Xbox Live application on the Windows 7 Phone: Familiarity is the key

Brian Barrett of gizmodo.com recently reviewed the new Xbox Live app user interface design for the Windows 7 phone for the US news site msnbc.com.  Microsoft’s new smartphone is set to be released to the public in October 2010. The buzz surrounding the phone shows that expectations are high, and we will see if the UI design merits this euphoria.

User interface design review

According to Barrett, the Xbox application user interface design will be “familiar” in terms of what users are used to seeing on their regular Xbox consoles. This is a smart move by Microsoft in terms of usability as users like applications that are familiar and thus easier to employ with fluency.  By tapping on the Xbox tile users will be met with their avatar and their last game achievement (the game achievement can be updated from both the phone and the Xbox console).  Users will also be able to view invites from friends and previously downloaded games.

There are some new features that have been added especially for the Xbox Live app but Barrett maintains that these “are some clever ways Microsoft has optimized the experience for mobile” (msnbc.com).  For example, the user’s 3D avatar will “get dizzy” and fall down when the phone shakes and any unlocked avatar item can be accessed from the phone no matter the source of the action. These new features are slight and help to facilitate the relationship between the Xbox console and the Xbox Windows 7 app, thus reinforcing the concept of user familiarity.
If Barrett’s report is accurate, then users can look forward to an Xbox application that is familiar and intelligent without too many frills and nonsense.  Micrsoft didn’t try to get too creative on this one, just smart enough to be subtle and for their sake successful.