Recently I've found a lot of discussions and comments have come up lately with some situations concerning Microsoft's and developer's decisions on how purchasing applications works within the Microsoft Store ecosystem. Particularly, some have voiced concern over the fact that an app I purchased for Windows Phone 7, needs to be re-purchased for Windows Phone 8. Similarly others have voiced frustration that an app purchased for Windows Phone needs to be separately purchased for the Windows 8 Operating System. (A prime example of this situation would be the recently released Fruit Ninja game app which was updated for Windows Phone 8 at the price of 99 cents [see the following WPcentral article: Fruit Ninja slashes its way to Windows Phone 8 on Xbox, though previous owners will have to buy again | Windows Phone Central ])
The Microsoft Store seems to have some sticky situations rising to the surface as of late and I would like to hear your opinion and start a discussion on the situation of apps in the Microsoft ecosystem:
The Microsoft Store seems to have some sticky situations rising to the surface as of late and I would like to hear your opinion and start a discussion on the situation of apps in the Microsoft ecosystem:
- Should a user be forced to re-purchase an app that they have already purchased for a previous generation device (ie WP7 vs WP8)?
On a separate note, should an app (ie Halo: Spartan Assault or etc...) be playable on Windows 8 OS if it has already been purchased for the Windows Phone?
- Does this not cause issues if say an app is updated with an overhaul or an HD remake, should the developer be able to establish this as a separate app, or should previous clients be reimbursed for having to pay again for a "new" app?
- What is your thoughts on Xbox Live games having "duplicate" achievements? For example, now having two versions of Fruit Ninja, "duplicate" entries for two separate Fruit Ninja apps appear under my gamer tag. Is this creating a mess of Microsoft's Xbox Live achievement system?
- Do you think in the future this is a situation Microsoft is looking at to remedy (have a single ecosystem where one app translates across all Microsoft devices). Is this system currently a mess or is there any merit to the current state of the Microsoft Marketplace?
- Will Microsoft always be the "underdog" in app selection or how has Microsoft's Marketplace position in the eyes of consumers and developers changed (if at all)?
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