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Tim Sweeney: Devs must oppose Microsoft Windows 10 UWP

by Mark Tyson on 4 March 2016, 13:32

Tags: Epic Games, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT)

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Epic Games co-founder Tim Sweeney has launched an attack on Microsoft's Universal Windows Platform (UWP) initiative. In a powerful op-ed piece, published by The Guardian today, Sweeney called the UWP initiative "the most aggressive move Microsoft has ever made," in locking down the consumer PC ecosystem and monopolising app distribution and commerce. Sweeney called for developers to oppose UWP, "or else cede control of their titles" to Microsoft.

First of all I think it's best to briefly sum up what Microsoft's Universal Windows Platform (UWP) initiative is. Windows 10 apps and games don't use the regular win32 .exe format but reside in a Microsoft controlled walled garden style framework. It's a platform within the Windows platform inspired by Microsoft looking jealously at Apple's Appstore, iTunes and so on, and all the revenue these services generate. Currently within the UWP users can't source games and apps from the websites of publishers and developers, to install them, update them, and conduct commerce in them outside of the Windows Store. Microsoft takes 30 per cent of the cash from Windows Store transactions.

Microsoft appears to have structured the Windows 10 OS to the advantage of its own built-in store "while unfairly disadvantaging competing app stores," accuses Sweeney. The Epic Games co-founder requests that Microsoft opens up the PC UWP so that "top third-party games and signature applications that define the PC experience," can find a place in the Microsoft Store. He opines that the current Windows Store is an embarrassment due to the lack of 3rd party signature apps and doesn't help developers or end users as much as it could due to this. If the opening up of UWP doesn't happen Sweeney wants to see it "die as a result of industry backlash".

Fuelling Sweeney's attack is an apparent "series of sneaky manoeuvres" by Microsoft in its communications about UWP. He says that Microsoft seems to have been listening and paying lip service to his games industry concerns but "Microsoft’s intentions must be judged by Microsoft’s actions," and it seems to have made the first step in changing the open PC ecosystem into a "closed Microsoft-controlled distribution and commerce monopoly".

Are Sweeney's protestations made genuinely on behalf of the Windows games and app developers out there, or simply sour grapes over the Windows Store fees? Please let us know your thoughts, in the comments section below.



HEXUS Forums :: 57 Comments

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No one should sell their apps or games or whatever there. There is NO reason at all to do it. You can still sell the games in retailers, their own websites and services and parties like GoG.com and others.
Stuff like this makes me want vulkan to take off even more.

I would move to Linux in a heartbeat if I had an nvidia graphics card or AMD sorted out their openGL performance (unlikely considering theyre probably focusing on vulkan now).

Need my world of warships… need my armored warfare :( I can run everything else (visual studio) in a VM.
Are Sweeney's protestations made genuinely on behalf of the Windows games and app developers out there, or simply sour grapes over the Windows Store fees? Please let us know your thoughts, in the comments section below.

If this was sour grapes then Sweeney's protestations could have, would have been directed at all the stores that take a cut like Steam Origin, and GOG.

Sweeney is just the latest developer to join a growing list of people that can see the potential threat of Windows 10 and its UWP Store, Gabe Newell saw the dangers along with many of us mere mortals that get accused of being tin foil hat wearers for voicing concerns, how much longer are Microsoft going to offer support for win32 binaries, are win32 binaries going to die to thunderous applause when Microsoft say it's going to end support because of X, Y, Z.
Hmm…unification…allowing a developer to create one application that could potentially fully capably run on 6 platforms giving you 6 revenue streams without you have to recompile and test your application 6 times?

Goodness me it's almost like it's socialism and we all know socialism is bad because it helps us help them at a paid service.

The big bad skydows is taking over people, get out your shotguns and plasma rifles.
Corky34
If this was sour grapes then Sweeney's protestations could have, would have been directed at all the stores that take a cut like Steam Origin, and GOG.

Yet it's interesting how he doesn't rail against Apple's walled garden…

Tabbykatze
Goodness me it's almost like it's socialism…

1) please don't swear: not even with starred out letters or words. There's usually some way to express yourself without resorting to profanity… ;)

2) don't think MS are doing this for anyone else's benefit. This way they tie people into their ecosystem and make money out of it. The same program can run on six different devices? That's six different markets MS can sell that program in. And that isn't socialism, not by any stretch of the imagination.