4 ms·

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." Mayb

by pjscott 13y ago

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?

bencxr 13y ago
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".
- masklinn 13y ago
  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 13y ago
    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 13y ago
      > 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 13y ago
        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.
- guard-of-terra 13y ago
  Microsoft caring about newcomers is hell suddently freezing. Microsoft always used every tool to kick newcomers in the nuts and throw them to the dogs. It's karmically right for them to pay for their sins, literally. Want to support something important? Spend resources on supporting Firefox OS. Spend resources on Ubuntu Phone app. Do not bother with MS unless they pay thru the nose.
masklinn 13y ago
> Either way, why the drama? Because drama leads to anger, anger leads to reactions and reactions lead to pageviews.
Jare 13y ago
I know for a fact that many small/indie studios have done exactly that: ask MS money to port to WP8. The drama I suppose came from the wording and then one noisy fan that started doing, well, what fans on the internet do. If you don't choose WP8 to be your differentiating factor, then it makes little economic sense to support it. Sure there's some residual profit to make if the port is easy, but you could instead spend your valuable time developing the next game for the platforms that do matter in economic terms. Note that the Windows platform on mobile is odd in the sense that phones and tablets use different OSs, unlike Android or iOS. The advantages and disadvantages of that decision can be debated elsewhere, but it clearly can make porting more complicated for non-devoted developers.

by pjscott 13y ago

bencxr 13y ago

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".

masklinn 13y ago
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 13y ago
  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 13y ago
    > 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 13y ago
      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.
guard-of-terra 13y ago
Microsoft caring about newcomers is hell suddently freezing. Microsoft always used every tool to kick newcomers in the nuts and throw them to the dogs. It's karmically right for them to pay for their sins, literally. Want to support something important? Spend resources on supporting Firefox OS. Spend resources on Ubuntu Phone app. Do not bother with MS unless they pay thru the nose.

masklinn 13y ago

> Either way, why the drama? Because drama leads to anger, anger leads to reactions and reactions lead to pageviews.

Jare 13y ago

I know for a fact that many small/indie studios have done exactly that: ask MS money to port to WP8. The drama I suppose came from the wording and then one noisy fan that started doing, well, what fans on the internet do. If you don't choose WP8 to be your differentiating factor, then it makes little economic sense to support it. Sure there's some residual profit to make if the port is easy, but you could instead spend your valuable time developing the next game for the platforms that do matter in economic terms. Note that the Windows platform on mobile is odd in the sense that phones and tablets use different OSs, unlike Android or iOS. The advantages and disadvantages of that decision can be debated elsewhere, but it clearly can make porting more complicated for non-devoted developers.