For those developers that want to include an app in the Windows App Store when it is finally released, expect to pay a 30% commission on any sales to Microsoft. While distributing apps through the Windows App Store isn’t a requirement, it can help indie developers to get some exposure.
The strategy, if correct, suggests that Microsoft would profit from being the default choice for Windows apps, much as Apple hopes for the Mac App Store. It could simultaneously fork Windows 8 app development where those who want to be in the Windows Store are pushed to either use an older, desktop-oriented interface to get full profits or to lose 30 percent of their revenue to publish a modern and tablet-native version. Microsoft won’t require that apps publish through its store but will give much more exposure to apps that go through its official channel.