Microsoft clearly wants to have more Windows 8 apps available in the Windows Store, along with more Windows Phone apps. Now it appears that Microsoft is actually willing to pay money to fill up the app libraries of both Windows 8 and Windows Phone.
A promotional program that launched quietly earlier in March offers app makers $100 in a virtual Visa card for each Windows 8 app they submit to the Windows Store that is later qualified for publication to the store. App developers can submit up to 10 apps during the promotion to receive the money. Those same app makers can turn around and submit up to 10 Windows Phone apps in the Windows Phone Store to collect another $100 for each app.
That means one app maker could make as much as $2,000 by submitting 20 apps (10 for Windows 8 and another 10 for Windows Phone) before one single download of each app is made. The promotion runs until June 30th or until Microsoft receives 10,000 qualified applications. The terms and conditions of the offer ban any app that is deemed a "modification, rework, redesign or other change to an existing and previously published app." The app must also offer up content besides just launching a web page to qualify.
The big question: Is this "offer" simply a way for Microsoft to be nice or is it a sign that the company is so desperate to fill its app library that it is resorting to offering cash to get developers interested in Windows 8 and Windows Phone.