Submitting to Windows Store
From YoYoGames Wiki
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Publishing Your Game to the Windows Store is as Easy as 1, 2, 3!
Building a Windows Store-ready Windows 8 game with GameMaker:Studio is easy. With the recent launch of the Windows 8 now is the time to get your game in the store. Here are the three key development steps to building, testing and publishing your game to the Windows Store.
1. Getting Started
Before you get started building your Windows 8 game with GameMaker:Studio you need to make sure that you have done the following:
- Download and install Windows 8 - You can download a 90 day FREE evaluation version of Windows 8 from the Evaluation Center.
Note: If you are an MSDN subscriber; you can get Windows 8 and Visual Studios from MSDN Subscriber Downloads.
- Become a Windows Store Developer - Sign up for your Windows Store Account and reserve your game name today.
- If you are an MSDN subscriber you can get a free one-time, 12-month Windows Store accounthere.
- If you are a student then the subscription fee is waived.
- If you are a startup or small business then you are eligible to get a free one-time, 12-month Windows Store account here
- Become a Windows Store Developer - Sign up for your Windows Store Account and reserve your game name today.
We also recommend that you check out the Microsoft Windows 8 Developers Guide for information and expert recommendations on how to create and monetize Windows 8 apps, leveraging their key features such as Live Tiles and Share as well as how to setup selling and advertising features. You can also get an overview of these features and their implementation within GameMaker:Studio by loading up and testing the Windows 8 demo file that is included (run GameMaker:Studio, select "Demos" from the start-up screen and look for the one marked "Windows 8").
2. Building And Testing Your Game
To be able to build you game in GameMaker:Studio and test the unique Windows 8 functions you will have to make sure the the following requirement has been met:
- Setup your Developer Key - The Developer Key is essential to creating a Windows 8 app to generate you must set up the Preferences correctly in GameMaker:Studio. You can find detailed instructions on the page Setup GameMaker:Studio for Windows 8.
It is also a good idea to review some of the videos and design articles that have been made available to you from other game developers here, as well as ensure that your game complies with the Windows 8 Certification Requiremnts.
Finally, you should download the Windows App Certification Kit, which is a tool you can use to help your game pass Windows Store certification process, which includes testing your game.
3. Publishing Your Game To The Windows Store
Now you are ready to upload your game to the Windows Store! Here's a brief checklist of what you will have to do to complete this process:
- Access the Windows Store dashboard and click Submit an app. This takes you to the Release summary page, which lists the steps that get your app ready for Windows Store certification. Note If you've already reserved an app name, you will see a tile on the Dashboard for that app. If that's the case, click the app tile instead of Submit an app.
- Click App Name to reserve the name of your app.
- Click Selling details to supply info such as your app's price, categories, and markets.
- Click Advanced features to configure features such as push notifications that your app uses.
- Click Age rating and ratings certificates to pick an age rating for your app and upload any ratings certificates.
- Click Cryptography to declare whether your app uses any cryptography.
- Click Packages to upload your app's packages.
- Click Description to provide a description for your app.
- Click Notes to testers to provide the certification testers with any info they might need to test your app.
- Click Submit for certification to submit your app. We will send you an email when the certification process is complete. You can also check on your app's certification status at any time.
Windows Support
If you, as a developer, need to get help with anything Windows 8 related, you can find it here.
Should you get any certification errors, you can learn what they mean and how to resolve them by referring to this Windows Developer Center article: Resolving Certification Errors.
Don't forget to create links from your Web site and other marketing vehicles to your game in the Windows Store (find out more about linking from here) and while you are at it, why not enter the YoYo Games Generation App Challenge – you could win up to $500 dollars!
