Publishing to Windows 8

GameMaker Series

josephehealy@hotmail.com@devfish

What are we going to do

• Setup our environment• Reserve an app name• Get publisher and app info• Add store info and cert into our gamemaker project • WACK verify our game• Locate our upload package and proceed with a

regular publish

Installation Requirements

• VS Express 2012 for Windows 8 - http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=30664 • Visual Studio 2013 WILL NOT WORK at this point

with Gamemaker• Windows 8 Export license for Gamemaker• Windows Store Account activated

Upgrade Your Gamemaker License• Help -> Update License• Use key you were issued

Create Windows 8 VS Express Project• Create a working directory ( c:\dev\ihateclowns )• Open VS Express 2012• Create new blank app in working directory

Associate Win8 App with Store Project

• In Visual Studio, Click “Store” ->“Create App Packages”• Take “Reserve App Name” option• You'll be directed to appdev.microsoft.com where

you can reserve your desired app name

Associate Win8 App with Store Project

• After reserving app name, switch back to Visual Studio• Click on the list of app names to refresh and

YOURAPPNAME will show up• Click YOURAPPNAME, then click NEXT

Associate Win8 App with Store Project

• Information that's going to be added to your App Manifest will be shown• Click "Associate"• If you're curious where this went click on Store/Edit

App Manifest. The display name under Application UI has been set, and the information under Packaging is now filled in.

Associate Win8 App with Store Project

Get our PFX File

• WTH is a PFX?• Release signing file• Software Publisher Certificate (SPC), and its private

and public keys, stored in a single Personal Information Exchange (.pfx) file

Get our PFX File

• Switch the IDE to RELEASE mode• “Store” -> “Create App Packages”• "Select an App Name" dialog comes up. Select

YOURAPPNAME. • The "Select and Configure Packages" dialog

appears. Note the output location as you will have to go there to get your certificates for gamemaker later. Mine was C:\dev\gamemaker\clowns\IHateClownsShell\IHateClownsShell\AppPackages\

Get our PFX File

• A dialog will come up asking if you want to run the WACK on your project. This is not necessary at this point.• Click on the output location link. Windows Explorer

will open with some directories.• Navigate one level up in File Explorer. • You will see YOURAPPNAME_StoreKey.pfx has

been created. Note this location .• LEAVE THIS EXPLORER WINDOW UP

Configure Gamemaker

Configure Gamemaker

• Bring your GameMaker project to the front• Select Global Game Settings on the tree menu on

the left• Then select Windows 8 in the main dialog

Configure Gamemaker

Information needed may be founded in VS by going to “STORE” -> “Edit App Manifest”

• Display Name - Use "Display Name" from appmanifest's Application UI page. Mine was "I Hate Clowns"

• Package Name - Use "Package Name" from appmanifest Packaging page. Mine was "172DevFish.IHateClowns"

• Package Display Name - Keep it the same as the Display Name• Publisher Display Name - Publisher name from your account. I'm

"Devfish LLC"• Version - Increment, keep it higher than your last version

Associate Our Certificate

• Look hard at the global game settings window for Windows 8. If you look at the left side, you will notice you are on the General tab• Click on the Installation tab• Click on the [ … ] to and find the PFX file we made

earlier and click OPEN• "Yes" through the various permission dialogs and

let the certificate install• Close the global game settings window

Associate Our Certificate

Create Our Executable

• In Gamemaker, choose Windows 8 ( Native ) as your output target• Click “File” -> “Create application”• Regardless remember where your appx is being

created• The package will create and actually install itself,

and should run afterwards

Create Our Executable

WACK it

• Optional step but good idea• Run the Windows Application Certification Kit on

your appx• Go to Windows 8 start screen• Type “Windows app” • WACK will come up• Click on it• Run it on your appx and watch for failures

WACK it

Other resources

• YoYo Games Windows 8 Help Docs - http://help.yoyogames.com/forums/21481622-Windows-8• Danial Goodwin -

http://anonsage.blogspot.com/2013/03/how-to-publish-windows-8-app-using.html • Dfwiki -

http://dfwiki.devfish.net/technology.GameMaker.ashx

Thank You

Joe Healy / jhealy@Microsoft.com / @devfish

http://www.yoyogames.com http://dfwiki.devfish.net – search GameMaker

PowerPoint is available at http://www.slideshare.net/devfish