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It's not every day that Microsoft shows off its own technology being used for the forces of evil, but it did just that during company head Steve Ballmer's keynote at Mobile World Congress. Engadget was on hand to witness Kinect Adventures' Rally Ball minigame being controlled not just by a Kinect, but also two Windows Phone 7 devices controlling the flow of rubber balls being distributed. It's all fun and games until the gentleman playing is overtaken by a monstrous flood of rubber balls.

Microsoft notes that the demonstration was strictly a "tech demo," but it certainly hints at the possible future of Windows Phone/Xbox integration. It also opens the pandora's box-like door to Kinect/WP7/Surface crossovers, finally. Get a look at synergy in action just after the break.

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."

Full House Poker isn't simply notable for its inclusion in Xbox Live's House Party lineup. It's also one of the first examples of connectivity between Xbox Live on the console and on Windows Phone 7. Not only is it the first Xbox Live-enabled mobile game with Avatar integration, but players will be able to transfer their progress from the console to mobile, and vice versa. As an Xbox Live representative explained to Joystiq, "you'll be able to carry over both experience points and the bank roll you earn."

While stats will be persistent across both versions of the game, the connectivity doesn't run much deeper. For example, each title will have different Achievements that are "tailored specifically for each platform." It also doesn't appear there are any plans for cross-platform multiplayer support.

Full House Poker will be available on Windows Phone and Xbox 360 on March 16. While the XBLA version will go for 800 Microsoft Points ($10), the mobile version will be $2.99.

#gamingappoftheday This week in Gaming Apps we looked at a MineCraft program that allows you to explore the game's pixelated island without fear of Creepers. We also saw an Angry Bird clone perhaps better than the original, and more! More »

If the main reason you're looking forward to picking up a Nintendo 3DS is because it plays Game Boy games, then you're a silly, silly goose. Plenty of phones can do just that, including those running Windows Phone 7, thanks to a new Silverlight hack from modder Samuel Blanchard. Check it out below!

After successfully cracking open the deepest protections of the PlayStation 3 -- an act which garnered not only a fair amount of press, but also quite a bit of litigatory pressure from Sony -- George "GeoHot" Hotz has set his sights on a new piece of consumer electronics: The Windows Phone 7 platform. We hope he pulls through with jailbreaking the device, so we can finally ... um, replace those gaudy square home page panels with more visually pleasing circular panels? We guess?

Microsoft developer platform product management head Brandon Watson didn't respond to GeoHot's announcement with intimidation, however, telling him over Twitter, "if you want to build cool stuff on #wp7, send me e-mail and the team will give you a phone -- let dev creativity flourish." That's positively heartwarming! Oh, wait -- we also like things that are free. Hey, Microsoft! We're totally gonna hack your stuff. Your phones, your Xboxes -- all of it. You too, BMW. We're hacking all your cars, so you might as well just give them to us.

After successfully cracking open the deepest protections of the PlayStation 3 -- an act which garnered not only a fair amount of press, but also quite a bit of litigatory pressure from Sony -- George "GeoHot" Hotz has set his sights on a new piece of consumer electronics: The Windows Phone 7 platform. We hope he pulls through with jailbreaking the device, so we can finally ... um, replace those gaudy square home page panels with more visually pleasing circular panels? We guess?

Microsoft developer platform product management head Brandon Watson didn't respond to GeoHot's announcement with intimidation, however, telling him over Twitter, "if you want to build cool stuff on #wp7, send me e-mail and the team will give you a phone -- let dev creativity flourish." That's positively heartwarming! Oh, wait -- we also like things that are free. Hey, Microsoft! We're totally gonna hack your stuff. Your phones, your Xboxes -- all of it. You too, BMW. We're hacking all your cars, so you might as well just give them to us.

#geohot George Hotz hacked Sony's PS3, and then told everyone how to do it. That pissed Sony off, and the company is taking him to court. Rival Microsoft is ready to play nice, though. With a gift. More »

#ces Don't expect a portable, dedicated gaming platform from Microsoft anytime soon. There will be no answer to the DS or PSP, no portable Xbox 360. That is unless you count the Windows Phone 7. More »

#clips The Fable series may be known best for its wild ambition, but the Windows Phone 7 spin-off keeps things perfectly simple. This is Fable: Coin Golf. More »

#clips Microsoft is bringing its Game Room retro collection to the Windows Phone 7, starting with Centipede, Asteroids Deluxe and Shao-Lin Road. What does Game Room gaming look like on a mobile phone? Let's take a look. More »

#ces Full House Poker is both an Xbox 360 and Windows Phone 7 game. A poker title that tracks your card-playing skills and pot across both platforms. More »

An overview of the gaming capabilities of the latest Windows Phone operating system.