高科技游戏市场曾是任天堂、索尼和微软三足鼎立的天下，由于智能手机的兴起（市场调研公司尼尔森预估到2011年底，有一半美国人将人手一部智能手机），手机游戏的发展在短短2年里就超越了掌机及电脑游戏。PopCap Games公司最近针对2500名英美成年人所做的调查显示，有一半以上的受访者至少玩过一次手机游戏。

在这项调查中，83%的智能手机用户表示最近一周至少玩过一次手机游戏。同时有一半的游戏玩家表示，在过去一年，他们曾将免费版游戏升级为完整版或者付费版游戏。

mobile-games

大量平价游戏、更为简化的游戏技术的涌现，大大降低了用户玩手机游戏的门槛，许多智能手机游戏的零售价还不到1美元。据美联社报道，任天堂总裁岩田聪曾在GDC上发表演讲对手机游戏进行了抨击，认为低成本的智能手机游戏“无法捍卫游戏的价值。”

撇开平价手机游戏所带来的商业影响不谈，游戏邦认为手机游戏其实蕴藏着无限发展机遇。智能手机用户是移动行业中数量增长最快的用户，手机游戏公司们最近的市场表现也同样势不可挡。以下是相关公司推动手机游戏行业快速发展的具体表现：

据彭博社报道，在3月8日，“德国电信（Deutsche Telekom AG）已和Sprint Nextel 进行协商，意将T-Mobile美国子公司出售给后者，以掌握企业合并后的主要股权。”如果这两者达成协议的话，就将出现美国排名第三、第四的两大无线网络巨头紧密合作的局面（游戏邦注：这两者在美国的地位仅次于威瑞森、AT&T）。在2月份，AT&T宣布与手机游戏平台OpenFeint合作，将后者的服务植入Android手机，OpenFeint同时还向游戏开发商提供了一个创建内容的平台。

美国高通公司最近宣布与Gameloft（游戏邦注：该公司在数字和电子游戏行业处于领先地位，代表作品包括《蜘蛛侠全面混乱HD》、《实况足球2011 HD》以及《赛车学院》）达成一项协议，优化Gameloft在Android移动设备的游戏运行效果。

xperia-play-gaming

2月末，索爱宣布推出“全球首款PlayStation认证智能手机”——Xperia PLAY，该设备配有4英寸的触摸屏及滑动控制器，采用的是Google的Android操作系统。

为了提供顶级的智能手机游戏体验，Xperia PLAY植入了EA、Glu Mobile和Gameloft等著名手机游戏公司的50款游戏。今年3月初，索爱还与Major League Gaming（游戏邦注：Major League Gaming是全球最大的专业电子游戏联盟，以及跨平台在线电子游戏竞赛组织）。在今年年底，该公司还计划为Xperia PLAY用户提供PlayStation的整套游戏，索尼电脑娱乐公司目前已投入开发这些游戏。

LG在2010年底也推出了智能手机Optimus 2X，该手机内置了NVIDIA双核处理器Tegra 2，支持高速视频音频播放功能。

手机游戏的发展并不仅局限于智能手机领域。游戏邦获悉，英特尔计划在2012年上半年推出新的芯片Knights Corner，在保证不影响处理速度的同时，支持密集的图像和运算操作。

苹果新推出的平板电脑iPad 2也同样表现不俗，它的画面质量比起第一代产品有了显著的提高。此外，LG还将于3月15日推出平板电脑Optimus Pad，并与日本领先的运营商NTT DOCOMO合作，首先在日本市场发布产品。

Optimus Pad的体型比其他的平板电脑更小，支持单手携带，内置3D摄像机和高清视频播放功能。LG曾在2月份宣布，“公司的销售目标是将智能手机销量提高4倍，出售3000多万件产品”，总共占公司总收入的50%，同时将在2011年面向全球推出20款智能手机。（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，转载请注明来源：游戏邦）

The Companies to Watch in the Profitable World of Mobile Gaming

The high-tech gaming market used to be dominated by a few major players: Nintendo, Sony (SNE), and Microsoft (MSFT). Thanks to the uprise in smartphones (Nielsen estimates by the end of 2011, one in two Americans will have one), mobile gaming on a smartphone has leapfrogged over gaming on a console or computer, in just two short years. PopCap Games recently conducted a survey among respondents in both the United States and the United Kingdom in which more than half of the nearly 2,500 adults surveyed responded that they had played a mobile game at least once.

In the same study, 83% of smartphone-owning respondents said they had played at least one mobile game in the past week. Half of all gamers in the survey reporting that they upgraded a free trial game to the full or paid version in the past year.

Granted, the emergence of cheap, less-than-sophisticated gaming technology has seriously lowered the customer barrier to entry to experiment with mobile games; many smartphone-powered games can be accessed for less than $1. In early March, the Associated Press reported that Nintendo President Satoru Iwata provided a bit of verbal smackdown on the mobile gaming industry at his speech delivered at the Game Developers Conference, stating that cheaply made smartphone games have “no motivation to maintain the value of gaming.”

Regardless of the business impact of cheap mobile games, the trend represents a huge opportunity. Smartphone owners are the fastest growing segment in the mobile industry. Recent activities prove mobile leaders are clearly resolved not to be outdone. Here are some companies to watch when it comes to the high-speed growth of mobile gaming.

On March 8, Bloomberg reported that “Deutsche Telekom AG has held talks to sell its T-Mobile USA unit to Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) in exchange for a major stake in the combined entity.” If it comes to fruition, the move “would combine the third- and fourth-largest US wireless providers behind Verizon Wireless (VZ) and AT&T Inc. (T).” In February, AT&T announced a new social gaming platform on its Android phones, in partnership with the OpenFeint video game network. The social gaming community also provides a platform for game developers to create content.

Qualcomm Incorporated (QCOM) recently announced an agreement with Gameloft, an industry leader in digital and online video games. (The company produces titles like SpiderMan Total Mayhem HD, Real Football 2011 HD, and GT Racing: Motor Academy HD.) The move is intended to optimize Gameloft’s selection for Android-based devices, with potential for further expansion, according to the official Qualcomm release.

In late February, Sony Ericcson announced the release of Xperia PLAY, called “the world’s first PlayStation certified smartphone.” The device, which features a 4-inch touchscreen and slide-out controller reminiscent of Sony’s PlayStation Portable controls, is a Google (GOOG) Android-based smartphone.

Focused on providing the ultimate smartphone gaming experience, it includes about 50 games from leaders in gaming like Electronic Arts (ERTS), Glu Mobile (GLUU), and Gameloft. In early March, it announced a partnership with Major League Gaming, the largest professional video game league and provider of cross platform online video game competition. Later this calendar year, the company expects to expand the value of the Xperia PLAY by offering users access to an entire suite of PlayStation games, currently under development by Sony Computer Entertainment.

LG’s Optimus 2X smartphone, released in late 2010, is powered by the NVIDIA (NVDA) dual-Tegra 2 processor, designed for high-speed video and audio use.

The mobile gaming advancements aren’t limited to smartphones. In the first half of 2012, Intel (INTC) plans to release its new chip, Knights Corner. It is intended to support intensive graphics and performance computing without slowing processing. Assuming Knights Corner delivers on Intel’s promise, it will up the ante for the entire mobile gaming industry by supporting 3D cloud gaming without compromising performance.

Apple’s (AAPL) new iPad 2 tablet touts improved graphics from its first-generation release. On March 15, LG will take a shot at capturing the early-adopter Japanese market with the LG Optimus Pad, through a partnership with NTT DOCOMO (DCM), Japan’s leading mobile operator.

The Optimus Pad is smaller than other tablet devices, allowing for one-handed portability, and includes a 3D camera and HD video capability. These new features are the first of their kind to allow users to “capture images and video in 3D right on the tablet itself,” according to the product release statement. In February, LG announced “that it is targeting a four-fold rise in smartphone sales to more than 30 million units,” accounting for 50% of total revenues, and that it will launch 20 smartphone models globally in 2011.（Source：minyanville）