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每日观察:关注App Store退款政策及LINE用户增长(4.4)

发布时间:2014-04-04 11:10:42 Tags:,,

1)据pocketgamer报道,日本社交信息应用LINE全球用户已超过4亿,该服务在日本最受欢迎,但据其数据显示,它在包括台湾、西班牙、墨西哥和美国在内的10个地区/国家中也有1000万以上的用户。

值得注意的是,该服务增长率不断上升,在去年8月份其用户为2.3亿,历时3个月突破了3亿用户;再次历时4个月突破了4亿用户,平均每天新增约82万6000名用户。

Line_Global_User_Numbers(from pocketgamer)

Line_Global_User_Numbers(from pocketgamer)

除了用户的爆炸性增长之外,LINE用户每天发送约100亿条信息。游戏在LINE总收益中占比将近60%。

2)据pocketgamer报道,苹果日前向美国用户发送邮件指出,可能为由未成年人执行的IAP交易提供退款。

这些发送给“已执行了一些IAP交易”的用户邮件指出,如果用户的“任何一笔交易是由未经许可的未成年人完成的”,就可能获得苹果退款。

App-Store-Refund(from mactrast.com)

App-Store-Refund(from mactrast.com)

用户要获得退款,就必须向苹果提交退款申请。值得注意的是,有些邮件也发送到了没有孩子的用户手中,其中包含一个iTunes帐号链接,以便他们查看自己的消费历史记录。这意味着苹果是有所选择地瞄准特定游戏,向执行了IAP交易的用户发送了邮件。

苹果称用户必须在2015年4月15日前提交退款申请,并会通过邮件联系用户。

3)据gamasutra报道,由前暴雪和索尼在线娱乐元老不到一年前成立的Molten Games工作室日前裁减了所有员工,有证据显示该工作室尚未关闭,并将继续寻找融资源。这家独立工作室最初获得了网游发行商NCsoft的支持。

Molten Logo(from elder-geek.com)

Molten Logo(from elder-geek.com)

有一名NCsoft发言人表示,公司目前无法评论这家工作室是否将关闭,以及它同Molten Games之间的关系(因为NCsoft是后者的投资商,但却没有参与工作室管理)。

4)据gamasutra报道,Kalypso Media(游戏邦注:代表作是管理类游戏《Tropico》系列)日前宣布成立一个新手机游戏部门Kalypso Media Mobile。

该部门位于柏林,将面向iOS和Android开发平板电脑和智能手机游戏,计划在2014年至少发布三款游戏。

tropico(from giantbomb.com)

tropico(from giantbomb.com)

该公司打算利用现成的IP(例如《Dungeons》、《Port Royale》以及《Tropico》)创造多款跨平台游戏,其中以战略和模拟类游戏为主,同时也将针对触屏设备创造全新的手机游戏IP。

5)据pocketgamer报道,微软宣布将推出了兼容Windows 8 PC和平板电脑、Windows Phone和Xbox One的系统,用户在这三个平台之一购买了一款应用,就可以在另外两个平台下载和运行,支持开发者以较小的调整创造单款应用,服务三个平台的用户。

universal app(from gamespot.com)

universal app(from gamespot.com)

开发者需要做的调整主要集中于UI,即针对不同大小的屏幕调整应用版,以及不同的控制方式(例如Xbox One上的控制板和声音,以及PC上的鼠标,手机上的触屏)。值得注意的是,开发者可以选择让用户付费购买不同的应用版本,也可以让他们一次性付费购买全套版本,微软在这个问题上并不设限。(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)LINE passes 400 million users worldwide, adding 826,000 new users per day

by Matthew Diener

Japanese social messaging client LINE has amassed over 400 million users around the world.

The service is most popular in Japan but, according to LINE’s internal figures, it’s also gone comfortably north of 10 million users in 10 countries including Taiwan, Spain, Mexico, and the United States.

What’s more, LINE’s growth rate is still accelerating. Back in August, LINE hit 230 million users and took three months to reach 300 million users.

Four months after that milestone, LINE’s now reached 400 million users – adding roughly 826,000 new users per day.

Sticker shock

In addition to the explosive growth of the user base, LINE reported that its users send roughly 10 billion messages and 1.8 billion stickers per day.

LINE’s growth since launch

While impressive, the chat-enhancing stickers only account for about 20 percent of LINE’s total revenue. Games, on the other hand, account for closer to 60 percent.

LINE’s growth rate over the past four months is all the more noteworthy considering the increased pressure from similar social messaging services like Kakao and WhatsApp – which Facebook recently acquired for $19 billion.(source:pocketgamer

2)Child’s play: Apple offers IAP refunds for ‘easy’ unauthorised purchases by kids

by Matthew Diener

Apple has pushed out a mass email to US customers today offering potential refunds for in-app purchases made by minors.

The email, which was sent to users who have “made some in-app purchases”, notes that customers might be eligible for a refund from Apple if “any of these [purchases] were unauthorised purchases by a minor.”

In order to receive the refund, consumers must submit a refund request to Apple and enter “Refund for In-App Purchases made by a minor”.

Child’s play

Particularly interesting is the fact said email has been sent to some customers without children, and contains a link for iTunes account holders to view their Purchase History – making it likely that Apple chose to send it to users who’ve made in-app purchases in specific, targeted games.

Apple notes that all unautorised refund requests must be received by 15 April, 2015 (which may or may not be a typo) and that it will contact users by email with updates after they’ve filed a request.

As one might expect, the email concludes with a link to an updated Apple knowledge base article on understanding and implementing parental control restrictions.

What isn’t clear at the moment is what prompted Apple to send this email out past the fact that it’s “committed to providing parents and kids with a great experience on the App Store”.(source:pocketgamer

3)Evidence of Molten Games layoffs spreads across the web

By Christian Nutt

Molten Games appears to be in dire straits. The San Diego, California-based studio, founded less than a year ago by Blizzard and Sony Online Entertainment veterans, has apparently laid off its entire staff — though some evidence suggests it has not yet closed and will continue to seek other sources of funding. The studio, though independent, was originally backed by online game publisher NCsoft.

Gamasutra was first tipped off by an industry veteran who can confirm he has spoken directly with multiple affected staff, but the evidence has been mounting across the web.

In a thread on the Polycount forums, two posters speak of direct knowledge of the studio layoffs, one saying “the whole studio is looking for work as of yesterday.” An art director also alludes to a cancelled Molten project on his blog.

It seems you can see that project for yourself. Joshua Kriegshauser, the company’s director of technology, also confirmed in two March 29 tweets that production had shut down on the company’s game, sharing one YouTube video entitled “AlphaGameplayPromo” and another labeled “WatchYourSix.”

Finally, the San Diego IGDA chapter has labeled a post on its Facebook page detailing the studio’s layoffs “confirmed.”

However, the current status of the studio is a little bit murkier. While many posts allude to its closure — understandable when a company sheds all of its staff — the San Diego IGDA Facebook post adds “They are currently seeking funding to continue development.”

Gamasutra tried but was unable to reach Molten Games for comment. An NCSoft spokesperson has said the company cannot comment on the studio’s potential closure or its current relationship with Molten Games, as its relationship was as an investor and it had no part in managing the studio.(source:gamasutra

4)Tropico publisher Kalypso goes mobile

By Mike Rose

Kalypso Media, best known for the Tropico management series, today announced that it has opened a new mobile game division within the company.

Kalypso Media Mobile, based in Berlin, will create tablet and smartphone games for iOS and Android, with at least three titles planned for release in 2014.

The company said that it plans to utilize its existing IP, such as Dungeons, Port Royale, and the aforementioned Tropico, to build multiple cross-platform franchises.

“Strategy and simulation games are especially under represented, specifically within the premium-price-segment,” noted Kalypso’s Simon Hellwig. The company plans to fill that gap.

The company added that, alongside porting and redesigning its older games, it will also create new mobile IP especially suited for touch screens. The company will start with premium releases, and explore the free-to-play model as it progresses.(source:gamasutra

5)Three become one: Microsoft unveils ‘universal’ apps for Windows 8, Windows Phone and Xbox One

by Keith Andrew

Microsoft’s Build conference in San Francisco has played host to the unveiling of the giant’s latest drive to increase developer support for its assorted platforms: universal apps.

Long hinted at by the firm, developers will now be able to create single apps that, with minimal adjustment, work across Windows 8 PCs and tablets, Windows Phone, and Xbox One.

In turn, consumers who purchase an app on one of the three ecosystems will then also be able to download it for any of the other two, providing both simplicity for the developer and value for the player.

Build it and they will come

Changes that will have to be made between the app versions appear to focus around UI – tailoring the release both for the different sized screens on offer, and different methods of control – from gamepad and voice on Xbox One to mouse on PC and touch on mobile.

Also of note: if a developer so chooses, they can force consumers to pay for the different versions of their app or allow them to pay once for the batch – it appears Microsoft is not interested in laying down the law on this issue.

Talk that Windows and Windows Phones apps might run on Xbox One was first sparked by Microsoft’s Steve Guggenheimer speaking at the last Build conference in 2013.

He made no official announcement at the time, but did state that “when I talk about that common core you’re seeing that common core in action, being able to target other devices over time that run the Windows 8 engine.”

It’s taken Microsoft almost nine months to deliver on Guggenheimer’s hint, with the Redmond giant no doubt hoping to lure of creating for three growing userbases with one piece of code will ramp up developer support in the months ahead.(source:pocketgamer


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