Indie game developer critiques WP7 Marketplace, offers advice

This morning on Bill Reiss's blog, Silverlight Games 101, he makes some pretty practiced and in our opinion, fifty-fifty handed, criticisms of the Marketplace, specifically in relation to indie games and competing against the large Alive titles.

Reiss is the developer of Popper 2 (see review) which was launched pretty early in the Marketplace. Merely now with developers finally having access to their numbers, he noticed just how lackluster his game was doing: 600 downloads/156 sales, fifty-fifty though he notes it is "...the 20th highest rated overall for all apps and games on the telephone". At a $1.29 a auction, we can see that he's not exactly rolling in money from this game.

In plough, he goes through and lists a range of reasons every bit to why he thinks this may be the case (and he's far from the first programmer to say such things). The reasons range fro the Xbox Alive "filter" which gives college precedence to those games over indie apps, no ability in the market place to sort by popularity, "featured" games and more than, For developers, he gives a few tips on how to improve increment presence, including offer a free or low-cal version, social networks, etc. If we were a developer, we would call back this to be a solid read.

From our perspective as consumers, "games" on Windows Phone seven are almost too bountiful and nosotros agree--with no existent mode to sort games by ratings/popularity, information technology makes it hard. Accept for example Decimation X2 which we covered here--by all means non selling well, though it'southward my #one game past a long shot. Information technology was discovered by accident on my office. Combined with increased users and early adopters, social networking, sites like ours for reviews, etc. we promise that developers will be able to profit. But and so again, even Apple tree's App Shop tells a similar story with the biggest, most popular apps being complimentary and with over 300,000 programs bachelor, we imagine most get lost in the crowd. Agree or disagree with Reiss's comments? Discuss in comments.

Source: Silverlight Games 101

New report reveals Microsoft's future AR strategy; HoloLens 3 is dead

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New report reveals Microsoft'south hereafter AR strategy; HoloLens 3 is dead

Business concern Insider has today published a follow-upwardly report with more details about Microsoft's canceled HoloLens iii augmented reality headset. The partnership with Samsung is said to include a headset with a ready of screens within, powered by a Samsung phone in your pocket.

Review: Surface Laptop SE is the new standard for K-8 Windows PCs

Keeping information technology affordable

Review: Surface Laptop SE is the new standard for M-8 Windows PCs

Starting at only $250, Microsoft's kickoff foray into affordable laptops for the education market is a winner. With a gorgeous design, fantabulous thermals, and a fantastic typing feel, Microsoft would do correct to sell this directly to consumers too. Allow'south merely hope Intel can brand a better CPU.