Microsoft has slowly been catching up on filling the Windows Phone store with big-name apps, and according to Bloomberg Businessweek, that may be thanks to some financial encouragement. Microsoft is reportedly paying some companies $100,000 or more to build apps for its mobile OS. Though no specific apps are named, Microsoft has landed a number of favorites in just the last few months, including Pandora, Temple Run, and Jetpack Joyride. Of course, Temple Run's arrival came five months after Temple Run 2 hit iOS.
Presumably, Microsoft's payment offer would be focused toward specific, high-profile developers only. The company is still running a separate program that offers each and every developer $100 per app submitted to the Windows Phone and Windows 8 stores. And while those efforts are beginning to pay off, Windows Phone's limited app offerings have continued to hamper it even as devices get better and better.