MSFT Considering Android Apps For Windows Phones.

[anony_mouse]

Most games are developed using a cross platform game engine, like Unity. That is how the same game ends up running on both iOS and Android. As a result, making a Unity based version for WP isn't that big of a deal, so this would really only be helpful for games that don't use such an engine. I don't know how big that subset is, but my guess is it is very small...

Certainly possible, I just doubt that is actually of much help...

That is a very good point. If important Unity games are not appearing on WP, Microsoft need to look at why that is. I guess there is still effort needed to test and optimise the game for WP, and perhaps some porting if iOS/Android specific APIs are used (I assume Unity offers some access to these), but it should already be relatively small.

 

[Markham Ranja]

Most games are developed using a cross platform game engine, like Unity. That is how the same game ends up running on both iOS and Android. As a result, making a Unity based version for WP isn't that big of a deal, so this would really only be helpful for games that don't use such an engine. I don't know how big that subset is, but my guess is it is very small...

Certainly possible, I just doubt that is actually of much help...

It is a very big deal because iOS and Android use OpenGL ES for their 3D rendering, which is a common and well-understood framework among mobile game developers. However, with WP, MS decided to use DirectX 11, for reasons only known to Belfiore. For this reason, porting games from iOS or Android to WP is rather difficult. Also, DX11 is the same framework used by major AAA game studios to develop their Windows games, so most of the people with this skill are involved in developing full-fledged desktop games. There is little talent left over for WP.

This is why Unity does not support WP as yet.

 

[anony_mouse]

It is a very big deal because iOS and Android use OpenGL ES for their 3D rendering, which is a common and well-understood framework among mobile game developers. However, with WP, MS decided to use DirectX 11, for reasons only known to Belfiore. For this reason, porting games from iOS or Android to WP is rather difficult. Also, DX11 is the same framework used by major AAA game studios to develop their Windows games, so most of the people with this skill are involved in developing full-fledged desktop games. There is little talent left over for WP.

This is why Unity does not support WP as yet.

Thanks - that's a useful clarification. I guess it would take a lot of effort for Microsoft to add OpenGL ES support to WP, even though I assume the underlying hardware can support it?

 

[SnailUK]

It is a very big deal because iOS and Android use OpenGL ES for their 3D rendering, which is a common and well-understood framework among mobile game developers. However, with WP, MS decided to use DirectX 11, for reasons only known to Belfiore. For this reason, porting games from iOS or Android to WP is rather difficult. Also, DX11 is the same framework used by major AAA game studios to develop their Windows games, so most of the people with this skill are involved in developing full-fledged desktop games. There is little talent left over for WP.

This is why Unity does not support WP as yet.

But surely you've hit the nail on the head.

Microsoft's vision has always been a multi platform view. They don't just think phone, they think WP/WinRT/Win/Xbox. OpenGL might be an easier option for WP/WinRT, but how does that help Win/Xbox?

Developers be seeing the opportunities of all the millions of other platforms that are gagging for most of the same content.

Amusingly, Unity already supports WP, so even that isn't an excuse!

Unity - Windows add-on

 

[anony_mouse]

But surely you've hit the nail on the head.

Microsoft's vision has always been a multi platform view. They don't just think phone, they think WP/WinRT/Win/Xbox. OpenGL might be an easier option for WP/WinRT, but how does that help Win/Xbox?

Developers be seeing the opportunities of all the millions of other platforms that are gagging for most of the same content.

Amusingly, Unity already supports WP, so even that isn't an excuse!

Unity - Windows add-on

As I've said here before, tying all their products together could be either a blessing or a curse for Microsoft. It applies in so many ways. In this instance, which is more beneficial - making it easy for developers to write code that works on Microsoft's mobiles, desktops, games consoles, etc; or that works on several mobile platforms? Note of course that many APIs are currently different between WP, WinRT and Windows 8. Given the current situation, I suspect commonality with other mobile platforms would be more valuable than commonality with other Microsoft products.

I can't comment on Unity, apart from pointing to this page - http://unity3d.com/pages/windows/porting . See the quotes at the bottom. One developer claims to have ported their app to WP and Win 8 in less than one day. Can anyone comment on whether Unity apps are typically released on WP? If they are not, it would be interesting to know why, as the reasons are presumably not technical.

 

[a5cent]

It is a very big deal because iOS and Android use OpenGL ES for their 3D rendering, which is a common and well-understood framework among mobile game developers. However, with WP, MS decided to use DirectX 11, for reasons only known to Belfiore.

I think you should leave explaining such things to the people who have actually used it.

First, if you want to get technical, then you should be referring to Direct3D, not DirectX. Second, the whole point of Unity is to provide a cross-platform framework for building games. That means one of Unity's most important jobs is to abstract away platform specific technologies, of which Direct3D and OpenGL are the two most important examples. The rendering backend completely encapsulates both, meaning there typically aren't any direct calls to Direct3D or OpenGL in a Unity based game. Calls made to the Unity renderer are mapped to whatever the platform supports.

Admittedly, Unity doesn't abstract away all the differences. For example, in-app purchases are one feature developers must still port manually. There are more. However, the "huge" problem you've identified is exactly what Unity solves, as I initially said it did.

This is why Unity does not support WP as yet.

Then you'd better tell that to those developing Unity. They claim WP8 support all over their website. Strangely, they also have a list of Windows Store and Windows Phone games that were made with Unity. And finally, I've used it myself...

But surely you've hit the nail on the head.

The information was incorrect. See above.

Thanks - that's a useful clarification.

It was the opposite of a clarification. See above.

 

[rodan01]

So, Microsoft is happy with the Nokia X, they supported the project, even though the Windows team of course is not particularly happy about it.
Microsoft will be the proud owner of the Nokia X app store, where 75% of the Android apps just work without modification, and most of the other 25% can be ported with 8 hours of work using Nokia X APIs. That's a lot of Apps, knowledge about Android, and relationships with developers.
If the project is successful, they will add APIs so apps can take advantage of the live tiles in the Nokia X, XBOX integration for games, allow developers to adapt their Android Apps and integrate them with other Microsoft services and devices.

Isn't the next logical step the implementation of the Android SDK in WP to give access to WP users to hundreds of thousands of Apps in the Nokia X store?

 

[anony_mouse]

Well, we have to wait and see how many apps Nokia get in their shop. How many apps are there in a typical store on an existing non-Google approved phone?

 

[HeyCori]

Over 2,000 Windows 8/Windows Phone 8 Unity apps submitted to stores - Neowin

Unity announces Xbox One support and partnership with Microsoft | Windows Phone Central

 

[rodan01]

Yandex is close to 100.000, Amazon roughly 175.000. But Yandex is mostly for Russia, and the Amazon appstore is primarily for the Kindle Fire. Probably MS could do better, but only if the phone is successful. At first the Nokia X store will link to these other stores if It doesn't have an app.

 

[cckgz4]

This is no different than blackberry, and I didn't like that either

 

[anony_mouse]

Over 2,000 Windows 8/Windows Phone 8 Unity apps submitted to stores - Neowin

Interesting link - but it misses out the most important statistic. What proportion of the Unity apps available on Android and iOS have been ported to WP? 99%? 50%? 1%? As they don't mention it, I assume it's closer to the latter than the former.

 

[bilzkh]

You know... I love the idea of cross-platform commonality between WP/Windows/RT/Xbox, but as of yet it hasn't come to fruition. The concept is fantastic, but the reality of the market doesn't to register with the thought, not yet anyways. I think it'd be best if WP/Windows/RT follow the path of other mobile platforms, e.g. OpenGL. I'd much rather see a healthy portfolio of the latest and in-demand games on Windows Phone and Tablet than to hold out for a Spartan Assault every blue moon.

 

[msxbox]

there's quite a few votes now
We do NOT want Android apps on WP – Feature Suggestions for Windows Phone

 

[buddler]

Are there meanwhile apps for dlna (especially for Samsung TVs, without having a Samsung phone)?

The other categories like tracking, navigation (online/offline) and geocaching are populated in the store, so should work now.