1）据insidesocialgames报道，EA旗下的《龙腾世纪：传奇》开发商BioWare最近正招募新成员，有可能正为开发新款社交游戏做准备。有观察者猜测，该公司将发布的下款掌机游戏是《质量效应3》，另外从EA最近在社交游戏领域所取得的成就来看，不排除BioWare将推出一款《质量效应》社交游戏的可能。

Mass-Effect(from ninjanerdstech.com)

2）据 Manchester Evening News报道，英国曼彻斯特一名23岁男子Adam Hamnett日前偷窃了一位盲人的信用卡，并使用该信用卡在《FarmVille》中消费了70英磅。在被盗者称Hamnett若不返还钱款就将报警之后，Hamnett又闯进了母亲旧情人Peter Bousted住处，并向其连砍26刀，劫走后者的钱款，但却并非拿钱还款，而是购买了可卡因。

Adam Hamnett(from games)

据MEN报道，Hamnett被捕后承认自己犯下罪行，并被法院判处20年监禁。观察者指出，这是首起与Facebook游戏沉迷现象相关的杀人命案。

3）美国百货公司百思买与Zynga日前宣布，将从9月6日起在Zynga游戏《CityVille》中植入前者虚拟商店，支持玩家建设自己的百思买商场。

Best Buy items(from games)

如果玩家在9月6日前在游戏中完成了搜集一部智能手机、一个DSLR相机、一台冰箱、电视和一个特价徽章以完成百思买搜集任务，还可以赢得一个免费的百思买Wi-Fi机器人装饰物等特殊奖励。

4）市场调研公司SuperData最新报告预测，北美社交游戏市场规模今年将增长35%，达到14亿美元，2014年所有北美社交游戏用户对其投入将达24亿美元。

该调查报告搜集了SuperData追踪的20个不同社交网络，20款不同社交游戏及23.1万用户的190万笔交易。

另一家调研公司Newzoo则指出，巴西和俄罗斯社交游戏发展相当迅速，几乎与主流西方市场并驾齐趋。

5）在本周DAU增长最快的Facebook游戏榜单上，EA Playfish推出的《模拟人生社交版》位居第一（最近DAU为753万），其次是德国开发商Wooga游戏《Diamond Dash》（最近DAU为199万），第三名是MiniMax推出的《水果忍者》（最近DAU为18.5万）。

Top Gainers This Week-Games(from AppData)

值得注意的是排在第四名的《Tetris Battle》，该游戏由Tetris Oonline推出，在过去三个月中稳步发展，最近DAU是138万。（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，如需转载请联系：游戏邦）

1）Could BioWare Be Preparing a Mass Effect Social Game?

By AJ Glasser

The team behind Dragon Age Legends at developer BioWare is recruiting for a new social game. Given that the next big console game due out for the developer is Mass Effect 3, we wonder if that could be the franchise in question.

You’ll get no context from the job posting itself; the text name-drops just about every franchise BioWare has ever produced with no significance placed on one more so than another. BioWare could be adapting its classic, Baldur’s Gate, for all we know. It seems more likely, however, that EA is pushing for a combination of standalone games within franchises and for “digital service” social games that support the release of a new console title. This is where Mass Effect for Facebook from BioWare would make sense, especially given EA’s current run of success with social games based on its more successful video game franchises.（source:insidesocialgames）

2）FarmVille player steals from blind man for Farm Cash, stabs another

by Joe Osborne

Nothing on the FarmVille Market is worth killing over, but here we are. Manchester Evening News reports that Adam Hamnett (pictured right), a 23-year-old Manchester, UK resident, stole a credit card from a blind man, Brian McKenzie, and spent £70 on FarmVille.

In a panic after the victim told him he’d call the police if the money wasn’t paid back, MEN reports, Hamnett went to the house of Peter Bousted (pictured bottom left), his mother’s 58-year-old former lover. Hamnett then stabbed Bousted 26 times before hitting him over the head with a bottle.

He then stole Bousted’s benefit money, and bought crack cocaine with it instead of paying back McKenzie. According to MEN, the court heard during Hamnett’s trial that he’d been binging on tranquilizers at the time of the murder. Hamnett tearfully confessed to his brother Wayne shortly after, admitting to ‘flipping out’ at the victim before ‘battering’ him and taking his money, according to prosecutor Graham Wood.

Hamnett was arrested after calling 999 (the UK’s “911″) and telling the operator he had done something “very bad,” MEN reports. After pleading guilty, Hamnett faces life in prison for the crime, and must serve at least 20 years of the sentence. In his plea, Hamnett said to the court, “I can’t explain why I attacked Mr. Bousted.”

While there is far more at play here in this case than a simple FarmVille addiction, this is far from the first time a Facebook game addiction has inspired murderous crimes. Most usually they’re crimes of neglect, but nevertheless devastating. It speaks volumes to the fact that even games like FarmVille, like all potentially addictive activities, can become equally as dangerous for those predisposed to addiction.（source:games）

3）Best Buy strikes a deal with Zynga, opens its digital doors to CityVille

by Joe Osborne

The citizens of CityVille aren’t a tech savvy people, just building their first bridge and all. Luckily for that, Best Buy will soon open its doors of geekdom to Zynga’s digital city as an in-game Business along with other limited edition decorations. The two companies announced recently that, starting today through Sept. 6, players can build their very own Best Buy in CityVille.

Like any old Business, players can then collect from it to find five special Collection items, and each time they tap the Best Buy, little Geek Squad cars are said to appear and speed around your city. You will have to collect a smartphone, DSLR camera, refrigerator, TV and a Deal of the Day badge to complete the Best Buy Collection, which will reward players with a decoration.

You will instantly receive a free Best Buy Wi-Fi Robot decoration in your Inventory. Then, if players complete the Best Buy Goal in CityVille–which consists of simply placing the Best Buy Business–they’ll unlock another limited edition item called Best Buy More Surprises.

“We’re always looking for ways to make our games more realistic and personal for our players,” said Ryan Linton, senior director of business development at Zynga in a release. “This integration with Best Buy, coupled with roaming Geek Squad vehicles, creates a refreshing surprise for CityVille players.”

If you don’t complete the Best Buy Collection by Sept. 6, you unfortunately won’t score the mystery item. But don’t worry, it looks as if Best Buy will come back just in time for the holidays this Nov. 6 with another event. And yes, it should be another week-long extravaganza filled with all sorts of geekery.（source:games）

4）Study: Social Game Spend To Hit $2.4B In North America By 2014

by Kris Graft

While some say the social gaming bubble is bound to burst, a new study released this week said the North American social gaming market is poised for notable growth in the next few years.

Research firm SuperData said in a new study released this week that the North American social gaming market will grow 35 percent this year to $1.4 billion, with total consumer spend on social games on track to hit $2.4 billion by 2014 on the continent.

The findings are part of a larger SuperData report, “Social Game Market 2011: North America,” which gathered data from 1.9 million unique transactions by 231,000 users across 20 different social games and 20 different social networks.

On the world stage, a recent study by Newzoo found that emerging markets such as Brazil and Russia are growing at a significant rate, and reaching parity with major Western markets thanks to increased online and social spend. （source:gamasutra）

5）The Sims Social, Diamond Dash Lead This Week’s List of Fastest-Growing Games by DAU

By AJ Glasser

Not much movement on this week’s list of fastest-growing games by daily active users as The Sims Social continues to dominate. Diamond Dash and 水果忍者 (Fruit Ninja) from MiniMax round out the top three.

Casino and slot games are still getting a lot of love from these rankings as Slotomania and DoubleDown Casino expand and newcomer JackpotJoy Slots ramps up in players. The latter has now officially classed out of our emerging Facebook games category, having broken the 1 million monthly active user mark late last week.

If you haven’t already, give Tetris Battle a try. The officially licensed social game from Tetris Online, Inc. has held steady with growth for the past three months and word-of-mouth buzz about the game among core video game fans may sustain the title for quite a while longer. Read our review for more details.（source:insidesocialgames）