This seems like such a backwards way to address the actual shortcomings of the Chrome Web Store.
They can add features like this all day, but it doesn't fix the fact that they haven't improved the actual Chrome Web Store enough to make developers or shoppers want to use it.
Especially regarding GAMES
If you open the Chrome Web Store. Go to Games, all you get are the featured games.
They have categories, but you can't BROWSE them. All you get to do is look at the top 5 they've chosen.
What's the point in putting an app in the Chrome Web Store, or even developing for it if you will NEVER get found. What's the point in looking there for new stuff if you won't be able to browse and find it????
People browse for games. There should be a "More" button next to each category. If users could browse through games, it would be worth developing games for the Chrome Web Store.
This looks extremely insecure and dangerous to me. All you need is for a user to click anywhere or interact with anything on your page and you then have full access to their computer, given that you include a native plugin in your extension. Even if you couldn't include native plugins in extensions, you would still have full control of the browser, including hiding the extension uninstall link in chrome://extensions/ and keylogging every page.
Edit: Nevermind, apparently it prompts the user before installation, unlike the Chrome web store.
Very disappointed to see that this is all still routed through the Chrome App Store. It kinda defeats the vision of "the open web" if we're forced to use unfederated app stores.
Mozilla is doing federated web apps[1] although it's a bit half-baked at this point (not built into Firefox, requires a rather large not-minified js library). Google should really be contributing their experience with CWS to that project.
It's a dual edged sword and I love it. Chrome is pushing Firefox and IE in extreme ways, yet Mozilla remains a more authentic and open "beam of light". I love seeing them compete and I'm hopeful that as w3c "web app" manifest, etc specs are fleshed out that they come to Chrome in the more open fashion as well.
Self-hosted CRX installs are not on an even footing as Google-hosted CRX installs, and CRX-less installs are not fully supported by Chrome.
What is needed, however, is a unified storage quota and permissions api completely distinct from the Chrome Web Store and its branding. In the interest of the open web, and given the commercial forces at play, this responsibility cannot be relegated to the Chrome Web Store.
They can add features like this all day, but it doesn't fix the fact that they haven't improved the actual Chrome Web Store enough to make developers or shoppers want to use it.
Especially regarding GAMES
If you open the Chrome Web Store. Go to Games, all you get are the featured games.
They have categories, but you can't BROWSE them. All you get to do is look at the top 5 they've chosen.
What's the point in putting an app in the Chrome Web Store, or even developing for it if you will NEVER get found. What's the point in looking there for new stuff if you won't be able to browse and find it????
People browse for games. There should be a "More" button next to each category. If users could browse through games, it would be worth developing games for the Chrome Web Store.