Microsoft VP John Schappert today said that the company's frequently delayed Xbox Live Anywhere service still exists but is rolling out much more gradually than was originally planned. Shown as early as 2006, the means of directly checking and messaging Xbox Live friends is still alive but is being treated as an evolution "unrolled piece by piece" over time. The Games for Windows initiative, which gives users an app that shows both Xbox 360 and Windows players, is considered part of that effort. Only the mobile client is missing, Schappert tells Gizmodo.

When that would come is still unknown, though the senior staffer says Microsoft can so far still "live the dream" and that it hasn't shelved the mobile effort. There is just nothing developed to where it's ready to announce, he says.

What Microsoft will do with its mobile version of Xbox Live Anywhere has likely changed in recent months. It's commonly assumed that a Windows Mobile app is enroute, but the mention of Xbox Live integration with the Zune HD may open the door to building the friends list and other Xbox Live features into its media players.