1）据games.com报道，Kixeye工程高级副总裁Danielle Deibler（前Adobe元老、《War Commander》开发者）在最近采访中表示，他认为依靠最新的Flash和Unity技术，2013年的网页游戏体验将趋近于主机和PC游戏。

他指出由于Kixeye游戏的显卡支持，其目标市场与那些下载了Unity Player或Steam的用户多有重叠，所以Kixeye实际上已经在服务于这类小众硬核用户。

backyard monster(from games)

在他看来，网页游戏必将能够提供接近于PC下载游戏的图像保真度和运行效果，前者的表现必将更为接近后者的水平。

2）据pocketgamer报道，独立游戏工作室22 Cans所推出的新项目《GODUS》最近在大众融资平台Kickstarter实现了45万美元的集资目标，并通过邮件表示将全力以赴制作这款iOS和Android游戏以回馈粉丝的厚爱。

22cans_studio-goals(from ripten.com)

但并非所有的游戏融资项目都能如此幸运，例如Blitz Studios工作室的《Dizzy Returns》在最后的24小时中，仍然仅筹得7%的款项（其融资目标为35万英磅）。而值得注意的是，该项目开发者是著名的前Codemasters成员，Philip和Andrew Oliver兄弟，可见名气并不一定是成功的关键。

22 Cans工作室创始人Molyneux虽然最近曾被媒体抨击（游戏邦注：有人认为他是一个不差钱的名人，因此不应该借助大众融资平台向粉丝伸手要钱），但这并不妨碍《GODUS》成功筹资，他本人则表示自己并没有富裕到可以一直资助22 Cans的程度。

3）据games.com报道，由朝鲜团队Nosotek和位于北京的朝鲜旅游公司Koryo Tours最近发布了一款以平壤为背景的在线赛车游戏《Pyongyang Racer》。

pyongyang-computer-game(from games.com)

玩家将通过游戏一瞥平壤的神秘面貌，他们必须心无旁骛地向前开车，否则就可能遇到女交警的严厉警告，如果三次违规的话，就会被迫结束游戏。

值得注意的是，该游戏开发团队是平壤中唯一可提供西方工作环境和访问网络权限的公司。

4）据Techcrunch报道，Zynga日前宣布将在1月31日关闭日本工作室Zynga Japan。

Zynga Japan(from mashable.com)

Zynga于2010年收购东京开发团队Unoh Games，以便由此进军日本社交游戏市场，但Zynga这一战略并未获得成功。今年10月份，该公司首席执行官Mark Pincus曾宣布将裁减5%的人员，并表示考虑关闭Zynga Japan。

5）据serkantoto报道，日本社交游戏公司GREE日前宣布将支持东京申办2020年奥运会及残奥会，将与雅虎日本在12月26日共同发起媒体、地铁站和其他信息渠道的广告赞助活动。

gree-project-tokyo-2020(from serkantoto)

6）Facebook分析工具AppStats最近公布了2012年用户增长最快，以及用户流失最大的十大Facebook游戏开发商名单。King.com位居榜首，成为今年DAU增长最为显著的公司，新增DAU为1100万。Peak Games和Social Point分别位居第二和第三名，分别新增608万和488万DAU。排在第四名的是Freshplanet，今年新增230万DAU，第五名是Rovio，新增168万DAU。

Top-Gainers-DAU-2012-Developers(from AppStats)

Top-Losers-DAU-2012-Developers(from AppStats)

今年用户流失最严重的当属EA，共流失230万DAU；其次是6waves，流失150万DAU；第三是Tetris Online，流失129万DAU，该公司旗下游戏《Tetris Battle》同时也是今年流量下滑最严重的十大Facebook社交游戏之一。（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）Kixeye SVP: Browser games will ‘get much, much closer’ to consoles, PCs

by Joe Osborne

The war between browser and console or PC games has become a game of inches. That’s essentially what Kixeye SVP of Engineering Danielle Deibler essentially claims. The Adobe veteran now with the War Commander creator recently sat down with us to chat about the future of game creation tools like Flash as far Kixeye is concerned and their broader effects on games.

The hardcore social game studio is focused heavily on using the latest in Flash and even Unity technology to deliver gaming experiences in 2013 that come close to rivaling that which is available on consoles and PCs with the accessibility of Facebook. Deibler tells us that all of the developer’s 2013 games will use Flash features like Stage 3D heavily, taking more advantage of the video cards within players’ computers. But what about the players that are without fancy gaming machines?

“What we have found is our particular target market tends to overlap more with the audience that has downloaded Unity Player or Steam, in terms of our graphics card support. So, we feel like we actually contributed to that niche, that hardcore market. We feel like we have a better shot at our users having the correct graphics cards to be able to take advantage of that hardware acceleration.”

Basically, if you’re not rocking a dedicated graphics card, or you don’t even know what that means, then you’re probably not in Kixeye’s crosshairs. Then again, this is Flash, after all, which supports a larger variety of computers than any game creation tool or platform out there. (Chances are you won’t miss this wave.) However, it’s tough to get hyped for the newest version of Flash when, at face value for the player, all it does it pump the visuals up. But that could mean more than simply prettier games.

“A lot of it is better graphics,” Deibler admits. “More actual–not just better graphics, but more–graphics that are on the screen at one time. Being able to have lots and lots of
characters that have avatars in a world. Being able to navigate in a world that is multiplayer and have that be a varied performance thing.”

Plus, Deibler adds, browser games have the unique advantage of being, well, in the browser. In most cases, they’re just another tab next to your email or whatever blog you’re reading. This engineering lead thinks that a near console-like game with the option to look up something regarding said game or engage in discussions elsewhere just another tab over is novel. (At the very least, this editor can definitely see the appeal in that.)

Fans of Kixeye’s strategy games can expect to see more of the same in 2013, but more than likely with more advanced visuals. The studio is also still hard at work on that much-teased 3D RPG, we’re told, as well as the mobile version of Backyard Monsters, the strategy game that put the company on the map. It’s known on iOS as Backyard Monsters Unleashed, and it’s currently enjoying a “very limited release.” As for browsers on the whole in 2013 and beyond, Deibler seems more than bullish.

“You’ll basically be able to get the fidelity you’re getting on a console in the browser and potentially beyond that,” Deibler predicts. “I’m sure we’ll get to the point where the browser’s delivering comparable performance, and comparable graphic fidelity, to what a PC download game would be able to do. It will never be at the cutting edge– beautiful, cinematic, triple A–but it will basically be able to edge in and get much, much closer.”（source：games）

2）Molyneux’s mighty GODUS hits Kickstarter goal as Dizzy falls way short

by Keith Andrew

If one of the criticisms of Kickstarter is that it’s starting to appeal almost exclusively to industry luminaries, then news of GODUS hitting its target would appear to give its detractors more ammunition.

The 22 Cans game, due for both iOS and Android, has already passed its £450,000 target with days to spare, with the studio thanking backers for their “generous” support via email.

“We going to use every penny of your money to make Godus a truly great game,” reads the email.

Down on Dizzy

In comparison, Leamington Spa-based Blitz Studios’ attempt to fund the development of Dizzy Returns appears to have fallen flat.

With 24 hours remaining, the project has pooled just 7 percent of its £350,000 target in donations, despite the fact the game – the development of which was set to be led by noted former Codemasters brothers Philip and Andrew Oliver – had secured a spot on TIGA’s curated list on the crowdfunding platform.

Notoriety doesn’t always guarantee success, then.

Indeed, Dizzy Returns would need to amass more than £13,500 an hour in donations for the next 24 hours in order to hit its target – that’s more than half the total amount that’s been pledged to date.

Mo money, mo problems

On the flip side, GODUS managed to hit its target despite Molyneux having recently told Kotaku that people’s perceptions of him as a wealthy man risked damaging the project’s chances.

“I’m not saying that I’m out on the streets by any means but there’s a lot more wealthy people in this industry,” said Molyneux.

“I certainly don’t have enough money to fund 22cans for all time. I think the assumption that I’m richer than Mark Zuckerberg and that we both own Europe has hurt our Kickstarter campaign.

“A lot of people think that people like myself shouldn’t enter into Kickstarter, that it’s only for struggling developers.”（source：pocketgamer）

3）Pyongyang Racer is game about North Korea, made in North Korea

by Joe Osborne

Since the majority of you will likely never see North Korea, here’s a way to do that. This is Pyongyang Racer, a free online game developed by North Korea-based Nosotek and Koryo Tours.

Considering the latter is the Beijing-based lead North Korean tour operator, it should go without saying that Pyongyang Racer is designed to give players a glimpse of Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea.

That is, a glimpse of the city if it were an early ’90s arcade racing game. Pyongyang Racer isn’t much of a looker, and Koryo knows it. “This game was developed in 2012 and is not intended to be a high-end techological wonder hit game of the 21st century,” the game’s about page reads, “but more a fun race game (arcade style) where you drive around in Pyongyang and learn more about the sites and get a glimpse of Pyongyang.”

Pyongyang Racer guides players through the streets of Pyongyang, but you must drive straight or face the wrath of the heavily uniformed traffic women. (Hit other cars or drive into the curb three times, and it’s game over.) Thankfully, that’s not very hard to manage–this game is terribly easy. Like, boringly easy.

At any rate, it’s super interesting to see North Korea get into the gaming space in any capacity. Now, can somebody get these guys and gals a Flash or Unity license? They are, after all, “the only company in Pyongyang that offering western working conditions and Internet access.”（source：games）

4）Zynga Japan is no more

Jeffrey Grubb

One of social gaming’s biggest developers is scaling back its operations around the world.

Zynga will close its Japanese offices by the end of January. Kenji Matsubara, the chief executive officer of Zynga Japan, made the announcement on his Facebook page, according to TechCrunch.

Zynga then updated its Japanese website to reflect the coming closure with this statement (via Google Translate and Twitter user Cheesemeister3k):

Notice of dissolution of a Japanese corporation

Thank you for patronizing Zynga Japan.

Zynga Japan will dissolve effective January 31, 2013, for various reasons, but operations will continue through that date.

We would like to thank everyone the customers who enjoy our past titles. We’ve seen your support.

In 2010, Zynga acquired Tokyo-based Unoh Games. This was an attempt to establish a presence in a market that’s been very receptive to social and mobile games, as evidenced by competitor Gree’s success in that nation.

But Zynga couldn’t compete. In October, Zynga chief executive officer Mark Pincus wrote a letter to employees noting that the company would cut 5 percent of its workforce. In that letter, Pincus told his staff that the company was evaluating closing Zynga Japan. This is the result of that evaluation.

Zynga is still one of the strongest names in the Facebook-game market, but a common criticism of the company is its over-reliance on the popular social network. The developer diversified into its own Zynga.com and mobile games, but the transition is not producing financial results on par with the early successes like FarmVille and CityVille.（source：venturebeat）

5）Great PR Move: GREE Supports Tokyo 2020, Japan’s Bid For The 2020 Olympic Games

by Dr. Serkan Toto

This is a great PR move by GREE: the company today announced it will support “Tokyo 2020″, Japan’s bid to host the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

GREE and official bid partner Yahoo Japan will jointly sponsor a promotional campaign that will be started nation-wide on December 26 “in media advertisements, subway stations and other communication channels” (the two companies teamed up in a social game distribution deal a few weeks ago).

GREE explains:

For the campaign, GREE and Yahoo! Japan have jointly created a dedicated online portal to which Olympic athletes from Japan, celebrities and other public figures will post public pledges to show their support for the Tokyo 2020 bid. Accessible on smartphones and feature phones as well as desktops, the portal will include feeds linked with the GREE social networking service as well as Twitter and Facebook. GREE and Yahoo! Japan will use the Internet-based campaign to support and raise public awareness of the Tokyo 2020 bid until the host of the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games is selected on September 7, 2013, while providing an engaging tool that the public can use to lend their support.

Dubbed “Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympic Bid Promotion Tanoshii Koyaku Project”, the campaign’s online portal mentioned above can be accessed here.

The decision to sponsor the campaign could prove to be especially clever for GREE if Tokyo really wins the bid next September.（source：serkantoto）

6）King.com: The Social Gaming King With 11 Million Users Gained This Year

By Camilla Noon

A compilation of the data of the top developers of the year shows that UK developer King.com tops the charts at the end of 2012. A review from comprehensive Facebook analysis tool, AppStats, has shown some young developers raking in users and other well-known developers failing to bring home the bacon. Let’s take a look at the developers in the capacity of the top ten gainers and losers of the year.

Who gained the most?

This year, King.com has seen a huge increase of 11 million users that play their social games every day, daily active users (DAU). This is a huge increase and King.com runs away with the top spot in the table. It is interesting to see the presence of European developers on the social gaming arena. Just behind King.com are two more European developers, Peak Games and Social Point who come second and third respectively. European developers are coming into the limelight and leveling out the previously North American dominated social gaming ecosphere on Facebook.

Peak Games has had a great year, gaining huge numbers of users in the Arab countries, they pride themselves on creating games culturally targeted to this market. In Turkey, the increased internet and Facebook usage has pushed Peak Games further up the social gaming competitor spectrum. Their current second place is due to an increased number of 6.2million DAU. Social Point has also been in the headlines of the social gaming news with increased funding for this young Spanish developer and increased popularity in the top ten tables for its games. With 5.2 million more DAU this year, it takes third place.

Who are the biggest losers?

The biggest loser is Electronic Arts. It has lost just short of 2.4million DAU this year, placing it at the top of the loser table. 6waves takes second spot, losing 1.5 million DAU. Tetris Online Inc, follows as third biggest loser with 1.29million DAU lost this year. Tetris Online Inc. is not fairing well in the charts, its social game on Facebook, Tetris Battle, also falls in the top ten biggest losers for social games.（source：socialgamesobserver）