VLC Launches Kickstarter Campaign For Windows 8 App

VideoLAN, the team behind the popular video player VLC, has launched a Kickstarter campaign in order to raise money to build a native app for Windows 8 and Windows RT. Currently, VLC runs in the desktop mode of Windows 8, but the team is hoping to create a new version that will use the "Metro" style of Microsoft's new operating system.

The Kickstarter funds will allow team members of VideoLAN to work on the Windows 8 version full-time, while professional freelance designers will be hired to rework the user interface for Metro. As usual, the app will be free, so VideoLAN relies on donations rather than revenue to develop their products.

Once the campaign hits the £40,000 goal (around $64,100), VideoLAN expects to finish the port within three months of the campaign ending. However, there are some caveats to the project. First, an ARM-based version of VLC won't be made available for Windows RT right away, but support will eventually arrive in a future update.

The team is also concerned that the app won't even make it in the Windows Store, due to banned API calls in the app. Either way, it's interesting that VideoLAN is asking for funds via Kickstarter, since they've long relied on optional donations from users. However, they mention that radically overhauling the program's design is hard work and takes a lot of manpower, so the team is needing more resources than usual to pull off a Windows 8 and Windows RT app. Let's hope that they come through.