I don't see the problem here. It sounds like a simple economic proposition -- "Porting this to WP8 isn't worth our time unless we get extra money for it."
Maybe Microsoft will take them up on it, and probably they won't. Either way, why the drama?
Maybe Microsoft will take them up on it, and probably they won't. Either way, why the drama?
Because drama leads to anger, anger leads to reactions and reactions lead to pageviews.
If you don't choose WP8 to be your differentiating factor, then it makes little economic sense to support it. Sure there's some residual profit to make if the port is easy, but you could instead spend your valuable time developing the next game for the platforms that do matter in economic terms.
Note that the Windows platform on mobile is odd in the sense that phones and tablets use different OSs, unlike Android or iOS. The advantages and disadvantages of that decision can be debated elsewhere, but it clearly can make porting more complicated for non-devoted developers.
Also, the tone used can be taken in bad taste, since this was a kickstarter asking for "support".
> If all developers applied the "pay us to make it for your new platform" attitude, it doesn't bode well for newcomers.
That's the way of the world I fear, newcomers have to either take the domain by storm or actually add value to the system to change things.
And yet, somehow, predecessors didn't.
The iPhone didn't "have it easy", it provided value to users through a significantly improved user experience, and then to developers through both a significant user base and the ease to reach them through a unified and not completely garbage platform.
> they were able to build up an install base before opening to 3rd parties. That was a unique position though that won't really be possible again
Maybe. Maybe not. The iPhone was dinged for its significant lack of features at release (hell, it still is at pretty much every release), a new man with a new vision could make a different set of tradeoffs and succeed as well. There's no set template for success. Or failure.
Microsoft always used every tool to kick newcomers in the nuts and throw them to the dogs. It's karmically right for them to pay for their sins, literally.
Want to support something important? Spend resources on supporting Firefox OS. Spend resources on Ubuntu Phone app. Do not bother with MS unless they pay thru the nose.