Microsoft Turning PC Into Walled Garden, Says Epic Games CEO

In an op-ed for The Guardian this morning, Epic Games co-founder Tim Sweeney launched a withering attack on Microsoft and its Universal Windows Platform (UWP) initiative in Windows 10. “Microsoft has built a closed platform-within-a-platform into Windows 10,” said Sweeney, “as the first apparent step towards locking down the consumer PC ecosystem and monopolizing app distribution and commerce.”

UWP is part of Microsoft’s effort to create universal apps that run across all sizes and types of devices, and is closely tied to the Windows Store. Sweeney’s displeasure stems from the fact that Microsoft has launched new Windows features exclusively in UWP, incentivizing developers to get on board if they want access to those features. He sees that move as forcing developers to cede control over their app distribution — which would be done through the Windows Store — and to lose their direct relationship with customers, while also “curtailing users’ freedom to install full-featured PC software.”

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This article originally appeared on Recode.net.

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