1）EA近日宣布通过腾讯开放平台把旗下热门社交游戏《模拟人生社交版》引进中国市场，游戏中文版名称为《模拟时光》。

模拟时光(from zj1u.com)

该游戏于去年登陆Facebook，并迅速在发布首月收获5000万活跃用户，在DAU上超越Zynga游戏《FarmVille》。

中文版游戏由EA Playfish北京团队开发，在美术和设计上都进行了本土化处理。

2）知识产权开发商Personalized Media Communications（简称PMC）最近在美国德克萨斯东部地区法院起诉Zynga，声称后者的《World with Friends》、《CityVille》、《FarmVille》等游戏侵犯其四项专利权。

lawsuit(from games)

这四项专利代码分别为7,797,717、 7,908,638、7,734,251和7,860,131，涵盖范围包括“使用电子媒体内容中的控制方式和信息信号生成并展现与用户个人相关的内容”。这些专利的其他描述功能还包括访问媒体内容的控制方式，基于个人属性的个性化内容，下载技术管理，网络管理，匹配广告控制，以及媒体及其他内容购买方式。

3）AppMobi旗下的HTML5游戏开发和部署工具PlayMobi最近已进入公开测试阶段，该工具适用于iOS/Android/Facebook平台，同时还针对不同支付系统推出了“1touch”跨平台IAP服务。

appmobi_logo(from appmobi.mobilitypr.com)

据AppMobi所称，使用PlayMobi开发的游戏可自动根据用户设备所采用的支付系统（游戏邦注：例如iOS平台的iTunes、Android平台的Coogle Payments和Facebook平台的Credit，以及其他网站平台的Paypal）自动完成交易。

这个1touch系统将通过JavaScript编程界面和电子商务功能，减少开发者针对跨平台项目部署IAP功能的障碍。PlayMobi还支持用户跨平台体验游戏，植入社区功能（例如积分排行榜、通过Facebook Connect登录游戏等）和分析工具。

4）据techcrunch报道，Rovio在情人节发布的Facebook版《愤怒的小鸟》引进了4种新升级道具，它们分别是Sling Scope、Birdquake、Super Seeds和King Sling，玩家若花1美元则可使用20次，如果花20美元，则可使用1000次。

Angry Birds Facebook(from allfacebook.com)

5）Facebook近日宣布推出新一轮Facebook Credit促销活动，向首次购买Facebook Credit的用户提供消费1美元赠送4美元免费Credit的优惠服务。

据称目前仅有5%的Facebook游戏玩家曾在免费增值游戏中消费，如果Facebook能够提高玩家付费比率，该平台第三方开发商就能获得更多利润。

Facebook Credits(from techcrunch)

但与苹果iTunes不同的是，后者服务绑定了大量的信用卡帐号，Facebook若要鼓励用户积极消费，就得创造减少支付障碍的条件。从目前来看，用户如果要消费1美元以便获赠40个Credit，他们就需要先创建一个信用卡帐户，或者通过PayPaly帐号付款。（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 Social coming to China via Tencent

by Mike Rose

EA revealed today that it is bringing its popular social game, The Sims Social, to China via a new agreement with major Chinese online game developer and operator Tencent.

The Sims Social launched on Facebook last year, and put a social spin on the classic The Sims franchise. The game quickly became popular with 50 million active users in its first month, overtaking Zynga’s Farmville in daily active users.

The Chinese version of the game will be known as Mo Ni Shi Guang, and will be available to play via Tencent’s social network Open Platform.

It is also being expanded to leverage the network’s services, and localized both in terms of art and game design. This new version is being developed by EA’s Playfish studio in Beijing.

Earlier this month, EA’s COO Peter Moore discussed with Gamasutra how the company was forced to “dive in” with social games, or risk being left behind. （source:gamasutra）

2）Zynga sued over use of personalized game content patents

by Mike Rose

Intellectual property developer Personalized Media Communications has sued social games giant Zynga in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, citing infringement of four of its patents.

PMC alleges that a number of Zynga’s titles, including Words with Friends, CityVille and Farmville, use PMC’s patented technology.

Four patents in particular are named — numbers 7,797,717, 7,908,638, 7,734,251 and 7,860,131 — covering “the use of control and information signals embedded in electronic media content to generate output for display that is personalized and relevant to a user.”

Other aspects of basic functionality covered by the patents include controlled access of media content, personalized content based on individual attributes, management of downloading technologies, network management, control of targeted advertising, and purchase of media and other products.

PMC founder John C. Harvey explained, “Many years of time and labor went into developing our inventions and securing the patents that permit their practice. It wouldn’t be right to sit by and allow them to be infringed.”

Gamasutra has contacted Zynga for a response to the allegations. （source:gamasutra）

3）AppMobi unveils HTML5 dev tool for smartphones, Facebook

by Eric Caoili

AppMobi has launched its public beta for PlayMobi, a tool for HTML5 game development and deployment for iOS/Android/Facebook, which also offers “1touch” cross-platform in-app purchases for different payment systems.

Calling the feature “an industry first,” AppMobi says PlayMobi games automatically complete transactions for the appropriate payment system based on the device, such as iTunes for iOS, Google Payments for Android, Credits for Facebook, and Paypal for Open Web (web games outside of Facebook).

The company believes that by providing a JavaScript programming interface that supports e-commerce across the platforms, PlayMobi’s “1touch” system will eliminate the annoyances developers face when implementing in-app purchases for multi-platform projects.

PlayMobi also allows for multi-device play, so a user can carry their profile, progress, scores, and achievements from the Facebook version of an HTML5 game to his or her iOS/Android device, or vice versa.

Additionally, PlayMobi features community features (e.g. leaderboards, user logins with Facebook connect), analytics tools, and more.

AppMobi is offering the SDK free of charge to a limited number of developers during its beta testing phase. （source:gamasutra）

4）In-App Birdchases: Play Angry Birds On Facebook For Free, But Pay To Win

Josh Constine

Angry Birds has just launched on Facebook, and developer Rovio is trying out a different business model that flocks together with other freemium games on the social network. Rather than make you pay $1 up front for a mobile download, there’s 4 new powerups that you can buy for cheap – just $1 for 20 uses.

By expanding its in-app purchases beyond the level-beating Mighty Eagle, Rovio could earn higher a higher average lifetime revenue per user for itself and Facebook rather than squeezing a single golden egg from players upon install.

In classic freemium style, you get the first power-ups free, but more uses will cost you. There’s the Sling Scope for pinpoint targeting, Birdquake to shake down precariously perched pigs, Super Seeds for stronger birds, and the King Sling for a velocity boost. Those looking to fire birds for eternity can buy 1000 uses of any power-up for $20. These purchases combine with mobile app sales and physical merchandise to make Rovio a very well monetized developer.（source:techcrunch）

5）Whale Hunting: Facebook Hooks 1st-Time Buyers With $5 Of Game Credits For $1

Josh Constine

Only about 5% Facebook gamers pay to play freemium games. If Facebook could up this percentage, it and its third-party app developers could make a lot more money. That’s the idea behind a new promotion Facebook announced today where those who’ve never bought Facebook Credits virtual currency before will be offered $4 in free Credits when they buy $1. This gets users to set up their credit card and experience the rush of paying for an enhanced gaming experience.

Years ago when Facebook first launched its Credits virtual currency, it offered free Credits to some users. While this might have got them hooked on spending virtual currency, it didn’t addict them to paying for it.

Facebook needs credit card numbers badly. Apple has amassed an enormous collection after 10 years of iTunes Mp3 sales, which is now helping it easily sell apps and in-app purchases. If Facebook wants to grow its revenue to satisfy outside investors and be a competitive mobile gaming platform, it needs to get users ready to pay.

But like the street corner pusher says, “this ain’t no charity”. Facebook is only surfacing the promotion in sidebar ads, and TrialPay in-game promotions and offer walls to those who haven’t already bought Credits. User than have to set up a credit card or connect a PayPal account and pay $1 to get the extra $4, or 40 Credits. And next time, they’ll have to pay full price. Facebook wisely does not provide any way to reach the promotion directly in order to deter users from trying to cheat their way to free currency.（source:techcrunch）