Microsoft reveals Windows Phone 7 games

Microsoft has revealed 50 titles for the Windows Phone 7 platform that will "target both the casual and hardcore gamer".

The games are due to be launched when the new mobile OS launches - expected to be before Christmas - and include titles such as Bejeweled, Crackdown 2: Project Sunburst and Halo: Waypoint.

Windows Phone 7, which was first unveiled at Mobile World Congress back in February 2010, is much more entertainment-focused than previous versions of Microsoft's mobile operating systems.

It will connnect with Xbox Live services, so anyone who uses Microsoft's online gaming platform will be able to earn achievements, update their avatar and keep track of their score on their Windows Phone 7 handset.

The announcement comes in the same week that a survey concluded that mobile gadgets such as the iPad are becoming more important as entertainment devices.

As such, Microsoft's focus on gaming on the Windows Phone 7 platform is timely, though it will face stiff competition in the smartphone market from the iPhone and Android-based handsets.

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"Windows Phone 7 is the launch of a major gaming platform for Microsoft," said Matt Booty, general manager of mobile gaming for Microsoft Game Studios (MGS).

"Just like we've done with Xbox 360, our charter is to push the envelope and deliver definitive games that maximise the platform. We will have an incredible lineup of MGS titles, and that's just the beginning," he continued.