1）据彭博电视台报道，芬兰开发商Rovio首席营销官Peter Vesterbacka近日称公司有可能在2012年进行IPO，公司目前估值已超过12亿美元。与此同时，有知情人透露《愤怒的小鸟》日活跃用户现在正迅速下滑，每周流失大量用户。

观察者称，《愤怒的小鸟》问世已将近两年，推出了近300个关卡，并定期进行更新，在其所称的1.5亿活跃用户面前，这些流失用户数量并不算庞大。但值得关注的是，Rovio若要维护其品牌价值，它在未来12个月中将如何处理这一问题以打消公众的疑虑。

2）在日前的谷歌电话会议上，谷歌首席执行官Larry Page分享了公司在移动及社交领域的最新情况。Google+目前注册用户超过4000万，谷歌在移动领域的目前的年收益达25亿美元，同比上一年则长150%（上一年收益是10亿美元）。

据其所称，目前市场上已有1.9亿部Android移动设备（游戏邦注：今年6月的数据是1.3亿部），其移动领域营收多数来自移动搜索广告。

Page表示Google+目前尚处于初级发展阶段，用户现在已向该平台上传了34亿次照片。

3）英国发行商Chillingo与手机游戏开发商Tiger Games近日宣布将于今年11月推出一款iOS《超人》游戏。

该游戏将含18个关卡，玩家需控制Man of Steel角色，并拥有超人本领，可自由飞行，与对手Lex Luthor过招，根据不同表现，在每个关卡可获得铜牌、银牌和金牌奖励。

4）据pocketgamer报道，为庆祝《侠盗猎车手3》诞生10周年，Rockstar公司宣布将于今年秋季向iOS和Android平台推出《侠盗猎车手3：10周年纪念版》。

需注意的是，这款新游戏仅限运行于最新的iOS和Android移动设备，其支持平台包括iPad 2、iPhone 4S、Droid X2、HTC Evo 2、LG Pptimus 2X、摩托罗拉Atrix、三星Galaxy S2、宏碁Iconia、Asus Eee Pad、摩托罗拉Xoom、三星Tab 10.1。

5）加拿大开发商Massive Damage在融资32.5万美元之后，向美国App Store发布了僵尸题材的LBS（地理定位）游戏《Please Stay Calm》。

该游戏在9月份已登陆加拿大App Store，其本土用户签到次数已超过12万。据其首席执行官Ken Seto所称，这款游戏与传统意义上的LBS游戏不同，它不需要玩家四处行走，用户只坐在沙发上签到也可以一路斩杀出现在本地的僵尸以及入侵的食人魔。

6）DeNA旗下的手机社交游戏公司Ngmoco日前任命美泰公司和意大利Sisal公司前高管Michael Staskin为新首席营销官，让后者监管Mobage平台的营销及通讯业务。

Staskin拥有15年以上的用户营销经验，曾任意Sisal公司营销及通讯副总裁，之前则是美泰在北美及欧洲业务高官。

DeNA社交平台Mobage平台在日本已收获3000万用户，其英语版本正处于测试阶段。

7）奥地利维也纳的欧洲品牌协会（European Brand Institute）最近研究了24个国家的3000多个品牌企业，并指出苹果是全世界最有价值的品牌，微软品牌价值位于第三。

苹果品牌价值已达961.5亿美元，第二名的可口可乐品牌价值是760亿美元，微软则是708.3亿美元，第四名谷歌则是664.5亿美元，第五名IBM则是637.9亿美元。

但位于伦敦的Brand Finance PLC在上个月于发布全球品牌排名表却显示，谷歌是全球第一品牌，苹果第二，微软第三。

8）街机游戏开发商Adrenaline Amusements近日宣布将把Epic著名iOS游戏《无尽之剑》改制为《无尽之剑FX》推向投币电动玩具领域。

该游戏将在Adrenaline自主推动的TouchFX游戏机上运行，通过后者的46寸触摸屏展示游戏内容。

这是继《水果忍者》（Halfbrick开发）、《Flight Control》（Firemint开发）之后，第三款被移植到TouchFX系统的热门手机游戏。

据《无尽之剑》开发商Chair Entertainment所称，《无尽之剑FX》将在本周盐湖城的2011 Gaming and Electronics Expo展会上亮相，并将于10月28日向全美Dave & Buster’s 主题餐厅向公众开放服务。

9）《僵尸农场》开发商The Playforge最近发布新款游戏《Zombie Life》，玩家在游戏中会置身于一个陌生的小城，面临的任务是融入小城社会，并守住自己不死之身的秘密。

玩家可通过不同发型、服饰装扮自己的僵尸角色，并在当地的汉堡王等商店找到工作。用户现在可向App Store下载这款免费游戏，但需付费购买其中的IAP内容。（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，拒绝任何不保留版权的转载，如需转载请联系：游戏邦）

1）As Rovio talks up $1+ billion IPO, rumours suggest DAUs for the original Angry Birds game are dropping

by Jon Jordan

A couple of big games companies have initiated the process of preparing of IPO recently.

Neither PopCap – bought by EA – or Zynga – waiting for better market conditions – has managed to go public, though. The process is long, complex, and uncertain.

Feathering the nest

Still, that’s not stopping Rovio reiterating its desire to make the most of the 350+ million downloads of Angry Birds games, plus the tens of millions of dollars it’s generating monthly from merchandising, to float the company in the US.

But, as CMO Peter Vesterbacka was telling Bloomberg Television about a circa $1 billion deal, maybe a year from now, news is filtering through the mobile games community that user numbers on the original game have peaked.

As is the case in such speculation, no one’s prepared to go on record, but sources close to the Rovio nest are saying the active daily user rate on the original iOS game is now declining fairly rapidly; losing more than tens of thousands of players per week.

The way of life

Of course, in some respects, this is no surprise as all games (like any other consumer product or service) will experience stages of growth, peak usage and then saturation and decline.

Despite the almost 300 available levels and regular updates (the most recent was August), Angry Birds is almost 2 years old, with the Seasons and Rio variants – as well as versions on other mobile platforms – now getting more of the developer’s love.

Indeed, Rovio now claims 150 million active users across its entire portfolio, making this decline comparative minor.

Still, it will be interesting to see how Rovio deals with this sort of speculation over the coming 12 months, especially as the company and its singular brand come under media scrutiny, with respect to the rationale behind its large valuation. （source:pocketgamer）

2）Larry Page: Mobile Revenues At $2.5 Billion Run-Rate, 190 Million Android Devices

Erick Schonfeld

During today’s Google earnings call, CEO Larry Page shared some new stats on how the company is doing in new areas such as social and mobile. Google+ is now past 40 million registered users, and Google’s revenue run rate in mobile is now at $2.5 billion, which is up from a $1 billion run-rate about a year ago.

Page noted that there are 190 million Android devices (up from 130 million in July). More importantly, mobile revenue is now at a $2.5 billion run rate, up 150 percent from last year. Most of these revenues presumably comes from mobile search ads. Page would not break out the mobile search versus display ad revenues specifically, but given its dominance of mobile search it is likely that is where the majority of its mobile revenues are coming from.

For Google+, Page sees his nascent social network as just at its beginning stages. “We are baking identity and sharing in all of our products. Sharing on the Web will be like sharing in real life across all your stuff,” he says. Already, 3.4 billion photos have been uploaded to Google+.

Google+ will also touch every part of Google. “Last quarter we shipped the plus,”he says, “now we are going to ship the Google part.”（source:techcrunch）

3）Chillingo to publish Superman game on iOS, out next month

by James Nouch

Chillingo and Tiger Games have announced a partnership that will see a new Superman game released on iOS devices this November.

The game promises 18 levels of Spandex-clad action, which let you take control of the Man of Steel and his suite of superhuman abilities. You can expect to have super-strength, heat vision, and flight at your disposal, with bronze, silver, and gold medals awarded based on how you perform in each level.

Lex Luthor has been named as the game’s antagonist, but otherwise story details are thin on the ground. Early screenshots suggest something of a Golden Age feel to proceedings, so you can expect less Kryptonian angst and more all-American do-goodery and glinting smiles.

We’ll have more news as it emerges, but you can look forward to taking control of Kal-El some time next month.（source:pocketgamer）

4）Rockstar makes move on mobile, announces Grand Theft Auto III: 10th Anniversary Edition for iOS and Android

by Keith Andrew

By no means the Rockstar’s first adventure on mobile – see Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars for more details – news the studio is to celebrate Grand Theft Auto III’s tenth birthday with a splash on iOS and Android is nonetheless significant.

The game – officially dubbed Grand Theft Auto III: 10th Anniversary Edition – has been pencilled in for a launch on both iOS and Android this autumn.

Portable party

“10 years ago, this month, the revolutionary open-world epic Grand Theft Auto III was released to the world – a game that set players loose as a small-time criminal at the bottom of the food chain in Liberty City, a sprawling metropolis where anything can happen – and probably will,” the studio said in a press release.

“To commemorate the game’s 10th anniversary, we’re proud to announce that Grand Theft Auto III will be coming to select new generation iOS and Android devices later this fall.”

Not all iPhones – or, indeed, Android devices – will be catered for, however. Indeed, this is one party even iPhone 4 owners will miss out on.

Supported devices include iPad 2, iPhone 4S, Droid X2, HTC Evo 2, LG Optimus 2X, Motorola Atrix, Samsung Galaxy S2, as well as Android tablets Acer Iconia, Asus Eee Pad, Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1.（source:pocketgamer）

5）Canadian location-based zombie fest Please Stay Calm makes a break for US App Store

by Keith Andrew

Less than two weeks after Canadian studio Massive Damage closed a $325,000 strong angel investment round, the firm has launched its zombie fest Please Stay Calm in the US.

The location-based game, which charges players with clearing their own streets of the undead, launched in Canada in early September, but has now set its sights on invading south of the border.

Stay and play

“We think we’ve cracked the key to making location-based gaming fun and accessible for everyone,” said CEO Ken Seto of the launch.

“Previous location-based games were far too restrictive and required players to move around.

“Please Stay Calm is designed so that players can immerse themselves in an alternate world where zombies stalk their streets and they can do so from the comfort of their couch or cubicle.”

Location love

The idea is, players check-in to fight off zombies in their local neighbourhood, coming together to rid real locations of the invading ogres.

Even before rolling out in the US, Please Stay Calm had amassed more than 120,000 check-ins in Canada alone.

“We believe location is a powerful context for gaming. People have a strong affinity for their favorite places and our game taps into that real world connection,” added Seto back in Septemer.

“Our early numbers indicate an extremely high level of engagement from our players, proving the market potential of location-based gaming.” （source:pocketgamer）

6）Ngmoco Appoints Mattel, Sisal Vet To Head Marketing

by Frank Cifaldi

Social mobile gaming company Ngmoco has named former Mattel and Sisal executive Michael Staskin as its new chief marketing officer, where he will oversee the launch of its Mobage network.

Staskin brings more than fifteen years of consumer marketing experience to the company. At Italy’s Sisal, Staskin was the vice president of marketing and communications for the gaming and lottery company. Prior to that Statskin held executive positions in both North America and Europe for toy maker Mattel.

“Michael is a world-class marketer who has managed some of the world’s biggest brands on a global scale,” said Ngmoco CEO Neil Young.

“His ability to create value for real and virtual goods around the world makes him a remarkable addition to Ngmoco’s executive team. We’re thrilled to welcome him aboard.”

Social games platform Mobage has been a big hit for Ngmoco parent DeNA, having attracted 30 million players in its native Japan.

An English-language version of Mobage is currently in beta. Staskin will oversee the marketing and communications initiative for its public launch. （source:gamasutra）

7）Apple world’s most valuable brand, Microsoft ranked at No. 3

by Ben Miller

Apple is No. 1 brand in the world, with a brand value of $96.15 billion, according to Eurobrand 2011.
Apple is the world’s most valuable brand and Microsoft is the world’s third-most valuable, according to a new ranking by a European institute.

Vienna, Austria-based European Brand Institute examined more than 3.000 brand corporations in 24 countries and points out it “explicitly views brand management from a European

perspective, which acknowledges regional cultures and preferences.”

Last month, Britain-based Brand Finance PLC released its own worldwide brand rankings, which saw Google topping its list, with Apple No. 2 and Microsoft No. 3.

In the Eurobrand rankings, Apple is ranked No. 1 with a brand value of $96.15 billion. Coca-Cola Co, at $76 billion, is No. 2; Microsoft is No. 3 with a brand value of $70.83 billion;

Google is No. 4 at $66.45 billion; and IBM is No. 5, at $63.79 billion.（source:techflash）

8）Epic’s Infinity Blade Makes The Unlikely Move To Arcades

by Frank Cifaldi

Arcade game maker Adrenaline Amusements will bring Epic’s popular iOS action RPG, Infinity Blade, to the coin-op world later this month with Infinity Blade FX.

The game will run on Adrenaline’s proprietary TouchFX brand of arcade cabinets, which features a 46-inch multi-touch screen to mimic the original mobile and tablet version of the game.

This is the third popular mobile title to be ported to the TouchFX system: Halfbrick’s Fruit Ninja and Firemint’s Flight Control are also available, and are interchangable within the same cabinet.

Developed by Epic’s Salt Lake subsidiary Chair Entertainment, Infinity Blade is an action role-playing game that until now was exclusive to Apple’s iOS devices.

The game was launched as something of a showcase for the iOS version of Epic’s Unreal Engine 3. A sequel to the game was recently announced.

Infinity Blade FX will debut at this week’s 2011 Gaming and Electronics Expo in Salt Lake City, and will be available to play at Dave & Buster’s locations nationwide by October 28, according to Chair. （source:gamasutra）

9）The Playforge releases new freemium iPhone life simulation Zombie Life

by Anthony Usher

Zombie Farm developer The Playforge has released a new casual undead-filled iPhone title called Zombie Life, which sees you become one of the walking dead.

Stuck in an unfamiliar town, you’re tasked with integrating yourself into society and keeping your undead nature a secret.

After customising your flesh-eater with different hairstyles, features, and “tons of clothing”, you’ll have to find yourself a job at one of the town’s establishments, such as Burger Kong.

Your money and free time can then be spent decorating your humble abode with furniture and other goodies, exploring different towns, and enjoying various recreational activities.

Zombie Life is available to download from the App Store completely free of charge, but offers packs of the game’s premium currency through in-app purchases. （source:pocketgamer）