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每日观察:关注《愤怒的小鸟》Facebook版本(6.11)

1)据《每日电讯报》报道,Rovio公司高管Peter Vesterbacka日前表示,他们正与Facebook进行协商,将于未来三个月内推出《愤怒的小鸟》Facebook版本(游戏邦注:Rovio在三周之前曾与谷歌Chrome合作,推出网页版《愤怒的小鸟》)。

facebook-angry-birds(from angrybirds360.com)

facebook-angry-birds(from angrybirds360.com)

Vesterbacka称这个新版游戏将与《FarmVille》等热门Facebook游戏一样,支持玩家免费体验游戏,付费购买道具,Rovio将与Facebook进行收益分成,但并未透露其他详情。

2)市场调研公司IDC曾在3月份预言Windows Phone在2015年将成为全球第二大智能手机平台,该公司近日发布的报告仍持有相同观点,但数据略有变动。该报告显示,Window Phonw在2015年的市场份额将达20.3%,但仍然会成为仅次于Android(43.8%)的第二大智能手机平台,而iOS在同一时期的市场份额则是16.9%。

IDC smartphone market share

IDC smartphone market share

3)据《纽约时报》报道,美国动视首席执行官Eric Hirshberg在最近的采访中表示,他们认为iTunes App Store竞争过于激烈,“App Store目前已经有40万款左右的应用,我们不想成为第40万零1款应用”,而且也不愿意角逐自己不擅长的领域,“手机平台是一把双刃剑,你可以从中获得巨大下载量,但我们并不想把所有的作品都拿到这个平台上做实验”。但动视在未来还会尝试在手机平台推出游戏,其中包括跨平台版游戏《Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure》(游戏邦注:包括掌机、手机及网页版本)。

hirschberg(from gametrout.wordpress.com)

hirschberg(from gametrout.wordpress.com)

观察者称,从Hirshberg的这番话中可以推测,美国动视在数字游戏领域鲜少作为的原因在于,他们没有把握能够在这一市场胜出,而非担心智能手机平台不适合运行其作品。

4)美国娱乐软件协会最新报告表明,2010年美国零售电子游戏销售额下滑,而数字游戏领域的收益却明显上升,填补了前者收益缩水的空缺。该报告指出,电子游戏行业在2010年的整体游戏销售额略为下降,从2009年的160亿美元降至159亿美元(游戏邦注:这里包括零售电脑游戏、游戏订阅服务、数字销售、社交游戏、手机游戏和其他实体销售渠道的收益)。

零售游戏的销售额从2009年的99亿美元,降至2010年的94亿美元,而其他渠道的游戏销售额却从原来的54亿美元,增长至同期的58亿美元。数字游戏的销售额占整个游戏领域的24%,比2009年增长4%。2010年所有用户在游戏行业的支出为251亿美元,其中有159亿美元投向了软件内容,有62.9亿美元流向硬件设备,还有29.4亿美元用于购买游戏配件产品。

Galaga-30th-Collection(from iphoneitalia.com)

Galaga-30th-Collection(from iphoneitalia.com)

5)为庆祝经典街机游戏《Galaga》在7月23日诞生30周年,日本Namco Bandai公司推出了该游戏的iOS应用。这款应用含有该游戏的四个改制版本,用户可免费下载第一个版本《Galaxian G 30th Edition》,但需付费体验另外三款作为附加内容的游戏——《Galaga G 30th Edition》、《Gaplus G 30th Edition》和《Galaga ’88 G 30th Edition》(游戏邦注:售价分别为2.99美元,2.99美元和3.99美元)。如果一次性付费买下所有游戏内容,则仅需支付7.99美元。

Machine Gun Jetpack(from games.com)

Machine Gun Jetpack(from games.com)

6)继宣布《水果忍者》将推Facebook版本之后,澳大利亚开发商在今年的E3展会上亮出的另一款新游戏是《Machine Gun Jetpack》。该游戏风格与《Monster Dash》和《Age of Zombies》一样,也属于“逃生”题材的游戏,玩家得操纵背着飞行包的游戏角色Barry,让他一路躲过险境,不停地向前行进。玩家可以轻触屏幕,让Barry飞向空中并向敌人扫射,按住屏幕的时间越长,Barry就会飞得越高。游戏操作简单,支持在iPhone和iPad平台运行。

7)微软通过公司博客称,其搜索引擎Bing最近添加了“应用程序自动搜索”功能,支持用户方便快捷地找到最新iPhone应用。即使用户输入的并非准确的“iPhone应用”或“手机应用”等字段,其搜索结果也会自动显示最受欢迎的iPhone应用程序。例如输入Facebook字段,搜索结果显示的就是Facebook iPhone应用,如果输入电影内容,则会显示IMDb或Fandango这类相关应用(如下图所示)。

自动显示应用搜索结果(from readwriteweb.com)

自动显示应用搜索结果(from readwriteweb.com)

假如输入更为精准的字段,例如“热门应用”或特定的应用名称,其搜索结果还将包含该应用下载地址链接。

自动显示iPhone已安装应用(from readwriteweb.com)

自动显示iPhone已安装应用(from readwriteweb.com)

该功能的另一个妙处在于,它可以根据搜索结果运行用户手机上已有的iPhone应用。如果你的iPhone上已安装某款应用,那么Bing就会打开该应用,将你直接引向应用内部的搜索结果。例如查找“Thor 3D”,Bing就会提供引向IMDb的链接,而如果是已安装IMDb的用户点击“下载”按钮后,iPhone界面就会显示手机已存在的“Thor 3D”查询结果(如上图)。(本文为游戏邦/gamerboom编译,如需转载请联系:游戏邦

1)Angry Birds to make Facebook debut “within three months”

By Emma Barnett

Talking to The Telegraph, Vesterbacka, whose official job title is actually ‘Mighty Eagle’ said: “We are coming out with our social game over the next few months. We are in talks with Facebook and Angry Birds will be live on the site within the next three months.”

Three weeks ago, Rovio, the Finnish parent company of Angry Birds, launched its first web version of the game in partnership with Google Chrome.

However, one of its next major focuses, is getting the game, which has been downloaded on mobiles more than 200 million times to date, onto all of the major social networks around the world.

Vesterbacka confirmed that like Farmville, one of the most popular games on Facebook, Angry Birds would be free to download on the site but users could pay for “extras” – the revenue from which would be split between the two companies.

He declined to give any more detail about how the financial side will work between Rovio and Facebook, or on how the game will be adapted differently for the social networking platform.

Vesterbacka did admit Rovio was talking to Facebook about the launch so they could “do some special things on the site which would make the experience better for fans”, but refused to divulge any more detail.

He described the web as the most important platform for the game to be across moving forward and that players could expect new game play before the end of the year – which would change the ‘swipe and drop’ function that the game has centred around until now. (source:telegraph)  

2)Windows Phone market share to jump five fold as OS moves into second spot by 2015

by Keith Andrew 

Back in March, market intelligence firm IDC made the bold step of predicting that Windows Phone would soon become the second largest smartphone platform on the planet, playing second fiddle only to Android by 2015.

In the firm’s latest update to its five year projections, IDC has stood by that position, though the details surrounding each platform’s respective market share have shifted somewhat.

Dropping the Apple

Following the release of Apple’s Q2 2011 results, which saw the company shift 18.65 million iPhones, IDC believes any iOS share slip won’t quite be as dramatic as previously predicted.

In March, the body forecasted Android’s share rising to over 45 percent by 2015, stretching ahead of iOS, which would fall to below 16 percent across the same period, and Windows Phone, which was projected to snap up just under 21 percent.

Windows Phone’s 2015 share has now been revised down 20.3 percent, but that still puts it in second spot behind Android on 43.8 percent, while iOS will now account for 16.9 percent of the market.(source:pocketgamer)  

3)No Modern Warfare on iPhone until Activision can guarantee it won’t be app number 400,001
 
by Keith Andrew 

Long gone are the days when publishers traditionally at home on consoles would turn a blind eye to mobile – EA perhaps the best example of a major player currently reaping the rewards of the smartphone market.

In comparison, rival Activision has been notably quiet.

Major releases, such as Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies, have made an appearance on the App Store, but its development was outsourced and gameplay focused on the franchise’s living dead-inspired offspring rather than the main event.

The publisher’s apparent prudence, however, is less to do with any concern that smartphones aren’t a suitable vehicle for its franchises, but rather a worry that its titles simply wouldn’t stand out.

Modern marketplace warfare

Speaking to the New York Times, Activision chief executive Eric Hirshberg told the paper that the company plans to test the waters with Call of Duty: Elite – the franchise’s new online multiplayer service, also available (to a degree) via apps on iOS and Android.

However, no full Modern Warfare releases are forthcoming.

“There are 400,000 apps in the iTunes App Store,” Hirshberg said.

“I don’t want to be number 400,001.”

Hirshberg said it has to make sense from a business perspective for Activision to risk porting its big series over to mobile.

“What we’re trying to do is use new technologies and new devices in gaming to strengthen our core business,” he added.

“We don’t just want to go and spread our roulette chips around the table. We also don’t want to do anything that we can’t do with excellence.”

Serving up Spyro

Nonetheless, Activision does plan more mobile releases in the near future, including the multi-platform Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure, which will hit consoles, mobile, and the web.

Aimed at kids between 6 to 12, it’s a tentative look at the market rather than a full blown assault, with Hirshberg repeating he is wary of betting the farm on the mobile market.

“[Mobile is] a double-edged sword,” he concluded.

“On one hand you have a huge install base, but what we are not doing is just shotgunning all of our games onto mobile.”(source:pocketgamer)  

4)Study: Retail Game Revenue Declines As Digital Sales Increase In U.S.

by Tom Curtis
 
A report from the Entertainment Software Association revealed that retail video game sales in the U.S. declined in 2010, while money earned from digital delivery platforms increased to help fill the gap.

The report, titled “2011 Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry,” indicated that the video game industry saw a slight decline in overall game sales, with revenue falling from $16 billion in 2009 to $15.9 billion in 2010.

These numbers combined revenue from retail video game and computer game sales, as well as sales from “other delivery formats,” which include game subscriptions, digital sales, social games, mobile apps and “other physical delivery” methods.

While retail game sales fell from $9.9 billion to $9.4 billion between 2009 and 2010, according to the report, the dip was offset by revenues from other delivery methods, which rose from $5.4 billion to $5.8 billion. Retail computer game revenue barely fluctuated from $680 million to $700 million in that time.

The report also pointed out that digital sales now comprise 24 percent of overall game sales, up 4 percent from 2009.

Overall, the ESA said the total consumer spend on the games industry in 2010 reached $25.1 billion, with $15.9 billion going toward content, $6.29 billion towards hardware, and $2.94 billion going towards accessories. (source:gamasutra)  

5)Celebrate Galaga’s 30th birthday with Galaga 30th Collection for iOS

by Joe Osborne

TweetThis July 23, the arcade classic Galaga turns the dreaded Three-O. Instead of pouting and slowly descending into a mid-life crisis, Galaga–with the help of its creator Namco Bandai–has made a comeback on iOS devices. The game celebrates all the bleeps, bloops and pixelated alien explosions across modernized versions of its first four iterations. The first of which, Galaxian G 30th Edition (technically the first Galaga), is a free download.

However, the other three games, Galaga G 30th Edition, Gaplus G 30th Edition, and Galaga ’88 G 30th Edition, are included as in-app purchases. Players can buy each game individually for $2.99, $2.99 and $3.99 respectively. Though, you can buy all three for $7.99. Each game features modernized visuals with nearly identical play presented in a quasi-arcade cabinet with touch-controlled virtual joystick and fire buttons.(source:games)  

6)E3 2011: Halfbrick’s Machine Gun Jetpack sends Barry Steakfries to new heights

by Brandy Shaul

Next to Ninja Frenzy’s Sensei, Barry Steakfries has become Halfbrick’s unofficial official mascot, appearing in games like Monster Dash and Age of Zombies. Now, at this year’s E3, we had a chance to hands-on with Barry’s newest adventure – Machine Gun Jetpack.

Like Monster Dash, Machine Gun Jetpack is a “survival” game, asking you to continue towards the right side of the screen, earning points on a never-ending path until something eventually stops you (whether it be an actual enemy, a laser beam divider, etc.). Here, Barry is equipped with a jetpack, allowing you to tap on the screen and cause Barry to float into the air, shooting bullets as he flies. The longer you hold your finger on the screen, the higher Barry flies until you eventually reach the top of your particular screen, whether that be on the iPad or iPhone. It should be noted that the entirety of gameplay is accomplished via a single tapping motion on the screen, but don’t for a second think that this makes Machine Gun Jetpack overly simplistic. Meet us behind the break to see what I mean.(source:games)  

7)Microsoft Launches Tools for Finding iPhone Apps

By Sarah Perez

Just because Microsoft has its own mobile operating system called Windows Phone 7, that doesn’t mean it’s above using the popularity of Apple’s iPhone to attract new users to its up-and-coming Bing search engine. For example, this week, the company highlighted a recently added Bing feature called “auto app discovery” by way of a company blog post that describes how the Microsoft search engine is a great tool for finding new iPhone applications.

Apps in Your Search Results

With Bing’s app discovery feature, normal Web searches will also return results for popular iPhone applications, even if you don’t specifically say “iPhone app” or “mobile app” or something similar in the text of your query.

That means a search for Facebook, for instance, will return the Facebook iPhone app, while a search for a movie may return apps like IMDb or Fandango.

When you explicitly search for iPhone apps, like a search for “top apps,” a category search or a search for a particular app name, the results will also include direct links to the app’s download page.

Not Just Integration with Bing Search Results, Search Within Apps, Too

The most interesting aspect of this new feature is Bing’s ability to actually launch your iPhone apps for you, from the search results. If you have the app installed on your iPhone already, in some cases, Bing will be able to launch the app and take you directly to the search results within the app itself.

In the example posted on Microsoft’s Bing Search blog, a query for “Thor 3D” provides a link to IMDb, as usual. But for those with IMDb installed, clicking “download” opens up the app on your iPhone, with a “Thor 3D” query already in place.(source:readwriteweb


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