Have an App Idea for the HoloLens? Enter the 'Share Your Idea' Challenge and Microsoft Studios May Develop it For You
While we probably won't see the consumer-ready version of the HoloLens hit shelves for another few years, it does appear that we'll at least have a developer's edition to work with by early 2016.
With the HoloLens fast approaching, and an entirely new genre of app content waiting to be created, Microsoft is now in search of innovative new app ideas for their developers to get started on.
As such, the Redmond-based tech giant has launched the 'Share Your Idea' challenge, inviting everyone to submit their ideas for holographic apps.
How to Join the Share Your Idea Challenge
If you're interested in entering the challenge, visit the official Microsoft Studios' Share Your Idea page where you can submit a new idea or vote on existing ideas. Here's the official trailer for the contest:
What are the Rules of the Challenge?
Participants are being asked to send in their ideas before the deadline of January 11th, 2016, after which the three most realistic, practical, and creative ideas will be pitted against each other in a final voting phase on Twitter.
The most popular idea out of the three finalists will be used as the basis for a new Microsoft Studios app development project. If your idea is chosen you won't be required to perform any of the tough programming and coding tasks involved in the development, but you will be privileged to a few Q&As and feedback questionnaires so that you can continue to have a creative hand in the endeavor.
The winning concept will be spearheaded by Microsoft's developers before being made available as an open source project to be used as an example by the first generation of HoloLens developers.
Using Open-Source Inspiration as a Driving Creative Force
The challenge seems to be a polite gesture designed to promote developer engagement, which is right in line with Microsoft's ongoing HoloLens live demo tour. We all know that a platform can only be as good as the content developed for it, so it makes sense that this would be the first preliminary step to take in the months before the development phase begins.
According to Wired, we'll be seeing a HoloLens developer's kit arriving in early 2016. The Verge has reported that Microsoft began taking applications for the $3,000 kits back in October 2015. With such a high price tag on the developer's kit, and such heavy upcoming competition in the VR sector, it will be crucial for Microsoft to build a strong community of HoloLens enthusiasts and developers early on.
Aren't Great App Ideas Worth a Reward?
Some people have been slightly disappointed by the fact that Microsoft is not offering any kind of reward for the winner of the challenge, other than mere credit and involvement in the creative process. Some critics feel that the software superpower should at least be offering nominal royalties or a small prize to the person with the best app idea. After all, this is an age where great apps sell to companies like Facebook for billions of dollars.
On the other side of the coin, this is an exciting opportunity for anyone who has an excellent app idea but doesn't have the time, resources, skill, or willingness to actually follow through with the development process. This is also an ideal opportunity for upcoming developers to gain recognition for their creative genius and possibly have a hand in the app's continued success once it becomes an open source project.
Still, it would seem that a potentially more lucrative (albeit more difficult) route for a well-equipped developer would be to commit to developing their own golden app idea independently, being that there may be more profit to be had in the long-term.
If you're interested in developing your own holographic apps for the platform, check out our resource on How to Become a HoloLens Developer.
