It's 2014 almost 2015 still the same problem. If you have a platform with 10.1 is should either work with 2012 or AT LEAST let you install the .NET SDK, and not just fail just because you don't have VS 2010 installed. They should have at minimum released a patch to allow the SDK to install without requiring VS 2010. Our use case, for example, is Windows 8.1 but developing an Add In for Arc 10.1 So it's a catch-22. Classic ESRI. I wish a GIS software competitor would come along and force them to listen to customers.