1）Newzoo最新手机游戏报告显示，使用智能手机、平板电脑或iPod Touch玩游戏的美国用户已超过1亿。

angry-birds(from venturebeat)

其中，智能手机游戏玩家占比69%，平板电脑用户占比21%，iPod Touch用户占比18%。2011年全球用户在手机游戏上投入的时间占所有游戏时间的13%，每天玩手机游戏时间合计超过1.3亿小时。

去年用户的游戏开销中有9%流向手机游戏，免费增值模式增加了持续用户转化率。2011年用户在所有美国手机游戏开销中，免费增值游戏占比90%。2月份美国营收榜单前5名均为免费游戏，《Dragonvale》、《Smurfs’ Village》和《Zynga Poker》分列前三名。报告指出，付费游戏刚发布时虽然比较容易跻身榜单前列，但会在一个月内逐渐失势。

62%硬核玩家也在移动设备上玩游戏，能够将硬核题材与智能手机游戏运营模式相结合的开发者，有望从所谓的“中度硬核”游戏市场中获益。

2）Rovio日前宣布收购芬兰开发商Futuremark Games Studio（标杆管理软件公司Futuremark旗下游戏工作室），但并未透露公司针对这项交易的具体计划，以及这家游戏工作室是否将独立运营还是并入Rovio团队进行管理。

Rovio_Mobile(from angrybirds.wikia)

据Futuremark Games Studio首席执行官Jukka Mäkinen所称，Futuremark将以3DMark技术支持玩家和游戏行业，其手机游戏代表作包括iPhone和iPad作品《Hungribles》、iPad游戏《Unstoppable Gorg》和Steam游戏《Shattered Horizon》。

3）澳洲竞争与消费委员会(ACCC)日前表示将起诉苹果“误导”用户，原因是新iPad声称支持4G技术，但该设备实际上并不能与澳大利亚的4G网络兼容（游戏邦注：该设备最近还遭遇运行时升温过高，充电缓慢等用户投诉）。

new-ipad-kitty-hot（from venturebeat)

苹果网站对该设备4G LTE技术的说法则是“仅限美国AT&T和威瑞森网络，以及加拿大的Bell、Rogers和Telus网络”。ACCC要求苹果更正该设备所谓的4G标签，并告知澳洲用户新iPad并不支持当地的4G网络。据其所称，苹果宣传新iPad时使用了“WiFi+4G”这种说法，但对澳洲用户而言，这意味着只需使用SIM卡，连接到当地4G移动网络就能使用，而实际情况并非如此。

澳大利亚无线运营商Telstra去年在数个城市推出了4G网络，但新iPad并不能与Telstra的1800MHz网络兼容。不过用户可以用Telstra 4G热点让iPad获得4G网络服务。

4）据Parks Associates最新报告显示，虽然苹果在去年10月发布iPhone 4S时推出了Siri虚拟助手的服务，现在也有87%用户每月至少使用一次Siri，但仅55%用户对该平台感到满意。

Siri(from gizmowebs.com)

报告指出用户最常使用的Siri服务是处理电话和发送短信等任务，但有三分之一用户忽视了设置提醒，地理跟踪等语音激活服务。不少用户报怨称自己需要在完全安静的环境下，才能顺利使用Siri，还有些用户声称这个平台存在无法识别口音的问题。

5）据CENS报道，亚马逊可能将针对低端、中端和高端市场再推出三款新平板电脑。中低端平板电脑将采用7英寸屏幕，而高端设备将采用8.9英寸屏幕（接近iPad的9.7英寸屏幕）。

amazon tablets(from digitaltrends)

低、中、高三个档次的平板电脑屏幕分辨率将分别为1024 X 600，1280 X 800和1920 X 1200。

6）Gartner最新报告预测，2016年印度移动市场规模将超过300亿美元，届时该地区移动服务覆盖率将达71%，超过2011年的51%。与此同时，2011年印度移动用户将达6.96亿，超过2011年的6.38亿。

报告指出，该地区移动市场的飞速发展归功于城郊、农村地区移动服务覆盖率，以及平价移动设备的发展，但印度移动市场的其他效益指标逊色于中国市场。

NFC-smartphone(from upi.com)

7）Berg Insight最近分析称2016年支持NFC技术的移动设备销量将达7亿部，复合年增长率达87.8%，NFC已逐渐成为同蓝牙、GPS、Wi-Fi等并列的智能手机功能，苹果也应该考虑在下一代iPhone中植入NFC。

8）应用分析公司Distimo在3月份发布的苹果iPad App Store报告显示：

*2012年3月份，最受美国用户欢迎的付费内容是Newsstand版块的报纸和杂志内容（游戏邦注：该内容版块上线仅6个月左右）。

*中国首次超越美国，成为世界第一大iPad App Store免费应用市场。在2012年2月份，中国前300名热门免费iPad应用下载量超过110万次，而美国市场的这一数据则不足100万，但美国仍是iPad App Store收益最高的市场。

IAP(from Distimo)

*已有10%的iPad App Store应用采用IAP功能，而iPhone App Store的这一比例则是6%，Google Play的同一比例为2%。在iPad App Store前200名营收榜单中，采用IAP的应用占比74%。

*美国iPad App Store在2月份应用数量已超18万，而iPhone App Store则是20万。
（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）Report: Number of U.S. mobile gamers reaches 100 million

Stefanie Fogel

A new report from international market research firm Newzoo is highlighting the ever-increasing popularity of mobile gaming. According to the Mobile Games Trend Report, the number of Americans who play video games on their smartphone, tablet, or iPod Touch has surpassed 100 million.

Newzoo says 69 percent of U.S. mobile gamers play on a smartphone, while 21 percent play on a tablet, and 18 percent play on an iPod Touch. The firm’s latest trend report claims 13 percent of all time spent on games worldwide in 2011 was on a mobile device, totaling more than 130 million hours a day.

The firm also estimates that 9 percent of total game spending last year was on mobile titles and says the free-to-play (F2P) business model is increasingly converting players into continuous payers. F2P games already account for 90 percent of mobile game spending in the U.S., Newzoo says. In February, the five top-grossing titles were all free, with Dragonvale, Smurfs’ Village, and Zynga Poker topping the charts. Paid games enter the top five at launch, Newzoo says, but drop out within a month. Newszoo says it’s proof that monetizing games as a free service can provide a more continuous and higher revenue stream.

Although smartphones and tablets are often seen as “casual” platforms, Newzoo says there is major opportunity for “core” games to be offered as full titles or game extensions, as 62 percent of core gamers in the U.S. also play on mobile devices. Developers that can combine core genres with the games-as-a-service business model on mobile platforms will be the ones that reap the most benefit from what Newzoo is dubbing “mid-core” games.

“The recent launch of the new iPad did not bring us the edgeless display and other innovations we were hoping for, but…the two main upgrades, processing power and resolution, dramatically improve the immersive experience of  ‘core’ games on that platform,” said Newzoo CEO Peter Warman. ”The intuitive interface forces developers to offer more casual gameplay, ensuring the games cater to a far broader audience, including the young moms and dads who used to play core games on their PC, Xbox, or PlayStation. Immersive experience and casual gameplay combined is what ‘mid-core’ gaming is about.”（source:venturebeat）

2）Angry Birds outfit Rovio acquires Futuremark Games Studio

by Keith Andrew

On the back of Angry Birds Space’s 10 million downloads strong success, Rovio has moved to further strengthen its hand by taking charge of fellow Finnish developer Futuremark Games Studio.

The firm, which is the gaming arm of benchmarking software specialist Futuremark, represents the second acquisition Rovio has made during the past year, following the purchase of animation studio Kombo.

Excellence all round

“They are an incredibly talented and experienced team, and we are thrilled to have them on board,” said Rovio CEO Mikael Hed of the acquisition.

“Rovio’s success is founded on the excellence of our team, and Futuremark Games Studio is going to be a superb addition.”

Little has been given away as to just what plans Rovio has for its new purchase.

Indeed, it’s not yet clear whether Futuremark will continue to operate independently, or whether it will be absorbed into Rovio’s day to day operations.

‘Recognised by Rovio’

Either way, Futuremark Games Studio CEO Jukka Mäkinen naturally welcomed the deal.

“I am proud to see the potential of our talented games team recognised by Rovio,” said Mäkinen.

“Futuremark will now focus on supporting gamers and industry with 3DMark, our professional grade benchmark which, in a new version to be released later this year, will allow unified gaming performance comparison across operating systems and form factors for the first time.”

Futuremark’s library includes iPhone and iPad release Hungribles, iPad title Unstoppable Gorg and Steam release Shattered Horizon.（source:pocketgamer）

3）Australian government sues Apple for ‘misleading’ 4G label on new iPad

Sean Ludwig

Australia’s Competition and Consumer Commission plans to sue Apple for “misleading” claims when it comes to the new iPad offering 4G, because the device is not compatible with the country’s 4G networks.

The new iPad has proven quite popular since its release earlier this month, with more than three million units sold in the first weekend of release in 10 countries, including the U.S. and Australia. The device has been accused of running hot and charging slowly, but now it could attract a legal offer over its networking abilities. Apple’s website says that 4G LTE is offered “only on AT&T and Verizon networks in the U.S., and on Bell, Rogers and Telus networks in Canada.”

The ACCC says it wants Apple to correct the labeling of the 4G version of the device and to educate Australian consumers that the device does not support its 4G networks.

“The ACCC alleges that Apple’s recent promotion of the new “iPad with WiFi + 4G” is misleading because it represents to Australian consumers that the product “iPad with WiFi + 4G” can, with a SIM card, connect to a 4G mobile data network in Australia, when this is not the case,” the ACCC said in press release. “Additionally the ACCC is seeking final orders including injunctions, pecuniary penalties, corrective advertising and refunds to consumers affected.”

Australian wireless provider Telstra launched the country’s first 4G network in a few cities last year. Apple’s new iPad is not compatible with the 1800MHz frequency Telstra uses.

However, a consumer could pair a Telstra 4G hotspot with an iPad to get 4G service, much like U.S. consumers could do with the iPad 2 and Verizon Wireless a year ago.（source:venturebeat）

4）Just 55 per cent of iPhone 4S users are satisfied with Siri

by Zen Terrelonge

Even though 87 per cent use the service.

Apple revealed its Siri virtual assistant service in October at the iPhone 4S launch, and while 87 per cent of customers use the platform at least once each month, just over half are happy with what it has to offer, according to Parks Associates.

Siri was something of a game changer for Apple which put it ahead of rivals that don’t have similar tech,  though it seems that there is room for improvement.

The report says making everyday requests such as calls and sending texts are the most common tasks made via Siri, while over one-third neglect voice-activated services such as setting alarms, tracing locations and setting reminders.

Although Siri can understand native speak, users complained about needing complete silence for the service to function properly, while other says the platform can’t understand accents.（source:mobile-ent）

5）Amazon to launch three new Kindles in 2012?

by Zen Terrelonge

Expected to included low, mid-to-high and high end designs.

Amazon launched the Kindle Fire – its first tablet – in late 2011, which secured four million shipments in Q4 to become the world’s second largest tablet maker.

Now, CENS claims Amazon will expand the Kindle range with three new tablets to span across low, mid-to-high and high end markets.

Both the low and mid range models are set to come with a seven-inch screen, while the high end device will come with an 8.9-inch screen, bringing it in closer alignment with the 9.7-inch screen of the front-running iPad.

Additionally, the low, mid and high end models are expected to come with respective screen resolutions of 1024×600, 1280×800 and 1920×1200.

The original Kindle Fire was aimed towards low end users with its $199 price tag, though mid and high end versions will see Amazon enter both spaces for the first time.（source:mobile-ent）

6）Indian mobile services market to hit $30bn in 2016

by Zen Terrelonge

While mobile penetration is set to secure 71 per cent of the country.

New research from Gartner says developing country India will be worth over $30 billion in 2016, at which time mobiles will be adopted by 71 per cent of the country, up from  51 per cent in 2011.

Meanwhile, mobile subscribers will reach 696 million in 2012, which is a nine per cent rise on the 638 million users in 2011.

The report notes that average revenue per user stabilised in 2011, which is a turnaround from the double figure decline experienced between 2008-2010. This is likely down to the rise of cheap feature and smartphones on the market.

Shalini Verma, principal analyst, consumer technology and markets, Gartner, says:  “The staggering growth of mobile connections has been driven by the expansion of mobile services in semi-urban and rural markets and the availability of cheap mobile devices.

“However, the other performance indicators of the Indian mobile market seem modest in comparison to those of markets such as China.”

Additionally, mobile data revenue in India is set to have key opportunities for growth due to low internet penetration within the country and a number of improvements to make to mobile broadband.（source:mobile-ent）

7）700m NFC-enabled phones could be sold in 2016

by Tim Green

Big increase on the 30m shifted last year.

Berg Insight is the latest analyst to fall into line and project booming sales for mobiles that support the contactless tech.

It said 2011 was the gebinning, as 40 NFC-enabled kickstarted the switch and increased sales ten fold on 2010.

However, as NFC starts to become a given in smartphones, alongside Bluetooth, GPS, wi-fi and so on, it will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 87.8 per cent to 2016.

Declining costs will also enable broader integration in the feature phone segment that is rapidly gaining smartphone-like functionality.

And then there’s the spike from the ‘Apple effect’ should the iPhone maker incorporate NFC in its next-gen devices.

“Even though it will take some time before the stakeholders agree on business models for payment networks, other use cases such as reading tags and easy pairing of devices may well be compelling enough for handset vendors to integrate NFC in mid- and high-end devices already today,” said André Malm, a senior analyst at Berg Insight.（source:mobile-ent）