1）Pocketgamer最近的开发者调查结果显示，三分之二开发者认为应用商店不断增长的竞争压力是手机游戏行业的最大威胁，40%受访者认为不断上升的开发成本是主要问题所在，他们对操作平台分裂性及盗版问题的担忧已经不像过去那样严重。

37%受访者认为免费内容的大量涌现是一个值得关注的问题，仅有十分之一受访者认为来自主机游戏市场的竞争会威胁到手机游戏。

threats to mobile games(from pocketgamer)

2）据gamasutra报道，日本工作室Neverland（游戏邦注：其代表作是《Rune Factory》RPG系列日前宣布关闭公司，并即将申请破产。

Rune_Factory(from melimea.deviantart)

该公司作品《Rune Factory 4》的巨大成功也难以挽回公司的财务窘境，Neverland不得不因资金问题而关门闭户。

Neverland成立已超过20年，曾向包括Super Famicom、Dreamcast和PS 2等一系列主机平台发布游戏。

3）据insidemobileapps报道，Zynga日前推出iOS游戏《Running with Friends》升级版本，并将其更名为《Stampede Run》。

stampede-run(from insidemobileapps)

这个版本保留了原游戏的玩法，但添加了无限的单人模式，还支持完全离线模式，允许玩家在离线状态下玩游戏，之后再同步自己的游戏进程，并且通过Facebook Connect选项即时进入游戏。

该游戏在iOS平台仍支持免费下载，但玩家也可以花0.99美元解除广告内容。

4）Orange Exposure最近调查结果显示，英国有30%手机游戏是通过4G移动设备下载，仅有17%是通过3G设备下载。

英国有53%的4G用户在过去6个月中，曾经在移动设备上执行一次购买交易，而有此行为的3G用户比例仅有34%。

4G-LTE(from dapps.net)

25%用户通常首先通过移动设备搜索商品，他们也经常切换到平板电脑等其他设备上深入研究该商品。

18%英国用户承认自己在决定是否切换到其他设备这，会先用移动设备查看相关信息。（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）Overcrowded app stores and rising dev costs top developer woes in 2013

by Keith Andrew

Two third of developers think the increasing amount of competition on app stores is the greatest threat to the mobile games industry, while rising development costs are a prime concern for 4 out of 10.

That’s according to the results from PocketGamer.biz’s most recent developer survey, with old worries – such as OS fragmentation and piracy – seemingly less important.

Farewell to fragmentation

Also high on the agenda is the rise in free content, with 37 percent of developers surveyed citing that as a concern, though competition from the console market – often pushed by the press as an issue – appears not to register with most studios.

Just one in 10 suggested competition from their console brothers is a threat to the mobile gaming industry – the ability of modern smartphones to deliver visuals on a par with games from the previous console generation helping to nullify any misplaced sense of rivalry.

The extra power mobile devices now pack, however, would appear to be having a detrimental impact on the cost of actually making those games in the first place, however.（source：pocketgamer）

2）Rune Factory studio Neverland closes down

By Mike Rose

Newsbrief: Neverland, the Japanese studio best known for the Rune Factory RPG series, is closing down and will soon file for bankruptcy.

As translated by Siliconera, the success of Rune Factory 4 doesn’t appear to have helped Neverland with its financial problems, and now the company has been forced to close its door as a result of its deteriorating money problems.

Neverland has been around for just over two decades, and has previously released titles across a range of video game consoles, including the Super Famicom, the Dreamcast, and the PlayStation 2.（source：gamasutra）

3）Zynga rebrands Running with Friends to Stampede Run, introduces single player mode

Brandy Shaul

Zynga has released an updated version of Running with Friends on iOS devices, complete with a new name: Stampede Run. While the game retains the Running with Friends gameplay, which sees players running as long as they can along the streets of Pamplona, Stampede Run now offers a single player mode for limitless play.

Stampede Run is an endless runner in the same vein as Temple Run or Subway Surfers. Its single player mode sees players running for as long as they can, avoiding obstacles including barrels, hay bales, bulls, gates and more, as they work to collect stars and earn points. The single player mode also offers missions to complete over time.

As players run, they’ll encounter power-ups and bonuses, including large bags of coins and coin magnets, which last a limited time. The more coins players collect, the more upgrades they can purchase for the experience, like unlocking the ability to earn coins for sliding into and destroying certain objects on the field, as one example.

Stampede Run now supports complete offline mode, allowing gamers to play the game offline and sync their progress later. Players can now skip through the Facebook Connect option as well for instant access to the game.

The game’s multiplayer mode is still available, seeing users challenging each other in asynchronous games. This includes the game’s in-game chat and competitive leaderboards. The app is still available to download for free on iOS, though an ad-free upgrade is available to purchase for $0.99.

Check back soon to follow Stampede Run on AppData, our tracking service for mobile and social apps and developers.（source：insidemobileapps）

4）53 per cent of UK 4G users pay with mobile compared to 34 per cent 3G

by Phil Tottman

4G has changed people’s attitude towards their mobile, encouraging them to use more of their phone’s functionality.

The introduction of 4G has caused a significant increase in the consumption of mobile content, reveals Orange Exposure’s research.

For example, mobile games are more regularly downloaded by 30 per cent from 4G devices, but only 17 per cent on 3G.

It has also impacted how people use their phones – 53 per cent of 4G users in the UK have made a purchase on their mobile in the last six months, compared to just 34 per cent of those using 3G.

A mobile device has become one of the most important elements of the purchasing funnel. 25 per cent go to their mobile first when researching an item – they are also a strong driver to taking that research onto another device such as a tablet.

18 per cent in the UK confirmed that they used their mobile initially to check for information before conducting deeper research on an alternative device.

Showrooming – which increased 156 per cent year-on-year – has been spurred on by mobile, which is used to compare in store prices with other retailers. This is putting businesses under pressure to push campaigns that boost interactivity between devices, this could prove to increase loyalty and maintain consumer attention.

Advertisers could also consider leveraging mobile to gain better control over showrooming. This can be done by offering wi-fi that directs customers to a retailer’s on site displaying offers and discounts.

Jean-Marie Culpin, head of marketing and customer intimacy at Orange, said: “Orange Exposure should act as an early warning call to advertisers to respond to this new usage and growing acceptance for advertising. The possibilities for advertisers to deliver meaningful and relevant campaigns seem self-evident and are there for the taking.”（source：mobile-ent）