Angry Birds Star Wars still planned for Windows Phone 7 (and Windows 8)

Today'south news that Angry Birds Star Wars launched on Windows Phone 8 at the same date and the same price as the iOS and Android versions is a landmark upshot for Microsoft'southward new mobile Os. Such parity has long been the hope and dream of Windows Phone 7 gamers. Speaking of which, said gamers who are unable to switch over to Windows Phone 8 in the immediate hereafter might be feeling left out at present that such profoundly-desired titles are launching on WP8 but not 7. Nosotros're seeing that sentiment in our article comments and forums already.

As it happens, Nokia has commented on the possibility of Angry Birds Star Wars coming to Windows Phone seven. Cheque out their quote and our assay later the pause.

Pimping those 920s

Nokia'southward Lee Brooke has just posted an article about the arrival of Angry Star Birds Wars, I hateful Angry Birds Star Wars on the Nokia Conversations blog. He describes the game in detail and makes certain to emphasize what a good purchase information technology makes for new Lumia 920 and 820 owners. But of most interested to is the following quote:

"Every bit for when Angry Birds Star Wars might arrive on Lumia phones running on Windows Phone seven.5 – Rovio and Nokia want to make sure everything works as well as it tin before they launch the game, just we'll update y'all every bit soon as we know more. In the concurrently, go and download Angry Birds Roost to access some free goodies and use the Angry Cam to liven up your photos."

XNA and the dark side of the Force

Windows Phone viii version

The implication here is that Rovio will launch a separate version of Angry Birds Star Wars specifically for Windows Phone vii. Why not publish it at the same time as the WP8 game? Put simply, it'south a lot harder to code games for WP7 than WP8. That's because WP7 lacks straight hardware admission and back up for popular programming languages like C++. WP7 games must be developed in XNA, which is a functional just less than versatile platform aimed at aspiring developers rather than experienced ones. Yes, a elementary game like Aroused Birds can exist done with XNA (WP7 already has the original, after all) but it still takes more time and coin than with WP8.

Besides, WP8 is understandably a higher priority right at present anyway. The freshly launched mobile Bone needs compelling software in social club to help it take a foothold and eventually catch on with the wider mobile audience. Like information technology or not, WP7 is no longer the futurity of Microsoft'south mobile plans. But it volition continue to receive support from some developers for the foreseeable hereafter, as Nokia's annotate proves.

Some other consideration: financially, creating two separate versions of a game doesn't brand sense for well-nigh developers. Yes, art and avails can be used between both versions, but the porting process (especially in the example of WP7) is very much like producing a whole new game. It's very likely that Nokia is really helping to fund the WP7 port. After the large button they gave their WP7 Lumia handsets earlier this year, Nokia wants to go on existing buyers happy for at least a piffling longer. So while Angry Birds Star Wars is available to all Windows Phone 8 users, the WP7 version may actually exist a Nokia exclusive. The recently launched Angry Birds Roost app needs some mileage, after all. No give-and-take on Angry Birds Infinite coming to WP7, but we'll update if we hear anything.

Windows 8?

Some other question Microsoft fans may have is what happened to the Windows viii version of Aroused Birds Star Wars. We've seen reports that the tablet/PC version appeared briefly on the Windows eight store but was rapidly pulled. It looks like a simultaneous launch was planned until a last-infinitesimal problem popped up. Expect the Windows viii version to make it quite shortly. It will probably price $four.99, just like Angry Birds Space. The inflated cost is a markup for the higher resolution tablet/PC version, a common do among tablet games.

To play either game on both Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 (or vii), users would need to purchase each version separately. While existing Windows Phone seven software can be redownloaded on WP8 devices for no extra accuse, Microsoft considers Windows eight a split platform. Hopefully they will eventually allow universal purchases for Windows 8 and WP8 games, much as iOS currently offers… Just don't count on it.

Windows Phone 8 love

Angry Birds Star Wars price 99 cents on Windows Telephone 8. Get it here on the Windows Phone Shop.

Update: The Windows 8 version is now bachelor for $4.99.

QR: Angry Birds Star Wars

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