The effort could help Microsoft generate some of the indie buzz that has been missing on the Windows Store. You might not have to go to Steam to find the next Ark: Survival Evolved or Kerbal Space Program while it's still in development. There's no doubt that the crew in Redmond faces an uphill battle, though. Steam is still the default portal for many gamers, and they may not feel compelled to switch unless they can expect to find a similar volume and quality of titles in Microsoft's digital shop.

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