Hello Fellow Unreal devs
Can we develop games for Windows10 store using Unreal 4 ?
did not find any thread related to the discussion , so had to start one
Cheers
guys don’t want to derail from the topic. would like to know , if win10 store support is in priority for unreal 4 engine ?
Unreal Engine 4 runs on Windows 10 and produces standard 32-bit and 64-bit win32 apps compatible with Windows 10, 8, 7, and Vista.
Microsoft says that the Windows 10 store supports, or maybe will support (it’s not clear), win32 apps. See: http://blogs.msmvps.com/installsite/blog/2015/04/30/support-for-win32-and-net-applications-in-the-windows-store-in-windows-10/. There were some articles covering the technical details of this on Microsoft’s MSDN website, but they seem to have disappeared.
The Windows 10 store predominantly hosts Windows Phone “UWP” format apps, which are sandboxed and locked-down in a way that doesn’t support the sorts of things that most contemporary PC games do. As a result, the store is full of Windows Phone ports and devoid of major PC games. It’s a strange situation. We’re hoping Microsoft will sort it out.
I think the Universal Windows Platform is actually a great concept. The communication about it from Microsoft could be better though.
Anyway it says clearly in the guide that:
“Instead of targeting the universal device family, or targeting one of the child device families, you can instead target two (or more) child device families. Targeting desktop and mobile might make sense for your app. Or desktop and Xbox. Or desktop, Xbox and Surface Hub.” What's a Universal Windows Platform (UWP) app? - UWP applications | Microsoft Learn
I would imagine that devs making 3D games with UE4 would use UWP to export to the Windows 10 Store and Xbox One (without need for devkits!) once it’s supported. While happily skipping support for the mobile and IoT device families.
According to Will Unreal Engine 4 support Windows 10's Universal Platform? - Community & Industry Discussion - Epic Developer Community Forums it looks like there is still a lot @todo until UE4 supports UWP though.
I’ve searching around about this as well; it seems we won’t have any UWP support for UE4 judging by mr. Sweeney’s replies on the topic.
I believe this is bad, if that platform turns out to become an important echosystem, I would hate to be forced to move back and work on Unity again (Unity already have it integrated) simply because Epic must follow Gabe Newell’s / NVidia’s interests and statements against this platform for whatever reason.
Moved unrelated posts.
Sorry Tim,
But I don’t agree with that.
I fail to see the distinction to what Microsoft are doing than say what Apple or Google are doing. Both of which you support with UE4.
Isn’t MS already doing this with the Xbox, isn’t Sony already doing this with the PS4. Isn’t that what Valve are doing with SteamOS? (Again which you support)
So because its Microsoft doing it, and its Windows suddenly they are not allowed, thats slightly hypocritical.
If Microsoft come up with their own locked down OS (like SteamOS) will you be OK with that?
so true a
The big difference here is that the PC market has always been open.
Except from when its not, where there are plenty of examples. For example Origin, even Steam isn’t open in a general sense, its still a walled garden.
MS may very well be tailoring their OS to take advantage of XBL, but what’s wrong with that? Thats like asking Apple to not use its own store and let others put their stores on their phones instead.
The very existence of Steam is openness. Steam is a third-party service making money on the Windows platform, just like GOG or Origin. That’s exactly what the PC world needs - competition.
I don’t care what Apple does - I’m not going to ever use one of their products. I care about what the leading consumer OS on PC does, because it directly impacts how I can sell my games.
Steam itself is a walled garden, its not open in any way shape or form. So in the future you can sell your games on Steam (with all the Steam related features) and you can sell your games on the Windows Store (will all its related XBL features), or you can go to GOG if you really want. You still have that choice, MS is in no way forcing your hand.
I would have thought as a dev you would embrace as many products as you can, so ignoring Apple seems like biting your nose off to spite your face.
You talk about competition but Steam has had the monopoly on PC games for the last 12 years, where is the competition in that? The fact that MS want to do this is increasing the competition not decreasing it.
As long as UE4-built games run through Steam, GoG, Origin, etc. on Windows 10 and support features of those outlets, I don’t care for Windows Store support. It’s a tiny market MS wants to grow into Steam-killer.
And whats wrong with that? Are Microsoft not entitled to do that?
Steam was a tiny market once too.
Steam’s existence is the consequence of openness - if Windows was a closed system, Steam wouldn’t exist. That Steam is a walled garden is completely irrelevant because Steam has competition.
In the present, you can, in a hypothetical UWP future, you won’t be able too because Microsoft disabled side-loading by default, blocking Steam from distributing UWP apps.
As long as you’re not using UWP. Which is why no one should be using UWP.
Trying to block Steam is wrong.
Tim is wrong. very wrong and only cares about his bottom line and this is why we haven’t had windows 8/10 integration in UE.
Tim only cares about his 30%. Why should MS pay steam 30% for their games? that’s ludicrous.
If that’s the case why not make UE completely free Tim? No payments when you release at all.
Why are you collecting 30% on the store sales but Microsoft can’t? This is complete hypocrisy.
The arguments are dumb and pure fear-mongering.
Its deceptive and presents a false representation of windows 10.
You have no problem with Apple, Google, Valve, EA have monopoly with their store and collecting 30% and you support them.
But as soon as MS create their own store which they have every right to. You decide to boycott it, which only hurts your customers like us.
UE4 has a 5% royalty, not 30%, and those 5% are paid for by the developer, whether the game is sold through Microsoft Store or Steam or Paypal.
Tim is getting those 5% no matter what.
I’m talking about the Asset store in reference to 30%.
They also now have a game launcher and trying to copy Origin.
They will also charge 30% to have games on their game launcher.
If you can’t see it, you need to open your eyes.
This is all about business and Tim has only been looking out for his bottom line from day one.
Windows store would be a direct destruction of his game launcher.
And I love the prospect of the Windows store the fact that i can have an app there and everyone with a pc/tablet/phone will see my app front and center.
Secondly if i apply tim’s logic, i shouldn’t even have to pay royalty
Well that’s great if it’s true. Windows Store, Epic Store, Steam Store, GOG Store, Humble Store, origin Store, I’m all for it ! The more the merrier.
What people don’t want is the combination of
- UWP locked to Windows Store (which is the default on a PC today)
- UWP required for the full-featured API (which Tim is afraid of)
Since both of these combined would mean no Steam, no GOG, no Origin, etc.
If I make a game that uses UWP, why wouldn’t I put it on as many platforms that it can support? What people would like is to not just be limited to the Windows store, if I released a game with UWP, then I’d probably put it on the Windows store as well as Steam, etc. But if I can only release on the Windows store to be able to use UWP then I won’t use UWP.