Microsoft Store (formerly Windows Store)

History of development

2021

Open a store for competitive browsers and app stores

At the end of September 2021, Microsoft announced the opening of the Microsoft Store portal for competing browsers and app stores. Thanks to the innovation, third-party software developers will be able to promote their products on the Microsoft digital platform.

The updated Microsoft Store, which will become available to the general public on October 5, 2021 (simultaneously with the release of Windows 11), will contain programs developed using various frameworks and packaging technologies. For Windows 10 users, the platform will be available a few months after that. Microsoft said that this was done in accordance with its "commitment to the right to choice, justice and innovation."

Microsoft opens its store for competing browsers and app stores

The programs that will appear in the updated Microsoft Store will include:

• communication platforms Discord, Zoom Cloud Meetings and KakaoTalk;
• creative instruments Luminar AI, Music Maker and VLC;
• office tools TeamViewer, Adobe Acrobat Reader DC and LibreOffice;
• Native applications such as Microsoft PowerToys, Visual Studio Code, and Visual Studio Community
• Microsoft Edge alternative browsers, including Opera and Yandex.Browser.

Among the first partners is the Amazon Appstore store promised with the announcement of Windows 11 and not only. Microsoft also announced the appearance of the Epic Games Store. In the future, other applications may appear, explained the head of the Microsoft Store Giorgio Sardo. It is known that Microsoft will not demand its share of sales through these stores.

Like any other application, third-party showcase applications will have a product details page that can be searched or viewed directly. For Windows users, it will be as easy as with any other application in the Microsoft Store, "said Sardo.[1]

Microsoft zeroed out fees for application developers in the Microsoft Store

At the end of June 2021, Microsoft announced the zeroing of the commission for developers when placing their applications in the Microsoft Store. True, there is one exception - the innovation does not concern games.

According to the press service of Microsoft, starting July 28, 2021, developers of non-gaming applications will be able to use "their own or third-party commercial platform" for transactions. This will allow them to receive 100% of the income from the purchase of the service and from any payments within it. Previously, they deducted 15% of Microsoft revenue from sales of their products to Microsoft, and gaming studios - 12%. For the latter, this commission will remain.

Microsoft zeroed out fees for application developers in the Microsoft Store

Earlier in 2021, Microsoft announced a decrease in the commission for game developers for Windows computers from 30% to 12%. Moreover, manufacturers of products for game consoles remained on the sidelines. According to observers for The Verge, this may be due to different business models.

Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo sell consoles at a reduced price to make them more affordable, and offer discounts at the expense of a commission of 30% of game sales.

Developers are doing everything possible to offer great games to players, and we want them to succeed on our platforms, "said Matt Booty, head of Xbox Game Studios. In his opinion, with a new revenue distribution scheme, developers will be able to offer more games and get more benefits.

Since 2021, Apple has reduced the commission in the App Store to 15% for developers with revenue of less than $1 million per year. In March 2021, Google Play reduced the commission from 30% to 15% for all developers - but only for the first $1 million in annual revenue.

Earlier, Microsoft unveiled the "principles" for the Microsoft Store on Windows 10. Including the company said that it would not force developers to use its payment system and urged competitors to do the same.^[2]

2020: Windows File Recovery Availability

On June 28, 2020, it became known that Microsoft released a free program for restoring deleted files - Windows File Recovery.

It can be downloaded from the Microsoft Store online application store. More details here.

2018

There will be no new apps for Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 after October 31

At the end of August 2018, Microsoft named for third-party developers the deadline before which the company will accept applications for Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8. The publication of software (XAP or APPX packages) created for these and older versions of operating systems in the Microsoft Store will end on October 31, 2018.

This will not affect already created programs - they are allowed to update until July 1, 2019 in the case of Windows Phone 8.x and until July 1, 2023 in the case of Windows 8/8.1. After that, developers will be able to release updates for all their applications, but they will be available only for devices running Windows 10.

Microsoft Store

Since July 2023, Microsoft applications for Windows Phone 8.x and Windows 8.x. will be removed from the Microsoft store and will stop working fully on devices.

Thus, Microsoft will phase out the operating systems Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8. At the same time, the company already recommends developers to port their applications to. Universal Windows Platform (UWP) It allows you to create a single program that adjusts to the devices and dimensions of the display. That is, one application can function on a computer and tablet with, Windows 10 as well as on a smartphone controlled by, Windows 10 Mobile Xbox One gaming console and glasses. augmented reality HoloLens

By the end of August 2018, Windows 8.1 is in partially current condition, since it lost its main support for the OS in January, but its users can hope for upgrades from the extended cycle until January 10, 2023. Support for Windows Phone 8.1 was stopped in July 2017.

According to the analytical service NetMarketShare (studying the activity of more than 160 million unique users browsing over 40 thousand sites around the world), in July 2018, Windows 8.1 was installed on slightly more than 5% of personal computers in the world, and the share of Windows 10 approached 37%.^[3]

New revenue distribution - 95% to developers

In May 2018, Microsoft announced a new revenue distribution strategy in its app store. The company will allow developers to earn more than before and what competitors offer.

Innovations in the Microsoft Store catalog, built into the Windows 10 operating system, announced as part of the Build 2018 conference. According to Microsoft, 95% of revenue from sales of consumer applications (including purchases in the programs themselves) will be received by the creators of these products.

Microsoft decided to give developers 95% of the revenue from sales of Windows applications

True, developers will be able to count on maximum payments only if the user purchased the application using a third-party link (for example, from Facebook or from the developer's own link). If he came in on a recommendation from the Microsoft Store or from other services of the company, then the share of deductions will be 85%. This is still more than Apple and Google, which pay developers 70% of the sales of software and games in the App Store and Google Play Store, respectively. Microsoft had the same indicator before the introduction of new tariffs in May 2018.

The new terms of distribution of revenue from the implementation of applications in the Microsoft Store apply to computers running Windows 8/8.1 and Windows 10, as well as Windows Mixed Reality devices, Microsoft Surface Hub office all-in-one and gadgets with the Windows Phone platform.

Exceptions are games (including non-gaming applications purchased for Xbox consoles) and programs distributed in license kits for corporate and educational customers - the previous pricing strategy will apply for developers of such products.

According to the publication TechRepublic, by updating tariffs for developers, Microsoft is trying to increase the attractiveness of its app store for Windows, interest in which has always been weak since the launch of Windows 8.^[4]

2015

According to Microsoft statistics, by the end of September 2015, there are 669 thousand applications in the Windows Store online store.

2013: Growth of Windows Store slowed down, Microsoft gives money to developers

In March 2013, Microsoft announced a cash promotion in support of applications for Windows 8, while analysts say that the corporation faced problems in developing its own app store.

So, according to analyst Sameer Singh from Tech-Thoughts, in a monthly comparison, the growth of the Windows Store slowed down by 10-.15%. "As a response, Microsoft launched a promo, promising $100 to every developer who publishes their app in the store." At the same time, according to the rules of the action, one developer can receive a reward for publishing no more than 10 programs. The promo will be valid until June 30, 2013.

Windows 8 Store App Growth

According to MetroStore ^[5]/, after an increase in the number of applications in the Windows Store by 52% from November to December 2012, this figure was only 10% in January 2013, and in February - already -9%. As of the end of March compared to February 2013, the growth was about 12%. As of March 2013, the Windows Store contained about 50 thousand applications.

The avalanche-like growth in December 2012 is quite simply explained by the heated interest in the recently released Windows 8. The expert also said that the quantitative indicator is not the only one that allows you to judge the success of the Windows Store application store, however, quite significant. In addition, he believes that Microsoft will have to work not only on the quantity, but also on the quality of the software offered to users.

2012

On October 31, 2012, Microsoft officially announced the replacement of the Metro brand for applications with the "Windows 8 Store." This was announced at the BIULD developers conference by Will Tschumy, a leading adviser on the corporation's usibility, confirmed that from the point of view of user experience, such a name will be more winning.

Since August 2012, Microsoft has remained silent about what name will be chosen for Windows applications. It was decided to abandon the Metro brand also in August due to disagreement from the German retailer of the same name. However, for a long time, Microsoft actively used the Metro brand in everyday life, in presentations by top managers regarding Windows 8.

Also, a number of analysts and developers, together with the phrase "Metro interface," began to use the words "Modern" and "Windows 8 style" to describe the new type of interface used in the latest version of the Microsoft operating system.

At the moment, the Windows 8 Store contains 10 thousand applications, of which 88% are distributed for free. It was opened for users on February 29, 2012 - the day Consumer Preview was released, the second pre-release version of Windows 8.

Mobile Application Market and Platforms

• Mobile Applications
• Mobile applications (Russian market)
• Mobile Applications (Global Market)
• Apple App Store
• Google Play Store Google Play Music Google Chrome Web Store
• Windows Store Microsoft Store Windows Azure Store Microsoft Office Store
• Huawei AppGallery
• Global Developer Service Alliance (GDSA)
• Yandex.Store
• Opera Mobile Store
• Android App Stores
• SAP Mobile Applications
• Mobile real estate applications
• Mobile Applications for Personal Financial Accounting
• Mobile Alcohol Selection Apps

Notes