Microsoft is taking some affirmative steps towards unifying their themes and services across different platforms. The first efforts were seen in the form of the Metro design language which started from Windows Phone 7 and then moved on to Xbox Live, Microsoft Office, and Windows 8. Recent news takes this process of unifying a step further: Microsoft’s Xbox Live gaming and entertainment service for Windows Phone 7 and Xbox 360 is coming to Windows 8 next year. The news was revealed recently by the Vice President of Global Marketing at Microsoft, Mike Delman in an interview with The Seattle Times where he said the following: Interview: Speaking of phone, I was surprised we didn’t hear about connections between Xbox and Windows Phone here at E3. Delman: Live has been successful on the Windows Phone. Live will be built into the PC. It will be the service where you get your entertainment. We were talking about it — you will not just see consoles and handhelds at this show next year, this show’s going to morph into other devices. Interviewer: How will your services and content be part of Windows 8? Delman: There will be a lot of similarities in design and service philosophy. Whether it’s us or Apple or anybody else, people want to be able to navigate through multiple devices in a certain ecosystem very seamlessly so we’re committed to that. At the moment it is unclear exactly how the service will work. For example if it will be a full blown Xbox dashboard on the Windows 8 OS where you can get your videos, music, Netflix, and games in one place or if you will just be able to play around with your avatar, check up on friends, and view your achievements, etc. It could quite possibly be Games for Windows Live done properly but only Microsoft knows at this point. It could also quite be the unification of Microsoft’s “Live” services: Xbox Live and Windows Live but again, this info is just speculation at this point in time. Only time will tell as more information is revealed. Windows 8 is set to release sometime in 2012 and it will not only be used on desktops and laptops but also for tablets as well. Stay tuned for more news and info on the topic by following us on Facebook, Twitter, and/or subscribing to our RSS feed. Authors: