Angry Birds, Plants vs. Zombies, Among Spring Windows Phone 7 Titles

Microsoft revealed today that five popular titles from other mobile platforms will be making the leap to Windows Phone 7 this Spring, complete with Xbox Live support. Rovio's Angry Birds, Popcap's Plants vs. Zombies, Lima Sky's Doodle Jump,Critical Thought's geoDefense and Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 will all be coming on the company's nascent mobile platform as part of a "Must Have Games" promotion. The mobile ports are joined by Hydro Thunder Go, described as "a remake of the highly acclaimed classic arcade racer," originally developed by Midway The titles will be released across six weeks starting on April 7, Microsoft said, and will include support for Xbox Live features including Achievements and Leaderboards. [UPDATE: Microsoft has clarified that the April 7 date specified in their original announcement was in error, saying the above titles will be available in "late Spring."] Microsoft also stressed the Windows Phone 7 platform's ability to extend content for Xbox 360 through upcoming apps such as the stat-tracking Halo: Waypoint and stat-boosting Fable: Coin Golf. Windows Phone 7 launched last November on multiple mobile devices with dozens of games from major and independent publishers, but still faces stiff competition from larger, more established game libraries on iOS and Android. Microsoft has reportedly shipped 2 million Windows Phone 7 devices to retailers as of January 26, well behind the pace of Apple and Google's smartphone platforms. Last week, a public demonstration by Microsoft's Steve Ballmer showcased a possible connection between Windows Phone 7 apps and Kinect-powered titles on the Xbox 360.