How do I address audio for Windows 8 Universal Apps

Hi there,

So I'm working on a universal app which C2 now supports. it's nice, but I'm hitting a problem regarding audio.. for Windows 8 all is well. Audio plays as it should, but for the WP8.1 version of the app, audio is laggy.

My next step was to try and incorporate the WP8 plugin created by thehen, but this results in no audio for W8.1 or WP8.1 if i use the plugin's wav calls.

Has anyone else experienced this? This is pretty serious as I'd really like to have a universal app that can play sounds properly.

if you have a WP8.1 phone (any WP8 owner can upgrade) you can find the app on the app store.. http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store ... a42893a64a it will not show up if you're still on WP8.0

Notice how long it takes for audio to catch up.. this isn't the case with Windows 8.1 Audio/performance is as you would expect.

Thanks,

Caleb

My WIndows Phone plugin isn't compatible with the Universal Exporter. When you say laggy, do you mean it stutters, or that there is a delay to start?

ok that's great to know first hand

you can actually play it on the wp8.1 store if you have a 8.1 device "Bee Active". It's free

however to answer your question here, it seems like there is a 10-12 sec delay before music starts.. normal sound effects seem ok (though they feel a touch laggy.

Interestingly sound effects seem fine. They load quick and do well from my testing..

Sometimes music will start and then stop after 1-2 sec..

So yea overall it seems like music playback / triggering is where the issue seems to be with an 8.1 WP app from my testing

I also notice that if I hold down the back button to go to the task switcher, then try to come back to your game that it closes.

You also may want to highlight or make items looks more like buttons if you are supposed to touch them. For example on the instruction screens that pop up periodically you have to touch the word continue. Since it is mixed in with all the other text with no real differentiator visually, it took awhile to figure out I had to hit the word itself, I assumed the game was frozen.

yea the back button is all kinds of jacked up.. lol.. i built it for a windows //publish/ event. I'm amazed it got published because i had no proper back button logic in place..

My phone wasn't upgraded to 8.1 (didn't realize i wouldn't be able to see it without it..) but now it is so I can see first hand what's up.

I'm wondering if they are relaxing on that back button/in-game pause/menu rule for 8.1.. or maybe I just got lucky.

I'm working on a 8.0 version right now that has the proper back button logic.. 8.1 is still basically hidden from the public so I'll get back to that once other C2/8.1 issues get resolved.

thehen do you or anyone you know have plans to address Universal apps and audio? Did you do this on your own? I know that C2 itself has the WP8 exporter, but it was pretty much useless to have that without your plugin since the back button stuff was required.. 8.1 clearly needs a similar solution.

I ended up going back to making an 8.0 app with your plugin and that worked fine and got approved. Although I do notice a looping music "pop" and playing music also has a noticeable pop, but I'm not sure if it's me, C2, WP8.1 or what. it's interesting.. it just seems like its all about "music" clips... there must be a link between 8.1 and these audio issues..

http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store ... a42893a64a this is the version I have now.. i removed the 8.1 version since 99% of the users out there don't have 8.1 yet and it was so broken..

The new universal stuff is pretty nice.. Linking an app name to be reserved for both Win8.1 and WP8.1 is cool. It's also nice to be able to make an 8.0 version beside the 8.1 version so you can support older OS and folks who upgrade to 8.1

It's great to know that all 8.0 WP devices will be able to upgrade (no "buy a new phone" issues there)

Thanks!

Caleb

part12studios

Did you issue with WP81.1 get resolved? I am facing similar audio problem on my game.

The sound files play just fine, but when I start playing the background music or a lengthier sound file, it just stops are few seconds! The other sound effects however continue playing without any problem.

Here is the post, I have included a CAPX for C2 team's reference.

win-phone-8-1-app-crashes-randomly-after-adding-audio-capx_t115447

EDIT: cannot post URLs yet

My thread is created in the Construct 2->Bugs section

I haven't tried for awhile. there was some preloading update that C2 added recently-ish, but my experience was that the old project didn't act any better, but it seems from a quick new project test that audio was better..

I've officially dropped any 8.0 development moving forward just because it's not worth it.. my mindset is IF a game made with 8.1 shows any real potential.. then i'll worry about 8.0

I'll be trying it again in the future, I've just been busy with some non-c2 client stuff.

Thanks,

Caleb

Windows Phone still has bugs with audio - see: https://connect.microsoft.com/IE/feedbackdetail/view/970180

Thanks for the update part12studios! Ashley has raised a ticket with Microsoft regarding the HTML5/IE audio bug.

I was in the process of developing a Universal App too until I released there is no way to add Ads to a WP8.1 app!!! Now I am now converting the phone app to WP8. Do you think its worth the time? I used the Plugin developed by thehen

Good to know. I'll check with my contact at Microsoft to see if he can help at all with this. Maybe help give this some extra attention.

Thanks

Caleb

Ashley is this still the case today? I'm trying to get my audio working on the windows phone, seems ok but just a big delay before the sound plays, even on the sound effects.

Once they have played once they seem fine (no delay) , but this happens on every level / layout so is a problem.