Windows 8 Metro Apps Are Windows Store Exclusive

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At the recently-concluded BUILD conference, Microsoft says that Metro applications meant for Windows 8 desktop and tablet computers will only be released through its own Windows Store. It seems Microsoft wants to follow Apple’s iTunes business model, with these restrictions and their revenue-share.

Microsoft has confirmed at BUILD that its application marketplace for Windows 8 Metro apps will be called Windows Store. These applications are designed from ground up to primarily support touch-based interfaces using the tiled UI that Windows Phone 7 users might be familiar with. But while Microsoft earlier declined to share any pricing structure or sharing details, documentation recently sent to developers indicates a 70-30 sharing scheme, in which Microsoft gets a 30% share from sales.

Microsoft will restrict the distribution of Metro applications to the Windows Store, a model similar to Apple’s iTunes, in which app inclusion is tightly controlled to ensure quality and compatibility, and to minimize the possibility of malware distribution. This is in contrast to Google’s Android, which openly allows downloading of apps from third parties. The Windows Store will be the sole channel for distributing Metro applications meant for the Intel platform. Meanwhile, only Windows Store apps will be allowed on ARM-powered Windows 8 tablets, noting the underlying differences between ARM and x86 platforms.

“We will be the only store for distribution of Metro-style apps,” says Ted Dworkin, who lads the Windows Store development team, adding that this move is meant to ensure that Windows 8 apps are secure and appropriate for the platform. This does not discount the possibility that users or third parties will jailbreak their Windows 8 devices, though, much like Apple iPhones and iPads, but for now Microsoft’s official stand is that Windows 8 apps are meant to be sourced from their own application marketplace.

Further, initial documentation from Microsoft indicates that app developers will be required to grant a minimum of five device licenses, so that “the app can engage that customer across a range of form factors.” The Windows store will also sell and distribute non-Metro applications, meant for desktop variants of Windows 8. These would have to follow the same licensing and pricing structure of Metro applications, though.

No word when the Windows Store will launch. Even Windows 8 itself is currently under development, with only developer previous being released to the public as of writing.