwhile, previous Xbox Windows Phone exclusives like Tentacles, Fable Coin Golf, Kinectimals, and Wordament have jumped ship to iOS. Not everyone will connect the dots and see a lack of commitment from the platform holder hither… But information technology'south hard to meet annihilation else.

Possibility iii: Tertiary-party development is drying up

The makers of MiniSquadron actually pulled their game rather than dealing with the update certification process.

This ties in with the previous possibility. Y'all run into, where the first party goes, third parties unremarkably follow. If Microsoft doesn't show faith in their own platform, why would third-party mobile developers who already make their profits on iOS and Android?

It's not just looks that matter, either. Like it or non, Windows Phone holds a distant third place in market share compared to its rival smartphone platforms. Yes, our Bone is growing, but not fast enough to create a comparable userbase. As such, a major developer would really be silly to make an Xbox Windows Phone game – sectional or otherwise – without some kind of incentive from Microsoft. If Microsoft is no longer out there sugariness-talking developers and funding new ports of popular titles, in that location just won't be enough games released until the platform grows much larger.

Possibility iv: Microsoft has totally forgotten about several games they could release right now

This wouldn't be a 'no Xbox release' postal service without us mentioning Shao-Lin's Road, Fourth dimension Pilot, and Loondon. All iii games are consummate, though the third title might require additional linguistic communication translations before being released. Loondon is a simple 3D remake of a Flash adventure game. Nosotros uncovered the story behind its vaporware development wheel concluding yr.

Shao-Lin'southward Road and Time Pilot are both Game Room titles – archetype arcade games from Konami that would run on Windows Phone via emulation. Shao-Lin'due south Road plays a bit similar the NES game Kung Fu, though with the levels and the characters' range of movement greatly increased. Time Pilot is a 2D shoot-em-up in which the player's ship can motion and fire in 8 directions instead of but one. Both titles are more visually complex than the four Game Room titles that actually got released. The existing Game Room titles run on Windows Phone viii, by the way.

Microsoft funded these projects and chose not to release them. Every time nosotros accept a dry out calendar week with no release, you lot have to wonder whether anybody on the Xbox Windows Phone squad remembers they exist.

Concluding call (of the week)

If you ask me, all 4 scenarios seem likely at this bespeak. I wish I could translate the data more than optimistically, but in that location'due south been besides fiddling good news to become on lately. Permit's but promise things plough around next week, much as we hoped this week and the calendar week before.

What practice yous call up, dedicated readers? Do our hypothetical explanations for the Xbox game release drought sound accurate, or can y'all propose another explanation?

Photo courtesy of the Science Education Resource Centre at Carlton College.

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Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/possible-explanations-no-xbox-game-windows-phone-again

Posted by: reynoldsmucked.blogspot.com

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