1）据venturebeat报道，为保证员工留存率，Zynga为公司成员预留了相当比例的期权。Zynga8月17日公布的SEC文件显示，Zynga新股票期权当前价值达1.22亿美元，这些股票生效后将使Zynga可交易股票总数增长10%。

pls don't go(from vator.tv)

Zynga股票自2011年12月上市以来一直呈下滑状态，目前每股售价仅3美元，公司市值也从原先的89亿美元缩水至23亿美元（游戏邦注：在该公司进行IPO之前，曾有传闻称Zynga估值达150-200亿美元；据Serkantoto最近报道，日本社交游戏公司GREE在东京证券交易所的市值达40亿美元，DeNA市值达42亿美元）。

据Zynga的S-8文件显示，公司为员工预留股票达4329万5554股，每股售价为2.53-2.97美元。其中有三分之二股票是用于员工期权奖励计划，还有三分之一是用于员工股票购买计划（有可能是为了限制期权）。

从该公司4.64亿股票总数来看，这个数目已经占据相当比例。这也意味着Zynga在市场发行越多股票，越可能导致公司股价下跌。

目前这些股票期权有四年的接管期限，Zynga员工无法在头12个月中兑现任何股票，也就是说这些员工无法在今后一年中抛售这些股票。这些期权有可能促使Zynga成员继续留在公司以期待股票价值回升。

2）据serkantoto报道，日本社交游戏公司Voltage（主要制作爱情与约会题材的模拟游戏，代表作包括日本iOS游戏《Be My Princess》）日前宣布将推出一款根据美剧《绯闻女孩》改制的社交游戏《Gossip Girl – New York De Koi No Yokan》。

voltage-gossip-girl-social-game-gree(from serkantoto)

玩家在游戏中将扮演一名到纽约学习的交换生，并过上一种纽约名媛的生活。玩家可以根据《绯闻女孩》中的人物形象装扮自己的虚拟角色，并经历数段“浪漫邂逅”。

该游戏将于下月发布于智能手机和功能性手机上的GREE平台。

3）据insidemobileapps报道，《Talking Friends》开发商Outfit7最近推出新款手机应用《Talking Ginger》。这是一款教育类应用，旨在向幼儿教授基本生活技能。

Talking Ginger(from itunes.apple.com)

4）迪士尼最近向iOS平台推出基于迪士尼频道《Fish Hooks》的同名手机游戏，其玩法类似于《割绳子》，要求玩家在每个关卡中为主角Milo集满三个苹果。在这一过程中，玩家还要解决水泡、海龟壳、珊瑚等元素的干扰，以便让Milo顺利吃到苹果。

fish-hook(from games)

该游戏发布于iPhone和iPad平台，玩家无需付费，仅通过玩游戏就能解琐额外角色和关卡。

5）据CNET报道，市场调研公司IDC预计微软将在今年推出300多万部Surface平板电脑。值得注意的是，该设备预计于10月26日才正式发售（苹果于2010年发布iPad时，该设备首季销量达300万部，目前iPad总销量已达8400万部，预计今年底将达1亿部）。

IDC分析师Bob O’Donnell指出，这300万数据包括采用英特尔X86和ARM处理器的平板电脑销量。Surface RT平板电脑采用ARM处理器，不支持运行于Windows 7平台的软件。而基于英特尔的Surface则搭载Windows 8 Pro操作系统，但会支持运行原先操作系统中的软件。

他称Surface RT平板电脑售价不会低至199美元，很可能达到599美元。

Surface-Tablet-with-White-cover(from sparkwiz.com)

6）据彭博社报道，联想高管David Schmoock在最近采访中透露，联想Windows RT平板电脑售价将比运行Windows 8的平板电脑低200-300美元左右。

他预计Windows 8平板电脑售价将达600-700美元，这意味着联想Windows RT平板电脑售价约300美元左右。

观察者称，如果Windows RT平板电脑售价确实是300美元，那就有可能以比iPad低200美元的价格，以及更大的屏幕同苹果产品展开竞争。

7）据venturebeat报道，Facebook首席执行官Mark Zuckerberg在本月的公司大会上承认，公司股价下跌的情况确实很“令人痛心”。

facebook stock(from examiner.com)

Facebook股价自今年5月上市以来已下跌近50%，虽然Zuckerberg表示同情持有公司股票的员工，但也表示自己相信公司将会扭转局面。

在此之前，Facebook早期投资者结束了一轮股票封锁期，此举导致公司股价跌至19.69美元的历史最低点；更糟的是今年底之前还有三轮封锁期也将结束，届时其股票持有者可能抛售多达14亿只Facebook股票。（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）Zynga sets aside a huge pile of low-priced stock for employees

Dylan Tweney

Zynga is setting aside a huge allotment of stock options for employees in an attempt to keep them around and on target, even as its stock price sinks downward.

It’s part of the casual gaming company’s efforts to remain focused on its long-term objectives as it struggles with weak earnings, lawsuits, and deflated expectations. But the stock option move also illustrates some of the hazards of equity-based compensation, which has long been a key part of Silicon Valley recruiting and retention strategies.

Documents filed with the SEC and published on August 17 confirm Zynga’s new stock option pool, which has a current value of about $122 million. The pool, if issued and subsequently vested, will add about 10 percent to Zynga’s total number of tradeable shares.

Zynga’s stock (ZNGA) has been sliding down since it went public in December 2011 at a valuation of $8.9 billion. Its share price now stands at $3, valuing the company at just about $2.3 billion.

The post-IPO slide is only part of the story. Before the IPO last year, the company was rumored to be worth $15 to $20 billion. Investors who put money into the company in February 2011 invested at $14 per share. Any employee who joined in 2011 had their stock options set at a similar level.

Here’s why the new pool of stock is necessary: Options that cost $14 per share to exercise would be worthless when the stock price is at $3. Even restricted stock grants — in which the employee is given actual stock (with certain limitations) instead of the option to purchase stock — would be worth about one-fifth of their original value. No wonder executives like chief operating officer John Schaeppert see no point in sticking around. Many rank-and-file employees are no doubt thinking the same thing. (Schaeppert was also stripped of his major responsibilities, but if the stock was going in a different direction, he might have been happy to hang on for awhile.)

“We frequently give out new stock options or other equity to our employees as a part of our value-driven meritocracy,” a company spokesperson said in a statement to VentureBeat over the weekend. “This filing was to register shares that were automatically added to our equity plan, as disclosed in our prior registration statements, for the company’s use throughout the coming year and after. We will continue to invest in our talent as we drive the development of great social games to enhance the relationships of our players.”

The Wall Street Journal reported on August 9 that chief executive Mark Pincus issued stock options to all employees, speculating that the options would be at a very low price. If true, we now know the price for that pool of options: under $3 per share.

According to Zynga’s form S-8, the company has set aside 43,295,554 shares for its employees, at prices from $2.53 to $2.97 per share. The latter price is based on the company’s stock price on August 14, while the former is 85 percent of that total, giving employees a 15 percent discount.

About two-thirds of the 43 million shares are for the employee stock incentive plan (likely for stock options) and about one-third is for the employee stock purchase plan (likely for restricted stock options).

Compared to the company’s total number of shares outstanding, which is 464 million, that is a substantial chunk. This presents a risk; by putting more shares on the market, Zynga could depress its stock price even further.

However, these grants and options will undoubtedly be restricted in order to prevent employees from exercising them any time soon. Typically, stock option grants have a four-year vesting period, with zero shares vesting during the first 12 months. That means it’ll be at least a year before Zynga has to worry about the additional employee shares hitting the market.

And with luck, these attractively priced shares and options will help encourage people to stick around for the long term in hopes of seeing their value come back up.（source:venturebeat）

2）New Love Sim: Japan Gets “Gossip Girl” Social Game [Social Game]

by Dr. Serkan Toto

Love and dating sim specialist Voltage has announced a pretty interesting new title for the Japanese market. It’s the first time the Tokyo-based (and listed) company uses IP for a game, and it’s a big one.

Gossip Girl – New York De Koi No Yokan (Gossip Girl – Anticipation Of Love In New York) will be set against the backdrop of the TV series, which is (relatively) speaking more popular in Japan than it is in the US.

Voltage says that in the game, the player will take on the role of a foreign exchange student in New York and live the life of a celebrity. Users can dress up avatars (see below) that look like Gossip Girl characters and will be led through several “romantic stories” (which is very common for this genre).

Voltage’s Gossip Girl social game will be exclusively available on GREE for feature phones and smartphones from next month (and is sure to be a hit).

In case you were wondering what dating and love sims are: Voltage has already released such a game, Be My Princess, for GREE in the US App Store (free download). Japanese social game blogger Chiho Komoriya compared Be My Princess’ American Version with the Japanese version here.（source:serkantoto）

3）Outfit7 goes educational with Talking Ginger – Talking Friends developer Outfit7’s latest mobile app is Talking Ginger, an edutainment app designed help young children learn basic skills.（source:insidemobileapps）

4）Disney’s Fish Hooks comes to life for free on iOS

by Brandy Shaul

Disney’s Fish Hooks already entertains children on the Disney Channel, but now, you can take your friends from Freshwater High with you wherever you go via the launch of Disney Mobile’s Fish Hooks on iOS, a free-to-play mobile game that plays just like Cut the Rope.

FIsh Hooks is a physics-based puzzle game asking you to send Milo, the show’s main character, down tubes after collecting up to three apples in each level. You’ll manipulate bubbles, turtle shells, pieces of coral, strings and more as you attempt to collect these apples, with the path to the exit not always readily apparent. The game comes complete with animated cutscenes starring characters from the show and performs well for the most part (the occasional timing issue when popping or placing bubbles notwithstanding).

Available for both iPhone and iPad, Disney’s Fish Hooks looks to be a perfect game for kids on the go, or even for adults that simply appreciate physics-based puzzle games. It should be noted that the increase in difficulty from one tank to the next is a rather slow one, which also helps the game’s cause as a great option for kids. What’s more, you can unlock the game’s additional characters and levels by simply playing the game, without any nasty pay walls blocking your path. If you’re interested in trying Disney’s Fish Hooks, you can now download the game on iTunes.（source:games）

5）Microsoft is going big: Will build 3 million Surface tablets, according to IDC

Matt Marshall

Microsoft is expected to build a little more than 3 million Surface tablets this year, a market researcher IDC has told CNET.

The number is significant, because it refers to the number of units Microsoft plans to make by the end of 2012, at least according to the analyst. And it’s a relatively large number for the new entrant into the tablet industry.

The iPad shipped 1 million iPads in its first month on the market back in 2010, which was considered a phenomenal success. Samsung’s Galaxy Tab, the next big tablet on the market, sold 600,000 in its first month. Of course, there’s a difference between the number of units that are produced, versus the number sold. Microsoft isn’t necessarily planning to sell the 3 million straight off. But still, for Microsoft to be betting it can eventually sell 3 million of its first version Surface tablets relatively quickly (even if it is not in a month, or even two or three) is a sign of bullishness.

The device is expected to hit the market on Oct 26.

Microsoft hasn’t had a lot of success selling its own devices. It’s typically sought to deliver software in devices that are manufactured and sold by other companies.

Apple sold 3 million iPads in its first quarter after launch in 2010, and it has sold 84 million iPads to date. It’s on track to sell 100 million by the end of the year.

The assumption here, of course, is that the IDC analyst being quoted by CNET has had some sort of briefing with Microsoft, even if CNET report didn’t say that explicitly. IDC is one of the more respected enterprise analyst groups, and Microsoft is probably courting the analyst community to prepare it for one of the biggest launch quarters in Microsoft’s history. There’s a nod-wink type of activity that happens between companies and analysts, and CNET quotes the IDC analyst’s views with the sort of authority that implies it comes directly from Microsoft.

Microsoft is also launching its new operating system, Windows 8, in October, so this is going to be a critical quarter for Microsoft.

IDC analyst Bob O’Donnell has other interesting things to say about the Surface. He said the 3 million number includes both Intel x86 and ARM-processor versions. The Surface RT tablets are built with ARM processors, and will not support legacy software that runs on Windows 7. Intel-based Surface will run Windows 8 Pro, and will support legacy software.

He also explained earlier reports elsewhere that Surface RT devices might go on sale for as little as $199. ”There could be two ways to get Surface. Buy it outright for, let’s say, $599.

Or $199 for a two-year subscription and you can get X,Y, and Z — which, oh, by the way, works out to more than $599,” he said.（source:venturebeat）

6）Rumour: Price of Windows RT / Surface tablets could undercut price of iPad

by Matthew Diener

While Microsoft has yet to officially reveal the pricing for its upcoming Surface, we may have an idea of what to expect from other Windows 8 and RT tablets.

A Lenovo executive, David Schmoock, spoke candidly during an interview this week and revealed that his company’s Windows RT tablets would be priced $200 – $300 less than tablets running the more robust Windows 8 software.

Schmoock then estimated that a Windows 8 tablet would cost $600 – $700, thereby implying that a Lenovo tablet running Windows RT would cost around $300.

Cheap slate

It is worth noting that Schmoock is speaking only for Lenovo, although it is likely that Microsoft’s Surface will follow a similar pricing strategy.

If the various Windows RT tablets do debut at $300, as indicated, they could provide ample competition for the iPad by offering consumers a tablet with a slightly larger screen for about $200 less than the cheapest model of Apple’s touchscreen tablet line.

It will be interesting to see if Microsoft follows Lenovo’s lead when it comes to Windows RT / Windows 8 tablet pricing. If it does, the tablet market may be in for something of a shake-up soon.（source:pocketgamer）

7）Zuckerberg to employees: Stock price drop has been “painful” to watch

Ricardo Bilton

Facebook’s troubling stock performance hasn’t been lost on CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

At a companywide meeting earlier this month, the Facebook founder acknowledged the price drop, calling it “painful” for employees who had lost money since buying the stock, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Facebook’s stock value has fallen nearly fifty percent since the company went public in May, a loss in performance that not even the company’s stock-agnostic CEO can ignore. Zuckerberg’s recognition has also extended to Facebook employees, who have watched the value of their investment shrink over the past three months.

But while Zuckerberg empathizes with his employees, he says he’s confident the company’s fortunes will reverse as it capitalizes on the investments it made this year. The press, he says, just has no idea of what Facebook has planned.

News of Zuckerberg’s morale-boosting comes a day after the expiry of a stock lockup agreement allowed early investors to sell their shares. The selling splurge pushed Facebook’s stock to a new low of $19.69. While that’s bad, it could get worse: Three more lockup agreements are set to expire before the end of the year, freeing up owners of 1.4 billion shares to abandon the Facebook barge.

And Zuckerberg? For better or for worse, he’s likely to stick by his mantra: “Stay focused, keep shipping.”（source:venturebeat）