Getting Students Started in the Windows Phone Marketplace

Getting started as a student in Windows Phone marketplace is actually quite easy, but there are one or two issues that you need to be aware of, and best practices to follow to make sure that you get going as quickly as possible. If you know how to do stuff the two issues that you need to be aware of are very simple:

• The validation of your account only starts once you have submitted an application for approval.
• You can only unlock a Windows Phone device once you have submitted an application for approval.

The bottom line here is that the first thing you must do when you have registered is submit an application for approval. Think of this as a “placeholder” that will move you through the process. You can remove it from sale later.

If you are an experienced Windows Phone developer this should be no problem. If you are not submitted before the process is simple enough, and to make it even easier I’ve made a tiny screencast that goes through it for you. In this I make a brand new application from scratch and then show how it would be submitted for approval. If you just copy what I do you can be sorted in around half an hour or so.

You can download and view the video here:

Windows Phone Marketplace Walkthrough

Note: The application that I submit during the screencast hasn’t appeared in the Marketplace yet. I’ll let you know when it does…

Comments

[John Harrison]

Just an FYI - if you don't have either a drivers licence or a passport you can't publish to the phone.

[Leon Zandman]

Might be less obvious, but you also have to be 18 years or older! I have heard of some students over here in The Netherlands, who claim they are unable to join the Windows Phone Developer Program, because they are too young.

[GeoHot]

Considering Microsoft is now supporting the homebrew scene, a tutorial about how to deploy to the Windows Phone you purchased can be found http://windowsphonehacker.com/tutorial_how_to_unlock_or_jailbreak_your_windows_phone_7_device_and_install_custom_ringtones-12-01-10.php <- here

[Paul Hanson]

Howdy Rob.
I know the academic world snarls at the companies smaller than Microsoft, but as an ex-student of yours I reckon you might just take a shine to this.
http://www.monkeycoder.co.nz/
Especially since the claim is that it produces code for multiple platforms including XNA.

[Rob]

Monkey looks very interesting. I wish I had more time to play with it.