Last week when we reported that Microsoft would be taking a 30% cut from Metro-style apps sold in the Windows Store, we also said that those Metro-style apps could be distributed outside the Windows Store if developers so chose. That may not be the case, after all.
A Microsoft director, Ted Dworkin, led a session at the BUILD Conference last week and supposedly said Metro-style apps would be restricted to the Windows Store for sales and distribution. Regular Win32 applications for the desktop side of Windows 8 will not be restricted to the Windows Store, nor will they be subject to the 30% cut going to Microsoft. The Mac App Store has a similar system where apps sold through that store are subject to a 30% cut to Apple, but Apple doesn’t restrict OS X apps to be sold only in the Mac App Store. Keep in mind, though, that since Windows 8 won’t be coming out for a while, these details could still change before the final version of Windows 8 has been released. However, it’s something for developers to think about as they are gearing up to write apps for either the Metro side or the desktop side of Windows 8.
Via Slashgear
