1）据insidemobileapps报道，Epic Games及旗下工作室Chair Entertainment最近推出的《无尽之剑2》刚发布不久就已成为苹果App Store头号热销游戏，并称雄iOS游戏营收榜单，该游戏的iPhone、iPod touch和iPad通用版本售价为6.99美元。

无尽之剑 2(from insidemobileapps)

与原版《无尽之剑》一样，这款继集游戏也针对iPad 2和iPhone 4S优化了视觉效果，它包括一些Game Center成就系统，提供积分排行榜支持世界各地玩家比拼分数。Chair计划植入新功能Clashmob，将支持玩家参与群体挑战，并通过Facebook和Twitter分享游戏成就。

2）comScore最新数据显示，Android和iOS仍是美国智能手机市场领军力量；第三季度美国智能手机用户总数达9000万，比第二季度增长10%。

Top Smartphone Platforms(from comScore)

Android在第三季度的市场份额已增长至46.3%，苹果则是28.1%，RIM下降4.5个百分点，目前仅占比17.2%。

Windows Phone和Symbian均流失3个百分点，微软占比5.4%，Symbian则仅剩1.5%。

Top Mobile OEM(from comScore)

从移动设备制造商的情况来看，三星市场份额与第二季度持平，仍以25.5%的比例领先于其他竞争对手；LG在同一时期下滑3个百分点，唯一出现增长的是苹果，目前占据10.8%市场份额，总共拥有2160万美国用户。

3）澳大利亚开发商Halfbrick宣布新成立的悉尼工作室最近获得了Interactive Media Fund提供了300万澳元的资金，将致力于开发《水果忍者》系列新游戏。

该公司表示新款《水果忍者》刚刚起步，尚未确定具体玩法细节情况，但会采用全新的角度创造游戏体验。

4）Halfbrick最近也针对其手机游戏《水果忍者》推出两款官方版毛绒玩具，其中之一是游戏中的“老师”这个角色，售价15.99美元，另一个是西瓜玩偶（带有眼睛和忍者头带），售价14.99美元。

水果忍者玩偶from games)

但如果选择同时购买两件毛绒玩具，就仅需支付29美元的优惠价格。

5）据games报道，EA最近向加拿大苹果iTunes应用商店发布新款iOS免费增值游戏《Theme Park》。

theme-park-ios(from theappera.com)

玩家在游戏中可建设自己的主题公园，解琐一些新景点。但非付费玩家需要经历漫长的过程积累经验值，如果玩家希望快速升级自己的公园，就可以花钱购买Skull-Train云宵飞车等道具加速这一进程，不过其中的付费内容价格偏贵，有些道具售价甚至超过60美元。

6）据games报道，Zynga最近购买的一个域名表明该公司将推出新款游戏《ForestVille》。

forestville-facebook-fan-page(from games)

根据该游戏Facebook粉丝页面显示，《ForestVille》游戏任务是让玩家建立一个神话般的森林，扩大森林面积并解琐新的物种。（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）Epic Games, Chair Entertainment’s Infinity Blade II Rides High in the App Store

Randy Nelson

Released nearly one year ago, the original Infinity Blade from Epic Games and developer Chair Entertainment has been one of the most successful gaming titles on the iOS platform. Now its sequel, Infinity Blade II, has just come out after being promised by the pair of companies and Apple at the iPhone 4S launch three months ago.

The first Infinity Blade was the fastest-selling iOS app of all time upon its release, earning more than $1.6 million during its first four days on sale. Infinity Blade II looks like it will repeat this success, having already reached the No. 1 spot on the App Store’s top-selling and top-grossing iOS game charts. The universal app for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad sells for $6.99.

Infinity Blade II improves on the first release in a number of ways, both in gameplay and technology. The game brings back the one-on-one, swiping-based swordplay. There’s also dodging, blocking, which are enhanced with new two-sword, two-hand, and sword-and-shield fighting styles. There are also more diverse enemies and a revamped upgrade system.

Like the first game, this one lets users upgrade their weapons, armor, shields and artifacts using gold they acquire throughout the levels and by winning in combat. Weapons can now be augmented using up to three gems, imbuing them with elemental powers. Gold can once again be purchases for real money using in-app purchases, but the game can be played in its entirety without requiring such purchases.

Chair Entertainment has made great strides when it comes to presentation in Infinity Blade II, producing a title that is on par with most console and full-priced portable releases. Storyline was a major focus for the developer, and the new title features more of a plot than the first, with more dialogue and full voice acting. Of course, the Unreal Engine 3-powered game has a lot going for it visually and appears to push Apple’s mobile hardware to the limit with its console-quality graphics. Like the first game, Infinity Blade II features visuals specifically enhanced for the newer-generation iPad 2 and iPhone 4S. However, it’s still playable on older devices, albeit without as much graphical flair.

The game includes a number of Game Center achievements to unlock, and utilizes Apple’s social gaming platform to provide leaderboard information comparing players’ scores to those of their friends on a global level, as well. Chair is planning a feature called “Clashmob,” which will add social challenges to the game for rewards and in-game items in a future free update. It will allow players to participate in group challenges and share their successes on Facebook and Twitter.

The developer also intends to expand Infinity Blade II with free future updates including new titans and bosses to battle, along with new areas, weapons and items.（source:insidemobileapps）

2）Android’s continued ascent in US sees BlackBerry lose 4.5% share in 3 months, reports comScore

by Keith Andrew

Executives at RIM must wish someone would change the record: 2011 will not go down as one of the Canadian firm’s vintage years, with almost every measure available illustrating a hefty slump in BlackBerry’s fortunes.

The latest numbers for the US market from comScore are no different.

While both Android and iOS continue to grow smartphone share – Google’s platform up 4.4 percentage points between July and October to a 46.3 percent share – BlackBerry has fallen further back, dropping 4.5 percentage points during the same period to its current hand of 17.2 percent.

Growing Google

That’s of a total 90 million smartphone subscribers now installed in the US market – up 10 percent from the preceding three month period.

Aside from Android, the only other OS showing growth is iOS, up 1 percentage point in second to a 28.1 percent share.

Both Windows Phone and Symbian fell by 0.3 percentage points in comparison, with Microsoft’s share having almost halved from the end of 2010 – not exactly a glowing indictment of Windows Phone’s first year on the market.

Solid Samsung

Things are far more stable – or, depending on your point of view, stagnant – when it comes to OEM share, with Samsung’s market leading 25.5 percent share holding strong between July and October.

Closest competitor LG fell back 0.3 percentage points during the same period, but on the whole, there’s currently very little movement in the market.

Indeed, the only manufacturer gaining share – thanks to iPhone 4S’s launch – is Apple, which now holds 10.8 percent of the market, or more than 21.6 million subscribers in total.（source:pocketgamer）

3）Halfbrick’s Sydney Studio State-Funded, Working On New Fruit Ninja

by Mike Rose

Halfbrick’s Sydney Studio State-Funded, Working On New Fruit Ninja

The new Sydney branch of Australian developer and publisher Halfbrick, maker of popular iOS game Fruit Ninja, is being funded as part of the state’s 3 million Australian dollar Interactive Media Fund.

New South Wales deputy premier Andrew Stoner also revealed that the Sydney studio will be focusing on “the next evolution of the Fruit Ninja games franchise.”

He then went on to explain the concept for the next Fruit Ninja title, which involved players launching fruit to knock ninjas from towers — however, the Halfbrick studio later denied that Stoner’s description had anything to do with its new game, reports GameSpot.

“At this stage, we are beginning the prototyping phase of our Sydney-based Fruit Ninja project, and all gameplay details are still completely unconfirmed,” said Halfbrick’s marketing director Phil Larsen.

“We’ll be making something new, and it will be a great addition to our Fruit Ninja franchise, but the game could definitely take many different directions — the team is just getting started, and game development is a long and complicated road!”

Regarding the fund, Stoner noted, “This fund will help NSW build its share of the high-value digital games sector, which will be increasingly important in developing serious business and education tools, as well as entertainment games, like the latest Fruit Ninja project.” （source:gamasutra）

4）Hey, if Angry Birds can do it: Fruit Ninja gets its very own plush toys

by Joe Osborne

Look, if the creator of Angry Birds can put out a cookbook for Pete’s sake, then Fruit Ninja can get its own official plush toys. Here’s the thing, Halfbrick: Rovio has a cast of adorable characters with which to make plush toys. You have … an old guy and some fruit–not exactly ready to leap off the shelves. Nevertheless, the Fruit Ninja maker has released two official plush toys.

The first is a plush version of the sensei you see in the game daily (we know it’s daily) for $15.99. The second? A watermelon with eyes and a headband that’s split in half for $14.99. Wait a second, the watermelon has eyes and a headband! That looks freaking adorable, now take us to where we put the magic numbers in. Now that we’re out 15 bucks, it looks like Fruit Ninja has finally “arrived”. (You can also buy both in a bundle for $29–some deal, huh?)

Well, we’d take the fact that Halfbrick plans to open a studio dedicated entirely to the Fruit Ninja sequel as evidence of that. But really, we’re smelling a trend here: Not only is Rovio in on the plush toys now, but so is Zynga with more FarmVille plush toys than we can afford shake a stick at. And if Fruit Ninja has arrived, where are our customizable Sims plush toys?（source:games）

5）EA continues to target freemium market – offering $60 rides on Theme Park iOS game

Dan Crawley

In an attempt to further monetize its iOS gaming portfolio, Electronic Arts is releasing a freemium version of the popular real time strategy game Theme Park on iTunes.

Although the game is initially free to play, if you want to upgrade your park quickly, you are going to have to cough up some real cash, with some single rides costing the equivalent of $60.

This move comes hot on the heels of EA’s decision to introduce a $30 a year subscription fee to its Tetris iOS game.

The game has not yet been released in the US, but Canadian iPhone owners can already get their hands on it. AOL has reported on the game, in which you build your own theme park, by choosing shops and rides, and says that progressing without spending any real money is a painfully slow process.

Users sticking to the free features in the game are able to unlock a limited selection of attractions, but any really ‘cool’ items cost Tickets, which are purchased with real money. AOL states that a Skull-Train roller coaster in the game costs the equivalent of $60 to purchase, and that the majority of the game’s rides are just as expensive.

There is certainly money to be made in the freemium game market on iOS, with Smurfs Village  and Tiny Tower both having proved their worth recently. Whether EA can replicate its Sims Social Facebook success on iOS remains to be seen, but with the average transaction value for iOS or Android purchase at $14, they may be a little off the mark.（source:venturebeat）

6）ForestVille: Zynga’s next ‘Ville’ game headed to iPhone, iPad

by Libe Goad

Over the weekend, Zynga went on a domain shopping spree for something called ForestVille. Turns out, this is, indeed, yet another ‘Ville’ game for Zynga, and it will be headed to iPhone and iPad. The game already has an official Facebook fan page and here’s a description pulled from the Info page:

“FROM THE MAKERS OF FARMVILLE and CITYVILLE HOMETOWN

Help Daisy the fox and her furry friends build a fabulous forest habitat! Establish farms and fishing spots for food, decorate with natural wonders, and expand your forest to unlock new species. Play ForestVille from Zynga and create the forest of your dreams!”

We can’t help but notice Daisy’s short shorts and buck teeth/fangs. If that’s not a blatant nod to Daisy in Dukes of Hazzard, well, it should be. （source:games）