1）Juniper Research最近报告预测，由于富媒体广告的普及，2015年应用内置广告产值将达71亿美元，比2012年的24亿美元增长三倍左右。

报告指出创新品牌不但可使用富媒体广告吸引用户注意力，还能够以此调整广告以满足运营需求。

预计到2017年，整个移动领域产值将增加三倍，其中北美及欧洲将占比60%。

2）据pocketgamer报道，韩国发行商Gamevil日前宣布旗下手机游戏《Baseball Superstars》下载量已突破4000万次（包括智能手机和功能性手机版本），在2011年11月和2012年5月份间新增1000万次下载量。

该公司表示，《Baseball Superstars》结合了基本的棒球游戏玩法以及Gamevil RPG元素，该系列游戏最初版本开发于2002年，现在最新版本是《Baseball Superstars 2012》。

3）谷歌最近发布数据显示，在截止7月2日的两周时间中，Ice Cream Sandwich操作系统（发布于9个月前）在所有Android设备中所占份额仅为10.9%，是使用率排名第三的Android操作系统版本。

排名最为领先的是发布于一年半之前的Gingerbread（2.3.X），每10部Android活跃设备中就有6者采用这一版本的操作系统。发布于2010年5月的Froyo（2.2）占比仍超过17%，而仅运行于平板电脑的Honeycomb（3.X）则占比2.4%。

谷歌曾在最近的I/O大会上宣布Android设备每天激活量已超过100万部，至今销量共达4亿部，但Ice Cream Sandwich普及率的缓慢增长表明，有大量新激活的设备仍在运行更低版本的Android操作系统。

目前运行Ice Cream Sandwich的设备包括三星Galaxy S III，三星Nexus、HTC的One X，LG的Style系列产品。

4）据eGaming Review报道，Zynga可能将收购Bwin.party旗下的瑞典公司Ongame，以便借后者在赌博领域的资源提升公司的盈利表现（游戏邦注：曾有报道称平均每位赌客的终身价值为150美元，而手机游戏则是20美元左右）。

最近一段时间出现了不少游戏与博彩领域相融合的收购现象，例如Big Fish收购《Card Ace Casino》开发商Self Aware Games，International Game Technology收购Double Down Interactive，King.comn收购 Fabrication Games。

5）据ARC预测，山寨手机市场在未来两年仍将持续发展，在2013年将达到高峰，届时其产品出货量将近1.5亿部。

这些山寨机一般售价为60-120美元，模仿对象包括iPhone和三星Galaxy等设备，其吸引力在于拥有合法设备所不具备的功能，例如支持两张SIM卡，并且成本更低。山寨机在某些亚洲手机市场中所占份额达14%，在全球平均占比7%。

6）据socialgamesobserver报道，Kobojo过去一直是法国最大的社交游戏公司，但本周MAU和DAU居于领先地位的是Telaxo，Kobojo退居第二位，育碧则排名第三。

Kobojo最热门游戏是《PyramidVille》阿拉伯语版，该游戏由Peak Games发行，目前MAU达210万，DAU为41万。

育碧最成功游戏是基于电视节目的产品，例如《The Smurfs & Co》、《House M.D.: Critical Cases》和《CSI: Crime City》。

Telaxo目前在Facebook有126款游戏，但没有一款游戏MAU超过100万，表现最优者是《Pool Practice》（98万MAU）和《Bouncing Balls》（90万MAU），MAU总数将近1800万。

7）据serkantoto报道，GREE日前关闭两款旗下社交游戏，其一是历史战争模拟游戏《Bakumatsu Kingdom》，该游戏于去年11月份发布，但今年7月2日就已关闭；GREE计划于7月31日关闭另一个游戏项目《Sangokushi Kingdom》，但并未透露具体原因。

观察者认为，这两者无法吸引足够用户应该是游戏下线主要原因，《Sangokushi Kingdom》自去年9月发布以来，在上线5个月时间中仅收获20万用户。这两款游戏同属于Kingdom系列，但另一款游戏《Sengoku Kingdom》却表现良好，并未受到影响。

8）日本电子游戏公司世嘉近日宣布成立子公司SEGA Networks，将针对智能手机和平板电脑开发游戏。

SEGA Networks将由SEGA首席执行官Haruki Satomi（游戏邦注：他曾任世嘉美国电子业务副总裁）领导，于近日开始运营并招聘211名成员，计划推出首款游戏《Derby Owner’s Club》（它是世嘉赛马模拟游戏系列的手机版本）。

9）在本周DAU排行榜上，FreshPlanet游戏《SongPop》持续保持领先优势，新增40万DAU，增幅为27%。

EA游戏《SimCity Social》位居第一，新增DAU为32万9400，增幅达54900%。Konami游戏《Yu-Gi-Oh! BAM》排名第三，新增15万DAU，增幅为188%。Social Point游戏《Dragon City》位列第四，新增11万DAU，增幅为16%。King.com游戏《Pyramid Solitaire Saga》位列第五，新增10万DAU，增幅为8%。（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）In-app advertising spend to triple to over $7 billion by 2015

by Keith Andrew

The increasing prevalence of rich media in mobile ads will cause in-app adverting spend to triple to $7.1 billion by 2015, reports Juniper Research.

According to the firm’s latest paper on mobile advertising strategy, the rise will stem from an already healthy base of $2.4 billion in 2012.

But the type of businesses set to take advantage of the surge is somewhat less certain, with Juniper stating numerous outfits yet to realise the potential of in-app ads.

Advantage innovation

Juniper warns businesses currently not producing engaging in-app ads risk missing out on what will prove be the ‘key mobile marketing segment’ in the years ahead.

“Innovative brands are using rich media ads not only to draw consumers in with highly appealing experiences, but also to adapt adverts to meet their business needs,” said Juniper of the results.

“This could mean adding a map of nearby stores to an ad or even a button which dials a sales line so the user can discuss their needs.”

Juniper claims mobile ads already boast a higher response rate than many other mediums, though notes scores of big businesses are yet to finesse websites that work adequate with smartphones or tablets, let alone launch adequate in-app ads.

Miller time

Overall, Juniper expects spending for the entire mobile segment – of which in-app ads are just one part – to triple by 2017.

The majority of that money – 60 percent, in all – will be spent either in North America or Europe, though the effectiveness of the creative that results will depend on marketers understanding the advantages of the mobile medium, claims report author Charlotte Miller.

“Mobile advertising gives marketers the chance to reach consumers on a more personal level than any other type of advertising,” added Miller.

“Creating immersive and entertaining experiences to attract the attention of the consumer is essential for marketers wanting to take advantage of the massive increase in app usage.”（source:pocketgamer）

2）Gamevil’s Baseball Superstars series tops 40 million downloads

by Keith Andrew

With a tip of the hat to Independence Day, Korean publisher Gamevil has announced its franchise honouring America’s favourite sport – Baseball Superstars – has just topped 40 million downloads.

Said number has been amassed across both smartphones and feature phones, with the last 10 million downloads having piled up during a six month stretch between November 2011 and May 2012.

Big hitter

“We knew how many people loved baseball, the all-American pastime, so we took the basic gameplay and combined with a Gamevil RPG spin,” the firm said in an emailed statement.

“We’ve come a long way – from the initial Baseball franchise game created in 2002 to the most current, Baseball Superstars 2012 – with each new game improving upon its predecessors.”

Since the franchise hit 7 million downloads in September 2008 – two months after the launch of the App Store – a total of 33 million Baseball Superstars games have been downloaded across formats, signalling an overall surge in the franchise’s fanbase post smartphone.（source:pocketgamer）

3）Ice Cream Sandwich on 11% of Android devices

by Keith Andrew

Jelly Bean (aka Android 4.1) may be making its debut with the launch of Nexus 7, but according to stats released by Google, its predecessor has only just passed 10 percent Android penetration.

Numbers sourced during a 14 day period ending 2 July suggest Ice Cream Sandwich – which was launched nine months ago – is currently equipped on a total of 10.9 percent of Android devices.

That makes it the third most used version of Android.

Biting the biscuit

Topping the list is Gingerbread (2.3.x), which – a year and a half after launch – is installed on six out of every ten active Android devices in the hands of consumers.

Froyo (2.2), which launched back in May 2010, still accounts for more than 17 percent of Android handsets sold, while the tablet-only Honeycomb (3.x) makes up 2.4 percent of devices.

Google recently revealed at its I/O conference in San Francisco that it’s currently activating more than 1 million new Android devices every day, with a total of 400 million having been sold since launch.

Ice Cream Sandwich’s slow penetration, however, would suggest a large portion of the handsets activated still run older versions of the platform.

This is because it requires higher device specifications and most OEMs limit the ability of users to update their devices to avoid support issues.

To date, devices to run ICS out of the box included Samsung’s Galaxy S III and Galaxy Nexus, HTC’s One X and handsets in LG’s Style series.（source:pocketgamer）

4）Zynga makes wager on gambling; poised to buy Ongame

by Tim Green

It’s going all in for the online poker firm!

What a huge deal this could be – the first big meeting of social gaming and traditional gambling.

It’s well-known that social gaming companies like Zynga envy the ARPUs generated by gambling, while the gambling companies are intrigued by the addictive gameplay designs of casual gaming

specialists.

It’s estimated that the life time value of the average gambling customer is $150 per gambler, compared to a mobile gaming LTV of around $20.

This prompted Zynga to launch Zynga Poker as a play-for-fun game, and to see it quickly attracted 30 million players a month. Zynga also has Zynga Bingo in beta.

Now, eGaming Review claims Zynga is ‘leading the race’ to acquire Ongame, the Swedish firm owned by Bwin.party.

The news came after slot machine maker Shuffle Master withdrew a $38.9 million bid.

Any deal could give Zynga a serious fillip after some troubling recent financials. Gambling it still beset with regulatory restrictions all over the world, but it is loosening up.

The UK is arguably the most liberal territory in the West, so there’s potential there.

But even the previously draconian US is thawing. A recent revision to the Wire Act of 1961 can be interpreted as outlawing bets on sporting events — not all events and contests.

This could leave it up to every state to pass legislation outlining operating procedures. So far, Nevada and the District of Columbia have, but the option is there.

There are signs that other companies are manoeuvring themselves for a more liberal market. In recent weeks, Big Fish bought Card Ace Casino developer Self Aware Games, Double Down

Interactive was acquired by video poker giant International Game Technology, and Fabrication Games was acquired by fellow Swedish games firm King.com.（source:mobile-ent）

5）150m grey handsets could ship in 2013

by Mike Shaw

Counterfeit market continues to grow.

Makers of grey handsets copy popular devices like the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy, and ship products at between $60 and $120. Since their entry into the handset market in 2005, they have steadily gained traction.

Now, ARC predicts that the grey market will grow over the next two years, eventually peaking in 2013 at nearly 150 million shipments.

Part of the appeal of grey handsets is how they are often first to introduce features that legitimate phones do not have, such as dual SIM functionality, but at a greatly reduced cost.

As a result, grey handsets have considerable penetration levels, accounting for a much as 14 per cent of the overall handset market in several Asia Pacific markets and a worldwide average of seven per cent.（source:mobile-ent）

6）Top 10: Best Social Game Developers in France

By Sebastian Sujka

This week we have a look at the social gaming industry in France. For a long time Kobojo was the biggest player in France and for ahead of the local competition. With the rise of Telaxo and Ubisoft’s successful entry into the social gaming space Paris-based Kobojo finds itself on the second place according to DAU and even on the third place according to MAU.

Kobojo’s most successful title is the Arabic version of PyramidVille which has been published by Peak Games and counts 2,100,000 monthly active users (MAU) and 410,00 aily active users (DAU).

Ubisoft, second in the charts according to MAU and third according to DAU, is most successful with its TV franchise series like The Smurfs & Co, House M.D.: Critical Cases, and CSI: Crime City.

The first place according to both, DAU and MAU, goes to Telaxo, a social game developer specialized in mini games with 126 games live on Facebook. Telaxo does not have a single title with over 1-million-MAU but the Top games Pool Practice (980,000) and Bouncing Balls (900,000) are close to hit the barrier. In total, Telaxo has seven titles with more than half a million MAU. With almost 18 million MAU Telaxo is one of the largest social game developers worldwide.（source:socialgamesobserver）

7）GREE Shuts Down Two 1st-Party Games In Japan [Social Games]

by Dr. Serkan Toto

That doesn’t happen very often: GREE has apparently decided to pull the plug on not one but two of their 1st-party games.

The first title is Bakumatsu Kingdom, a “historic” war simulation set in the Edo period. GREE released the game just in November last year and shut it down yesterday (Monday, July 2).

Bakumatsu is the third in GREE’s “Kingdom” series, which includes Sengoku Kingdom and Sangokushi Kingdom.

As the second title, GREE is planning to shut down Sangokushi Kingdom on July 31.

The company isn’t speaking about the reasons for its decision, but it looks like the two games simply didn’t attract enough users.

Sangokushi Kingdom, for example, racked up just 200,000 users in five months after release in September 2011 – not really a good number for a 1st-party game on GREE.

Sengoku Kingdom, the only game left in the series, however, is doing very well and isn’t affected.（source:serkantoto）

8）Sega Networks: Sega Launches Smartphone And Tablet Game Subsidiary [Social Games]

by Dr. Serkan Toto

This isn’t directly related to social games but should be worth mentioning: video game company SEGA has announced the launch of SEGA Networks, a new subsidiary that will develop games specifically for smartphones and tablets.

Sega Networks will be headed by SEGA CEO Haruki Satomi who used to be the VP of Digital Business at Sega of America. The wholly owned subsidiary started operations yesterday and employs 211 people.

Sega Networks plans to roll out “Derby Owner’s Club”, a mobile version of Sega’s horse racing simulation franchise, as the first title (by the end of this month).

Expect more Japanese video game makers to boost their digital business in the next few months.（source:serkantoto）

9）SongPop continues its chart-topping performance with this week’s fastest-growing Facebook games by DAU

Mike Thompson

FreshPlanet’s SongPop is continuing to outperform the other fastest-growing Facebook games by daily active users, its 400,000 DAU this week (a 27 percent gain) let it take the top spot on the list.

EA’s SimCity Social debuted on the list this week, taking the No. 2 spot with 329,400 DAU for a 54,900 percent gain. Konami’s Yu-Gi-Oh! BAM came in at No. 3, bringing in 150,000 DAU for a 188 percent increase. Social Point’s Dragon City snagged the No. 4 position with a 16 percent growth of 110,000 DAU. Finally, King.com’s Pyramid Solitaire Saga grabbed the No. 5 spot with its 100,000 DAU, up 8 percent.

Five other game on the list show gains greater than 100 percent. Hangman was up by 20,000 MAU, a 200 percent increase. LottoRace’s eponymous LottoRace took in 19,997 DAU, a 666,567 percent growth. IGG’s Spanish-language role-playing game GodsWar: El Mejor 3D Juego De Fantasía (“GodsWar: The Best 3D Fantasy Game”) grew by 16,000 DAU, a 400 percent growth. IGG had another RPG appear on the list: The recently-launched Moonlight Online bringing in 13,000 DAU for a 186 percent gain. Finally, the Spanish-language pet sim ¿Qué piensas acerca de mí? (“What do you think about me?”) grew by 12,000 DAU, a 150 percent increase.（source:insidesocialgames）