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每日观察:关注苹果iTunes商店运营成本(6.15)

发布时间:2011-06-15 15:06:15 Tags:,,

1)英国手机游戏发行商Chillingo近日宣布与社交游戏开发商MetroGames合作,向苹果iOS用户推出多款社交游戏。

Pixel Ranger(from datatrv.net)

Pixel Ranger(from datatrv.net)

MetroGames将利用Chillingo的发行渠道、市场营销策略等资源,在App Store发行包括《Pixel Ranger》等在内的数款Facebook游戏。该公司之前已推出几款iPhone游戏,其中一款益智游戏《Plock》在App Store下载量已超过150万次,其CEO及创始人Damian Harburger称公司打算扩大在App Store业务规模。Chillingo联合总经理Joe Wee也表示他们将与MetroGames保持密切合作。

2)Unity Technologies公司宣布其成立于2009年,位于伦敦的英国办公室搬迁至布赖顿的新办公室。其英国办公室主要提供客服支持、QA、产品开发、培训和咨询服务(游戏邦注:该公司的Unity 3D游戏引擎的全球注册用户已达50万,总部位于旧金山)。

3)索尼电脑娱乐公司美国首席执行官Jack Tretton在日前媒体采访中重申,公司坚信智能手机游戏不会对索尼掌机游戏业务构成威胁。他表示玩家个人喜好才是关键所在,假如家长给子女买了一部iPad,但如果孩子们看到自己的同伴在玩PSP之类的掌上游戏设备,他们也会想要一部PSP。

jack_tretton(from gamingbolt.com)

jack_tretton(from gamingbolt.com)

据称索尼即将推出的PS Vita借鉴了一些手机功能,例如采用AT&T提供的3G网络,并推出了一个PlayStation Suite应用商店,支持第一方和第三方向其投放Android版游戏。采用Wi-Fi网络的PS Vita在美国将以249美元价格出售,而采用3G网络的设备售价则是299美元,预计于今年底正式面世。

索尼集团首席执行官Kaz Hirai则表示,他认为PS Vita不会与智能手机和平板电脑形成正面交锋,他们明白手机游戏是一个发展迅速的市场,PlayStation Suite将把PlayStation游戏体验引进Android智能手机和平板电脑。

4)Kantar Worldpanel ComTech最新报告显示,截止今年5月份,Android已成为英国、德国、法国、澳大利亚和日本第一大手机操作系统。该平台在英国市场份额为44.9%(游戏邦注:去年仅占9.8%)。

Google-Android(from tompda.com)

Google-Android(from tompda.com)

而Symbian同期的市场份额却已从原来的31%下滑至10.6%,不过该平台仍是西班牙和意大利的头号手机操作系统(游戏邦注:它在意大利所占市场份额为40.6%)。Kantar Worldpanel ComTech的全球用户观察总监Dominic Sunnebo表示,诺基亚在过去一年中流失了大量用户,但也有许多用户仍是这一品牌的忠实粉丝,他们将原来的诺基亚非智能手机,替换成了诺基亚智能手机。

5)美国头号游戏零售商日前向苹果App Store推出一款免费iPhone应用GameStop PowerUp Rewards,鼓励iOS用户在GameStop商店签到、回答调查问题而赢取奖励,甚至还向用户提供一些与游戏、掌机和配件相关的特殊奖品。

gamestop_powerup_rewards_items(from gamertell.com)

gamestop_powerup_rewards_items(from gamertell.com)

目前该应用仅限运行于iPhone平台,并没有推出Android或其他平台的版本。

6)苹果与诺基亚的长期专利权纠纷终于落幕,双方均撤回了向美国国际贸易委员会提出的申诉。据诺基亚新闻稿内容显示,苹果将向诺基亚支付相关费用以达成协议。这两者的专利权纠纷始于2009年,当时诺基亚起诉苹果iPhone和iPad侵犯其10项专利权,苹果则以诺基亚侵犯其13项专利权为由进行还击。

iPhone-Nokia(from recombu.com)

iPhone-Nokia(from recombu.com)

7)asymco最新报告表明,苹果iTunes商店目前的音乐下载量达150亿次,书籍下载量为1.3亿次,应用下载量为140亿次,已为应用开发者创收25亿美元,目前共有42.5万款应用,9万款iPad应用,10万款游戏和娱乐应用,5000万个Game Center帐号。

iTunes每月运营成本是1.13亿美元(每月总收益为3.13亿美元),每年运营成本为13亿美元。(以下显示的是iTunes内容开发者每月收益抽成后,iTunes不计其他支出情况下所获得的每月利润趋势图)

iTunes Content Margin(from asymco.com)

iTunes Content Margin(from asymco.com)

8)G5 Entertainment公司推出新款iOS游戏《Jack of All Tribes》,该游戏结合了城市建设、战斗和资源管理元素,它将根据玩家在每个关卡所建设的建筑、完成任务的表现而提供积分。其iPhone和iPad版本分别售价2.99美元和4.99美元,同时还推出了一个免费试玩版本。

Jack of All Tribes(from games.com)

Jack of All Tribes(from games.com)

9)据pocketgamer报道,著名游戏设计师、《生化奇兵》之父Ken Levine近日向媒体暗示,自己正考虑iPhone游戏开发领域,他自称也许会利用三个月时间开发一款回合制iPhone游戏,并透露自己的一个好友目前也正制作一款极为出色的手机游戏。(本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译,如需转载请联系:游戏邦

1)EA’s Chillingo Partners With MetroGames

by Mike Rose
 
Cheshire, UK-based mobile games publisher Chillingo today announced it will work with social game developer MetroGames to deliver a number of social games to Apple’s iOS.

MetroGames will make use of EA-owned Chillingo’s publishing, distribution, and marketing expertise to release several games via the App Store, including a mobile version of its Facebook game Pixel Ranger.

The company already has a couple of iPhone games released, including puzzler Plock which has been downloaded from the App Store more than 1.5 million times. However, Damian Harburger, founder and CEO of MetroGames, said that the company is looking to expand its presence in the App Store.

“By combining our game development capabilities and creativity along with Chillingo’s impressive marketing and distribution strategies, we aim to duplicate our success on Facebook to the mobile category,” he said.

Joe Wee, co-general manager at Chillingo, noted that the publisher is “looking forward to working closely with MetroGames to bring Pixel Ranger and additional new titles to the App Store.”

Earlier this month, Chillingo revealed that it had surpassed 140 million iOS downloads since the App Store began, spread over all of its titles for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.(source:gamasutra)  

2)Unity’s UK Arm Expands With Move To Larger Office

by Kris Graft
 
Unity Technologies on Tuesday said it is ramping up its UK presence with a move to new offices located in Brighton, East Sussex, where the company will house customer support services and other functions.

The previous UK office, founded in 2009, was located south east of London in Crawley. The company, whose Unity 3D game engine rapidly gained 500,000 registered users worldwide, is headquartered in San Francisco.

Aside from support for Unity customers, the UK office will also offer QA, development and training and consulting services. (source:gamasutra)  

3) Tretton: Mobile Gaming Won’t Steal Away Portable Console Gamers

by Kris Graft

Sony Computer Entertainment America CEO Jack Tretton has reiterated the company’s confidence that increasingly popular smartphones pose little threat to Sony’s dedicated portable gaming business.

Asked by The New York Times if he’s worried about gaming competition from Apple’s iOS platforms would steal away Sony portable gaming customers, Tretton replied, “No.”

He explained, “The great thing about gamers is that they have tremendous influence over what they want to play. If their parents say I’m getting you an iPad and that’s your device, but their friends are playing a dedicated console like a PSP, then the kids will find a way to get a PSP.”

While The New York Times was asking about the current PSP in particular, the upcoming PS Vita borrows the same basic strategy from the PSP, being a portable device that’s’ dedicated to gaming.

But the Vita will also adopt some mobile features, including a model that supports 3G through AT&T, and the PlayStation Suite, which serves as a PlayStation-branded app store for original first-party and third-party titles to release on Android devices.

In the U.S., the wi-fi-enabled Vita will sell for $249, while the 3G-equipped model will sell for $299, with expected launches later this year. Sony Ericsson also has the new PlayStation Suite-supported Android-based Xperia Play gaming phone.

SCE Group CEO Kaz Hirai had similar sentiments regarding competition from the increasingly popular mobile gaming market: “I don’t see the PS Vita being in direct competition with smartphones and tablets.”

He added, “However, I do recognize that that’s a growing market as well, and that’s why we announced the [PlayStation Suite] initiative where we are bringing the PlayStation experience to Android-powered smartphones and tablets.” (source:gamasutra)  

4)Android Tops smartphone charts in six countries

by Tim Green
 
Number one OS in UK, Germany, France, US, Australia and Japan in the quarter to May.

Kantar Worldpanel ComTech says Android now accounts for 44.9 per cent of UK market sales, compared to just 9.8 per cent a year ago.

The main loser was Symbian, which dropped from 31 per cent to 10.6 per cent in the same time frame.

It remains top in Spain and Italy (it has 40.6 per cent in the latter), but Android is also on the charge there too.

However, Dominic Sunnebo, global consumer insight director at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, had some comforting words for Nokia.

He said: “There is no denying that Nokia has lost a significant amount of customers over the last 12 months, however, many of the remaining customers appear to be far more loyal to the brand, trading up to Nokia Smartphones from Nokia non-Smartphones.(source:mobile-ent)  

5)US retailer GameStop launches PowerUp Rewards iPhone app

by Stuart Dredge
 
Bonus points for check-ins at real-world games stores.

Is iPhone cannibalising traditional games retailers by sucking gamers into the entirely digital App Store ecosystem? It’s a debate, but US chain GameStop has found a more positive use for Apple’s store.

The retailer has launched GameStop PowerUp Rewards, a free iPhone app designed to encourage iOS users to visit its stores more often.

Why? Check-ins, of course. Customers can earn bonus PowerUp Rewards points by checking in at GameStop branches, as well as for answering surveys. The app also promises exclusive offers on games, consoles and accessories.

The app ties into the existing PowerUp Rewards loyalty scheme. As far as we can make out, it’s not yet available on Android or other smartphones: just iPhone for now.(source:mobile-ent)  

6)Apple and Nokia end patent dispute: Apple pays Nokia

By Hannah Bouckley

Click here to visit Orange and get the best deals on the latest handsets. Visit Orange.co.uk now!

Nokia and Apple have ended their long-running patent agreement. According to a press release on the Nokia website, the two company’s have agreed to settle all patent litigation, as well as a withdraw complaints to the US International Trade Commission.

The release states that the terms are confidential, but: ‘the agreement consists of a one-time payment payable by Apple and on-going royalties to be paid by Apple to Nokia for the term of the agreement.’

“We are very pleased to have Apple join the growing number of Nokia licensees,” said Stephen Elop, president and chief executive officer of Nokia. “This settlement demonstrates Nokia’s industry leading patent portfolio and enables us to focus on further licensing opportunities in the mobile communications market.”

The action started in 2009, when Nokia sued Apple for allegedly infringing 10 patents with the iPhone and iPad. Apple retaliated by suing for 13 patent infringements.(source:recombu) 

7)The iTunes store continues to grow. The data that Apple published in the last event included the following:

15 Billion iTunes song downloads

130 million book downloads

14 billion app downloads

$2.5 billion paid to developers

225 million accounts

425k apps

90k iPad apps

100k game and entertainment titles

50 million game center accounts

As this data is added to the existing data and cross-referenced additional insight into the economics of iTunes is emerging.

Since we know something about the average price of songs and apps, and we know the split between developers and Apple (and roughly between music labels and Apple) we can get a rough estimate of the amount Apple retains to run its store.

The following chart shows iTunes “content margin” by month. This margin is what Apple “keeps” after paying content owners but before paying for other costs like payment processing and delivery/fulfillment which should be accounted as variable costs. Strictly speaking this margin is not “gross margin”.

If we add the content margins from music and apps and assume the store runs at break even we can get an idea of what it costs to operate the store.  The latest number is $113 million per month (from a total income of $313 million/mo.). It implies over $1.3 billion per year.(source:asymco)  

8)Jack of All Tribes on iOS combines prehistorical city-building with resource management

by Brandy Shaul

G5 Entertainment has launched their newest offering for iOS: Jack of All Tribes combines elements of city-building and combat with tons of resource management as you find yourself swept back in time to save a land of prehistorical villages from the elements, and from raiders. Playing as Jack, you literally plunge into an adventure after your roller coaster train derails, sending you through a wormhole. From there, you’re introduced to Rainbow, a native that can help you understand her people’s relationship with nature and the elements.

All told, Jack of All Tribes is far more difficult to describe in words than through actual practice. The game is available on both iPhone and iPad in two separate apps, costing $2.99 and $4.99 each, respectively. You can download a free trial of either game to see if the gameplay is to your liking, but I’d be willing to wager that the downright adorable graphics alone will be enough to keep you coming back for more.(source:games)   

9)Ken Levine is thinking about making an iPhone game

by Matt Gilman
 
Acclaimed game designer Ken Levine, the big daddy behind the home console hit BioShock, has hinted that he’s considering a move into iPhone development.

Speaking to CVG today about his latest game BioShock Infinite, Levine alluded to a possible iOS venture once his final foray into the gene-splicing FPS is over.

“Who knows [what the future holds]? Some mornings I wake up and go, ‘I’m going to make a turn-based iPhone game, and do it in three months,’” Levine said.

“A good friend of mine is doing a really cool [similar] thing that I can’t talk about right now, and I look at it and think ‘maybe I’d like to do something like that.’”

Of course, this is all just banter, but the prospect of an iOS game from the creator of BioShock is worth getting excited about.(source:pocketgamer


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