Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Windows 8 Versus Windows RT
After taking a look at the different types of devices ready to run Windows 8, let's go over the
difference between Windows 8 and Windows RT. Windows RT is a scaled down version of
Windows 8 that was designed to run on ARM devices. On the surface, Windows RT looks
identical to Windows 8 and even has a desktop mode, but Windows RT does not allow “clas-
sic” Windows apps to run (with the exception of a few Microsoft apps bundled with the
device). The user can only run Modern apps, which are distributed through the Windows
Store. As an HTML5 developer, this has little to no impact on your game, with the exception
of slower performance and needing one as a testing device.
The only reason I bring this up is that ARM devices generally have lower power and per-
formance when compared to Intel-based devices, so if you intend to target Windows RT
(which happens by default when you compile your app), you will need to take that perform-
ance hit into consideration.
I highly suggest picking up at least one Windows RT device for testing. They usually start
under $500, such as Microsoft's Surface, and other OEMs also offer tablets as well as con-
vertibles. It's also important to note that you will not be able to run Visual Studio on Win-
dows RT, making this device solely for testing or personal use, so don't expect to be doing
much development on it.
Introduction to Windows 8
I'm not going to spend a lot of time talking about Windows 8, but I do want to highlight a
few key features that you should take note of when thinking about your own app and things
you can take advantage of in your own game. Let's get started.
Live Tiles
Live Tiles (
Figure 1-1
) are possibly the most prominent feature of Windows 8. You are
presented with these large icons on the start screen as soon as you turn on the computer, and
they are the primary way to launch apps.
