That’s a good thing on one hand, considering that gamers can purchase and play these games on their PCs even if they don’t own a Xbox. A couple of Xbox One exclusives have been spotted on the list despite not being announced to launch on the Windows Store yet.
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Microsoft will finally pull back the curtain on Universal Windows Apps – applications that run across Xbox One and all Windows 10 devices – on March 30 at its annual Microsoft Build Developer Conference in San Francisco, Xbox head honcho Phil Spencer revealed today.
Games and apps must be licensed by Microsoft to use UWP, and using the tech would let Microsoft control its sale – keeping UWP titles on the WIndows Store and keeping them off other digital retailers like Valve‘s Steam. But that feature is switched off by default, and Sweeney is afraid that Microsoft could remove that option any day via a software update.
“As the founder of a major Windows game developer and technology supplier, this is an op-ed I hoped I would never feel compelled to write”, Sweeney wrote.
In a bid to bring uniformity and responsiveness across different platforms while also making it easier for developers to port their apps from one product category to another, Microsoft has been actively working on Universal Windows Platform. This is something Xbox Boss Phil Spencer is all-too familiar with, but he certainly knows how to handle himself.
But Phil Spencer, who leads the division in charge of the platform, tells IGN that he understands the economic and the sentimental investment that buyers make when they pick up an Xbox One and is determined to deliver as much value for the device as possible. “Bigger-picture, this is a feature Microsoft can revoke at any time using Windows 10’s forced-update process”.
Major apps, Instagram, Pinterest or WhatsApp are still nowhere to be seen in the latest iteration of Windows Store.
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Microsoft certainly has a history of aggression, giving some explanation for Sweeney’s concerns. People will block me but UC4 will be a great game I’m sure.
