1）Localytics最近报告显示，诺基亚现在已占据将近60%的Windows Phone市场份额。

从1月份至今，Windows Phone设备在全球市场份额增长312%，在美国增幅高达273%；与此同时，诺基亚在全球Windows Phone市场份额则从原来的22%增长至59%，在美国Windows Phone市场份额更是从0增长至32%。

windows-phone-market-share(from global Windows phone market share)

在此期间，三星及HTC的Windows Phone市场份额则呈现下滑趋势；在2012年头7个月，三星在美国份额从原来的36%降至26%，在全球范围则从23%降至13%；HTC目前在美国仍占据36%的Windows Phone市场份额，但远低于1月份时的54%，在全球份额则从44%降至21%。

但观察者预计Windows Phone 8今年秋季面世时，Windows Phone领域才会出真正的竞争局面，首款Windows Phone 8设备预计于9月5日在纽约亮相。

2）免费信息应用TextPlus最近调查结果指出，50%青少年无法忍受一整周都没有手机的生活（游戏邦注：其调查样本是600名13-17岁的青少年）。

36%受访者称他们无法连续10分钟都不查看手机一次。这一群体最主要的手机活动仍是发送短信，61%受访者称比起手机上其他功能，自己最离不开短信。

mobile-texting(from mobilemarketingbroker.com)

也有52%青少年表示自己无论身处什么环境都要使用手机，37%受访者在上厕所时查看手机，20%在教堂时也离不开手机。73%青少年上床之前都要发短信，72%起床第一件事就是发短信。

3）据games.com报道，《无尽之剑》开发商Chair Entertainment日前出人意料地推出了一款以总统选举为主题的iOS游戏《VOTE!!! The Game》。该游戏采用了与《无尽之剑》相同的玩法机制，但玩家在此可选择扮演奥巴马或共和党总统候选人米特·罗姆尼，划动触屏让两者展开战斗。

vote debate lawn(from games)

值得注意的是，Epic Games及Chair Entertainment是与Rock the Vote、Video Game Voters Network、Project Vote Smart合作推出该游戏，以提升公众的选举参与度。玩家通过该游戏可轻松获取选民登记信息以及游戏内置选举登记表格。

4）Unity公司首席执行官David Helgason在最近的2012 Unite大会发言中指出，Unity注册开发者已达120万，其中有30万为月活跃用户；目前采用Unity引擎的开发者中有三分之一来自亚洲。

unity-icon-big(from unity3d.com)

目前全球已有53%移动开发者使用Unity引擎，从整个行业来看，各领域都有2-5%开发者使用Unity引擎。

5）据gamasutra报道，日前有传闻称PopCap游戏《植物大战僵尸》开发者、高级游戏设计师George Fan也在该公司裁员的50人名单之列（其裁员对象主要是包括西雅图总部在内的北美团队），而PopCap发言人对此回应称，公司目前尚无法确认是否将解聘George Fan。

george_and_zombie(from bennixville.net)

George Fan于六年前加入PopCap Games，当时该公司主要专注于制作售价20美元左右的可下载PC游戏，但PopCap已准备将重心转向免费增值模式、社交及手机游戏领域。

在裁员前一天，PopCap还刚宣布将推出《植物大战僵尸2》，现在看来George Fan可能无缘参与该项目开发；在加入PopCap之前，Fan曾在暴雪参与开发《暗黑破坏神3》，并成立了自己的公司Flying Bear Entertainment（代表作是由PopCap发行的《Insaniquarium》）。据知情者透露，Fan今后可能走上独立开发游戏的道路。（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）SHOCKER! Nokia dominates the Windows Phone market

by Mike Shaw

Sixty per cent of Windows Phones worldwide are Nokia devices.

A new study shows that Windows Phone is growing, and Nokia is gaining an increasing share of that market.

The study, conducted by Localytics, shows that since January the number of WinPho devices has grown by 312 per cent worldwide and 273 per cent in the US.

Meanwhile, Nokia’s share of the global Windows Phone market has gone from 22 per cent to nearly 60 percent. Equally impressive is the statistic that its US shares has leapt from zero per cent to 32 per cent.

However, while Nokia’s star is on the rise, Samsung and HTC’s US Windows Phone market share has fallen.

class=”p1″>Samsung’s US WinPho market share dropped from 36 per cent to 26 per cent in the first seven months of 2012, while its worldwide share dropped from 23 per cent to 13 per cent.

HTC has been hit even harder. The company still has the majority of the US Windows Phone market at 36 per cent, but that is down from 54 per cent in January. Globally, HTC’s share has dropped from 44 per cent to just 21 per cent.

Obviously when compared to rival platforms, these figures are just a drop in the ocean, but when Windows Phone 8 arrives later this autumn, WinPho may start to provide some real competition.

Nokia, who has bet the farm on the Microsoft platform, certainly hopes so.

Details on the first Windows Phone 8 devices are expected to be announced at a joint event on September 5 in New York.（source:mobile-ent）

2）Survey says half of teens cannot live without their mobiles

by Mike Shaw

Thirty-six per cent of teenagers are unable to go 10 minutes without checking their phones.

A survey by free messaging app TextPlus, says that 50 per cent of teens couldn’t live without their mobile devices for a week.

They would, like, literally die.

Of the 600 respondents aged between 13 and 17, 36 per cent said they aren’t able to last 10 minutes without checking their phones.

Among this group, texting is still tops, with 61 per cent saying they couldn’t survive without texting – more than any other activity they perform on their phones.

With this apparently essential need to text, it is little wonder that 52 per cent of teenagers said they use their phones regardless of the environment – 37 per cent check their devices on the toilet and 20 per cent do it in church.

The survey added that texting is the first and last thing most teens do everyday, with 73 per cent texting before bed and 72 per cent doing it first thing in the morning.（source:mobile-ent）

3）VOTE!!! The Game is Infinity Blade, but with Obama vs. Romney on iOS

by Joe Osborne

In this situation, we almost wish this were an Infinity Blade rip-off from some two-bit developer. Nope, this is Infinity Blade creator Chair Entertainment’s next big game for iPhone and iPad. VOTE!!! The Game essentially takes the same play mechanics first established in the developer’s gorgeous 3D brawler and slaps them onto an all-out death match–oh, sorry … debate.

Players can choose between either the nation’s incumbent commander in chief, Barack Obama, or presumed Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and whack away at the opposition with some precise finger swiping. Like its predecessor (?), players can equip their president (or hopeful) of choice with a slew of wacky weapons and outfits.

But Chair Entertainment and Epic Games will tell you this is for a good cause, as the duo has teamed up with Rock the Vote, Video Game Voters Network, and Project Vote Smart to help use VOTE!!! The Game to raise awareness about voter registration. Through the game, players will have easy access to voter registration information and even an in-game voter registration form.

“VOTE!!! is everything a great game should be-challenging, rewarding, super-fun-and players will find themselves laughing the entire time,” Chair Entertainment creative director Donald Mustard said. “We’re excited to join forces with Rock the Vote to help emphasize the importance of voter registration and encourage gamers to become more involved in the political process.”

Who knows, maybe VOTE!!! will finally inspire thoughtful, civil discourse between voters that will better inform voting decision–we couldn’t even get that one out without cracking up a bit, sorry. VOTE!!! The Game launches tomorrow for free on iOS.（source:games）

4）Unite 2012: More than half of all mobile devs using Unity

by Keith Andrew

Following a swish trailer sweeping across some of the biggest games to utilise Unity’s engine to date, company CEO David Helgason took to the stage at 2012′s Unite conference in Amsterdam to talk numbers.

And some impressive numbers they were.

According to the latest stats from the firm, Unity claims a third of all developers plugging into the engine are now based in Asia – a particularly impressive feat, given the firm’s assault on the region is a recent one.

Monthly matters

In all, Unity has 1.2 million registered developers on its books – 300,000 of which are active on a monthly basis.

Mobile, naturally, remains Unity’s base, with the company estimating that more than half of all mobile developers on the planet – 53 percent to be exact – have utilised the Unity engine so far.

Spread that across the entire industry, said Helgason, and that means that somewhere between 2 and 5 percent of developers of any kind have plugged into Unity at some point.

“Unity 4 is the most ambitious engine we’ve ever worked with, and more developers than ever before are using it,” concluded Helgason.

Such stats come as Unity announced further platform expansion, with support for Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 incoming.（source:pocketgamer）

5）Plants vs Zombies creator may not be around for its sequel

by Eric Caoili

The creator of PopCap’s Plants vs Zombies may not have made it through yesterday’s layoffs, though based on conflicting statements from the company, we’re just not sure.

Following up on unconfirmed online rumors, Gamasutra was told by a PopCap representative this morning that senior game designer George Fan was one of the 50-or-so employees who were let go from the company’s Seattle studio yesterday. However, that same representative later recalled his statement, saying that the company “cannot at this time confirm that George Fan was part of the layoffs.”

The developer laid off employees from its North American branches, including its Seattle headquarters, as part of restructuring plans designed to better accommodate free-to-play, social, and mobile markets.

Fan began working at the Electronic Arts subsidiary more than six years ago, when those markets had yet to explode and when PopCap focused on making downloadable PC games that sold for around $20.

The company found plenty of success with that approach, but the industry and consumer expectations have changed dramatically since then. PopCap has said it needs to adapt to those changes and reorganize its business.

Just a day prior to the layoffs, PopCap announced that it will release a new Plants vs Zombies game in spring 2013. The tower defense series is one of the company’s most popular properties it’s developed in recent years.

Though the original game’s director may not be able to see the sequel through, a high-profile source in the indie community tells Gamasutra there are rumblings that Fan will pursue independent projects.

Prior to PopCap, Fan worked at Blizzard Entertainment on Diablo III, and also founded his own company, Flying Bear Entertainment (developer of Insaniquarium, which was published by PopCap).（source:gamasutra）