1）IHS Screen Digest Mobile Analyst Commentary最新数据预测，苹果2012年应用收益将达49亿美元（占整个应用市场收益的65%），远超2011年时的29亿美元。

IHS移动高级分析师Ian Fogg表示，iOS 6系统将成为加快苹果App Store市场发展的动力，苹果在这一点上要领先于Android和WinPho，原因在于后面两个平台的用户升级操作系统的频率一直不甚理想。苹果曾在今年6月份的WDC大会上宣布，已有80%以上的iOS用户升级到了当时最先进的iOS 5系统。

ios 6(from redsn0wjailbreak.com)

2）广告网络及数据分析公司Chitika最近报告显示，苹果iOS 6发布24小时内就已经覆盖15%的iPhone、iPod Touch和iPad用户，这一比率超过了谷歌Jelly Bean，该操作系统发布2个月的覆盖率也仅为1.5%。

在此之前，iOS 5在Chitika网络仅历时5天就占据了20%以上的所有iOS流量。

3）据Techcrunch报道，继Chitika发布iOS 6升级覆盖率之后，Chartboost也发现其网络的iOS 6普及率已达15%，iPhone用户最早升级至iOS 6，其24小时内的覆盖率达到17%，iPad排名第二，1天内的覆盖率达13%，iPod touch的这一比例则是9%。

ios 6_adoption data by device(from chartboost)

4）据insidemobileapps报道，亚马逊Appstore日前发布一项应用推荐功能Billboards，与Google Play及iTunes App Store的相关推荐功能一样，用户点击该模块就可直接进入推荐应用的页面。

amazon-appstore(from 2dayblog.com)

尽管各应用商店推荐应用的标准各有不同，但获得推荐的结果却并无差别，即收获大量下载量。1月份时健康应用RunKeeper在Google Play获得推荐后下载量提升了惊人的673%。

与谷歌和苹果做法相似，亚马逊也将自主挑选呈现于Billboard中的应用，不过开发者可以通过提交一张1024 * 500大小的图片向亚马逊申请获得推荐。

5）据insidemobileapps报道，育碧最新发布的iOS游戏《Rayman Jungle Run》采用了类似于掌机游戏《Rayman Origins》、即将发布的Wii U游戏《Rayman Legends》一样精美的2D动画效果，目前已在App Store推出通用版的付费应用。

Rayman-Jungle-Run(from insidemobileapps)

该游戏虽然也采用了“奔跑”主题元素，但与《屋顶狂奔》、《神庙逃亡》等“无尽奔跑”的游戏略有不同，它推出了一系列小关卡，每个关卡都有独特的视觉风格，玩家需收集更多Lums以赢得奖励。如果玩家收集到每个关卡中的Lums就可以获得一个特殊道具，从而访问隐藏的“Land of the Dead”挑战。

值得注意的是，该游戏售价2.99美元，其中不含任何IAP内容，也没有广告。其社交功能仅限于Game Center积分排行榜和成就管理。该游戏目前在App Store付费应用中位列第81名，在付费iPad应用中位列第42名，在付费游戏中位居第46，在付费iPad游戏中位居第23。

6）据insidemobileapps报道，YoYo Games日前宣布其跨平台游戏开发软件GameMaker:Studio将在10月26前添加对Windows 8的支持，随后还将开放针对Windows Phone 8的服务。

gamemaker studio(from gamasutra)

在此之前，Unity和Adobe已经宣布同样的计划，但GameMaker:Studio是专为针对多个平台开发游戏而设计，并且具有成本效益的工具。该公司首席执行官Sandy Duncan在展示基于该软件的游戏样本时表示，这项工具支持开发者以最小的成本开发游戏（游戏邦注：据其所称，多数游戏开发成本低于“5万美元”）并将其广泛发布到多个平台。

他称发行游戏并非一项简单的事务，即使像Rovio那样成功的公司，其最新iOS游戏《Amazing Alex》也难以复制《愤怒的小鸟》那种成功势头。据AppData数据显示，《Amazing Alex》目前位居付费应用榜单第90名，付费游戏第52名，热销游戏榜单第330名。

7）据gamezebo报道，美国CBS公司最近正在招募《Draw Something》参与基于该游戏的电视节目，观众只需上网申请参加节目就有可能被录用。

draw-something-now(from venturebeat.com)

这档电视节目分为两个队伍，每队都有一个名人以及一个随机参与者，两队之间进行你画我猜的比拼。但CBS网站尚未透露该节目将有哪些出镜名人。

观察者认为，自Zynga收购OMGPOP之后，《Draw Something》用户一直在下滑，而这档电视节目的播映，再加上名人助阵，该游戏有可能再度吸引一些眼球。

8）据Techcrunch报道，Rovio最近与儿童书籍发行商Egmont合作，在英国、爱尔兰及英联邦国家发行《愤怒的小鸟》儿童读物。这是Egmont首次将手机游戏印刷成册，该公司之前已发行过基于在线游戏及虚拟世界的读物。

angry birds(from techcrunch)

《愤怒的小鸟》书籍售价为4.99英磅（约8美元），预计于圣诞期间发售，明年将推出额外版本，其中包括“Puncb Out”和“Search and Find”版本。该公司计划在英国147所小读推荐这些书籍，并通过儿童网站及社交媒体渠道进行推广。（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）Apple’s app revenues to hit $4.9bn this year

by Tim Green

That’s two thirds of the world’s total app spending.

New stats from the IHS Screen Digest Mobile Analyst Commentary suggests the new Maps platform and Passbook app in iOS 6 will give Apple another boost in the app space by ‘extending the reach of its ecosystem into the real world’.

This will help push revs to $4.9 billion in 2012, up from $2.9 billion in 2011. That’s 65 per cent of all app spending.

Another way of looking at it is that Apple will earn as much from apps this year as it has for the five previous years its app store has been live.

“Until now, Apple’s iOS ecosystem has focused on virtual services, such as apps, digital music and movies,” said Ian Fogg, senior principal analyst for mobile at IHS.

“However, with iOS version 6, Apple is moving into real-world location and financial-transaction features. The new Apple Maps and Passbook apps and accompanying location platform for app developers is the keystone for this real-world expansion, and will help support the accelerated growth of the Apple App Store market in 2012.”

IHS Screen Digest believes Apple is better placed than Android and WinPho to advance the way its customers use apps because of their willingness to upgrade to new versions of the OS.

At this year’s Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in June, Apple reported that more than 80 per cent of iOS users had upgraded to the then-current iOS 5.（source：mobile-ent）

2）iOS 6 Already On 15% Of Devices 24 Hours After Release, Compared To 20% After 5 Days For iOS 5

Darrell Etherington

A new report just released by ad network and data analytics firm Chitika says that Apple’s iOS 6 has already been adopted by 15% of eligible iPhone, iPod touch and iPad users, just 24 hours after the operating system’s release. The over-the-air nature of the update no doubt helped with that rate of adoption. Chitika also notes that the rate is much higher than Google experienced with its Jelly Bean update, which was on only 1.5% of devices after two full months.

The quick adoption curve was a likely outcome, given that Apple experienced massive increases in web traffic alongside the release. Another comparison point: iOS 5 took around five days to account for just over 20 percent of overall iOS traffic on Chitika’s network.（source:techcrunch）

3）Confirmed, Highest Among iPhone Owners At 17% In 24 Hours

Darrell Etherington

We just reported that Apple’s iOS 6 saw an adoption rate of around 15 percent according to Chitika, and now Chartboost has provided numbers that back up that uptake. Chartboost is also seeing 15% uptake on its network, with users coming on board at an average rate of about 1 percent every two hours or so, with spikes around quitting time on Tuesday and picking steam again early Thursday morning.

Chartboost has also broken down the data by device, revealing that iPhone owners were fastest to adopt, with iPhone owners most eager to adopt at 17% after 24 hours, the iPad coming in second with 13% upgraded after Day One, and the iPod touch bringing up the rear with 9 percent uptake. That’s actually pretty much in line with what you might expect after seeing our chart yesterday detailing new iOS 6 features; the iPhone 4S gets the most out of iOS 6 by far (besides the as-yet unreleased iPhone 5), the new iPad also gaining quite a bit but not everything, and the 4th gen iPod touch (the only one currently available on the chart) bringing up the rear.（source:techcrunch）

4）Amazon brings “Billboard” app features to Appstore

Kathleen De Vere

Amazon is giving developers a new way to get noticed in the Amazon Appstore — large format features the company is calling Billboards.

As detailed today on the Amazon developers blog, Billboards are essentially Amazon’s version of the prominent app features Google and Apple use in their own apps stores to  promote apps they find to be particularly interesting or noteworthy. Just like the app features already employed in Google Play and the iTunes App Store, clicking on an Amazon Appstore Billboard will take a user directly to an app’s listing page

Although the impact of receiving such a prominent featured position in an app store varies depending on the store, the type of app being featured, and whether or not the app in question is free or paid, the endorsement almost always results in a significant spike in downloads. In January fitness app RunKeeper saw its downloads boosted by an eye-popping 673 percent after receiving a Billboard-style feature in Google Play.

Much like the app features in Google Play and the iTunes App Store, Amazon itself will select which apps will receive a Billboard feature, but developers can apply for consideration by submitting a 1024 x 500 Billboard-ready image through Amazon’s mobile app distribution portal.（source：insidemobileapps）

5）Rayman Jungle Run brings visually-stunning platforming to iOS

Pete Davison

Rayman Jungle Run is a new iOS release from Ubisoft. Set in the same beautifully-animated 2D aesthetic as console game Rayman Origins and upcoming Wii U exclusive Rayman Legends, the game is available now as a paid Universal download from the App Store.

Rayman Jungle Run is ostensibly an “autorunner” but unlike its numerous rivals such as Canabalt, Temple Run and One Epic Knight, it is not an “endless running” game. Instead, it is split into a number of bite-sized levels, each with a distinctive visual identity, in which the player must collect as many of the series’ iconic “Lums” as possible in order to earn rewards. Successfully collecting all Lums in a level rewards the player with a tooth item, which allows them to access a hidden “Land of the Dead” challenge.

Controls start very simple and gradually become more complex as the game progresses. Rayman runs automatically, and initially the player only has to tap the screen to make him jump. Once the first set of levels have been completed, however, the player unlocks the ability to “float” by tapping the screen again while in mid-jump. Once this set of levels has been completed, the player gains the ability to run up walls, and finally to fight enemies by punching them. Levels are designed in such a way that there is a linear path through them, but carefully-timed jumps, floats and wall runs allow Rayman to access secret areas that carry more Lums to collect. If one of these is missed, however, there’s no turning back.

Rayman Jungle Run is gorgeous to look at, making use of the impressive UbiArt engine that powered Rayman Legends. This means it has a beautifully-animated 2D cartoon aesthetic, where everything is packed with character and moves incredibly smoothly. When combined with the catchy, well-composed music and excellent sound, it adds up to an incredibly slickly-presented package that proves no compromises whatsoever have to be made on presentation when making a mobile game.

Another element that will please longtime mobile gamers is that after the initial $2.99 price of admission, there are no in-app purchases whatsoever, no ads, no “pay to win” and no other nag screens. Social functionality is limited to Game Center leaderboards and achievements — though iOS 6′s additions to Game Center allow for easy bragging about these via email, iMessage/SMS, Twitter and Facebook without the need for explicit, obtrusive nag screens in the app itself. This is an immensely positive move, as it allows gamers who just wish to focus on the game to do so while allowing those who enjoy friendly competition and sharing achievements to do so also — everyone wins.

All in all, Rayman Jungle Run is an exemplary iOS game that should be held up as a shining example to other developers. It combines simple, quick-fire gameplay with immaculate presentation, unobtrusive competitive/social features and an unmistakable sense of respect for the player as a gamer rather than a source of income for the developer. The positive press and public attention the game is getting right now — along with anticipation for the upcoming Wii U exclusive Rayman Legends — will help it to enjoy a strong degree of success, at least in the short-term, and it’s well-deserved.

Rayman Jungle Run is currently ranked at No. 81 in Top Paid Apps, No. 42 in Top Paid iPad Apps, No. 46 in Top Paid Games and No. 23 in Top Paid iPad Games. Follow its progress with AppData, our tracking service for mobile and social games and developers.（source:insidemobileapps）

6）YoYo Games reveals upcoming support for Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8

Mike Thompson

YoYo Games today announced its cross-platform game development software GameMaker: Studio is expanding its reach and will support both Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 for developers.

This is only the latest in a series of high-profile updates for GameMaker: Studio, which launched in May. YoYo Games is the latest among software providers to announce their inclusion of Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 compatibility for cross-platform game development, as both Unity and Adobe have revealed similar plans. GameMaker: Studio, however, is specifically designed to make creating games on multiple platforms as cost-efficient as possible.

CEO Sandy Duncan tells us that with GameMaker: Studio, a developer can create a game in the software and launch it for a wide variety of platforms with minimal effort and cost. During a demonstration with a demo game in the software, he shows how all users need to do is select the format they want to put the game onto and then click a compile button, showing us the game in both HTML5 and on a new Android Nexus 7 tablet. This allows developers to develop a game at minimal expense (he says most titles are created for “well under $50,000 a game”) while distributing it as broadly as possible.

“Game publishing has become a non-intuitive business,” Duncan tells us. “Even if you have success like Rovio, it’s very hard to use that success to help your next game.” Duncan is talking about Rovio’s latest iOS release, Amazing Alex. Even though the game’s been critically well-received, it hasn’t replicated the lightning-in-a-bottle success of Angry Birds; our AppData traffic-tracking service shows Amazing Alex is the No. 90 top paid app, No. 52 top paid game and the No. 330 top grossing game in the iTunes App Store.

Duncan tells us GameMaker: Studio for Windows 8 will be available for developers before October 26, while Windows Phone 8 compatibility will launch sometime later this year.（source:insidemobileapps）

7）Casting has begun for Draw Something game show

By Dant Rambo

CBS has begun the hunt for Draw Something fans interested in starring in the title’s upcoming game show adaptation. The application process looks pretty simple, and can be completed entirely online. Trust your drawing skills enough to flex them in front of an audience? Here’s your chance!

As we touched on before, the show won’t stray far from the structure of the app. Two teams — each consisting of a celebrity and a random participant — will go head-to-head in a competition of drawing and guessing. The site makes no mention of who these celebrities will be, but I’m personally hoping it’s just Gilbert Gottfried wearing a different costume each week.

Given how much the app has declined in users since Zynga acquired OMGPOP,  finding an audience will likely be an uphill battle for this show. Which isn’t to say it’s doomed no matter what:

It’s possible that celebrity clout paired with a tried-and-true game show formula will help it find a sizable crowd. It also sounds like Ryan Seacrest is hosting, so that ought to turn at least a few eyes.（source:gamezebo）

8）Move Over Dr. Seuss: Rovio Readies Angry Birds Kids’ Books, Partners With Publisher Egmont

Natasha Lomas

Angry Birds started life as a mobile app but it’s since become a sprawling merchandising and rights licensing empire for its creator Rovio — helping it rake in earnings of $106m in 2011. From clothes, to plush toys and even entire theme parks, the irate birds and smug pigs have succeeded in flinging themselves onto an alarming variety of shelves, spaces and places, as well as being firmly lodged in the pockets of millions of mobile phone owners.

The latest merchandising move for Rovio is a partnership with children’s books publisher Egmont to bring out a line of Angry Birds kids books in the UK, the Republic of Ireland and English-speaking Commonwealth countries. Angry Birds is the first mobile app Egmont has transmuted to paper but the company has previously made books using online gaming and virtual worlds as the subject matter.

The Angry Birds book range will kick off with a pop-up jokes book aimed at the over-fives and priced at £4.99 (around $8), which will launch in time for Christmas. It will expand to additional titles next year, including a ‘Punch Out’ book and a ‘Search and Find’ title.

Side-stepping the obvious point — i.e. that Egmont is smacking its lips at the prospect of carving itself a slice of Rovio’s bird-and-pig-flavoured cash-cow — the publishing group’s MD, David Riley, said the company hopes putting Angry Birds inside children’s books might encourage more kids to put down their phones and pick up some books.

“Its rich source of humour and characters makes it the perfect publishing brand and with fans in their millions, we hope the books will inspire some of those 75 per cent of 8-12 year olds who own a mobile phone to get into reading,” he noted in a statement.

The Angry Birds book launch will be backed by an advertising drive on children’s websites and via social media outlets. The publisher also plans to advertise in 147 primary schools in the U.K. — potentially getting on the pester radar of 39,000 kids.（source:techcrunch）