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Developer won't patch XBLA game because Microsoft would charge 'tens of thousands' of dollars
Seeing as how so much software is moving to online distribution, the significance of this controversy might extend far beyond gaming and XBLA. For now, however, the spotlight is firmly on Microsoft and the way it charges developers for testing their games and patches, after a well-known developer made an unusually public complaint. In a post on its official blog, Polytron said it would not patch a rare game-saving bug in its popular title Fez, because Microsoft would charge it "tens of thousands of dollars to re-certify the game." It added that "had Fez been released on Steam instead of XBLA," the problem would have been fixed "right away" and at no cost to the developer, which strongly hints that it'll jump to another platform as soon as its XBLA exclusivity expires. Responses to the story over at our sister site Joystiq are decidedly mixed, with some folks outraged that Microsoft's high maintenance attitude could hold back improvements in this way while others suspect Polytron of blame-shifting.
Augmented reality browser Junaio offers less 'clunky' apps, new API for developers (video)
Remember Metaio? Back in February we reported on the company's rather neat brand of markerless augmented reality, and now it has some fresh news: a major revamp to its Junaio AR browser for iOS and Android, which incorporates the markerless algorithms and a lot more besides. The browser is an open platform for a myriad of smaller AR apps coded by independent developers, and the new version includes both a new UI and API to give those devs additional tools in HTML5 and JavaScript. Right now, the app is worth a peek for the various curiosities demo'd after the break -- such as the ability to see other people's Instagram photos overlaid on the view from your rear camera, showing the direction and distance to the point where they were snapped. In time, though, we're really hoping that developers will latch on to platforms like this and take AR to where it needs to be: something that let's us recognize and augment people and objects naturally and instantaneously, without pre-conceived markers. In fact, Junaio really needs to have coffee with Project Glass. Update: looks like the Android version has jammed in a pipe somewhere and won't hit Google Play til June 25th.
Spotify apps hands-on
The big reveal at today's "what's next" Spotify event? Apps. So, so many apps. As anticipated, the Swedish music streaming service launched its very own platform for third-party developers. The program is launching today in beta, with a number of partners, including some high profile music names like Rolling Stone and Last.fm along with some relative new-comers to the scene, like SoundDrop and Sharemyplaylists.com. We had the opportunity to play around with a number of these new apps at the event, and don't let the fact that our ears are still ringing stop you from checking out our impressions after the break. %Gallery-140703%
