Did you read the article? Since UE4 already supports Windows and Xbox One, there’s little need of UWP and that’s besides the issues that has with it.
No, I didn’t really read it. I only read another article that invalidated most of that what Tim said (I was flying over that one too, though).
And Unity had the same. It supported XBox and Windows, and then added UWP. Actually it even supported Windows Phone 8.1 at some point (maybe it still does). I understand that Epic Games ain’t all powerful. And that Unity Tech is hell-bent to get their engine on smartphones anyways (so no surprise that they support it). I just felt like asking after 5 month if anything new might have happened.
If you’re interested in their reasoning you should read the article. Mostly it comes down to lack of interest. Just because Unity has it doesn’t mean that it’s worth the development time to add it.
If you’re interested in their reasoning you should read the article. Mostly it comes down to lack of interest. Just because Unity has it doesn’t mean that it’s worth the development time to add it.
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Well, too bad. The thing is that because of lack of time that I have for game deving each day, I may go for one mobile game first. And I don’t have an Android or that iPhone thing. Yeah, I can of course just buy some Android from eBay for like 30 Terran Credits, and test with that. But I would hate not being able to play my own game on my own Windows smartphone.
Also, I just had a look at Unity 5 after some long time. And I was like: HOLY **** THAT EDITOR!? The Unity engine is now about 10 years old and the editor still looks like utter amateur. 
Cool story…
Regarding Epic’s concerns of M$ closing down Windows and ditching Win32, well, I don’t see this happening. Because if one bought/upgraded Windows 10 today, one also expects Win32 support for it in the future, especially since there is no alternative to Windows 10. M$ probably would even run into legal problems, and would be forced to make two separated Windows 10. M$ can only ditch Win32 if UWP can serve as an actual replacement, and it could, and M$ should make this happen.
I haven’t read all about UWP (So correct me if I’m wrong). But the way I see it, or they way I want UWP to be is this. I want UWP to ditch Win32, or rather those loose .exes on any **** Windows rig in the world. Why?
Because of these problems:
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I don’t have one store to find software.
I have to use google and other websites to download. E.g., Softpedia e.t.c… Mind though, that some few apps on the store right now, they can’t even be downloaded via the Windows Store itself. You have to use the dev’s website. Valve, Blizzard could do this with their launchers, too. -
Installers are ALWAYS trash.
They leave behind files and folder, and empty folders plus registry entries, too. So much for “uninstalling”. Also, files like save games, configs, are saved in like a million different locations. -
More security against malicious software and online cheaters.
An .exe can access data in the RAM. And even most folders and files. This is a huge security hole! If an UWP app could be restricted from being able to do this but still allow to grand specific software like Bandicam, Nvidia Control Panel, e.t.c., access. I think we would need less anti-cheating software or even third party firewalls, anti-virus, etc… With UWP, the devs are registered with M$. Any malware can be traced back to their creators and the apps can be removed asap. The NSA is gonna like this!
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UWP could kill Captain Jack Sparrow? (Finally)
“He is always getting away! Why? Why? We even know their dam IP address and their still take our stuff!”
– Lord Cutler Beckett (East India Trading Company)
And about the lack of interest. Well, the good games are already gathering on the windows store. Let’s see how strong this trend will keep to go on.
I understand that implementations take time. But I also didn’t say I wanted a fully functioning support right the hell now. But if Epic Games doesn’t start now implementing some experimental features, then when? In 2 years? That would be a bit late. All M$ has to do is to fix a bit more in Windows 10 Mobile, and even the desktop version. Then a Lumia could snap any Andriod neck on the market, and make Android the new Linux (that OS nobody would use even for free). To my opinion, because of the universal design that benefits users and devs, plus the appealing metro UI, I view Windows 10 Mobile as a growing kraken already. It’s not a matter of if, but when. M$ needs money since Windows 10 is the last OS. And they don’t have to break laws or submit to Big Cat Capitalism. If this kraken gained more size, the mobile market could say goodbye to Android, and Windows 7 user can say hello to their new God!
This this is an armageddon (not to be confused with the term apocalypse)! 
Yes, bring support to UWP please. Unity already have it.
It’s not that they can’t, they just don’t want to at the moment.
I noticed a few UE4 games at E3 were announced with UWP support.
That’s exactly the kind of BS we don’t want. If Microsoft goes in the direction we fear, then that’s it - game over for the open windows platform. Epic are fighting it before it becomes the accepted norm.
It’s not that they can’t, they just don’t want to at the moment. tim sweeney vs microsoft - Google Search
They’re not going to change political stance on this unless Microsoft makes UWP as open as Win32. As soon as it is, it stands to reason we’d get support for that platform as a priority.
Regardless of what Microsoft may or may not do with UWP is irrelevant. The point is that currently, Microsoft has the power to abuse UWP if they choose to and in some small cases they’re already testing the limit. History has proven that they can’t be trusted in these kinds of positions.
If I was any of you, I wouldn’t go planning an Unreal game for UWP anytime soon, or writing a business plan that involves it.
EDIT: I should add, UWP can be supported by the engine. Get on Microsofts side and they’ll help you hack it in. Gears of War by The Coalition is on Win 10, after all - and is a UE3 / UE4 hybrid engine. Frankly however if you ask me, that’s Microsoft abusing it right there by circumventing Epics wishes (In a roundabout way).
You didn’t get my point.
First off all. I was talking about mobile, not desktop. Secondly, it is about being a better phone than Android in general. Do you know the difference between Phone 8.1 and Mobile 10? Well, it is a difference of day and night. The UIs, and the functions of the apps themselves are like three times better already.
I could ditch ~3 apps, because now Windows Mobile 10 can do more than Phone 8.1. Windows Mobile ain’t like “Linux on desktop”. Windows will quite soon start to kick Android’s butt. After they fixed some bugs…
And regarding a closed desktop. You think that I would care if Valve had to pay money to be able to put their launcher on the Windows Store? No, I don’t care. As a matter of fact. If M$ can do with UWP what I think they could do. And that is to protect apps from other app to access their RAM. Then even online cheaters could be wipe out! So, yeah, Volvo. I’m afraid to save the Master Race yet again, you will have to pay dollars…
Yeah, I know that M$ likes to do weird stuff at times. I heard of the forced Window 7 to Windows 10 updated behind the users back. I understand that a cleansing fire can be vital at times. Though, I can’t help but to wonder if this move against Windows 7 wasn’t a bit too early. M$ should have waited a bit. Especially since now the free upgrade should have expired. And Windows 10 is going to get more features. So, if people want that new stuff. They would have to BUY Windows 10.
Oh, look. M$ actually thought that this is going to be fast and easy. -.-
come on jamsh, i thought u were better than that
Thanks for the valuable contribution. Makes me remember why I bother posting at all.
I know you were talking about mobile but UWP spans all three platforms. If the engine supports UWP natively for phones, it will then almost certainly support it for Windows and Xbox - and currently Microsoft is going in an untrustworthy direction with those two as far as Epic is concerned (and the majority of independent developers). Microsoft doesn’t currently have a vast market share on mobile and despite your opinion on the future or how good or bad the hardware may be, there’s absolutely zero evidence to suggest that they’ll take over that market share from Android and Apple.
Thing is mobile is vastly different to the other two platforms. You buy a Windows phone you expect to be limited to Windows apps, same with Android and Apple. But that’s only okay because no one brand owns the entire market and therefore has complete control over it.
Slightly off topic here but the recent farce with Occlus demonstrates that these massive scale companies are just untrustworthy. Facebook and Occulus has completely shafted the small developer by FORCING the driver to lock-out unofficially supported apps. That is disgusting practice and should be fought against.
YOU may not care about that, but Valve certainly does, along with every other software company who is forced to suddenly do things the way Microsoft decides they should be done. UWP doesn’t have anything to do with RAM ‘protection’ either, any programmer worth half his salt can still write a memory hacking app for any program and there’s absolutely no way around it. UWP isn’t going to solve cheating, and any form of encryption can be broken anyway.
I don’t have a problem with Windows 10 and I too understand that Microsoft wants things to move along - the problem is that they are FORCING it upon everybody. Microsoft is in such a powerful position, that if they decide they want something done their way, they can do it. THAT is what is being fought against. Until something comes along that takes away the enormous market share of platforms that Microsoft has, it MUST remain an open platform. We don’t want the third reich of the software world.
This is all getting off topic now.
Looking at this from a different perspective entirely: Unless you’re a company that pushes out mobile games faster than a nuns first curry, you have a statistically 0.00004% chance of being succesful anyway, or even making your money back. The chances are that if you ARE one of those companies, you’re not using Unreal anyway. Even as a massive Unreal fanboy, I’ve been working with the engine on mobile-related projects for the last two and a half years, and most of that time has been a miserable uphill slog and isn’t an experience I’ll recommend to any developer. I’m a huge fanboy and even I’m saying it: If you want to make mobile games, use a toolset designed for it.
Aside from all that my final point is this: If Microsoft wants your game on their stores, they will hack in UWP support for you and you don’t need to lift a finger. I know at least two studios that are going to go through that very practice. The engine isn’t stopping you from shipping to UWP platforms and Epic doesn’t stop you either. It just doesn’t support it natively.
I get your point. And my point is nothing more but about to benefit the consumer, and that **the **selfish devs have to do it whether they like it or not!
Regarding the RAM protection. I didn’t say that UWP has it, or is making already great use of it. That was nothing more than a item on my wishlist, or a killer feature for UWP. Also, anti-temper tech is maturing. Denuvo does already an excellent job. It just needs to be a bit more flexible so that games can do mods. Then, a Denuvo grade anti-temper tech may be use on a much broader scale, not just some AAA titles.
And regarding “selfish devs”, and before you start an anti DRM pride parade here. Because people like to do that. First of all, it is your society that is full of thieves. So don’t blame DRMs which is nothing more but a police. Notice a thing about the American flag in my signature? Now you know what “your society” means.
Secondly, and that’s a huge fun fact regarding Denuvo. That all people who complain about it on Steam, they are actually upset pirates. And those who are not pirates, are just noobs from GOG, who still don’t understand that a DRM free software, ain’t free of a licence a.k.a. “they still don’t **own **the game”.
And here come the “selfish devs”…
So the “selfish developers”, and in the case of DRM, it’s actually the digital distribution platform called GOG itself. They make money of DRM free games, because there are whelps on this planet who still don’t have a clue that Steam is able to run offline. And that DRM free never means that they own the software. But of course GOG knows this, and just keeps supporting piracy and the uneducated whelps who keep asking for DRM free software, so that they can give a copy they didn’t buy, to their mom. And the best part of how selfish GOG is, that now indie devs are mostly forced to go with that DRM Free none sense, too. Whether they like it or not…
So fun fact number two. Everybody who openly advertises DRM Free, supports anarchy and the uneducated within the binary domain. -.-
Windows phone platform is pretty much dead (read that somewhere recently). So it’s not a big deal if UE4 doesn’t support it.
This is the post I found btw from Tim on Reddit, indicating how they don’t stop the end-user implementing UWP themselves (last sentence): https://www.reddit.com/r/unrealengine/comments/4bc1dc/uwa_ue4/d183lk7
I think that explains it better than I could really. There’s UWP sample stuff on GitHub too: GitHub - microsoft/Windows-universal-samples: API samples for the Universal Windows Platform.
As I say, if you have the chops you can still support UWP if you really want to.
Windows phone platform is pretty much dead (read that somewhere recently). So it’s not a big deal if UE4 doesn’t support it.
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It’s “Windows Mobile”, actually. Not phone. The “Windows Phone”, a.k.a. 8.1, is indeed dead. And Window Mobile is dead when M$ abandoned it, but they din’t just yet.
Window Mobile 10, ain’t popular and that for good reasons.
Firstly, it’s still quite new. While Android and iPhone were around since the dawn of smartphones.
Secondly, it lacks apps. M$ put the Android support on hold. They only do iPhone app support for now, and that ain’t out yet either.
Thirdly, bugs, bugs everywhere! And as a side note, it isn’t just mobile that is buggy. It’s desktop, too.
Fourthly, adoption takes time. And the controversy around Window Mobile, ain’t gonna help to expedite the adoption rate of Windows Mobile and win new customers. M$ couldn’t deliver the free Window Mobile 10 upgrade for all smartphones. Some got dropped, even on newer more expensive models.
its a catch 22 when it comes to windows market share. no one wants to do anything for windows because the market share is too low, and the market share is low because no one is making games for the platform. I would love to get games on a platform that even though it has a low number of users, they are hungry for some good games, and good games=$$$. I would bet my life that if the windows store had more options, more people would use it.
Microsoft has a UE4 branch that has Universal Windows Platform support, it might work to develop for Windows Phone that way