A Brief history of UWP (Universal Windows Platform)?

The ‘UWP’ platform emerged from Windows 10 and its ‘term’ for Windows 10 apps deployment and development, was introduced to developers at /Build 2015, where developers was set a path from Microsoft’s vision for Windows 10 ecosystem to develop Windows 10 applications using the new UWP app model that is derived from the Windows Runtime (WinRT) framework that was first introduced with ‘Modern Apps’ on Windows 8 back in 2012. The new UWP app model was built on top of the legacy codes from the ‘Win32’ and ‘COM.’ APIs. UWP, Also known as ‘ Universal Windows Platform is where developers who write apps once as a single project via Visual Studio IDE and run their UWP app on every Windows device from PCs, Tablets, Phones, Surface Hub, HoloLens, IoT to Xbox One consoles. However through Threshold 1 wave with the release of Windows 10 on July 29th, the unified platform was not complete yet because of the Windows 10 SKUs such as IoT(Internet Of Things), Surface Hub, Xbox One and HoloLens. The Windows 10 unification of these platforms were in development and was pushed for Threshold 2 deadline, now known as the “November Update 1511” which rolled out to PCs, Xbox One and newly pre-installed Windows 10 Mobile devices such as the Lumia 950 and the Lumia 950XL. This is where Windows 10 completes its unified platform core (which is also known as OneCore), which the unified platform was premature and so was the new UWP platform.

The Windows 10 launch and it’s blazing growth!

During the launch and after the launch wave of Windows 10 for PCs on the July 29th, the adoption rate of Windows 10 grew the fastest in the history of Windows platform. The platform grew from 14 million users at launch, 75 million+ in one month of launch to breaking the 100 million+ install base mark, last fall of 2015, that was less than 2 months of the launch of Windows 10. Which is quite of an achievement considering it is a free upgrade for both Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users.

It’s 2016 and UWP beginnings comes with shortcomings on PC gaming!

As the year 2016 began, Windows 10 install base grew to 200 million with the announcements and launch of the first waves of AAA games franchises from Xbox One consoles. PC gamers are used to getting large quality AAA titles from Valve’s Steam gaming distribution platform, which is the home for PC gaming and the leading PC gaming platform service on Windows as they do not see Windows Store as their home for PC gaming. The Windows Store platform where its games have large collection of mobile counterparts from popular mobile developers, Windows mobile developers and Windows 8 developers. The Windows Store had its very first AAA game, The Rise Of The Tomb Raider published by Square Enix back in late January, the same time as the Steam version, which included Xbox live features such as achievements and other usual PC gaming features, this proves the naysayers wrong on Microsoft’s PC gaming ecosystem counterpart to the popular Steam gaming service, but it was still to early to claim the UWP platform for PC gaming a massive win. Even though Windows Store had it’s first AAA game which proved that Windows Store has the ability to publish large scale AAA games not just mobile scaled games and it proved UWP platform is not an traditional mobile app platform or a watered down version of Win32 platform model like Windows 8 Modern Apps and it is capable of large scale games that is not exclusive to the Win32 platform, e.g. DirectX 12, Microsoft achieved that goal by reviving themselves on the PC gaming footprint. However, somewhere down the line UWP felled short, the first AAA game built on UWP encountered its first problems such as forced V-sync issues, no SLI/Crossfire setups, borderless full-screen mode, installation issues from the Store which some people reported through social media, these issues UWP have on PC gaming is not always common on the more matured Win32 platform. The issues on the Rise of The Tomb Raider (UWP) game caused some outcry from the PC gaming community and the tech and gaming media which lead to Phil Spencer (Executive Of Microsoft Studios) to respond to the issues facing UWP games on the Windows 10 platform to get his customers to acknowledge that Microsoft have promised to fix the issues on UWP gaming.

A month before GDC 2016 conference where Microsoft plans to lay its UWP vision for gaming. Phil Spencer responded from some PC gamers who are concerned over UWP games with plans to improve PC gaming. As Phil stated, “We know lists like this includes features PC gamers want to see from us, we appreciate the feedback and have plans to improve.”

Microsoft UWP complete and clearer vision of the new platform at GDC 2016 back in mid-March, showcasing the advantages to the new UWP platform on games, especially PC gaming experiences which many developers and PC gamers were concerned about. Microsoft’s GDC event kicked off with, the adoption of DirectX 12 with a significant number of titles being developed for the new API which was first announced at last year’s GDC 2015 conference. The DX12 team laid its plan on working on the improvements in stability and performance while they build tools to address common problems that developers may encounter using DirectX 12.

Getting Technical On UWP Gaming For The Future of Windows 10 gaming

The second topic during this year GDC, which Microsoft has discussed about a lot, concerning on UWP gaming. Microsoft heard the overwhelming feedback regarding the need to remove enforced VSYNC on UWP applications (specifically, for games), tearing support and plans for two flags in the API when Redstone 1 releases this summer as ‘Windows 10 Anniversary update:

‘Swapchain Creation: DXGI_SWAP_CHAIN_FLAG_ALLOW_TEARING’

‘IDXGISwapchainPresent1 Method: DXGI_PRESENT_ALLOW_TEARING’

This would fix the Freesync and G-Sync not working in UWP applications; more info on these issues were further discussed and addressed by Microsoft last month at Build.

Cut The Technical Bull$$$. Let’s Dig In To Tim Sweeney Criticism on UWP

Enough with all the technical UWP framework of games, lets dig in to Tim Sweeney’s vague criticism about UWP.

While Microsoft was trying to establish it’s own footprint with the Xbox brand on PC without trying to directly Valve’s established PC gaming distribution market. Tim Sweeney the owner of Epic Games, known for his popular gaming IDE game engine Unreal Engine, had something to say about Microsoft’s new UWP platform. He blasted at Microsoft by claiming that… “Microsoft is moving against the entire PC industry including customers and gamers in particular. He dictates that gamers should stay well away from Microsoft’s new UWP platform for games with his strong hyperbole choices of words to describe the UWP platform, claiming Microsoft so called “evil” intentions to destroy the openness of PC gaming and turn it into a “walled garden”. With such outlandish claims of an premature platform which barely emerging from its infancy. He’s certainly got the attention he got by going to The Guardian pledging to developers and gamers to banish the UWP platform.

As a ex-Windows developer, I know the implications and the impact of UWP for consumers, developers and Microsoft beyond the concerns of PC gaming which Tim Sweeney only concentrated on when making bizarre comments about the new premature platform. These implications are not only broad in scope but they are necessary for the Windows ecosystem. Tim Sweeney noted that “UWP needs to die”, forgetting that Windows is beyond Windows we once viewed as “just a desktop platform”. Forgetting that UWP capabilities spans across more than just one environment, one form factor, one device. It spans across from IoT, to Windows Holographic (Microsoft HoloLens), to the Xbox One, phones and where it all started, PCs. UWP is a ‘perfect’ platform vision of software development unity that has not been endeavour on this scale before.

Where was these criticisms from Tim Sweeney’s claims on UWP rooted from?

The roots of Tim Sweeney’s remarks gives a reminiscence of the ‘Old’ Microsoft era which instil in some people’s mindset from the days of Games for Windows Live program and the Xbox Live strict certifications process for all Xbox platforms from PCs, Xbox 360s and Windows Phones which hindered developers and partners and the poor Games for Windows platform service for PC gamers with a broken vision and broken promises from Microsoft’s Xbox team. This leads into a image problem not only Microsoft but Microsoft’s platform synergy vision with the new Universal Windows Platform for Windows 10 with doubts from some naysayers on how Microsoft is going to execute not just PC gaming, but across the platform as a whole. As I once said to Tim Sweeney, he has trust issues with Microsoft and an outdated narrow mindset view of Microsoft that is not Microsoft we see today.

The Aftermath Where Microsoft lost it’s way on PC gaming. Leading up to the forgotten piece of the Xbox and Windows and it’s Mobile ecosystem

Regardless of Microsoft ownership of the Windows platform and the leading force platform on the PC market with over 80% marketshare. Microsoft has become a foreigner on its own platform when it comes to PC gaming where Valve’s takes the crown on it’s leading gaming distribution and its services on the Windows platform. This shows Microsoft position on PC gaming today from the years of neglect, terrible ideas, mis-communication between its developers, partners and users. However, the time has shifted from that era with the ‘new’ Microsoft under new leadership and management and it’s time for us developers, partners, users to start listening to Microsoft pitch on it’s bright prospect on their clear vision that is set out in front of us, which is the new Universal Windows Platform which Microsoft hopes that developers will give this platform a shot and users using the platform on any Windows device.

Schooling Tim Sweeney on Universal Windows Platform

Firstly, Let me outline one of Tim Sweeney’s repetitive criticisms on UWP claiming that UWP apps have to be distributed from the Windows Store only. Which is first off a load of rubbish, you can sideload UWP apps easily. Plus, its very fast, faster than the snail Unreal Engine launcher. A twitter user called @aL3891 back in March, demonstrated how a UWP can be packaged into a win32.msi installer using features supported by Microsoft.

The source code is available now via GitHub for anyone who are interested exploring the code, developers, partners etc. This is also great piece of code for Tim Sweeney and the Epic Games team to explore and implement them to the Unreal Engine IDE and the UE launcher itself. The real benefit of this is… it’s all open for any developer to use and tweak to create their own msi. installer for appX. packages or appX. launchers via GitHub.

Tim Sweeney’s claims that, its hard to set sideloading apps, only on Windows Store apps by default. Hard my arse? There is a tip for you Tim, go press on Settings from the start menu or the action center and click on Update & Security, go all the away to the last tab called ‘For developers’ and click on the circular picker where you see “Sideload apps — Install apps from other sources that you trust, such as your workplace” and BAM- you can now install UWP Appx. packages outside from the Windows Store.

2. Tim Sweeney complains about Microsoft taking a cut from developers sales on apps and games sold through the Windows Store. Which is a standard for every digital distribution service out there. Lets see the examples blow: