Microsoft and Nokia have entered a "broad strategic partnership" under which the phone maker will adopt Windows Phone as its "principal smartphone strategy," the two companies announced today. While Nokia didn't highlight Xbox Live in its roll call of some of the broader terms of the deal, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer -- with a bit of a practiced grin -- did namedrop the cross-platform gaming service in a short video announcement.

"In this partnership with Nokia," Ballmer concisely summed up, "Microsoft brings its Windows Phone software and the brands that mobile consumers want, like Bing, Office and, of course, Xbox Live."