1）DigiTimes最新报告预测，全球平板电脑市场需求即将超过笔记本电脑，2013年平板电脑销量将达1.3亿部。

报告称Windows 8平板电脑将实现较高的性价比，而平板电脑“堪比传统PC电脑的功能”也将推动该设备销量赶超笔记本电脑。

samsung-windows-8-tablet(from shoutpedia.com)

2011年苹果iPad销量达3200万部，全球平板电脑总销量为6000万部。分析师预测苹果iPad在2012年出货量将翻倍增长。

DigiTimes预计2012年全球平板电脑出货量将达9000万-9500万部左右，在2013年增长至1.3亿部。

2）comScore最新数据显示，苹果在2012年1月份的美国手机用户占比12.8%，比2011年10月份增长2个百分点。摩托罗拉同一时期在美国市场份额为13.2%，下滑0.4个百分点。三星该时期份额为25.4%，下降0.1%；LG占比19.7%，下降0.9%。

Top Mobile OEMs(from comscore)

在前5名移动设备制造商中，只有苹果在该时期扩大市场份额，而RIM却仅占比6.6%。

在2011年10月至2012年1月这一时期中，Android市场份额增长2.3%，达到18.6%，苹果iOS增长1.4个百分点，达到29.5%。

US smartphone share(from comscore)

目前全美智能手机用户已达1.013亿，同比10月份增长13%。

3）微软日前向用户及开发者宣布，与Windows Mobile 6绑定的官方应用商店Windows Mobile Marketplace将于5月9日正式关闭，以便专注于推动Windows Phone业务发展。

Windows-Mobile-6-Marketplace(from anythingbutiphone.com)

自从去年6月份开始，开发者就已无法向该应用商店提交新产品，但其分析报告及针对开发者的支付服务仍可继续运转。微软鼓励开发者和用户转向微软智能手机应用商店Windows Phone Marketplace（游戏邦注：据All About Windows Phone报道，该应用商店已有7万款应用）。

4）Zynga首席运营官John Schappert在GDC大会上分享了关于《Words with Friends》这款游戏的用户问卷调查数据：

words-with-friends(from multiplayerblog.mtv.com)

*63%玩家与亲密好友玩这款游戏；

*43%玩家与亲戚玩游戏；

*82%玩家认为游戏拉近了好友和家人的距离；

*62%通过游戏与旧友重建联系；

*74%通过游戏结识新友。

Schappert称跨平台策略是《Words with Friends》用户增长的主要原因，它在Facebook平台的DAU已从原来的200万增长至900万。

5）据pocketgamer报道，Simogo工作室开发的iPhone游戏《Beat Sneak Bandit》最近获得2012年IGF最佳手机游戏大奖。与其同时入围的其他游戏包括《ASYNC Corp》（Powerhead Games）、《Faraway》（ Steph Thirion）、《Ridiculous Fishing》（Vlambeer）和《Waking Mars》（Tiger Style）。

Beat Sneak Bandit(from igf.com)

《Beat Sneak Bandit》在2月份才登陆App Store，但发布之初就已获得Pocket Gamer极高的评价。

6）Cave工作室（代表作包括《DeathSmiles》）首席执行官Mikio Wateanabe在日前的GDC大会上发言表示，在日本硬核复古式手机游戏市场，开发者要注意的是决不可贬低自己。

该工作室曾将硬核射击游戏《EspGaluda II》和《Dodonpachi》移植到iPhone平台，Wateanabe以此为例称“为游戏定个好价格，同时让移植版本保持原版游戏的品质，这两点极为重要……”他认为只要是优质产品，就一定会赢得用户信赖，所以某些Cave游戏售价甚至高达1000日元（即12-13美元）。

Watanabe曾从Cave的开发经验来看，针对智能手机平台的游戏开发成本约25万美元，其中编程占40%，图像占30%，本土化和QA占15%，音频和音效设计占15%。

7）Epic首席执行官Tim Sweeney在GDC大会上指出，目前的独立游戏开发领域与80年代情况相似（游戏邦注：Sweeney认为当前的独立游戏仍是一些开发者追求创意理念的产物，并且多为2D图像），只有盈利方式差别较大。

tim-sweeney(from venturebeat.com)

针对独立开发者游戏创意及理念频频被大公司挪用的现象，Sweeney称独立开发者应以创新思维工作，“要制作出Zynga等公司无法模仿的作品”。除此之外，他还指出游戏行业变化迅速，开发者需做好持续重塑自我的准备。（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）iPad and Windows 8 to push tablet shipments beyond 130 million by 2013, reports DigiTimes

by James Nouch

A report by DigiTimes claims global demand for tablets could soon surpass that of notebook PCs, with insider info suggesting 130 million units will be sold in 2013.

Sourcing “Taiwan-based supply chain makers”, DigiTimes claims the tablet market will enjoy surging growth in 2013 thanks to the appearance of tablets which match PC functionality.

The two-year forecast

Windows 8-equipped tablets in particular will fit that bill nicely, and DigiTimes’ source believes tablets “featuring traditional PC functions” will help tablet shipments “to trail closely behind global notebook shipments.”

In 2011, Apple alone sold more than 32 million iPads, while total worldwide tablet sales were in the region of 60 million units.

Analysts are already predicting Apple could double its annual shipments in 2012 owing to the unveiling of new iPad hardware, due to launch on 16 March.

On this basis, DigiTimes forecasts global tablet shipments for 2012 to reach 90-95 million units, rising to 130 million units in 2013.（source:pocketgamer）

2）iPhone share jump hits Android aces Motorola and LG in US, reports comScore

by Keith Andrew

For so long dominated by Samsung, LG and Motorola the latest numbers from market intelligence firm comScore for the US mobile market depict a fightback from Apple.

According to figures for January, Apple is close to becoming the third largest mobile manufacturer in the region, with its share jumping 2 percentage points between October and January, finishing between 12.8 percent.

The big three

That puts Apple 0.4 percentage points behind Motorola, which continued to lose ground in the region, falling to a 13.2 percent share.

Indeed, all three main Android OEMs lost ground at the end of 2011, comScore reports, with market leading Samsung falling by 0.1 percentage points and rival LG falling back by 0.9 percent.

Of the top five manufacturers, only Apple expanded its share during the three month period, with RIM finally stopping the rot on a 6.6 percent share.

Despite the three big Android manufacturers losing ground, however, comScore – which surveys 30,000 mobile subscribers in the US to arrive at its figures – doesn’t believe the OS itself has suffered as a result.

Expanding Android

During the three month period, Android’s share grew by 2.3 percent to a market leading 48.6 percent. Apple’s iOS, however, is also growing, up by 1.4 percentage points to 29.5 percent.

In all, there are now 101.3 million smartphone subscribers across the US, up 13 percent since October.（source:pocketgamer）

3）Microsoft to close Windows Mobile Marketplace on 9 May

by Keith Andrew

With its business increasingly focused on building up Windows Phone, Microsoft has announced it is to close the official app marketplace tied to its predecessor, Windows Mobile 6.

The firm has contacted consumers and developers alike, informing them that support for the store will be discontinued on May 9, with all purchases suspended.

Get prepared

“We are sharing our Windows Mobile 6.x Marketplace plan with you in advance so that you can make thoughtful preparations,” Microsoft said in a statement to studios, with additional updates or downloads for apps also no longer supported.

Developers haven’t been able to submit new apps to the marketplace since June, although Microsoft has claimed both analytics reporting and developer payouts will continue, presumably for as long as they’re required.

Consumers and developers alike are now being encouraged to make the switch to Microsoft’s smartphone platform Windows Phone, which boasts more than 70,000 apps according to numbers published by All About Windows Phone.（source:pocketgamer）

4）GDC 2012: Zynga’s Schappert shares Words with Friends statistics

by Christian Nutt

In a Game Developers Conference talk on how to “capitalize on the Golden Age of Gaming,” Zynga’s COO John Schappert shared some statistics on the current number one Facebook game.

“The more social your game is, the higher the engagement and retention,” said Schappert. “We learned that one in 10 people who play Words with Friends have hooked up” — hooked up here seeming to mean “met in real life.”

He shared some further statistics about the game’s audience:

- 63 percent play with close friends

- 43 percent play with relatives

- 82 percent feel more connected to friends and family

- 62 percent reconnect with old friends

- 74 percent make new friends

These statistics were gleaned from user surveys.

He also said that bringing the game to a huge number of platforms has been key to its growth. “Words with Friends went multiplatform and grew from 2 million daily active users to 9 million daily active users.”

It’s the “biggest game on Facebook according to App Data and that doesn’t include the mobile users,” he said.

“Enabling people to play Words with Friends on every device they have wherever they are has been the key to its success.”

“We want to get one billion people to play together,” concluded Schappert. “We can’t do that alone, we have to work together as an industry to make that happen.” （source:gamasutra）

5）Beat Sneak Bandit nabs best mobile honour at IGF Awards 2012

by Keith Andrew

Simogo’s iPhone hit Beat Sneak Bandit has been named as the best mobile game of the year at 2012′s International Games Festival awards.

The ceremony, held as part of the Games Developers Conference in San Francisco, saw the rhythm-action puzzler beat off ASYNC Corp from Powerhead Games, Steph Thirion’s Faraway, Ridiculous Fishing from Vlambeer and Tiger Style’s Waking Mars to take the title.

Match made in heaven

Beat Sneak Bandit only hit the App Store back in February, but was awarded a Pocket Gamer gold rating upon release, with the site praising its unlikely mixing of stealth and ‘beatmatching’.

Simogo took home $3,000 for its troubles, with Mode 7′s forthcoming iPad release Frozen Synapse picking up the event’s audience award, ahead of – amongst others – Beat Sneak Bandit.（source:pocketgamer）

6）GDC 2012: ‘Don’t underprice your mobile product’ – Cave COO

by Kris Graft

At GDC 2012, Mikio Watanabe, COO of CAVE, developers of shooters such as DeathSmiles, said when it comes to hardcore retro Japanese mobile games, don’t sell yourself short.

Cave’s first two efforts in the iPhone space were ports of its hardcore scrolling shooters EspGaluda II and Dodonpachi, and the studio has since released original iPhone games. Releasing those mobile games gave Cave some valuable lessons, Watanabe said.

“Setting a good price and making sure the port version is respectful to the original is very important,” he said. “…Our belief is that people will pay premium prices as long as it’s a good product. So with some of the Cave games we set the price at 1000 yen — that’s about $12-13.” That’s a far cry from the typical 99 cent games that proliferate the current mobile market.

“If it’s a hardcore product, go for the higher price point,” he said. “…Don’t underprice your product.”

Watanabe said that in Cave’s experience, smartphone-tailored games cost around $250,000 to make. Forty percent of that goes towards engineering, 30 percent to graphics, 15 percent for localization and QA and 15 percent to audio and sound design, he said.

“What you wanna do is aim for a maximum play experience for the user. And if you manage to do this as long as it’s a pretty well-known retro game, you will be able to get users to try it out, and the reviews should be pretty positive.” （source:gamasutra）

7）Tim Sweeney suggests that indies need to develop games that “a Zynga can’t clone.”

By Nadia Oxford

On Thursday, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney participated in a panel at GDC about the current indie game development scene, and how it’s reminiscent of the old days of garage development. Sweeney pointed out that building an independent game is still about a bunch of developers making their creative visions come true with 2D pixel-based graphics, though there are obviously major differences between the monetization methods of the ’80s and today. That’s why, Sweeney says, indies must be vigilant against having their ideas ripped off.

Sweeney was joined on the panel by Jordan Mechner (the creator of Prince of Persia), John Romero (the designer of DOOM and the co-founder of Loot Drop Games), Markus “Notch” Persson (creator of Minecraft), and Adam Saltzman (creator of Canabalt). Salzman said that it’s gratifying to work independently to realize your own creative vision instead of working on someone else’s idea, whereas Romero suggested to aspiring developers should dig up some resources on programming and get to work. “You don’t have to wait for permission,” he said.

But the panel also discussed the darker side of independent game development, especially about how easily your ideas can get yoinked by the Big Guys who make mobile and social games. Sweeney suggested that indies can guard themselves by thinking and working creatively. “We came to the decision early on to make games that a Zynga couldn’t clone,” he said. “We’ve always tried to find that special sauce.”

In fact, Sweeney added, given the rapid changes that the gaming landscape has been going through, it’s best to think about re-invention and innovation constantly. Facebook has been a hot gaming platform for a couple of years now, but even that’s quickly beginning to change as developers break free.

“Be prepared to reinvent yourself every few years,” Sweeney suggested.（source:gamezebo）