Microsoft is trying to “monopolise” PC gaming development with its new Universal Windows Platform (UWP) scheme, so says Epic Games co-founder Tim Sweeney.
Sweeney — who believes UWP is an affront to gamers, developers, game publishers and distributors alike — passionately argued against it in a piece for the Guardian.
Windows 10 saw the introduction of Microsoft’s initiative, which proposes a common platform to allow software and games to work on any device running the new OS – from phones through tablets to the Xbox, laptops and computers.
As such, it’s designed to be a good thing for developers who can more easily tout their wares across a broader range of devices and therefore a larger audience.
However, Sweeney’s beef stems from the fact that UWP apps need to go through the Windows Store – you can’t just download them from, say, a publisher’s website, or run any updates for them, or conduct any sales of them outside of Microsoft’s official store.
Aggressive move
Because of this locked-down nature, Redmond is interfering with the rights of game developers and publishers to have a direct relationship with their customers, he argues.
Sweeney said: “Microsoft has launched new PC Windows features exclusively in UWP, and is effectively telling developers you can use these Windows features only if you submit to the control of our locked-down UWP ecosystem.”
He further observed: “In my view, this is the most aggressive move Microsoft has ever made.”
Hide and seek
Sweeney admits that the more savvy Windows 10 user can dig into OS settings and enable side-loading to install these apps, but this is hard to find and by default, things are very much set up to disadvantage Redmond’s competitors. (He also broadly criticises the way Windows 10 buries many important options and settings besides side-loading – like privacy controls for example).
And of course there’s no guarantee that side-loading won’t be switched off in the future. It’s the path Microsoft is going to tread going forward that’s worrying Sweeney, and he foresees the potential further pushing of smart new features in UWP while Win32 apps are neglected.
Sweeney says that Microsoft must open up UWP – so that a UWP app can be downloaded from the web, and third-party stores like Steam – or else “PC UWP can, should, must and will, die as a result of industry backlash”.
We’d agree that Microsoft needs to address these concerns and provide at least some assurances that we aren’t heading down a rather dark road where developer and consumer freedoms alike are sacrificed to push the Windows Store.
Source: techradar.com
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Hi,
It depends.
With Apple you purchase the Product (hardware and software, with service).
With Microsoft you purchase the Operating System only. The PC is yours.
If Microsoft as they have indicated, in the future support a limited set of hardware on Windows 10, and deprecate all software except their DirectX 12, and only through UWP can you use DirectX 12, then this will guide games fown through to their pay system (30% cut has been indicated in the Guardian article).
I have seen statements that Vulcan is an alternative API (this is not my speciality), but, if Microsoft in some way cause Vulcan to be less optimal, and who could prove it ???., then Microsoft will surely increase their revenues.
Windows 10 is "free", and Microsofts agressive approach to ensuring people upgrade to Windows 10 is becoming clearer. Recall XBOX One issues before it was released. Recall that Microsoft have back ported their telemetry to WIndows 7, 8.0, 8.1
I suppose we will have to wait and see what their strategy is – but based on the past 2 years behaviour, i think that they have changed their attitude to the detriment of the PC buying public.
Regards,
Shadmeister.
UWP probably won't take off in the way that Microsoft want it too, however the idea of having a central store with any other install method turned off (with a hidden setting) has been standard on Mac for years…
It becomes another instance of accepting things that Apple throw out, but as soon as someone else tries to do something vaguely similar it causes a backlash.
Why can i only upvote this once????
Have you ever tried browsing the file system of a mac? Or tried to change some of the settings regarding to see hidden files?
Installing apps on a Mac from the web is an absolute nightmare that involves having to change your privacy settings first in order to open it. Sometimes the app is outright blocked by the OS from running at all!
With regards to UWP specifically, I would rather have 1 central storefront to get my games, apps and updates rather than 4 or 5 (Steam, Origin, WinStore etc.)
A 'nightmare'? Really? Settings > privacy > general > 'install apps from anywhere' > padlock. Hardly an arduous process.
It's no different than what Apple does. No one complains IOS is locked down?
Besides UWP is optional. There's no way all software makers will use it.