First Batch of Windows 8 Xbox Games Announced

Given the impressive outcry against Windows 8 caused by comments from the likes of Valve’s Gabe Newell and representatives of Blizzard Entertainment, it’s clear that gaming is a major concern for many of the very consumers that Microsoft is hoping to interest in their new OS.

To get this started, Microsoft has put together a list of games that will be ready for the October 26^th release date via their own Xbox Games app. This list includes titles from a number of notable developers including Rovio, Gameloft, ZeptoLab, and of course Microsoft Studios. The variety might not be precisely what many of the more vocal opponents would prefer to see, given the emphasis on touch-friendly titles, but it still works as a positive sign for the future of Windows 8 gaming in a number of ways.

We’ve known for a long time now that Xbox integration was on the way. They’ve been working toward that for a while now and it was officially announced last year. Rather than try to provide comprehensive coverage of the gaming industry, however, Microsoft is using their service to extend casual content that will work well within the Modern UI’s constraints.

Not only does that mean that these games will be available for both Windows 8 and Windows RT systems, it means that at least for the moment there is no sign of Microsoft attempting to take a cut of the majority of PC game sales. They are not even offering to be an optional middleman for the purchase of games as one distributor among many.

For those who are interested in making use of Microsoft’s platform, this also works to introduce its capabilities a little better. There are plenty of jokes to be made about the inclusion of an Achievement list for Solitaire and Minesweeper, but it is more valuable as a demonstration than a genuinely valuable consumer feature in this case. Some of these were even packaged with the Windows 8 Release Preview for free while that offer was going on and the positive response did some good.

Overall, as much as these are probably not going to be bestselling games on any platform aside from perhaps the Windows RT tablet they do serve a purpose and will be of interest to many people as they get used to Windows 8.

Games List: