Here’s what you’ll be playing on your new Surface when Windows 8 comes out
Windows 8 is a brand new platform. And like any new platform, it needs to have a good launch lineup of games. Today, Microsoft unveiled Windows 8’s strong initial offering of 40 Xbox LIVE-enabled games from some of the most popular mobile developers in the industry such as Gameloft, Glu Mobile, Halfbrick Studios, Microsoft Studios, Miniclip, Rovio, and ZeptoLab. The list of launch titles is packed with favorites from the Xbox stable and other platforms, including Angry Birds and Angry Birds Space, Fruit Ninja, Gunstringer: Dead Man Running, IloMilo, Kinectimals Unleashed, PAC-MAN Championship Edition DX, and more.
Many of the 40 games in “wave one” will be available on launch day – October 26 – with the rest going live in the weeks to follow. A few, however, are already available for download if you have a copy of Windows 8 RTM. These games are playable on PCs, laptops, and tablets and they feature Xbox LIVE staples like achievements, leaderboards, and multiplayer.
- 4 Elements II Special Edition
- A World of Keflings
- Adera: Episode 1
- Adera: Episode 2
- Adera: Episode 3
- Angry Birds
- Angry Birds Space
- Big Buck Hunter Pro
- BlazBlue Calamity Trigger
- Collateral Damage
- Crash Course GO
- Cut the Rope
- Disney Fairies
- Dragon’s Lair
- Field & Stream Fishing
- Fruit Ninja
- Gravity Guy
- Gunstringer: Dead Man Running
- Hydro Thunder Hurricane
- IloMilo
- iStunt 2
- Jetpack Joyride
- Kinectimals Unleashed
- Microsoft Mahjong
- Microsoft Minesweeper
- Microsoft Solitaire Collection
- Monster Island
- PAC-MAN Championship Edition DX
- Pinball FX 2
- Reckless Racing Ultimate
- Rocket Riot 3D
- Shark Dash
- Shuffle Party
- Skulls of the Shogun
- Taptiles
- Team Crossword
- The Harvest HD
- Toy Soldiers Cold War
- Wordament
- Zombies!!!
4 Elements II Special Edition includes 48 levels exclusive to Windows 8, as well as six Windows 8 wallpapers and the complete game soundtrack. Rocket Riot 3D also includes 24 exclusive levels. Interestingly, Gunstringer: Dead Man Running is a free-to-play game with in-app purchases and DLC. It’ll feature Story and Challenge Modes, as well as asynchronous multiplayer.
Overall, this seems to be a great launch lineup. Microsoft has managed to gather a wide variety of games from some of the most popular IPs. A few titles, like Halo and Gears of War, aren’t represented, but it seems somewhat unreasonable to expect those types of game in a more casual environment. Microsoft hasn’t announced the launch schedule or pricing for these games, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see weekly releases as on Xbox and Windows Phone.
[Major Nelson]
