作者：Keith Andrew

上周那些抱怨了去GDC Europe的人也抱怨了科隆游戏展——两个活动都在同一个小城镇举办。

是的，考虑到有人称GDC Europe已经超过E3成为行业最大的盛事，你可能会以为我们这次前往莱茵河边上的小镇肯定收获更丰。

事实上，无论是科隆游戏展还是GDC Europe，我们得到的信息都很集中。甚至是相当有限。

但是，不能因为我们没有装着一脑袋热点词回来，就认为我们行业今年没什么可细细琢磨的信息了，那是不对的。数量少不意味着意义小。浓缩才是精华。

1、亚洲公司进军欧美市场需要帮手

在欧美，我们可能认为在亚洲市场方面，最大挑战在于找到分一杯羹的方法。

在科隆游戏展的商务区参观了中国、台湾和韩国三个展馆后，我们却发现，许多亚洲公司都期望在欧美市场上占据一席之地。

所以，他们还等什么？他们需要的似乎是欧美发行商的帮助。不断有手机游戏开发商告诉我们，虽然他们对在亚洲拓展业务有信心，但还不敢在欧美市场上孤身作战。

确实，上述三个展馆的开发商都告诉我们，若想复制他们在亚洲市场上的成功，他们需要对欧美市场非常熟悉且具有影响力的发行商的帮助。

2、英国展位出新招争上位

考虑到GDC Europe和科隆游戏展都在同一个小镇同一个地点举行，德国开发者自然对这两件事都高度重视，因此出席的人也特别多。

科隆游戏展是由法国赞助的——是的，这个国家显然在用横幅广告宣传自己在行业中的地位。然而，在莱茵河畔唱主角的不是法国也不是德国，而是英国。

虽然在科隆游戏展商务区上的大多数展位都只专注于突出当地的知名开发商和业务，而由UKIE布置的英国展位却不同——采用了更新颖的方法，把典型的英国乡村的景色搬进展馆，布置了公园长椅、邮箱，还供应奶油茶点和芥末香肠。

英国展位占据展区的显眼位置——大厅入口前，也意味着它将是整个游戏展的活动密集区。

如果有5分钟闲暇时间喝咖啡或聊天，那就直接去UKIE的展位吧。

3、Sony的“伪独立宣言”

今年参加科隆游戏展的人数显然破纪录了。

周三下午，在排队进入科隆游戏展时，我看到和我一样排队的人多不胜数。

为什么？也许是为了先睹即将上市的次世代游戏机PlayStation 4和Xbox One的风采吧。难怪Sony的展位全被这些新机子占领了，PS3和PS Vita全被挤到脚落去了。

REU-SONY-GAMESCOM(from darkroom)

确实，考虑到Sony已经大声宣布将努力支持独立开发者（早前当着Microsoft的面，Sony却基本上保持沉默），看到它已经上市的机子都不装配“独立商店”，多少让人觉得有些奇怪。

我在Sony的展位走了两次，发现播放独立游戏的PS Vita的桌上空荡荡，除了一张小小的标签提醒着过往的人群他们看到的游戏是什么。

周四早上再次经过Sony的展位时，有些机子索性不开了。

自然地， 今年的科隆游戏展，Sony把全部精力都放在PS4上了，但考虑到它之前那么明确地表示要把PS Vita作为独立开发的前哨站排到工作日程的优先位置，如今却看到它像一块石头似地被丢在一边，所有把未来押在这家日本巨头公司的独立开发者们不能不感到忧虑。

4、手机游戏继续领跑游戏行业

在本周初去GDC Europe的半路上，手机游戏领域最杰出的记者和我前往科隆的Die Kunst Bar，看到了近30款出自欧洲独立工作室的新游戏作品。

每次两名记者观看设备上播放的游戏，每次5分钟上，节奏很快，游戏类型特别丰富。大家都喝了很多酒。

最让我们感到惊喜的是，没有任何两款游戏是重样的，甚至接近的都没有。

各款游戏都与其他游戏显著不同——从老套的颜色匹配多人游戏到“用手指削他们”式的格斗游戏，再到考验动作的反杀游戏。

甚至还有传统的FPS。每一类消费者都能找到适合自己的游戏类型。更重要的是，绝大部分游戏都非常优秀，劣质的游戏屈指可数。

5、开发者不想要第三大平台

PocketGamer.biz栏目发布过许多评估平台的文章，均表示Windows Phone或BlackBerry 10最有希望在第三平台争夺战中胜出。

然而，根据上周一晚上的科隆Mobile Mixer论坛，我们发现，玩家对智能手机和平板市场出现第三平台的反应非常平淡。

mobile mixer(from facebook.com)

没有人希望一家独大——有竞争才有进步，但似乎没有多少开发者希望出现一个分流受众的第三平台。

即使身为巨头之一的Sega已经用著名的产品支持Windows Phone和BlackBerry，仍然不能照亮支持第三平台崛起的暗淡前景。

这主要是因为几乎所有手机开发都看重一个特性：稳定。所有人都希望一致——他们希望明确自己的生计在哪里，不想总是重新寻找玩家基础。

问题是，手机不是非常一致。自从约5年以前智能手机诞生，所有手机都已经完成进化——以相当的速度。

在平台争夺战中，现在值得一提的只有两大赢家，但未来几年也许会发生变化。在游戏行业，不变的只有改变。（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）

Top 5 things we learned at Gamescom and GDC Europe

by Keith Andrew

Those hopping on a plane to Cologne this time last week weren’t just making the trip to GDC Europe – the small matter that is Gamescom was also about to roll into town, too.

Yes, given GDC Europe piggybacks the event some claim has surpassed E3 as the industry’s biggest, you might think that there would be twice the number of takeaways from our time in the city that straddles the Rhine.

In truth, however, both Gamescom and GDC Europe delivered a refined set of lessons. Focused. Narrow, even.

But, just because haven’t come away with a rush of different thoughts buzzing around our head doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty for the industry to chew over. Indeed, as the points below prove, the smaller number only helps make the takeaways highlighted all the more powerful.

The Asian invasion needs a helping hand

In the west, we may think the biggest issue in terms of the Asian market is how we can get a slice of it.

A few minutes walking around the Chinese, Taiwanese and Korean pavilions in the business area at Gamescom, however, proved that just as many Asian outfits are looking to make a mark in Europe and the US.

So, what are they waiting for? A western publisher to help them out, it would seem. Mobile developer after mobile developer told us that, while they’re confident they can handle things across Asia, few are comfortable going it alone in Europe or the US.

Indeed, every single developer we spoke to in all three pavilions told us that a publisher with influence in and knowledge of western territories is what’s required if they’re to look to replicate their Asian success in outside markets. Any takers?

The UK rules the roost in Europe

Given both GDC Europe and Gamescom were hosted in the same venue in the beautiful German city of Cologne, German developers naturally had a strong presence at both events.

Gamescom was also sponsored by France – yes, apparently the whole country – with banners promoting the country’s role in the industry. Yet it was neither Germany nor France that ruled the roost along the Rhine. It was the UK.

While most of the regional stands in the business area at Gamescom focused simply on grouping prominent developers and businesses together in one set area, the UK’s stand – organised by UKIE – took a more original approach, recreating the British countryside with park benches, a post box, and servings of cream teas and mustard-ladened sausages.

Its prominent position on the show floor – almost flat bang in front of the entrance to the hall – also meant that it was a hive of activity throughout Gamescom’s run.

Got five minutes to spare and looking for a quick cup of coffee or a friendly face? Chances are, you walked straight to the UKIE stand.

Without a hint of home bias, UKIE’s British stand stood head and shoulders above the rest.

Sony’s indie push has a hollow heart

Attendance numbers for Gamescom this year were apparently at record numbers.

Indeed, having made my way through the queue myself on Thursday afternoon after a mistaken trip to the airport (I can’t be the only one who has mistakenly attempted to board a flight a day early), I can vouch for the lines of people attempting to make their way into Cologne’s Koelnmesse being something approaching the astronomical.

The reason? Likely the pending next-gen console war between the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Predictably, then, Sony’s sizeable stand was dominated by the firm’s forthcoming machine, pushing PS3 and – alarmingly – PS Vita to the sidelines.

Indeed, given Sony has made much noise about its efforts to woo indie developers (largely in the face of Microsoft’s earlier silence on the issue), it was somewhat strange to see a machine it already has on the market equipped with an ‘indie store’ left hanging.

On the two walks I had around Sony’s stand at Gamescom, PS Vita’s running indie titles were left off to the side on empty tables with nothing but a small label alerting the passing crowd as to just what game they were running.

On the second walkaround on the Thursday morning, some units didn’t appear to be switched on.

Naturally, PS4 was always going to dominate Sony’s focus at Gamescom this year, but given the amount of noise it’s been making about its apparently honourable move to make PS Vita an indie outpost, to see it drop it like a stone as soon as its priority looms into view is worrying for any indie whose future depends on the Japanese giant.

Mobile’s vibrancy continues to outshine the rest of the industry

Midway through GDC Europe’s run at the start of the week, some of the mobile scene’s most talented journalists – and me – headed to Cologne’s Die Kunst Bar to sample a near thirty new releases from indie outfits from across the continent.

With each pitching to two journalists at a time in a set five minute slot, the pace was fast, the games on offer especially varied, and the alcohol consumed copious.

What was most striking about the games thrust into our faces, however, was the fact that no two were the same. Not even close.

Each and every title on offer was distinctly different from all the others – from a slick and sleek colour matching multiplayer to a ‘slash them with your finger’ oriental style fighter, complete with a kill counter that questioned your actions, rather than celebrated them.

There was even a traditional FPS. Every type of consumer and every kind of genre was catered for. More importantly, I could count the number of genuinely poor games seen on one hand. Hell, maybe even just a couple of fingers.

Developers don’t want a third platform

Many an article on PocketGamer.biz has been spent evaluating just what platform – Windows Phone or BlackBerry 10 – will come out on top in the race for third place.

However, based on our Mobile Mixer in Cologne last Monday night, the appetite for a third player in the smartphone and tablet market is pretty weak.

No-one wants one company the dominate – the general take being competition helps keep the big boys in check – but the need to support a third platform sporting a sizeable userbase is not one many developers are too keen on.

Hell, even one of the bigger outfits – Sega – which already supports both Windows Phone and BlackBerry with notable releases was anything but glowing about the prospect of doing so longterm.

It’s a trait that falls back on the one quality almost all mobile developers are looking for: stability. Everyone wants a sense of consistency – they want to know, day in day out, where their bread is buttered, and that they don’t need to constantly go around the houses to find a player base.

Problem is, mobile isn’t very consistent. Ever since the smartphone surge took off 5 or so years ago, all mobile has done is evolve – and evolve at quite some pace.

There many only be two big players to speak of right now, but chances are things will change in the years ahead. Change is what this industry does best.(source:pocketgamer)