Game Design, Programming and running a one-man games business…

We need an open, simpleapp store built into windows

cliffski

Like most people selling software, I occasionally get people who say the download link is broken (it isn’t) or the file didn’t download properly (it did) or that it’s the wrong version for their O/S (maybe, but they bought the wrong thing in that case) or they lost the file they downloaded etc etc…

Obviously this sort of stuff is fixed by ‘client’ app stores such as impulse or steam. the problem is, those stores are run by third parties which

1) Take a cut of the sales

2) Retain all the customer details and never share them with you

3) Don’t accept all products for sale, so act as gatekeepers.

Ideally, windows would have a built-in bare-bones app-store. Not a microsoft store where you pay microsoft, but some system whereby you could pay anyone, and they could trivially build a back end system to provide you with the file. Maybe the app-store simply acts as a front end web browser client to your existing BMTMicro / paypal / plimus store.

Given all the shovelware crap that windows ships with anyway (photo editing, movie making, a calculator, a paint program, games…) it seems crazy that something people do all the time (buy stuff online) has virtually zero API support built into the O/S.

Time for another ‘next-game clue’:

clue#6

…

8 thoughts on We need an open, simpleapp store built into windows

  1. That would be great but I can’t see it happening sadly.
    If MS did it, they would want a cut because everyone else does.
    If anyone else did it, it probably would get installed as much and wouldn’t have the same trust that steam enjoys.

    Your latest clue’s got me stumped this time!

  2. The real snag of Apple’s AppStore (apart from Apple’s unbelieveable anti-competition bullshit – how can they do that in a so called ‘market economy??) is the whopping 30% they steal in revenues…

    30% is a LOT for putting a virtual item in a virtual shop – I’m sure some individuals are negociating better deals but still…

    Meanwhile – there are a few options for easier client-side installs such as Adobe Air, Java, Chrome WebApps but I’m surprised, in this day, that people still can’t download and install stuff.

    As someone who fixes a LOT of PCs, downloading things hasn’t ever seemed an issue for my clients – in fact downloading too many things seems a more common problem :)

  3. Not counting the extra clue you sneaked in the last post?

    “…which means one day I’ll have proper maps and units in there.”

    I’d say we’re on clue #7. :)

  4. Hmm… that looks like part of a Stormtrooper helmet to me, or have I got that completely wrong?

    I don’t think Microsoft would ever do a free one. I just don’t think that they would make something with the purpose of someone making money out of it without them wanting a share of the profits.

  5. Not a bad idea. Microsoft could even copy google approach and offer it for free with Windows but integrate advertising. If it came with Windows then that is a huge market for adverts. That gives Microsoft the money it needs and they can still offer it for free.

    Surprised google hasn’t started thier own….

  8. Payment gateway integration is the worst part of it and the sole reason why this would never happen. There’s been a lot of open source out there that tries (e.g. Ubercart) but the provider plugins are always hit-and-miss.

    If someone actually spent the time to make this whole experience seamless as you envision, I sure hope they’d take a cut – if only to pay for the army of engineers that maintain and test it.

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