Microsoft Updating Azure Platform, Easier For Social Developers

Microsoft is set to release a tool kit for its Windows Azure cloud development platform later this week, which will provide social game developers with more features and support. The new source code will make it easier for developers to add achievements, leaderboards, in-app purchases and monetization features to their games through the Windows Azure platform. David Appel, director of marketing for Azure, told Venturebeat that the platform is perfect for startup developers and studios, as it is cost-effective and allows devs to focus on development. "If you just want to concentrate on the game and don’t want to deal with hosting or rebuilding your game for a lot of formats, then this is for you," he said. "We’ve got a platform that is cost-effective for startups." Microsoft's Nate Totten added, "You just deploy it and it runs and it scales up as you add millions of users." The platform implements the HTML5 format, allowing developers to create cross-platform titles more easily.