1. 据Strategy Analytics的消息称2011年Q4，Nokia已经占有Windows Phone 7 33%的市场份额，超越之前的HTC，后者目前的核心战略点主要放在Android市场。2011年Q4，Windows Phone 7 手机的出货量为270万部，其中Nokia的出货量为90万部。但相比教育苹果Q4将近4000万部iphone手机的出货量数据，显然Windows Phone 7 手机目前的市场占比仍然显低。

2. John Paul Titlow认为苹果对Chomp的收购可以改善App Store的用户检索体验（不管是从开发者需求还是从用户角度需求都是），甚至有很多人预测，检索将成为未来应用商店相对核心的选项，特别是在活跃应用极度膨胀而商店所能提供的展示位置相对有限的情况下。但我们知道Chomp本身也有提供Android方面的服务，最终苹果将如何整合这个资源呢？

3. 即使在Html5游戏市场被无限看好的情况下也往往冰火两重天，由Mohr Davidow Ventures和Deep Fork Capital超千万美元级别投资的Moblyng因经营不善而倒闭；但同样有更多的投资者看好整个未来市场，包括中经合千万美元级别投资创新工场旗下磊友以及Highland Capital、Greylock、Benchmark、CRV和General Catalyst以1200万美元完成了对Game Closure的A轮投资。

4. 据Rovio首席执行官Mikael Hed在All Things Digital的访谈中宣称，Rovio在未来将可能进军游戏发行市场以及对其他公司的产品进行并购（对于很多强势的资本和资源型公司来说，诸如Zynga进入发行市场和并购完善产品线，这似乎是提高竞争力最为便捷的渠道）。Rovio现在的单一产品线可能也是他们面临的最大的问题，但目前他们具有非常强势的用户资源和可观的现金流，这些都能够支撑他们未来涉足发行市场及采取并购策略。

5. comScore的研究数据称，在美国手机用户中7个就有1个持有平板电脑，这个比例差不多为15%。按照comScore的统计在过去的两年，北美、欧洲五大国及日本市场平板的出货量已经达到了4000万部。

2011年对智能机市场来说是具有里程碑意义的一年，这一年智能手机认同度获得显著提高，逐步变成主流市场。

6. Pocketgamer版2012年前50佳手机游戏研发公司榜单，第41到50名的排序：第50名为Full Fat（新晋）；第49名Andreas Illiger（新晋，个人），代表作品是Tiny Wings；第48名Neon Play（去年36）；第47名RedLynx（新晋）；第46名PlayFirst（新晋），代表作品是Diner Dash系列；第45名Cave（未变）；第44名SkyVu（新晋）；第43名Mojang（新晋），代表作品是Minecraft ；第42名Miniclip（去年43）；第41名Digital Chocolate（去年26）

7. 据MIIT的消息，中国将在2月底突破10亿规模的手机持有量（中国的总人口超过13亿），这个数据在2011年底为9亿8600万。3G用户大概为1亿3700万（不一定是智能机用户，智能机暂时还低于1亿），占比14%左右。

（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 Microsoft-Nokia partnership is still in its infancy, but it would seem as though that little guy is about ready to start walking. Strategy Analytics today released Q4 numbers showing that Nokia holds 33 percent of the Windows Phone 7 market share, pushing the Finnish phone giant to the top spot globally.

Windows Phone 7 devices in general are up 36 percent with 2.7 million units shipped in the fourth quarter. Nokia’s slice of the pie comprises .9 million units sold. HTC, the world’s former top Windows Phone Vendor, has now fallen to number two, reports CNET. While HTC has a new strategy and is mostly focused on Android for the time being, Nokia’s ability to gobble up WP7 market share can’t come as good news to a company that’s experiencing a bit of a growth stunt.

While this is a solid entry for the Nokia/Microsoft duo — and remember, Nokia’s Windows phones only made their way onto shelves in the fourth quarter — there’s still plenty of catching up to do.

Apple’s numbers during the same period (which, in Apple terms, would be its first quarter) accounted for 37 million iPhones being sold. In fact, the iPhone 4S sold 4 million units in its first weekend on the market.

At the same time, Nokia has been good about keeping things fresh and is expected to unveil two new devices at MWC this week, perhaps with some “Pure View” imaging features.（Source：techcrunch）

2. Whenever somebody we know gets their first iPhone, it seems the first question out of their mouths is always the same. “What apps should I get?” It’s seldom anything about how the phone’s user interface works or how to do certain day-to-day tasks. That much tends to be obvious once even the least tech-savvy person gets their hands on an iOS device.

When it comes to finding applications, however, things are not always as straight forward. The iTunes App Store makes it easy to find the most popular apps or break them all down into general categories. If you’ve been using the device for awhile, the Genius recommendations can help, but even they can be of limited value. The selection has expanded so much over the last few years that app discovery has become a little cumbersome.

Apple knows this. To help build out a better system for app discovery, they just acquired a company called Chomp, Techcrunch reported today.

Chomp is, quite simply, a search engine for mobile applications. It spans both the iTunes App Store and Android Market and offers more sophisticated and contextually relevant results for search queries. As the company explains on its website, “Chomp’s proprietary algorithm learns the functions and topics of apps, so you can search based on what apps do, not just what they’re called.”

The company first grabbed attention in the mobile space by landing significant funding from well-known angel investors and venture capital firms. It counts among its advisors tech scene hotshots like Kevin Rose and Ashton Kutcher.

The Chomp acquistion is reportedly intended to help Apple completely overhaul the way apps are searched for and discovered in the App Store, according to Techcrunch.

With Chomp’s technology integrated, searches for iOS Apps will return more useful results and recommendations could be aided by additional data points, such as social cues and other aggregate user behavior data.

In the end, Apple’s selection of more than 500,000 mobile and tablet apps will be easier to sift through and developers should have an easier time getting exposure for their work.

Chomp also has a Google-style text ad platform in beta, although it’s not clear if that will play a role in Apple’s integration.（Source：readwriteweb）

3. Game Closure, a HTML5-based cross-platform tools startup, has raised $12 million in a round of series A funding with the aim to provide its tools to as many developers as possible.

The company used its cross-platform tools to launch a tower defense game called Popstar Defense across a variety of platforms last year, reports Venturebeat, and a number of investors were then interested in supporting the outfit as a result.

Investors in this round of funding included Highland Capital, Greylock, Benchmark, CRV, and General Catalyst. The company now plans to make its tools available to other developers. （Source：gamasutra）

4. Angry Birds creator Rovio is considering making a number of acquisitions in the near future, while also thinking about becoming a publisher for other developers.

The company was valued at $1.2 billion last year, although it later said that it thought this figure was too low. It is also considering an initial public offering, although it has said this will not happen in 2012.

Talking to All Things Digital, Rovio CEO Mikael Hed explained that the company is currently preparing itself to make acquisitions. However, he noted that it will have to be careful about the deals it makes.

“It would be very easy for us to just go shopping,” he said. “To get lasting benefit is the hard part.”

He also said that Rovio may well begin publishing titles for other companies, suggesting that the methods with which it made Angry Birds a success could be carried across to games from other developers.

Elsewhere, Hed revealed that the company has a game currently in production that is a new IP and not part of the Angry Birds franchise. He said it will be made available “in a couple of months.”（Source：gamasutra）

5. As fast as the smartphone market is expanding, it seems that the tablet market is expanding even faster.

That’s the conclusion drawn from comScore’s annual look at the mobile scene in 2011.

The firm claims a total of 40 million tablets have shipped to mobile users across North America, the EU5 countries and Japan during the last two years.

Such a figure means the tablet market is growing at more than three times the pace of smartphones, which took seven years to amass such a userbase.

Symbian unsettled

ComScore also concludes that 15 percent of mobile consumers in the US now own a tablet – equal to around one in seven Americans.

When it comes to the smartphones, it says 2011 was the year Android and iOS cemented their leadership position in the industry.

Combined, the two platforms boast almost 80 percent market share in the US.

In the EU5, Android in particular has been a strong performer, unseating previous market leader Symbian in the three biggest markets in the region – Germany, France and the UK.

As a result, Android’s total market share in the region has hit 31.2 percent, with iOS coming in third on 20.7 percent.

Smart consumers

“2011 proved to be a groundbreaking year for the mobile industry, with smartphones hitting the mainstream, tablets emerging as a formidable fourth screen, and consumers increasingly integrating mobile behaviours into their lifestyles,” said senior VP of mobile Mark Donovan.

“As mobile channels present a more personal, social, and ubiquitous experience to consumers, advertisers and publishers have an opportunity to better engage target audiences, given an understanding of how to connect and leverage the unique characteristics of these emerging platforms.”

In all, comScore concludes 42 percent of mobile subscribers in the US own a smartphone, with adoption even higher in the EU5, where smartphone penetration sits at 44 percent.（Source：pocketgamer）

6. Considering the many thousands of publishers and developers who are daily making new mobile games and supporting live titles, the task of picking out the relatively small number of 50 as being ‘top’ may seem to be a Sisyphean exercise.

Yet, that process provides a wealth of useful information, while the rigor of directly comparing companies – one against another – forces us to think about what we mean by the term ‘top developers’.

In terms of our process at PocketGamer.biz, we used metrics such as creativity, critical acclaim, sales performance, innovation especially in terms of business model, and that certain je ne sais quoi that only the best studios exude.

The full list – produced in conjunction with leading mobile application analytics and advertising platform Flurry – will be revealed daily through our Top 50 Developer of 2012 section.

50. Full Fat

New entry

One of those studios that’s been working away solidly behind the scenes for – in this case – over 15 years and 75 releases, UK outfit Full Fat has gained profile recently thanks to its original IP mobile titles. Most of its releases are in its paid Flick casual sports sim range, which get players to fire all manner of balls with their fingers.

Now developing simultaneously on iOS and Android, most recently it’s been on an American football charge, working with the NFL for two games. Its soccer and golf games also come highly regarded.

49. Andreas Illiger

New entry

One man, one game.

Tiny Wings was perhaps the signature game of 2011 in that its simplicity and virality harked back to an early time on the App Store many thought had been lost forever. And its success is undeniable. It hasn’t left the top 20 game charts since its February release, taking the #1 top grossing spot in the US and UK among 38 countries.

Still, its developer – a young German – has remained a private figure, not giving interviews or significantly updating the game. It will certainly be interesting to see whether he comes up with something new in 2012.

48. Neon Play

Down 12

UK start up Neon Play kicked off 2011 with 4 million iOS downloads; 12 months later it had accumulated a further 26 million across iOS and Android. And CEO Oli Christie was named UK entrepreneur of the year by National Chamber of Commerce.

One reason for this success is it’s releasing a lot of very casual free-to-play titles – 32 to-date – particularly based around its Paper Glider franchise. It’s active in the sports genre too with football, soccer, tennis and golf games.

Recent release Traffic Panic 3D, and its plans for social games in 2012, demonstrates rising production standards and ambition.

47. RedLynx

New entry

The big news from RedLynx in 2011 was its acquisition by Ubisoft for an undisclosed sum in November.

The reason for this is the Finnish developer’s expertise with digital downloads; on mobile, PC and console.

Indeed, in 1000 Heroz, it released one of the most conceptually ambitious titles of the year with a new platform level being unlocked every day for people to compete on, with respect to fastest times.

Its signature mobile game, however, was DrawRace 2, which was published by Chillingo to great acclaim and plenty of fan activity with over 14 million game sessions. Although it wasn’t a huge commercial success. With Ubisoft’s backing, that looks certain to change in 2012.

46. PlayFirst

New entry

One of the band of casual PC publishers now making its way on mobile, US outfit PlayFirst saw an 86 percent increase in active mobile gamers during 2011.

Thanks to the success of its Dash franchises – notably Diner Dash, which has been updated over 30 times – the company boasts over 25 million installs and 5 million monthly active users.

And 2012 will see another SpongeBob Diner Dash game, although the company’s not just about time management, with four games released in its adventure series Dream Chronicles. It’s still to release on platforms other than iOS, however.

45. Cave

No change

Well known in the west for its various bullet hell shoot-’em ups on iOS, Japanese publisher Cave is a much more rounded company if you consider its entire game library.

Domestically, it’s now very active on social mobile platforms such as GREE and Mobage; indeed, in August it took a $2.3 million investment from GREE to support its platform.

Hit social titles in Japan include Shirotsuku (Build A Castle!), which has three million users on Mobage, and – working with EA – a version of SimCity for GREE. 2012 should see it focus more on Android too.

44. SkyVu

New entry

US developer SkyVu continues to build out its 3D shooter Battle Bears franchise, adding new games, themes and modes, most notably its real-time four-on-four multiplayer Royale game.

Mixing up the paid model with free-to-play, the series has now been downloaded over 14 million times.

Certainly not on an Angry Birds scale, nevertheless with a core fanbase, and merchandising such as comic and plushes, not to mention a push into animated content and social games, it’s a great demonstration of the power of mobile to kickstart a media property, even a niche one.

43. Mojang

New entry

Minecraft wasn’t an obvious game to bring to mobile. Still, released with just the sandbox mode of the indie smash in place, Minecraft – Pocket Edition has proved to be very successful.

Launching exclusively on Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Play, and then on Android and iOS, it’s sold over 700,000 units; not bad at a price of $6.99. The free demo version has been downloaded several million times too.

The Survival mode – complete with day/night cycle and monsters – has now arrived via an update, although Mojang points out that the mobile game is its own version, and won’t copy the PC experience in terms of future direction.

42. Miniclip

Up 1

Following its solid start on iOS, Flash gaming portal Miniclip pushed on in 2011 with over 15 titles available on iOS and a couple on Android.

Originally based on a 99c paid version, backed with separate Lite version business model, it’s experimented with free-to-play games using IAP to unlock new content.

The result is its iOS games have been downloaded over 50 million times. Notable key releases are Monster Island, Gravity Guy and Apache Overkill, which were ported by its inhouse Portugal-based team. It’s now looking to move onto Windows Phone.

41. Digital Chocolate

Down 15

Highlighting its status as one of the few companies that’s hit a 100 million installs each on web, Facebook and mobile platform, Digital Chocolate has been increasing its mobile focus in recent months.

The reason is the growing importance of a joined up social cross-platform strategy, which has seen Facebook hits such as Zombie Lane and Millionaire City arrive on iOS and Android. It’s released games on Windows Phone too.

Digital Chocolate’s 2012 activity will also be boosted by its acquisition of Cake Mania studio Sandlot and the raising of $12 million of investment in February 2011.（Source：pocketgamer）

7. Of the 7 billion people living on Earth, around 1.3 billion live in China.

And according to data from MIIT, more than 1 billion of them will own mobile phones by the end of February – if in fact that number has not been reached already.

Apparently, the total was around 986 million by the end of 2011, and grew by almost 10 million mobiles in January.

And counting

Of those mobile owners, an estimated 137 million are on 3G connections, making up around 14 percent of the userbase, although smartphone penetration is thought to be less than 100 million.

In comparison, the US caters for around 323 million mobile users (as of June 2011), according to figures from CTIA.

The difference, of course, is the US is a much more lucrative market, worth at least $160 billion. （Source：pocketgamer）