

Developer demands “big contribution” from Microsoft before supporting WP8 and W8 - yread
http://wmpoweruser.com/game-developer-demands-big-contribution-from-microsoft-before-considering-supporting-windows-phone-and-windows-8/

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pjscott
I don't see the problem here. It sounds like a simple economic proposition --
"Porting this to WP8 isn't worth our time unless we get extra money for it."

Maybe Microsoft will take them up on it, and probably they won't. Either way,
why the drama?

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bencxr
As it stands now, WP8 is the incumbent. If all developers applied the "pay us
to make it for your new platform" attitude, it doesn't bode well for
newcomers.

Also, the tone used can be taken in bad taste, since this was a kickstarter
asking for "support".

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masklinn
WP8 is worse than the incumbent, it's the incumbent with very little value
proposition and low prospects for success.

> If all developers applied the "pay us to make it for your new platform"
> attitude, it doesn't bode well for newcomers.

That's the way of the world I fear, newcomers have to either take the domain
by storm or actually add value to the system to change things.

~~~
robryan
I think it has always been this way. iPhone had it easy as they were able to
build up an install base before opening to 3rd parties. That was a unique
position though that won't really be possible again, at least in phones as we
know them.

~~~
masklinn
> iPhone had it easy

And yet, somehow, predecessors didn't.

The iPhone didn't "have it easy", it provided value to users through a
significantly improved user experience, and then to developers through both a
significant user base and the ease to reach them through a unified and not
completely garbage platform.

> they were able to build up an install base before opening to 3rd parties.
> That was a unique position though that won't really be possible again

Maybe. Maybe not. The iPhone was dinged for its significant lack of features
at release (hell, it still is at pretty much every release), a new man with a
new vision could make a different set of tradeoffs and succeed as well.
There's no set template for success. Or failure.

~~~
robryan
Yes, it was essentially the first mover to execute well in a new class of
phone. Someone else will likely eventually come along and disrupt the smart
phone as we know it now and will have the same advantage. In terms of the
smartphone as we know it now though, it is going to be very hard for anyone to
come out with anything so radically different that they can get away without a
3rd party ecosystem and grow and install base big enough to challenge iOS/
Android.

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tzakrajs
If you read the article further, you learn this demand was actually just a
joke.

"SnowFury Studios, Inc: @WindowsPhoneUsers – Our apologies, the comment re
Windows Phones was a poor attempt at humor and was removed when it came to our
attention on launch day. This in no way reflects the company’s view of the
platform. We have no issues supporting Windows platforms yet at the same time,
we also need to focus our efforts."

~~~
yread
Yeah, I thought it was actually a good joke.. not sure why some people need to
see drama behind everything

~~~
CmonDev
Well, they did not say "just kidding, we will definitely support Win by
quarter X of year Y" in their appology. It is obvious they were NOT kidding.

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throwaway2120
I've worked at companies that were paid by Microsoft, Nokia and others to port
our apps from other platforms.

This is par for the course, and something Microsoft did a lot when they
launched WP8.

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LordIllidan
I don't see anything wrong with asking Microsoft to contribute. At this stage
in Windows Phone's lifetime, it's probably a win-win situation.

Developer covers some or all the development costs (to minimize the risk of
porting to a platform with significantly less users than iOS and Android)

Microsoft gets another app in their store - and seeing as they contributed,
they can probably also mandate a higher standard. They also get 30% of every
purchase.

The developer probably shouldn't have worded it like that though - keep the
financial stuff behind the scenes.

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anu_gupta
Interesting to compare the reaction here with this

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6152491](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6152491),
where someone thought it was insulting to be exposed to a request to fund
development.

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tomorgan
I see it as a non-story. Even if that was what they meant to say (although
they seem to have changed their mind since), it's more of an observation of
Microsoft's practice of paying _established_ applications to port.

Besides, I'm not sure they're really want to become contractually obliged to
produce (and maintain?) a WP port...

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boomlinde
I don't know why Microsoft would be the exclusion, but since I assume
Microsoft/Apple/Google will be the sole distributors of the software on their
respective platforms and also directly enjoy a share of the profits, it seems
entirely reasonable to ask them to invest in the development of the software.

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thom
If this is anyone else's attitude, the place to sign up is here:

[http://www.appcampus.fi/](http://www.appcampus.fi/)

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karlkatzke
Fun fact: MS has spent more on W8 and Surface marketing than it has made on
the Surface. [http://www.geekwire.com/2013/microsoft-surface-
revenue-853-m...](http://www.geekwire.com/2013/microsoft-surface-
revenue-853-million/)

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ianstallings
I don't see the problem. Most of us (mobile developers) don't have the
manpower, time, or the money to support the Windows platform. They have a very
small market share and their surface platform just tanked, big time.
Partnerships and incentives are actually how Microsoft works so it's not
unheard of to ask for help. Particularly in the license department. I can't
afford to give my staff full enterprise MSDN subscriptions or even just Visual
Studio on every machine. Never mind the fact that no one I work with uses
Windows and would need that too. If they can give cheaper or free tools and
then lower the cost of entry it would really help us support the platform.

