1）根据阅读书目管理应用Read It Later最新数据显示，在2011圣诞节期间，下载Read It Later的亚马逊Kindle Fire设备数量几乎与iPad相同。在平安夜那天，Read  It Later的Kindle Fire用户仅占比5%，但圣诞节当天这一比例上升至14%。

new users by device(from read it later)

在节礼日（游戏邦注：圣诞节后的第一个工作日）当天，Kindle Fire所占新用户比例达到17%，仅次于iPad所占的19%。

xmas-2011-platform-sales-breakdown(from read-it-later)

Read It Later数据表明，Android用户的付费意愿并不低，该应用推出了一个免费精简版和一个3美元高级版，而圣诞节期间有46%的Read It Later付费用户来自Android平台，其中Kindle Fire用户占比19%。

2）NPD Group最新数据显示，抢手的iPhone 4S以及降价之后的iPhone助苹果缩小了iOS在美国与Android的市场份额差距。

2011年10月至11月份，iOS在美国智能手机销售市场份额达43%，远超第三季度的26%，报告称苹果iPhone 4S发售首周销量就超过400万部。

smartphone-market（from NPD）

与此同时，Android智能手机市场份额则从第三季度的60%降至47%；RIM黑莓设备仍在第四季度新智能手机销量中仅占比6%（游戏邦邦注：2011年初时黑莓智能手机曾与iOS比肩，两者销量曾分别占比21%和23%）。

Windows Phone 7和Windows Mobile市场份额仍处于边缘状态，该时期销量仅占比1%。

智能手机目前在美国新移动设备销量中占比67%，第四季度在该市场前三名最热销智能手机分别是iPhone 4S、iPhone 4和iPhone 3GS。

3）Digital Chocolate最近宣布聘请诺基亚前项目管理高管Kaj Häggman任公司副总裁兼赫尔辛基工作室总经理，以及前Sulake用户及营销主管Emmi Kuusikko任公司产品管理副总裁，并将进军Android手机游戏领域，同时把旗下的《Army Attack》引进iOS平台。

army attack(from insidesocialgames.com)

4）据insidesocialgames报道，独立工作室Spry Fox最近表示，他们正开发iOS版本的《Triple Town》。其首席执行官及联合创始人David Edery表示，他们尚未向苹果提交游戏，但相信很快就能让《Triple Town》登陆iPad和iPhone平台。

triple town bear(from games)

这款原来在Kindle设备上运行的游戏，现已进军Google+和Facebook平台。

5）据PCMag报道，诺基亚首席执行官Stephen Elop最近澄清诺基亚将被微软收购的传闻（游戏邦注：俄罗斯博客主Eldar Murtazin宣称微软正与诺基亚协商收购后者的事项），并称这种说法毫无根据，他对此不予置评。

6）据pocketgamer报道，为提高用户留存率，Zynga在1月12日至18日推出每日一款手机游戏虚拟物品奖励活动，并发布其16款手机游戏的相关成绩和数据。

从“Zynga mobile”信息图表中可以看出，Zynga手机游戏在App Store所获的玩家评价达230万次，平均超过4颗星；玩家每小时玩《Words With Friends》的时间超过350万小时，每天在《Hanging With Friends》中捅破的气球超过300万个。

zynga-infographic(from Zynga)

（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）Figures from Read It Later suggest number of Kindle Fire registrations over Christmas was similar to iPad

by Keith Andrew

If anyone needed another indicator that Amazon’s Kindle Fire is making serious waves, stats released by reading list management app Read It Later suggests its growth over Christmas was almost equal to that of iPad.

It appears many consumers picked the tablet up as a gift: Kindle Fire made up 5 percent of new Read It Later users on Christmas Eve, jumping to 14 percent on Christmas Day itself.

Firing up Android

The tablet’s share increased further on Boxing Day, hitting a 17 percent new user share, just behind iPad on 19 percent.

For Read It Later, not only does Kindle Fire’s success suggest its Android userbase is set to grow, but the company claims it also dismisses the notion that the platform’s users aren’t willing to pay for apps.

Its app is available in a free Lite version and a $3 Pro version, although only the Pro version is currently available for Kindle, boosting the paid share on Android.

“While some have claimed that Android users aren’t interested in paid or premium apps, 45 percent of Read It Later’s Pro users during the holidays came from Android, and 19 percent came from the Kindle Fire,” the firm concluded.（source:pocketgamer）

2）Apple Narrows Smartphone Sales Gap With Strong Quarter Following 4S Launch, NPD Says

Kathleen De Vere

The popularity of the iPhone 4S and new, lower prices on older iPhones are helping Apple narrow the smartphone sales gap between iOS and Android in the U.S., according to the latest data from consumer research firm the NPD Group.

According to a factsheet the company released at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the hotly anticipated iPhone 4S noticeably boosted iOS’ market share of smartphone sales to 43 percent in October and November, up from 26 percent in the third quarter. Apple reported it had sold more than 4 million iPhone 4S’ in its first weekend of the device’s availability.

While the jump between the third and fourth quarter seems dramatic, it is important to note that Apple’s market share in the third and fourth quarters was artificially distorted by the 4S, as many of those those planning to buy an iPhone waited for the new device’s release in October.  Overall however, what was good for iOS proved to be bad for Android, with the popularity of the 4S and the new lower prices on Apple’s older iPhones cutting Android’s share of new smartphone sales to 47 percent in October and November, down from 60 percent in the third quarter.

NPD’s figures also indicate new smartphone sales are now almost exclusively a contest between iOS and Android. RIM’s BlackBerry devices continued to lose market share in the fourth quarter, accounting for just six percent of new smartphone sales. At the beginning of the year, BlackBerry devices were almost as popular as iOS devices, holding 21 and 23 percent of sales respectively.  In response to its declining presence the Canadian company has made a variety of changes, and will soon be licensing BlackBerry’s security features to other manufactures.

The company’s co-chairmen, Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie are under intense pressure to step down.

Meanwhile Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 and Windows Mobile offerings continued to remain marginal, accounting for about one percent of total sales each.

Smartphone sales are also continuing to increase at the expense of traditional feature phones, and now account for 67 percent of all new device sales in the U.S. The top three selling smartphone phones in the fourth quarter were the iPhone 4S, the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 3GS according to NPD.（source:insidemobileapps）

3）Digital Chocolate snags VPs from Nokia, Sulake, announces Android apps and Army Attack for iOS

Kathleen De Vere

Digital Chocolate announced a series of significant executive hires today and revealed its games are coming to Android devices.

According to a Digital Chocolate press release, Nokia’s former head of program management execution, Kaj Häggman, is now Digital Chocolate’s vice president and the general manager of its Helsinki studio. Emmi Kuusikko, the former director of user and market insight at Sulake joins Digital Chocolate as vice president of product management.

Although Digital Chocolate announced the hires today, according to Häggman’s and Kuusikko’s LinkedIn profiles, both executives have been with the company since the tail-end of 2011.（source:insidemobileapps）

4）Triple Town to soon trick out iPhone, iPad with cross-platform to come

by Joe Osborne

We here at Games.com love us some Triple Town, the Kindle game that recently made the leap to Facebook and Google+. And indie developer Spry Fox knows that we’re not alone in our love for the town of threes. Spry Fox told Inside Social Games (ISG) that it’s working on a standalone version of Triple Town for iOS devices. Soon after, players will get work on the same towns that they’ve cultivated on social networks (i.e. cross-platform).

“All we can say is really soon,” Spry Fox CEO and co-founder David Edery told ISG, referring to when Triple Town will hit iOS devices. “We haven’t submitted to Apple yet, but we’re close. We have every intention of making it cross platform, timeline T.B.D.” While there are no details as to when Triple Town will hit iPhone or iPad, Edery did get into some recent changes made to the Google+ and Facebook versions of the game, like a new premium currency known as “Diamonds”.

According to Edery, the reason for adding a premium currency now was to allow the developer to continue to be more generous with ways for players to accumulate coins, which can buy the more important items in Triple Town. (In other words, game designers need to eat, too, you know.) But what about that game that beat Spry Fox to the punch on iPhone, Yeti Town?

“When we saw it we thought it was very similar and I’ve seen many articles that say things like ‘swap bears with yetis and ice cubes with gravestones and you’ve got Triple Town,’” Edery told ISG. We were disappointed to see that. We felt it was not something that another game company should do to an indie like us, but what can you do?”（source:games）

5）Elop: Nokia is not being bought by Microsoft

by Zen Terrelonge

Canadian CEO condemns web rumours.

Following gossip of Nokia moving its HQ from Finland, the phone maker finds itself at the centre of yet another web rumour, which has caused Nokia CEO Stephen Elop to voice his frustrations.

In light of Nokia selecting Microsoft’s Windows Phone OS to power future devices, Russian mobile blogger Eldar Murtazin claims Microsoft is going to buy Nokia’s smartphone arm.

He claims Elop and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer were finalising the deal at the CES event in Las Vegas, which would see the Nokia boss leave the company.

In an interview with PCMag, Elop responded to the claims, saying: “As we’ve described it before, the rumours are baseless, and some people who seem to enjoy generating rumors are running out of fresh material, so it seems to have come up again. I have nothing else to say.”（source:mobile-ent）

6）Zynga looks to improve iOS retention and drive downloads with Player Love Week

by Jon Jordan

With Zynga on a mission to rapidly expand its mobile gaming business, the company’s looking to release more games and better engage with its audience.

So with its 16th iOS title Scramble With Friends just released, it’s kicking off Player Love Week.

Running from today (12 Jan) to Wednesday 18 January, a virtual reward will be made available daily in one of its iOS games. The schedule is…

12 Jan: ForestVille – A free animated bear-in-a hammock for players to decorate their forest.

13 Jan: Hanging With Friends – 20 free coins to put toward power ups or balloon bling.

14 Jan: Zynga Poker – 3,000 poker chips to up the ante

15 Jan: Dream Zoo – It’s raining hearts. Players receive 40 hearts via an in-game fruit drop.

16 Jan: Words With Friends – A free tile pile that tells players which letters remain during a current match.

17 Jan: CityVille Hometown – Enjoy twice the amount of energy offered throughout the entire day.

18 Jan: Scramble With Friends – A token of love: free boosts for the entire day.

It’s also produced the following infographic to give some idea about the activity its games generate.（source:pocketgamer）