1）亚马逊近日宣布其Android应用商店Appstore目前已有3.1万款游戏及应用产品（游戏邦注：该平台最初发布时有4000款应用，Google Play已有30多万款应用及100亿次下载量，App Store已有58.5万款应用及250亿次下载量）。亚马逊Appstore目前热门付费及免费应用前10强名单如下：

热门付费应用

1.《割绳子》

2.《愤怒的小鸟》（无广告版本）

3.《Where’s My Water?》

4.《愤怒的小鸟：里约》（无广告版本）

5.《愤怒的小鸟节日版》（无广告版本）

6.《植物大战僵尸》（Kindle Fire版本）

7.《水果忍者》

8.《SCRABBLE》 (Kindle Fire版本)

9.UNO (Kindle Fire版本)

10.《俄罗斯方块》

热门免费应用

1.《愤怒的小鸟免费版》

2.Netflix

3.《Solitaire》

4.《水果忍者免费版》

5.《愤怒的小鸟节日免费版》

6.《Bubble Buster》

7.Little Piano Free

8.Roller Lite

9.《Jewels》

10.《刽子手免费版》

2）市场调研公司IDC最新报告预测，由于华为、中兴和Micromax等低价智能手机的推动，中国将在今年超越美国，成为全球第一大智能手机市场。印度和巴西也将在2016年跻身智能手机5大国之列。

与此同时，美国、日本和英国智能手机覆盖率仍将持续增长，但发展速度不及新兴市场国家。

3）Compuware最近报告指出，尽管平板电脑使用率正不断增长，但有些公司向该平台推出的网站体验仍然不甚理想。

有40%平板电脑用户浏览网页时会遇到问题，三分之二用户认为网页加载缓慢，44%发现网页时常崩溃，42%遇到了网页运行问题，40%常发现网页格式错误现象。

报告还显示，有69%受访者认为平板电脑上的网页加载必须在2秒以内完成，各企业应针对平板电脑用户体验优化网站。

4）Strategy Analytics去年调查报告宣称至少拥有4英寸屏幕高端智能手机销量将增长200%，成为市场上发展最快的手机设备。

该公司最近报告则指出，90%英美智能手机用户希望拥有比自己目前手机更大屏幕的移动设备，只要智能手机足够轻薄和便利，他们希望新一代手机拥有4或4.5英寸的屏幕。

从不同用户喜好上看，女性用户偏爱更灵巧的移动设备，Android用户却希望拥有比iPhone屏幕更大的移动设备。

报告称出现这一趋势的原因或许与移动网页浏览器使用率上升，以及手机视频和游戏体验的需求增长有关。如果要让智能手机用户采纳更宽屏的设备，移动设备制造商需确保其设备不会超重，同时保持轻薄和便携式特点。

5）据路透社报道，诺基亚设计主管Marko Ahtisaar在最近采访中透露，他正在研发公司的首款平板电脑。

针对这一问题，诺基亚的官方回答则是“我们将持续关注平板电脑市场，但目前尚无明确消息可公布”。观察者猜测传闻中的Windows 8平板电脑将采用10英寸屏幕和双核处理器。

6）福克斯与Gameloft近日宣布将在今年春季向手机平台推出动画电影《冰河世纪》授权游戏《Ice Age Village》。

据Gameloft所称，该游戏将融入电影中的Sid、Manny和Diego角色，支持玩家与Scrat共同完成任务并体验其中的迷你游戏。

7）日本社交游戏公司GREE近日宣布推出由北美工作室开发的首款iOS卡牌游戏《Zombie Jombie》。该工作室主要针对西方市场设计免费游戏，《Zombie Jombie》就是其首款“美国制造，针对美国用户”的游戏。

该工作室将在未来数月发布更多新游戏，预计GREE新社交平台将于今年第二季度面世，GREE表示将在2012年招募多达100人的美国成员。

8）Capcom战略计划及业务发展高级副总裁在最近采访中表示，掌机与智能手机可以“和平共处”，后者的兴起并不会威胁掌机市场的发展。

据他所称，例如任天堂3DS等掌机设备在日本仍然很有市场，智能手机与掌机设备未必会形成正面交锋。据日本市场数据显示，PS Vita设备目前一周销量约1万部，而3DS设备销量几乎是它的6倍。（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）Amazon’s Android Appstore reaches 31K apps, sells ‘millions’

by Eric Caoili

One year after launching the service, Amazon has revealed that its mobile Appstore now offers 31,000 games and apps, and that it has sold “millions” of them to Kindle Fire and Android device owners.

Amazon set up the Appstore as its own mobile storefront competing against Google’s own Play Store (formerly Android Market) on Android devices. It’s also the exclusive app marketplace on the company’s Kindle Fire tablet, which launched last November and was the best-selling product on Amazon.com for a couple months.

While Amazon has managed to grow the Appstore’s selection fast from the initial 4,000 it launched with, the catalog is still far behind Google Play’s 300,000 apps and 10 billion downloads, and the Apple App Store’s 585,000 apps and 25 billion downloads.

Amazon, though, is making an effort to continue attracting developers and consumers by offering a different free app of the day every day, allowing users to test drive games before buying them, implementing one-click purchases, and making it easy for users to find new apps that they might like.

“We know how important discovery and monetization are for app developers,” says Amazon Appstore director Aaron Rubenson. “Our investment in personalization technology helps customers find the best apps for their needs.”

Chillingo’s Cut The Rope and the ad-free version of Rovio’s Angry Birds, both also popular games on the Play Store and Apple’s App Store, were the top paid apps on the Amazon Appstore over the last year.

You can see the top ten paid and free charts for the Appstore below.

Top Paid Apps

1.Cut the Rope

2.Angry Birds (Ad-Free)

3.Where’s My Water?

4.Angry Birds Rio (Ad-Free)

5.Angry Birds Seasons (Ad-Free)

6.Plants vs. Zombies (Kindle Fire Edition)

7.Fruit Ninja

8.SCRABBLE (Kindle Fire Edition)

9.UNO (Kindle Fire Edition)

10.TETRIS

Top Free Apps (over the last 12 months)

1.Angry Birds Free

2.Netflix

3.Solitaire

4.Fruit Ninja Free

5.Angry Birds Seasons Free

6.Bubble Buster

7.Little Piano Free

8.Roller Lite

9.Jewels

10.Hangman Free（source:gamasutra）

2）China to become largest smartphone market in 2012

by Zen Terrelonge

Emerging markets to drive the overall growth in the smartphone space.

Research firm IDC says the worldwide smartphone market will be driven by emerging markets embracing the technology, with China becoming the largest smartphone market this year to take over from America.

Additionally, fellow emerging markets India and Brazil are set to become part of the top five country markets for smartphones by 2016.

Meanwhile, the US, Japan and the UK will continue to increase in smartphone adoption but they won’t be able to keep up with emerging markets.

This is likely down to firms including Huawei, ZTE and Micromax providing low end affordable devices, while there are also a series of cheap Android smartphones on the market, a space Nokia also intends to attack with Windows Phones.

Ramon Llamas, senior research analyst with IDC’s Mobile Phone Technology and Trends team, said: “Due to their sheer size, strong demand, and healthy replacement rates, emerging markets are quickly becoming the engines of the worldwide smartphone market.

“Users in emerging markets seek more than simple voice telephony, and smartphones offer the ideal platform for mobile entertainment, social networking, and business usage as seen in developed markets.”

China’s passion for the smartphone market was recently demonstrated during the launch of the iPhone when consumers went wild, egging the store and fighting each other when they were told sales wouldn’t commence.（source:mobile-ent）

3）40 per cent of tablet users encounter problems when browsing websites

by Zen Terrelonge

Slow load times and sites crashing are the most common issues.

Tablet use is increasing, in turn restricting the use of laptops and desktops, but research has shown that businesses are ignoring the fact that sites should be optimised for mobile devices.

Now, tech performance firm Compuware says 40 per cent of tablet users have experienced problems when web browsing on their device. Two-thirds have suffered slow loading, 44 per cent have had sites crashing, 42 per cent have site function problems and 40 per cent have had formatting errors.

It’s a worrying situation for companies to be in, given that 69 per cent of tablet users believe a site should load in just two-seconds or less, so combined with all the other faults consumers have to endure, they’re likely they will move to rival sites.

Steve Tack, CTO of Compuware, says: “Consumers and enterprises have embraced tablets in large numbers for everything from web browsing and social networking to mission-critical business applications that increase employee productivity and drive revenue.

“However, based on the survey results, companies are not meeting web experience expectations. Tablet users represent a coveted audience that in general tends to spend more per order, so organisations that ignore tablet users do so at their own peril.”（source:mobile-ent）

4）Almost 90 per cent of smartphone owners desire four-inch screens or bigger

by Zen Terrelonge

Users also insist that the ‘superphones’ come sporting a thin frame.

Last year, researcher Strategy Analytics claimed sales of superphones – a high end smartphone with at least a four-inch screen – would grow by 200 per cent, becoming the fastest growing type of handset on the market.

Now, the firm says 90 per cent of US and UK smartphone owners are hungry for mobile phone displays that are larger than the ones on their current devices, hoping that the screen on their upgrade will measure between four and 4.5-inches, on the condition that the device is thin and not bulky.

However, when looked at demographically, females would prefer smaller devices to males, while Android owners are looking to outsize iPhone owners.

Paul Brown, a director in the Strategy Analytics User Experience Practice, said: “Almost 90 per cent of existing smartphone owners surveyed chose a prototype smartphone with a display larger than their current device.

“This trend is driven by increased mobile web browsing capability, as well as engaging video and gaming experiences.”

Kevin Nolan, VP for the user experience practice, Strategy Analytics, said: “In order for smartphone owners to adopt larger devices, it is important for handset manufacturers to ensure that mobile devices are not too heavy and that the devices remain thin enough for purses and pockets.”（source:mobile-ent）

5）Nokia exec claims tablets are in development

by Zen Terrelonge

Spills the beans in an interview with Finnish Magazine.

Nokia is thought to be in the process of developing Windows 8 tablets for a rollout later in 2012, but until now that was just speculation.

However, Nokia design chief Marko Ahtisaar reveals that he is devoting his time to creating the firm’s first tablet in an interview with Optio, according to Reuters.

The loose-lipped exec said “We are working on it”, when questioned about tablets by the Finnish magazine.

Meanwhile, Nokia is currently using the official line of: “We continue to eye the tablet space with interest, but have made no specific announcements.” Yet.

The ten-inch device is expected to come with dual-core power.（source:mobile-ent）

6）Ice Age Village coming to mobile platforms with the help of Gameloft

By Talor Berthelson

Fox and Gameloft are announcing that Ice Age Village will be coming to mobile platforms (likely iOS and Android) later this spring. What exactly does this mean for Ice Age fans?

Well, the name of the game clearly indicates it could be some sort of social game wherein you build an icy town and characters from the film franchise can live and work there, much like the Springfield you create in The Simpsons: Tapped Out. This is all just speculation, however.

According to Gameloft, the gameplay will involve Sid, Manny and Diego from the films, and you’ll be able to complete quests and play mini-games with Scrat.

“As one of the most popular and beloved animated film franchises, we know that the fourth Ice Age film comes with great anticipation,”said Gonzague de Vallois, Senior Vice President of Publishing at Gameloft.“As such, we’re absolutely thrilled to offer the official Ice Age game on smartphones and tablets.We have invested tremendously in this title and it is definitely one of our most important launches this year.”

While details are scarce on Ice Age Village for now (besides its spring release date), you can go ahead and follow the game here on Gamezebo to get all the latest updates as they come in.（source:gamezebo）

7）GREE’s North American studio serves up first iOS release Zombie Jombie

by James Nouch

GREE has announced details of the first game developed by its North American studio, unveiling free-to-play deck-building card-game Zombie Jombie for iOS.

Based in San Francisco, the newly opened outfit is part of GREE’s plans to expand its US operations in the wake of the acquisition of social platform OpenFeint in 2011.

Moving forward

The firm’s US studio has been designed to focus on free-to-play projects for western gamers, with GREE describing Zombie Jombie as its first title “made in the US, for a US audience.”

GREE still has a firm handle on the studio’s operations, however. The developer is run by Eiji Araki, GREE’s SVP of Social Games, who has six years of experience with GREE in Japan.

“The truly talented team members of the North American studio have really focused on creating an innovative game experience that ties together strong gameplay and great social features, an approach we plan to implement for all of our games moving forward,” he said in a statement.

GREE’s US studio is expected to unveil more games in the coming weeks and months, while while the firm’s new social platform is expected in Q2 2012.

GREE has also said that it plans to hire are many as 100 US employees in the course of 2012.（source:pocketgamer）

8）Smartphone and handheld games can co-exist, claims Capcom’s Christian Svensson

by Keith Andrew

Capcom’s Christian Svensson has dismissed claims that PS Vita’s slow start is evidence that gaming on handhelds is being eroded by the rise of the smartphones.

Speaking in an interview with Gamasutra, Capcom’s senior VP of strategic planning and business development claimed there is room for both markets to co-exist, stating that the real litmus test for Vita will come in the run up to Christmas.

Eye on Japan

“If anything, we’re seeing in Japan that, quite frankly, the handheld market is alive and well, and I think it’s going to continue,” saiid Svensson.

“Nintendo 3DS is very successful there, and the Vita is off to a reasonable start early on. But we’ll have to see what happens there longer there, in that particular market.

“In our western market, I think 3DS is off to a very good start, and Vita has, I think, surpassed much of the retail expectations based on our retailers that we’ve spoken with. Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is off to a good start.”

It’s Svensson’s view that, by and large, smartphone games don’t typically hit the same notes as handheld titles, meaning the two sectors aren’t strictly in competition.

Two can play at that game

“Long story short, while there may be some overlap, I think there’s still going to be an audience for what I call deeper engagement and deeper funds, for lack of a better word,” he concluded.

“As a result, I think those two markets are going to be viable, and served by content creators.

“The holidays are going to be much more telling for Vita. The holiday was where the 3DS first solidified.”

Svensson’s comments come after the latest figures from Japan reveal PS Vita is currently selling around 10,000 units a week, being outsold by 3DS by almost six to one in 2012.（source:pocketgamer）