Posted in: Games, Video Games | Tagged: microsoft, windows, xbox, xbox one
Microsoft is Offering 95% Revenue Share in the Windows Store
Engadget reports that Microsoft revealed a new developer partnership stake at the first day of Build which would give app developers 95% of the revenue from application sales. However, there are some restrictions.
The new hosting structure is moving away from the typical 70/30 split, but it only applies to apps on Windows 10 PCs, Surface, Mixed Reality devices, and Windows phones. That means things like the Xbox will remain at the previous revenue share. It also only covers non-game apps on the Windows store, so you won't be seeing indie games move off of Steam anytime soon.
However, that 95 percent revenue share is still the biggest developer share available in the industry, and could have some interesting results if Microsoft applied it to game developers on even a promotional basis. If Microsoft took their resources and appied this deal to games, they'd manage to tear the PC games market away from Valve, which chouod be the push indie developers need to design their games for the Xbox One. It'd also have some strange ramifications in terms of monopoly legislation, but for now, all of that is theoretical.
Even the Window's Store's greatest critic, Tim Sweeney of Epic Games, even approved of the share on Twitter as healthy competition.
In other Microsoft news, the company seems to be putting together a new Santa Monica development studio. At least, they might be based on this job listing found by ResetEra.