Top Windows Phone 8 App Will Be Awarded Free TV Advertisement

Microsoft will feature one lucky app in a Windows Phone 8 TV advertisement via its Windows Phone Next App Star contest. The contest is open to global Windows Phone developers, whose apps will be judged by both quality and ratings. A total of 64 apps will be selected to undergo public voting, with each being awarded some type of award.

Developers who want to participate will need to opt-in to the contest via the Dev Center by March 5, while those who are not yet ready to publish their app can still participate by registering now and making sure their app is live by the March 5 cutoff. Each entry will be reviewed by Microsoft for a combination of user ratings and quality, with Windows Phone 8 feature implementation getting a specific mention.

The top 64 apps will be selected from the entries and will then be subjected to public voting. Says Microsoft, the apps will undergo a "head-to-head, bracket-style competition." Over the course of several weeks, the entries will be halved on a regular basis so that the 64 entries are narrowed to 32, then 16, etc. The last app standing will receive the grand prize.

The grand prize is ad placement in a primetime Windows Phone TV commercial in the United States. Other developers will receive lesser prizes, such as a Dev Center 1-year subscription and a Nokia Lumia 920. Says Microsoft: "This isn't just about picking the most popular app in the Store. Windows Phone Next App Star is about giving developers a shot at being the next big hit. You don't have to be a longtime developer on the Windows Phone platform — even a newcomer can win fans and win big."

[via Microsoft]