[Wall iPhone]

So this cross platform appstore, and easy porting of apps between the different devices have been available for sometime now.
But when will we reap the fruits of this combined appstore and actually see apps that are available on Windows Phone, come to the Surface and Windows RT? 9 of 10 of the games WPcentral reports on that just have been released, still is WP only, what gives?

[snowmutt]

It isn't there yet. They are working on it, but my understanding that Windows Phone 9/ Windows 9 will be the earliest this will happen (this time next year I hope). It will also involve the UI/OS of the XBOX, if rumors are true.

Right now, they are still separate.

[jnjroach]

There are universal apps already, Halo Spartan assault being the first, with phone 8.1 and update 1 for Windows 8.1 the platforms share 97% of the same APIs. Visual studio 2013 Update 2 supports the creation of these apps. The way it works now if the app is as a universal app it is downloaded on all compatible devices.

[Wall iPhone]

If true, then why did they promote this so early, windows 9 is a year+ away. On windows RT we still do not have the original Angry birds games, or Plants vs zombies, or Tempel run 1 or 2. The new Spiderman game released for WP. Its in games that the Windows Store is really lacking..

[jnjroach]

It was promoted to Developers during Build not to the general audience. There won't be a true universal platform till Windows 9 until then there are Universal Apps the same WinRT App written once but Compiled for each Architecture - x86, x64, Windows RT and Windows Phone 8.1, but Apps need to be re-written to take advantage of this....