Microsoft is getting in on Apple's WWDC action with a major party on Monday, June 13th. The company announced the shindig on behalf of itself and Xamarin, a Microsoft-owned company that provides development tools to iOS, Android, and Windows, and all tickets were snapped up in hours.
The party is open to any iOS developer, whether or not they're attending WWDC, but as noted above, tickets for the free event are already sold out.
In addition to "party," which I hear developers love, Microsoft is giving away three prizes during the event. Once per hour, attendee names will be drawn at random, with winners being able to choose between an Apple Watch Sport or an Xbox One.
Some of the initial coverage after the party was announced Tuesday night took on a "Microsoft is trying to steal Apple's thunder" angle, but I don't see it that way at all. The company has a major investment in the world of iOS development in the form of Xamarin, and WWDC is where iOS developers will be. To me, this is Microsoft supporting iOS development, not trying to out-compete Apple on its home turf.