Developers can now get up to $2000 from Microsoft for writing apps for its Windows 8 and Windows Phone stores as a “Keep the Cash” bonus payment. The offer, which is current and runs until 30th June 2013, allows developers to get a $100 virtual Visa card for every app published to either of the stores, for up to a maximum of 10 apps per store. Only the first 10,000 qualified and published apps will receive the bonus payment. Also this promotion is for US residents only.
This isn’t the first time Microsoft has offered cash for apps, a similar initiative was organised for the launch of Windows Phone 7 in 2010. Also it was reported last year that Microsoft was subsidising the costs of developing big name apps such as Foursquare.
Are Windows 8 and Windows Phone users about to experience a deluge of developer dross?
Microsoft has put in some thought and wants to avoid the submission of worthless apps to its stores. Thus the “Keep the Cash” offer has a number of terms and conditions to try and maintain the quality as well as up the quantity of apps available to users.
All non-game apps submitted must “conform to design guidelines for Windows Store and Windows Phone Store; work as described and have a distinct and substantial content and purpose, including functionality e.g., above and beyond launching a webpage”. Also in an attempt to stem a wave of clones and tweaked apps that are already in existence further conditions state that “The app may not be a modification, rework, redesign or other change to an existing and previously published app. Apps submitted with the same code base or clones are not eligible. Apps that have been previously published to the Windows Store and/or Windows Phone Store do not qualify as a new app for purposes of this published offer.”
Desperation alley
The Verge points out that a former Microsoft Windows Phone Manager, Charlie Kindel, wrote a blog post last year dismissing paying for app development as a sign of desperation. “Paying developers to target your platform is a sign of desperation. Doing so means developers have no skin in the game. A platform where developers do not have skin in the game is artificially propped up and will not succeed in the long run” opined Kindel. However this is not a worldwide initiative / promotion and will only cost Microsoft’s US Windows marketing department a paltry $1 million.
App development rates
The Windows 8 app watching site MetroStore Scanner reports a total of just under 50,000 apps are available for Windows 8 users. A graph on this site shows that after an initial spurt of development the monthly totals of new apps have slipped quite dramatically.
Windows 8 app development rate
Turning our attention to Windows Phone apps, the picture seems to be much better. The graph looks quite a lot healthier and there are a total of around 130,000 apps available to mobile users.
Windows Phone app growth
Speaking from personal experience I have both a Windows 8 PC and a Windows Phone; on my Windows 8 computer I very rarely see the ‘Metro’ side of things, the last time I looked there were about 10 updates available to my apps but I didn’t bother to do anything about it, I went straight to the desktop to work. On the touch-screen smartphone such apps are much more useful. When there are more touch-screen and/or gesture control interfaces available for PCs I think Windows 8 apps will become more relevant, at least for content consumption.
