Not everyone can handle the technical side to a PC, if this makes life simpler for them, then all the power to them. Plus the App store means Microsoft gets to profit off it, Microsoft is a business, businesses like your money. No other company in any other position would do things differently in that regard.
Personally I won't use Metro, I like my Desktop. It's purty.
But even in this day and age... It's amazing to still know people (Even teenagers) who don't even know how to google something basic, download it and then install and use it. They would rather just 1 click and done.
The answer is money. Let's say you make a dumb game and charge $2 for it. Let's say it's mildly popular and 1% of Windows 8 users buy it. Assuming Windows 7 users all upgrade or buy new Windows 8 PCs, that means 5 million people buy your app. That's $10M. MS gets $2,005,049 of that for doing nothing but providing a store.
And How dear friend is one lonely developer supposed to sell a gazillion copies of his $2 crapware game with out the STORE. Some of you children must have been educataed in communist school. Most of us invest our time ( called labor) and or money ( called capital inputs) to earn our living. Do you provide services for free.
It was a nice clear example on how Microsoft can make easy money out of an App store, which I think no one here thinks they shouldn't. What the hell was all crap about Communist school and whatnot?
Also, One Developer did just what he did. Notch created Minecraft mostly by himself (Him and a friend)and without ANY advertising, ANY publishers, and NO STORE FRONTS, sold MILLIONS of copies. THAT COMMUNIST!!!
The sweet spot is to provide a unique and inexpensive service that a lot of people need and make it easily available at a reasonable price. If you are a regular earner who actually values his time (as opposed to an OWS squatter), and there's an app that will save you an hour a month of your time, then if you do the math (and are any good at The Maths), you're going to be willing to purchase the app.
Heck, I would buy an app for $1.99 if I could be reasonably sure it would save me an hour of work. I VALUE my time.
But if it takes me an hour to find a program that saves me an hour's worth of work, which as there is more and more STUFF on that wide internet that you tout so much, then the calculation fails. Therein lies the store. I do a search, see if there's an app for what I need, check feedback, and Clickety-click. BOOM. Done.
Convenience for customers, for one thing, (people seem to be making significant use of the Apple App Store on Mac's) but also it's a service for developers. Getting a program published and distributed is difficult and/or expensive - especially a simple little program you want to sell for $1.99. And certainly it opens up many options for users of the OS to find and purchase apps they wouldn't otherwise know about.
This is about making the platform an open marketplace where people can buy and sell (or give away) software, rather than just relegating that activity to the Internet. Of course MS will make some money from it, as well they should, but this move is very much customer driven. (although figuring out what customers want and developing products around that IS a function of marketing - people seem to think that all Marketing does is write deceptive ad copy and shoot commercials)
Yes, you can reinstall it unlimited number of times.
One licence is valid for up to five devices. This cannot be modified by the developer. When you install the app on the sixth PC, it will be automatically uninstalled from one of the previous PCs. (Presumably after some warning and offer of a new licence for another five PCs.)
I hope more details will be revealed in February or sooner.
Steam, big fish games, battle.net.... How are these already existing store clients going to compete or in what fashion will they exist within the windows 8 tile-based interface? Aside from users switching to "classic view," how will these clients work in the native win 8 interface?
Thus I don't think you will find steam on the microsoft store, or if you do you will just find the steam storefront followed via you downloading the x86 game you are trying to play.
Now all the casual games makers stores are seriously going to be sweating (as well as games in the future, once everything moves beyond x86).
I guess they have to compete with price - offer the same games for less. Plus offer better social services etc.
We still don't know if Microsoft is going to offer XBox Live integration in Windows 8. I guess it is. But they select only top games for XBL, so perhaps Steam and others may concentrate on indie game devs.
Because Microsoft supports custom in-app payments, Steam can in theory offer a Metro app, but I don't think Metro apps can support sideloading other apps. It would be too dangerous for the end user.
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videogames101 - Wednesday, December 7, 2011 - link
The entire world is our app store, why do you need to control distribution Microsoft? Oh right, marketing ploy, awesome I guess...StevoLincolnite - Wednesday, December 7, 2011 - link
Not everyone can handle the technical side to a PC, if this makes life simpler for them, then all the power to them.Plus the App store means Microsoft gets to profit off it, Microsoft is a business, businesses like your money. No other company in any other position would do things differently in that regard.
Personally I won't use Metro, I like my Desktop. It's purty.
But even in this day and age... It's amazing to still know people (Even teenagers) who don't even know how to google something basic, download it and then install and use it. They would rather just 1 click and done.
Spivonious - Wednesday, December 7, 2011 - link
Not a marketing ploy.The answer is money. Let's say you make a dumb game and charge $2 for it. Let's say it's mildly popular and 1% of Windows 8 users buy it. Assuming Windows 7 users all upgrade or buy new Windows 8 PCs, that means 5 million people buy your app. That's $10M. MS gets $2,005,049 of that for doing nothing but providing a store.
tomvh - Wednesday, December 7, 2011 - link
And How dear friend is one lonely developer supposed to sell a gazillion copies of his $2 crapware game with out the STORE.Some of you children must have been educataed in communist school.
Most of us invest our time ( called labor) and or money ( called capital inputs)
to earn our living. Do you provide services for free.
Grow Up !
Dradien - Wednesday, December 7, 2011 - link
Wow dude, you over reacted a little.It was a nice clear example on how Microsoft can make easy money out of an App store, which I think no one here thinks they shouldn't. What the hell was all crap about Communist school and whatnot?
Also, One Developer did just what he did. Notch created Minecraft mostly by himself (Him and a friend)and without ANY advertising, ANY publishers, and NO STORE FRONTS, sold MILLIONS of copies. THAT COMMUNIST!!!
Paul Tarnowski - Wednesday, December 7, 2011 - link
The sweet spot is to provide a unique and inexpensive service that a lot of people need and make it easily available at a reasonable price. If you are a regular earner who actually values his time (as opposed to an OWS squatter), and there's an app that will save you an hour a month of your time, then if you do the math (and are any good at The Maths), you're going to be willing to purchase the app.Heck, I would buy an app for $1.99 if I could be reasonably sure it would save me an hour of work. I VALUE my time.
But if it takes me an hour to find a program that saves me an hour's worth of work, which as there is more and more STUFF on that wide internet that you tout so much, then the calculation fails. Therein lies the store. I do a search, see if there's an app for what I need, check feedback, and Clickety-click. BOOM. Done.
woofersus - Thursday, December 8, 2011 - link
Convenience for customers, for one thing, (people seem to be making significant use of the Apple App Store on Mac's) but also it's a service for developers. Getting a program published and distributed is difficult and/or expensive - especially a simple little program you want to sell for $1.99. And certainly it opens up many options for users of the OS to find and purchase apps they wouldn't otherwise know about.This is about making the platform an open marketplace where people can buy and sell (or give away) software, rather than just relegating that activity to the Internet. Of course MS will make some money from it, as well they should, but this move is very much customer driven. (although figuring out what customers want and developing products around that IS a function of marketing - people seem to think that all Marketing does is write deceptive ad copy and shoot commercials)
Digobick - Wednesday, December 7, 2011 - link
The minimum price for an app is $1.49, not $1.99:http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/ap...
Andrew.a.cunningham - Wednesday, December 7, 2011 - link
Got it. Thanks!Core2uu - Saturday, December 10, 2011 - link
$1.49 is a rather awkward minimum price point. $0.99 plays out much better for tempting those bottom-feeder impulse buys.Roland00Address - Wednesday, December 7, 2011 - link
Will Microsoft support redownloading of an app?How many computers/devices can you put an app on without purchasing it again? (Or will this be a decision made via the developer of the app).
Oslik - Thursday, December 8, 2011 - link
Yes, you can reinstall it unlimited number of times.One licence is valid for up to five devices. This cannot be modified by the developer. When you install the app on the sixth PC, it will be automatically uninstalled from one of the previous PCs. (Presumably after some warning and offer of a new licence for another five PCs.)
I hope more details will be revealed in February or sooner.
Malih - Wednesday, December 7, 2011 - link
I wonder if this will help reduce price of Windows 8 license when it's releasedtviceman - Wednesday, December 7, 2011 - link
Steam, big fish games, battle.net.... How are these already existing store clients going to compete or in what fashion will they exist within the windows 8 tile-based interface? Aside from users switching to "classic view," how will these clients work in the native win 8 interface?Paul Tarnowski - Wednesday, December 7, 2011 - link
It's possible to make an app without submitting it to the store. I would imagine that Steam at least would make a native app.Roland00Address - Thursday, December 8, 2011 - link
Thus I don't think you will find steam on the microsoft store, or if you do you will just find the steam storefront followed via you downloading the x86 game you are trying to play.Now all the casual games makers stores are seriously going to be sweating (as well as games in the future, once everything moves beyond x86).
Oslik - Thursday, December 8, 2011 - link
It's a good question. They have a problem.I guess they have to compete with price - offer the same games for less. Plus offer better social services etc.
We still don't know if Microsoft is going to offer XBox Live integration in Windows 8. I guess it is. But they select only top games for XBL, so perhaps Steam and others may concentrate on indie game devs.
Because Microsoft supports custom in-app payments, Steam can in theory offer a Metro app, but I don't think Metro apps can support sideloading other apps. It would be too dangerous for the end user.