Want to know even more about Windows Phone 8? Microsoft is going to be revealing more piecemeal as we approach the official launch this Fall. So it begins with developer relations head Todd Brix, who just took to the Windows Phone Developer Blog to talk about a smattering of changes coming to the Marketplace. The misleading title of the post gave us hope we'd actually see the new app storefront for Windows Phone 8, but alas we mostly have boring old text to work with.

First and foremost: the Marketplace will be tripling its global footprint. By the time WP8 launches, more than 180 countries will have access to their own storefronts -- compared to today's 63 total supported countries. This huge global expansion also means the App Hub will soon be open to more developers who may have had to put up with republishers before (example: Yalla Apps). After the break you can find a new (tentative) chart that lists which countries will be supporting the Windows Phone 8 Marketplace and App Hub.

The next topic of discussion is none other than money, and new ways developers can get their hands on some. We already know about in-app purchases which is possible now thanks to the Wallet Hub, and which Brix describes the potential for as "only limited by your creativity". However there's also more new money-making methods WP8 will introduce, like the new Company Hub which will let developers sell line-of-business apps directly to enterprise customers. Finally in terms of app portability and promotion, WP8 adds the ability to install apps from a MicroSD card plus device-makers and carriers can "easily feature your apps in their branded Marketplace storefronts". The latter suggests we'll be seeing even more branded Marketplaces, and not just from Nokia.

Finally, Brix talks about a sore point that has been in need of some mending for a while: the App Hub. Thanks to the previously announced next-generation platform, the new App Hub will have "faster certification and publishing times, better reporting options, and more". He also reveals that the new Marketplace and App Hub have been "totally rebuilt from the ground-up", which could mean a leaner and meaner offering for developers and consumers alike.

That's all there was to say in the post, with a tease of future posts with more details to come and a sincere tip of the hat to the developers who have generated more than 100,000 apps for the Marketplace. Here's to the next 100k, and a shiny new platform to go along with them.

Source: Windows Phone Developer Blog