1）VentureBeat最新调查结果显示，许多明智的手机游戏开发者选择了Vungle和AdColony等新兴广告公司而非谷歌服务来实现游戏盈利。

其调查的176名游戏开发者共发布了1100款游戏，实现了3亿次下载量，以及超过6亿美元的年收益。

这些开发者最广泛使用的广告盈利方案是插页式广告，但最具盈利性的创收方法仍是免费模式的IAP机制。

数据表明，游戏开发者在发布了11款游戏后就会弃用谷歌广告服务，谷歌服务在独立和小型团队开发者（发布游戏少于11款）仍然较有影响力，但有77%较有规模的开发者（制作游戏超过20款，拥有20人以上的开发成员，月收益超过5万美元）则通常不会使用谷歌服务。

其中最为成功的游戏开发者使用的是视频广告平台Vungle或AdColony，其次就是Chartboost、Upsight服务。

mobile games ads(from china.inmobi)

调查表明，视频广告通常可以创造较高的eCPM，如果操作得当，还可以产生较为乐观的用户粘性。而条幅广告则是效能最低的盈利方案，并且最令用户反感。

根据开发者反映，最令用户反感的盈利方式分别为：条幅广告（占比34.8%），推送通知广告（31.2%）、调查问卷（31.2%）、锁屏广告（27.5%）、插页广告（24.6%）、视频广告（21.7%）、订阅广告（21%）、应用墙（18.8%）、文本广告（18.8%）、折扣广告（13.8%）。

2）据gamasutra报道，《EVE Online》开发商CCP日前宣布取消其漫长的MMO游戏《World of Darkness》开发过程，并裁减了多名员工。

World-of-Darkness(from gamebreaker.tv)

该游戏自2006年就由CCP的Atlanta团队负责开发，本次举措将导致56名开发者被裁员，其中有些员工将转向CCP（游戏邦注：该公司在北美、英国、中国和冰岛设有工作室）的其他岗位。

这个项目团队自2011年以来就开始裁员，CCP首席执行官Hilmar Petursson向这款游戏的前员工及粉丝表示遗憾，并表示CCP将全身心投入EVE系列（包括《EVE Online》以及在线射击游戏《Dust514》）。

Atlanta工作室目前仍在运营，其中的剩余员工将转向开发其他EVE项目。

3）据pocketgamer报道，手机游戏发行商Kabam日前宣布预计公司在2014年销售额将至少增长35％，预计其2014年销售额将达5.5亿至6.5亿美元。

kabam(from adsoftheworld.com)

目前该公司通过其创立的价值5000万美元的全球开发者基金会投资了23家开发商和30款游戏，预计在2014年将实现1.75亿美元以上的收益。

预计到2014年底，Kabam将雇佣150名成员，负责包括德国、法国、西班牙、意大利、英国、俄罗斯和土耳其等关键市场的营销工作。值得注意的是，欧洲市场在Kabam销售额中占比超过40％。

4）据gamasutra报道，Zynga首席财务官Mark Vranesh将于下个月离职（已在Zynga就职6年），其继任者为David Lee（之前是百思买企业财务高级副总裁）。

David Lee将直接向首席执行官Don Mattrick汇报关于Zynga财务方面的工作。Zynga公司在2013年收益净亏损为3700万美元，实际上也明显优于2012年的2.09亿美元亏损。

Zynga称Vranesh自2013年末以来就一直在帮助Mattrick物色新首席财务官，在他之前，Zynga首席财务官是David Wehner（2012年离职加入了Facebook）。

5）据pocketgamer报道，《Minecraft》开发商Mojang日前通过Twitter透露，手机版游戏《Minecraft:Pocket Edition》目前销量已超过2100万份。

minecraft(from pocketgamer)

这款游戏自2011年11月在App Store发布以来，一直稳居畅销榜单之首。（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）300M downloads and $600M in revenue say Google is the ‘loser’s choice’ in mobile games monetization

John Koetsier

Connect with leaders from the companies in this story, in real life: Come to the fourth annual VentureBeat Mobile Summit April 14-15 in Sausalito, Calif. Request an invitation.

Smart game developers are choosing startup ad companies like Vungle and AdColony when monetizing their mobile games, according to a new survey by VentureBeat. At least, if they want to make significant amounts of money.

They are most certainly not picking Google.

176 game developers with 1,100 published games, 300 million collective downloads, and over $600 million in annual revenue took VentureBeat’s mobile games monetization survey, and we’re releasing the report today.

The results show not only which monetization methods are most effective at making developers money; they also show the least effective. The most-used monetization method, for instance, is the interstitial ad. But the way developers make more money is clear: freemium in-app purchases.

Developers also told us which companies make them the most money — and which make them the least.

The data clearly shows that game developers abandon Google once they hit 11 published games. While Google clearly wins in the fat long tail of solo and small-team developers who have built fewer than 11 games, with 77 percent developer share there, game-makers who have made more than 20 games, have more than 20 developers, and bring in more than $50,000 every month are much more likely to not use Google.

Instead, the most successful game developers use video ad platforms Vungle or AdColony, and to a lesser extent Chartboost, iAd, and Upsight (the new Playhaven/Kontagent).

That’s good news for all video ad companies, as their ad vehicle typically generates high eCPMs and can, in the right circumstances, also claim reasonable levels of user engagement.

The sad-sack banner ad came in for special abuse.

Not only is it ranked as the least effective monetization method, developers also consider it the most annoying for users.

And yet, as Flappy Bird showed us, there is still a place for the oldest version of digital monetization in at least some games. When the game mechanics are right, and there is a big enough audience, even banner ads can bring in six-figure weekly incomes.

We also asked developers which monetization methods their users found most annoying. Banner ads topped the list of course, but video ads and even text ads are also there:

Banner ads — 34.8%

Notification ads – 31.2%

Surveys – 31.2%

Lock screen ads — 27.5%

Interstitials — 24.6%

Video ads – 21.7%

Subscriptions — 21%

App walls — 18.8%

Text ads – 18.8%

Offer walls – 13.8%（source：venturebeat）

2）CCP cans World of Darkness MMO after eight years of development

By Kris Graft

EVE Online developer CCP said today it is canceling its long in development MMO World of Darkness, and laying off dozens of staff.

The game was in development since 2006, with CCP’s Atlanta, GA location heading up development. With the cancellation of the game, 56 people in Atlanta will be laid off, CCP said in a statement today. Some employees were offered other roles within CCP, which has offices in North America, the UK, China and Iceland.

The World of Darkness team suffered headcount cuts in 2011, and more recently late last year.

“The decision to end the World of Darkness MMO project is one of the hardest I’ve ever had to make,” said CCP CEO Hilmar Petursson. “I have always loved and valued the idea of a sandbox experience set in that universe, and over the years I’ve watched the team passionately strive to make that possible.”

He added, “To our current and former employees and fans of World of Darkness, I am truly sorry that we could not deliver the experience that we aspired to make. We dreamed of a game that would transport you completely into the sweeping fantasy of World of Darkness, but had to admit that our efforts were falling regretfully short. One day I hope we will make it up to you.”

Petursson said going forward, CCP will be able to put all of its focus on the EVE universe, including the MMO EVE Online and the online shooter game Dust 514.

The Atlanta studio is still operational, according to CCP, with the remainder of the staff there working on games in the EVE universe.（source：gamasutra）

3）Kabam expects 2014 sales to be at least $550 million

By Jon Jordan

Building on its announcement of 2013 sales of $360 million, mobile and PC F2P publisher Kabam now says it expects to see growth of at least 35 percent in 2014.

As a privately-owned company, Kabam doesn’t have to reveal its financial numbers.

However, with a rumoured IPO on the cards, it’s becoming much more transparent about its business.

And that’s the context behind its prediction of 2014 sales of between $550 – $650 million.

Wide base

The company has its own stable of very successful titles, with Kingdoms of Camelot, The Hobbit: Kingdoms of Middle-earth  and Fast & Furious 6: The Game  each generating more than $100 million in sales on mobile.

The company has also been aggressively expanding its publishing operations, notably via its $50 million Worldwide Developer Fund.

This is designed to enable studios in China, Japan and Korea get their games successfully launched into European and North American markets.

To-date, Kabam has invested in 23 developers and 30 games. It expects these to generate over $175 million in revenue during 2014.

Big in Berlin

Providing support for these titles and its own expansion, Kabam has also announced plans to triple its headcount in Europe.

Set up in Berlin with 50 staff to run live operations, localisation, support and QA activities, the now 80-strong outfit is moving to a new location in the city that will provide the space for expansion.

By the end of 2014, Kabam expects to be employing 150 staff, who will cover key marketing such as Germany, France, Spain, Italy, the UK as well as Russia and Turkey.

This is important as this wider European region generates more than 40 percent of Kabam’s sales.（source：pocketgamer）

4） Zynga CFO Mark Vranesh will leave the company next month

By Alex Wawro

Zynga CFO/CAO Mark Vranesh will be leaving the company next month after roughly six years of service, according to a press release issued by Zynga earlier today.

Vranesh will spend the next month or so working to bring his replacement, David Lee, up to speed. Lee most recently served as Best Buy’s senior vice president of enterprise finance, and before that he held executive positions at Del Monte Foods and PG&E.

As of April 14 he’ll be reporting directly to Don Mattrick about Zynga’s finances, which have seen better days. According to the company’s full-year financial report for 2013, it saw a $37 million net loss in revenue for the year, which is actually a notable improvement from the $209 million it reportedly lost in 2012.

Zynga claims that Vranesh has been working with Mattrick to find the company a new CFO since the end of 2013. Vranesh stepped up to become Zynga’s CFO in 2012, after then-CFO David Wehner left Zynga to take a job at Facebook.（source：gamasutra）

5）Minecraft hits 21 million downloads on mobile

By Chris Kerr, Staff Writer

Minecraft: Pocket Edition, the mobile version of the ever-popular sandbox title, has sold over 21 million copies.

The news was broken on Twitter by Minecraft developer Jens Bergensten, who also revealed that Mojang will be holding a live Q&A broadcast on 14 April to celebrate said milestone.

Building an audience

“We’re extremely grateful to all players for your dedication and creativity,” said Mojang via a blog post.

“Without that, Minecraft wouldn’t be anywhere near as significant as it is today.”

MC:PE has sold over 20 million copies (actually, over 21M), so we’re going to have a live broadcast on Monday: https://t.co/5p38eaIaqm
— Jens Bergensten (@jeb_) April 9, 2014

For those who’ve been following Minecraft: Pocket Edition’s progress on the App Store, this news won’t come as a huge surprise.

In a recent Charticle, we highlighted how the game been performing extremely well on the App Store, where it has been a constant presence at the top of the grossing charts since it launched back in November 2011.（source：pocketgamer）