1）苹果全球营销高级副总裁 Phil Schiller日前宣布，苹果将于3月14日开始发售9.7英寸、2048 X 1536像素的新款iPad（iPad 2像素为1024 X 768），该设备屏幕可展现更多细节和更生动画面，色彩饱合度比iPad 2高22%。

new iPad(from insidemobileapps)

新款iPad还采用了A5X四核芯片，以及500万像素的摄像头，其电池续航能力与之前的iPad产品一样，约为10小时左右（如果开启4G LTE功能则是9小时）。

据Phil Schiller所称，该设备内存及屏幕分辨率高于Xbox 360或PlayStation 3设备。新款iPad将发售黑白两色的设备，支持WiFi技术的16GB设备售价499美元，而32GB型号售价599美元，64GB型号售价699美元，而支持4G技术的设备售价将介于629-899美元之间。

此外苹果还宣布，苹果App Store至今已向开发者分成超过40亿美元，该应用商店目前有58.5万款应用。

苹果首席执行官Tim Cook指出，苹果在2011年已售出1.76亿部iOS设备，这些设备销售额占公司营收的76%；iPad是后PC时代的“典型代表”，2011年第四季度苹果平板电脑销量达1540万部（游戏邦注：据gigaom报道，苹果称我们已经进入后PC时代，iPad已不再是关注产品型号、规格的科技达人的收藏品，它已经成为最销售的计算机设备之一。观察者称这或许可以解释苹果为何没有将新款iPad命名为之前盛传的iPad 3或iPad HD）。

2）Epic Games总裁Mike Capps在苹果iPad发布会上，利用拥有高分辨率Retina屏幕的新款iPad展示了热门iOS大作《无尽之剑》新版游戏《无尽之剑：地下城》，该游戏玩法风格类似于《暗黑破坏神》，采用虚幻引擎3开发而成。

无尽之剑:地下城(from gameinformer.com)

该系列游戏自2010年12月发布已来，总收益已超过3000万美元。除了Epic之外，Namco Bandai也通过该发布会展示了iOS游戏《Sky Gamblers: Air Supremacy》。

3）英国市场调研公司IMS Research最新报告显示，苹果在2011年占据62%的平板电脑市场份额，预计2012年将增长至70%，其新款iPad将促使苹果平板电脑总销量上升至7000万部左右，同比上年增长71%。

4）Statista最近发布的信息图表显示，在2011年第四季度，iPad销量增长11%，达到1543万部，而其他平板电脑销量则是1136万部。

iPad market share(from Statista)

据eMarketer数据显示，2011年iPad占据83%的美国平板电脑市场份额。iPad在2010年第二季度问世时，占据94.3%的市场份额，但目前其所占份额已下滑至57.6%。苹果iPad全球销量已达5500万部。

5）据games.com报道，苹果日前盘点App Store史上最热门应用，并称自iPhone问世以来，游戏在免费及付费iPhone/iPad热门应用中一直占据多数比例，游戏在iPhone比在iPad平台更受欢迎。

all time popular apps(from ijailbreak.com)

免费iPhone热门应用长青树无疑是《愤怒的小鸟》，付费iPhone热门应用则是苹果产品Pages应用（它也是最热门的付费iPad应用）。除了《愤怒的小鸟》之外，付费iPhone热门应用榜单中还有18款游戏，而免费应用榜单中则有9款是游戏产品。

在iPad平台的情况与此相似，游戏占据付费iPad应用榜单的13个席位，但在免费应用榜单中仅有5款游戏（游戏邦注：其中4款均是《愤怒的小鸟》）。不过iPad平台的免费游戏并不盛行，因此出现这种情况并不令人意外。

6）据insidemobileapps报道，Android和iOS应用商店最近都提升了开发者上传的应用大小限制，以便后者向用户推出高质量的产品，例如高端的3D游戏。

苹果宣布将把开发者通过无线网络上传的应用大小限制上升至50MB，此前开发者上传的文件超过20MB时，就需要用户使用Wi-Fi网络下载内容，此举容易导致用户放弃下载选择。

size limit(from macrumors.com)

谷歌则称将把原先的50MB文件大小限制提升至4GB，但Android应用的原APK文件或应用程序包仍然不可超过50MB，不过开发者可添加最大达2GB的扩展文件，这些扩展文件会随应用程序一起自动下载。

7）《质量效应：渗透者》（Mass Effect Infiltrator，由IronMokey Studios开发）是EA于3月6日（与《质量效应3》同时）发布的iOS第三人称射击游戏，它是继《质量效应：银河系》（已从App Store中移除）之后第二款登陆iOS平台的《质量效应》游戏。

质量效应:渗透者(from insidemobileapps)

《质量效应：渗透者》是一款通用版应用，适用于所有的iPhone 3GS、第三代iPod touch和iPad设备。游戏售价6.99美元，但也推出了从1.99至49.99美元购买虚拟货币的IAP选项，目前在iPhone热门付费应用榜单中位居第18名，在iPhone热门付费应用中是第12名，是iPad付费游戏的第5名；也是iPhone应用营收榜单第10名，iPad应用营收榜单第16名，iPhone游戏营收榜单第9名，iPad游戏营收榜单第10名。

8）据报道，iQin Mobile与欧洲手机游戏化平台Beintoo合作，将于近期推出集成Beintoo移动平台功能的《功夫狐狸》iPad免费版，并在随后推出iPhone版本。（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） New iPad announced with high-resolution screen, quad-core graphics chip

by Eric Caoili

Apple has revealed the newest model for its popular line of iPad tablet computers, with a new high-resolution Retina display, as well as other features benefitting games on the platform.

At a presentation held across from the Game Developers Conference on Wednesday morning, Worldwide Marketing SVP Phil Schiller said the device will have a 9.7-inch 2048 x 1536 screen (iPad 2′s display was 1024×768).

The screen is similar to the Retina display introduced with the iPhone 4, allowing for sharper details and more vibrant graphics — it offers 44 percent greater color saturation compared to the iPad 2.

Along with its new screen, the iPad also has a new A5X quad-core graphics chip, and a 5-megapixel rear camera. It’s expected to have the same battery life as the previous iPad model, around 10 hours (9 hours with 4G LTE turned on).

Schiller bragged that the device has “more memory and [a] higher screen resolution than an Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3.”

Weighing in at 1.4 lbs (slightly heavier than the iPad 2), the new iPad will be available in black and white with a 16GB WiFi-only model for $499, a 32GB model for $599, and a 64GB for $699 — prices for the 4G-enabled editions will range from $629-$899.

Apple has opened up preorders for the tablet, and will begin selling them on March 14. It has also lowered the starting price for the WiFi-only version of the iPad 2 to $399, and for the WiFi and 3G version of the iPad 2 to $529.

This reveal follows days after the company announced that iOS users have downloaded more than 25 billion games and applications from the App Store since the platform’s launch three years ago. Apple has so far paid over $4 billion to developers, who have put up some 585,000 apps on the shop.

Apple CEO Cook described its iOS family as the leader of the “post-PC revolution,” a recent movement made up of devices designed to be more personal and portable than PCs. He noted that Apple sold 176 million post-PC, iOS-based devices last year (62 million in the last quarter), and that they made up 76 percent of the company’s revenues.

He called the iPad the “poster child” of the post-PC revolution, and said the tablet line sold 15.4 million units last quarter (ending December) alone. “We sold more iPads in the last quarter of last year, than any PC maker sold of their PCs,” said Cook, according to The Verge’s live blog of the presentation.（source:gamasutra）

2）Epic demonstrates Infinity Blade: Dungeons on new iPad

by Eric Caoili

Newsbrief: At Apple’s iPad press event Wednesday morning, Epic Games president Mike Capps debuted Infinity Blade: Dungeons, the next title from its popular iOS action RPG series, with Diablo-style gameplay, releasing soon.

The Unreal Engine 3-powered game will release for other iOS devices, too, but it was presented as a showpiece for Apple’s new iPad tablet, taking advantage of its new high-resolution Retina display and quad-core graphics chip.

Epic’s Infinity Blade series, developed by subsidiary Chair Entertainment, has generated more than $30 million in profit for the company since its first release for iPhones on December 2010.

Namco Bandai was also at the event to show off Sky Gamblers: Air Supremacy, a new editions of its iOS Ace Combat-esque franchise, on the new iPad.（source: gamasutra）

3）Apple to secure 70 per cent of world’s tablet market with ‘iPad 3′

by Zen Terrelonge

Next generation device expected to drive total iPad shipments to 70m in 2012.

The tech world will wait with bated breath tonight as Apple holds a conference in San Francisco, which is expected to reveal the iPad 3, or alternatively, the iPad HD.

The firm held a 62 per cent share of the tablet market in 2011, which will grow to 70 per cent in 2012 when the iPad 3 is released, according to IMS Research.

The UK-based analyst says the iPad 3 will lead total iPad shipments to around 70 million, creating a 71 per cent year-on-year rise.

Apple’s next-gen tablet is expected to include a quad-core processor, retina display, 8MP camera and 4G connectivity, which is what IMS says will help leave competition behind, despite an estimated price tag of $549.

Gerry Xu, PC market analyst, IMS Research, says: “There is a large customer base loyal to Apple products that have been waiting for the latest tablet. Many owners of the iPad 1 are also expected to upgrade to the latest release. In addition to this consumer demand, growth is also forecast as a result of sales into enterprise and education.”（source:mobile-ent）

4）The iPad is losing market share. Can the new iPad stop the bleeding? (infographic)

Meghan Kelly

The chart below shows the amount of tablets sold in each calendar quarter, and the iPad has yet to be beat. While not the only tablet in existence when it launched in April 2010, it quickly rocketed above the rest, thanks in part to Apple’s obessive, consumer-conscious chief executive Steve Jobs, who helped ensure that the tablet would be dead-simple to use and would be paired with a rich ecosystem of content and apps. Apple shipped 3.5 million tablets in its first quarter and has continued to increase these shipments, save for the first quarter of 2011.

Its main competitors, mainly Android-based tablets, have been gaining on it. It seems, however, that whenever the iPad dips, so does the rest of the tablet market. This may be because of overall market fluctuations, as opposed to Apple’s influence.

In the last quarter of 2011, (Apple fiscal Q1 2012), iPad sales rose 111 percent to 15.43 million units, with all other tablets selling 11.63 million. In 2011 iPad users made up 83 percent of the U.S. tablet market, according to analyst firm eMarketer. The firm does predict that Apple’s hold on the market will diminish as more competitors emerge. Indeed, iOS popularity has lost significant market share already. When the iPad first came out in the second quarter of 2010, it owned 94.3 percent market. Most recently, iOS sits at 57.6 percent.

In total, Apple has already sold 55 million iPads around the world.（source:venturebeat）

5）Shocker: Angry Birds is the top iPhone and iPad game(s) of all time

by Joe Osborne

When the App Store debuted on Apple’s iPhone in 2008, games instantly flooded the platform. Still, you’d think that more utility apps–like Facebook, Netflix and Pandora–would sit at the top.

Nope. According to Apple, the majority of the top iPhone and iPad apps (both free and paid) of all time are games. In fact, the 25 billionth app downloaded was a game, Disney’s Where’s My Water Free, which inspired Apple to name-drop the best of the best [iTunes app link].

Unsurprisingly, the top free iPhone app of all time is Angry Birds (and the third … and the ninth), and was beat out by just Apple’s Pages app as the top paid iPhone app. However, It’s also the top paid iPad app. Rovio’s money machine aside, games account for an incredible 18 of the top paid iPhone apps ever, and nine of the top free apps.

As for the iPad, which coincidentally is expected to get a long-awaited revision today, games dominate there as well. A whopping 13 games made it as all-time top paid iPad apps, although only five games made it on the top free (four of which are Angry Birds). Historically, the words “free games,” and “iPad” don’t mix too often, so this isn’t terribly surprising.

While games dominate the top iOS apps all around, they’re far more popular on iPhones than iPads. Of course, there are also way more iPhones in consumers’ hands than iPads, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see that ratio level out in the coming years. Games will only get bigger on iOS devices, so how’s about a better Game Center already, Apple?（source:games）

6）In a boon for 3D and high-end games, Android and iOS boost app size limits this week

Kim-Mai Cutler

Huzzah for higher-end game developers this week. Both Android and iOS raised their app size limits, which will help developers push higher-quality apps to consumers.

Apple today said it will raise its over-the-air limit to 50 megabytes. Previously, if a developer pushed apps with file sizes of more than 20 megabytes, their users would be prompted to use Wi-fi to download them. That caused many would-be users to drop off, so many developers would do everything possible to get their apps under the 20-megabyte limit. It was extremely painful for 3D developers, who have apps or games that usually take up more space.

Apple’s announcement comes just a day after Google said it is increasing the maximum file size from 50 megabytes to 4 gigabytes. Note: That’s not the over-the-air limit. That’s the total size limit.

The size of an Android apps’ original APK file, or “application package file” still has to be under 50 megabytes. However, developers can add expansion files that are up to 2 gigabytes in size.

Android Market, also now known as Google Play, will host the files. When users download apps, the expansion files will be downloaded automatically.

Overall, this pushes both ecosystems in the direction of games with higher-production values, a trend we’ve already seen with increased competition over the past year.（source:insidemobileapps）

7）Mass Effect Infiltrator brings EA’s popular sci-fi franchise to iOS for the second time

Pete Davison

Mass Effect Infiltrator is a new third-person shooter game for iOS devices, published by EA and developed by IronMonkey Studios – the same team who brought Dead Space, EA’s sci-fi horror franchise to iOS.

This is actually the Mass Effect’s second appearance on iOS, though previous title Mass Effect Galaxy had such a poor critical reception and commercial performance it has since been removed from the App Store. Unlike Galaxy’s comic-book art style which seemed somewhat at odds with the realistic visuals of the rest of the series, Infiltrator has production values much closer to those of the computer and console instalments.

The game is available now from the App Store as a Universal app compatible with all iPhones from 3GS onwards, 3rd-generation iPod touches and up, and the entire iPad range. Some users and reviewers have noted that the game’s frame rate struggles significantly on older devices, however, due to the detail present in the game’s visuals.

Infiltrator casts players in the role of a new character to the Mass Effect universe: Cerberus agent Randall Ezno. Unlike the main games in the series on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, players have no control over the basic appearance of the protagonist, though they are able to purchase and upgrade new equipment for him over the course of the game.

The game focuses primarily on third-person gunplay. Ezno is controlled through a dual virtual thumbstick setup, with sliding fingers over the left side of the screen moving him forwards, backwards, left and right while swiping over the right side of the screen allows for rotation of the camera’s viewpoint. Ezno is able to take cover by running at a wall and then releasing the virtual thumbstick, though at times it’s difficult to tell exactly which objects it’s possible to take cover behind.

Once in cover, Ezno can leap from cover point to cover point by swiping in the relevant directions, or attack enemies by tapping them to target them when a box-like reticle appears around them. At this point, the player is able to fine-tune Ezno’s aim with a view to firing at enemies’ weak points (typically the head) before their gun overheats. Tapping the screen pops Ezno back into cover, while pressing and holding on two menu buttons at the left and right sides of the screen allow him to use special powers known as Biotics and alternative weapons respectively. Making use of a combination of different abilities and weapons as well as killing enemies in rapid succession causes the player to earn Style Points, and after a combat scenario is concluded, the player is rated out of three stars according to how stylish their kills were, how quickly they resolved the encounter and how much damage they took from enemy fire. They are then rewarded with the game’s currency of Credits, which can be spent on upgrading Ezno’s abilities and purchasing new equipment at any time. It takes at least two playthroughs of the complete game to be able to afford all possible upgrades and equipment — or alternatively there are a selection of in-app purchases available, including the option to permanently double all credits earned for $4.99 and several packages of virtual currency ranging from $1.99 to $49.99. At $6.99 for the app alone, EA stands to potentially profit a great deal from impatient players.

Mass Effect Infiltrator is currently the No. 18 top paid iPhone app, No. 6 top paid iPad app, No 12 top paid iPhone game and No. 5 top paid iPad game. It’s also currently the No. 10 top grossing iPhone app, No. 16 top grossing iPad app, No. 9 top grossing iPhone game and No. 10 top grossing iPad game. This is a strong start considering the game only launched on March 6 — the same day as Mass Effect 3. To follow Infiltrator’s progress through the App Store charts, check out AppData, our tracking service for iOS and social games and developers.（source:insidemobileapps）