Unity 4.2 -> Windows Store, will Oculus SDK be ready?
This is more directed at Oculus, but if anyone else knows the answer or if I've misunderstood I'd love to know. Also, apologies for spelling this all out if this is all old news to you guys. :)
I'm told that when Unity 4.2 is released soon (within weeks), we'll have the option to target Windows 8 (meaning, creating an app that can be sold via Windows Store), Windows Phone 8, etc. I'm also told that when targeting such a platform, Unity will not actually be using Mono's implementation of .NET, and instead will be using the actual .NET 4.5 framework. In addition, in order for Unity to use plugins in projects targeting these new platforms, a plugin must be "Windows RunTime" DLLs, and not just any old Windows DLL. (Windows Runtime aka WinRT is the core framework that runs on ARM tablets and Windows Phones as well as on desktop PCs running Windows 8+, and it isn't the same as CLR which is what most managed .NET dlls have been built with prior to Windows 8).
I'm under the impression that the current Oculus plugin in the Unity integration is built using C++? If so, then I think this could be another area that Oculus could take yet another step to open up a lot of doors for the Rift by providing another plugin built with Windows Runtime. This is a rare case of a relatively brand new "app store" not having a high barrier for entry. Unity developers normally have to purchase an additional license to target platforms like iOS and Android to sell on their respective stores. Not so with Windows Store. And, note that while the Windows Store UI and selection blows pretty hard right now, it will have a lot more friendly and curated Apple-esque feel to it when Windows 8.1 rolls around.
Thanks! :)
P.S. While I'm yakking about what I recently learned about Windows Store -- most people assume that Microsoft takes a 20-30% cut of any apps listed in the store depending on how well it does. This is only true if you use Microsoft's billing system. If you sell a Windows-8-capable app on Steam and use Steam to collect payment (or sell it off your website and use PayPal etc), you can also list your app on the Windows Store without giving Microsoft a cut. Hopefully Microsoft will get more vocal about that, because that's probably the reason developers have been afraid to sell their desktop apps on the Windows Store.
I'm told that when Unity 4.2 is released soon (within weeks), we'll have the option to target Windows 8 (meaning, creating an app that can be sold via Windows Store), Windows Phone 8, etc. I'm also told that when targeting such a platform, Unity will not actually be using Mono's implementation of .NET, and instead will be using the actual .NET 4.5 framework. In addition, in order for Unity to use plugins in projects targeting these new platforms, a plugin must be "Windows RunTime" DLLs, and not just any old Windows DLL. (Windows Runtime aka WinRT is the core framework that runs on ARM tablets and Windows Phones as well as on desktop PCs running Windows 8+, and it isn't the same as CLR which is what most managed .NET dlls have been built with prior to Windows 8).
I'm under the impression that the current Oculus plugin in the Unity integration is built using C++? If so, then I think this could be another area that Oculus could take yet another step to open up a lot of doors for the Rift by providing another plugin built with Windows Runtime. This is a rare case of a relatively brand new "app store" not having a high barrier for entry. Unity developers normally have to purchase an additional license to target platforms like iOS and Android to sell on their respective stores. Not so with Windows Store. And, note that while the Windows Store UI and selection blows pretty hard right now, it will have a lot more friendly and curated Apple-esque feel to it when Windows 8.1 rolls around.
Thanks! :)
P.S. While I'm yakking about what I recently learned about Windows Store -- most people assume that Microsoft takes a 20-30% cut of any apps listed in the store depending on how well it does. This is only true if you use Microsoft's billing system. If you sell a Windows-8-capable app on Steam and use Steam to collect payment (or sell it off your website and use PayPal etc), you can also list your app on the Windows Store without giving Microsoft a cut. Hopefully Microsoft will get more vocal about that, because that's probably the reason developers have been afraid to sell their desktop apps on the Windows Store.