Windows 8 To Feature 'App Store'

Microsoft's upcoming Windows 8 PC operating system will feature an App Store, the company has confirmed via a post on the Building Windows 8 blog, offering another possible delivery system for games. In the post, Microsoft Windows chief Steve Sinofsky lists an "App Store" team among those working on the new operating system, confirming screenshots of such a store (pictured) that were leaked earlier in the year. No further details on the effort are provided, but Sinofsky grants that "you can probably figure out [what teams are working on] based on the name" of the teams. This is not the first time that Microsoft has integrated a digital application marketplace into a PC operating system -- Windows Vista included a Windows Marketplace that failed to attract much attention. The company also currently operates a web-based Games for Windows Live Marketplace. Today's confirmation comes more than 8 months after Apple replicated its success with the iOS app store by launching a version for the Mac platform, attracting over 1 million downloads in its first day of operation. Microsoft previously contested Apple's "App Store" trademark, saying the term is too generic to be protectable. Amazon also brought a similar case against Apple, which a judge recently said the Mac maker is likely to lose. The Windows 8 OS will also include integration with Xbox Live, the company recently confirmed, much like the Windows Phone 7 platform.