1）据pocketgamer报道，EA将于下个月向iPhone和iPad平台发布一款新模拟人生游戏《The Sims FreePlay》，但该游戏运行方式将与传统的《模拟人生》和《模拟人生社交版》有所不同，它支持玩家同时管理16个虚拟形象，玩家还是可以通过微交易购买商店和公园装饰自己的游戏世界。

first-details-on-the-sims-freeplay(from wireless.ign.com)

从其画面截图来看，这款游戏视觉风格更接近于传统版本的《模拟人生》而非Facebook版本。换句话说，其画面质量比《模拟人生社交版》更胜一筹。

2）据《纽约时报》报道，有知情者透露Zynga曾打算以9.5亿美元收购休闲游戏巨头Popcap Games，以22.5亿美元现金加股票收购Rovio，但均未能如愿，前者选择以7.5亿美元加额外对帐归入EA麾下，后者也拒绝了这项交易。

Rovio rejected Zynga(from poptechnews.com)

据称这两家公司拒绝的原因与Zynga的企业文化有关，Zynga员工经常要在以数据为标准的环境中承受高强度的加班工作，甚至有人预言Zynga兑现IPO后迟早会失去一大批员工，EA人力资源主管Gabrielle Toledano认为届时将有许多游戏及科技公司提供更有优势的条件以吸引Zynga成员。

3）亚马逊宣布在上周的黑色星期五促销活动中，其Kindle系列产品销量比2010年同期增加4倍，而11月15日在美国发售的平板电脑Kindle Fire则连续8周成为亚马逊最畅销产品（游戏邦注：亚马逊于8周前就已宣布将发售该产品，这里的销量包括之前的用户预订销量），但并未透露具体销售数据。

amazon-kindle-fire-tablet(from engadget.com)

亚马逊Kindle副总裁Dave Limp表示，还有许多用户同时购买了多部Kindle设备，一部留给自己，其他的当作礼物送给亲友。 JP Morgan分析师曾预测Kindle Fire销量在2011年底将达500万部

4）在最近的Develop Liverpool大会上，英国互动娱乐协会主管Andy Payne表示，他认为索尼和任天堂应该停产掌机设备，将注意力转移到软件开发上。

他称这两者如果将重心转移到开发软件上，就可以为它们自己御下重担和压力，但它们却没有认识到这一点。这两者拥有很棒的内容，假如《马里奥》或《塞尔达》系列出现在手机平台上，一定会有很多用户捧场。

5）据IBM数据显示，在今年感恩节期间，美国用户通过iPad购买的商品数量几乎是移动设备用户的两倍。平均来看，iPad用户的转化率为4.6%，而其他移动设备的转化率则是2.8%。

ipad-2-shopping(from gottabemobile)

在黑色星期五当天，来自iPad的访问量比2010年增长124%，而移动设备的访问量仅比去年增长60%。PointRoll（从属于Gannett公司）数据也显示，iPad用户更经常通过该设备购物。（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）The Sims FreePlay on iOS takes cues from The Sims Social next month

by Joe Osborne

Are you ready to live two lives with no escape? Then step right into The Sims FreePlay. EA’s brand new Sims game for iPhone and iPad will live up to its title, taking a cue from the largely successful The Sims Social for Facebook. However, this game will operate differently than both traditional Sims games and its social counterpart in that it will operate on a 24-hour cycle.

According to PocketGamer, this will entice players to check out what their Sims are up to throughout the day, rather than play for extended sessions. Well, if you ask the 6 million daily The Sims Social players, that sounds more like the Facebook game than we thought. Of course, the game will be supported by microtransactions for things like furniture and in-game speed boosts. (This little factoid leads us to believe your progress in the game is limited somehow.)

But here’s where the differences begin: Players will be able to manage up to 16 Sims at a time. Better yet, you’ll also get to customize your Sims’ town with shops and parks–neither of which you can do in The Sims Social. Based on early screens, this version of The Sims looks more like its traditional counterparts than what’s on Facebook. In other words, it looks a helluva lot better. The Sims FreePlay hits iPhone and iPad next month, and we’ll be all over it like Sims on Simoleons.（source:games）

2）Zynga failed to acquire both Popcap and Rovio, says New York Times

By Andrew Webster

Zynga has acquired a lot of companies, bit it looks as though its two biggest attempts to purchase both Popcap and Angry Birds developer Rovio failed.

According to a report from the New York Times, Zynga attempted to acquire Popcap Games for $950 million. Instead, the Bejeweled developer became part of Electronic Arts for $750 million plus potential bonuses. Rovio, meanwhile, was reportedly offered $2.25 billion in cash and stock from Zynga, but turned down the deal.

The Times cites numerous sources that claim that the reason Zynga was unable to acquire either company is due to its culture, which forces employees to work long hours in a stressful, data-driven environment. Some are even predicting that Zynga will lose a number of employees once it finally reaches its muh talked about initial public offereing.

“I expect a lot of game and tech companies will begin recruiting Zynga’s talent after their equity becomes liquid,” Gabrielle Toledano, head of human resources for Electronic Arts, told the Times. “Competitors will make the case that they offer much more compelling opportunities for creative people.”（source:gamezebo）

3）Kindle Fire is Amazon’s top selling product for the eighth week

by Matt Sakuraoka-Gilman

Amazon’s recent additions to its Kindle family, including the Kindle Fire, have held their position as the bestselling product across the online shopping website.

Over the course of the Black Friday holiday shopping spree, Amazon saw sales of the devices rise four times since the same period in 2010.

Released in the US on 15 November, the Android-powered tablet was announced eight weeks ago, with Amazon presumably including Kindle Fire pre-orders since then within the period refered to in its press release statement.

Of course, no specific figures were announced.

Black Fireday

“Even before the busy holiday shopping weekend, we’d already sold millions of the new Kindle family and Kindle Fire was the bestselling product across all of Amazon.com,” said Dave Limp, vice president of Amazon Kindle.

“Black Friday was the best ever for the Kindle family – customers purchased 4 times as many Kindle devices as they did last Black Friday – and last year was a great year.

“In addition, we’re seeing a lot of customers buying multiple Kindles – one for themselves and others as gifts – we expect this trend to continue on Cyber Monday and through the holiday shopping season.”

It has been predicted that the Kindle Fire could sell as many as 5 million units by the end of 2012, with shipment volumes being increased to meet the expected high demand.（source:pocketgamer）

4）Sony and Nintendo should stop making consoles, says UKIE chairman

by James Gilmour

Sony and Nintendo should stop making consoles and focus on developing software, according to Andy Payne, chairman of UK Interactive Entertainment.

Speaking at Develop Liverpool, Payne responded to a question from an audience member addressing the limitations imposed on first-party software.

“I think it would be a massive relief to both Sony and Nintendo to become content-only,” said Payne. “Right now, they might not even know it. You know that thing where you take drugs and you think it’s the best thing in the world? Then you get off them and go, ‘What was I doing?’

“To answer your question: Imagine any Mario or Zelda property being on the iPhone or an Android phone. They’d get £10 or £15 for it, because people would want to pay to have it on their phone. They would. And that would be amazing. And Sony’s content is amazing. I mean, Uncharted… it’s just brilliant!

“I’m not knocking those guys, because they really do make fantastic games. And when we kind of get that bit over, wouldn’t it be refreshing to have Nintendo really making stuff for the iPhone, Android, and all the other stuff that’s around?”

While it would be incredibly pleasing to jump between the the Mario and Uncharted franchises on an iOS or Android handset, it remains to be seen how a single device would handle the specific control demands of each title.（source:pocketgamer）   http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/Multiformat/UKIE+news/news.asp?c=35593

5）iPad Users Dominate Holiday Shopping

By Alicia Eler

iPad-using Thanksgiving Day shoppers purchased items nearly twice as much as people using mobile devices, according to data from IBM. On average, iPad conversion rates hit 4.6% compared with 2.8% for other mobile devices. On Black Friday, visits from iPads increased 124% vs 2010, whereas visits from mobile devices only increased 60% vs 2010. Gannett-owned PointRoll shows similar trends, noting that iPad users shopped more from their devices. Offers via iPads grew 85% over 2010, with the most access occurring on the Sunday after Black Friday. On that day, iPad access increased by 223% as compared to 2010 levels. （source:readwriteweb）