EA Supports Microsoft iPhone Store Competitor

Microsoft has revealed a list of partners lined up to support its Windows Marketplace for Mobile service, with Electronic Arts featuring prominently on the list.

Other games companies named include Glu Mobile (Project Gotham Racing Mobile) and Gameloft (Terminator Salvation Mobile).

Further to naming its partners, Microsoft announced that developers will be able to update their applications, gaming or otherwise, for free. Partners will also get branded space in the service's catalogue.

Robbie Bach, president of the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft, is expected to showcase the alliances and provide demos at the CTIA wireless showcase tomorrow.

The Marketplace is Microsoft's attempt at establishing a competitor to Apple's successful App Store, which now apparently features over 7,000 games applications. The App Store model has revolutionised mobile application sales by offering a single location where apps can be browsed and compared, in contrast to the previously fractured channels for Windows Mobile apps. Google's Android platform has already imitated the model. Earlier in the month Apple announced that its service had seen over 800 million downloads, spread over 30 million iPhones and iPod Touches.

The Windows Marketplace for Mobile will be available on any phone featuring v6.5 of the Windows Mobile operating system, which is set to launch in April.

It's unclear, however, what this will mean for existing download channels for games. There are EA titles already available through Windows Mobile, but with the publisher supporting the new Marketplace for Mobile it's uncertain whether new games will still be released through existing channels. This could, effectively, force users to upgrade to v6.5, which is surely Microsoft's aim by only supporting Windows Mobile v6.5 with the Marketplace. As Windows Mobile games can be distributed by other means and Microsoft takes a 30% commission on all Marketplace sales, there is no obvious technical or financial reason why previous versions of Windows Mobile could not be supported in the Marketplace.

Other, non-gaming partners announced include AccuWeather.com., The Associated Press, CNBC, Developer One Mobile Software, Facebook, Handmark, Ilium Software Inc., Jeyo Inc., Kinoma, LiteScape, Magmic Games, Melodis Corp., MySpace, Namco Networks, Netflix, Pandora, PhatWare Corp., Resco s.r.o., ShoZu Inc., Sling Media Inc., SBSH Mobile Software, Spb Software, Web Information Solutions Inc. and Zagat Survey.