10/15/2018

By Peter High. Published on Forbes

If you have sat on a flight or a train recently, and a neighbor pulled out their mobile phone to play a game, often the game of choice is Candy Crush, it seems. At its peak, the game boasted roughly 100 million users. Though the company has had other successes with new games, last week, it introduced Candy Crush Friends Saga as an enhanced version of the mega-hit.

The company behind Candy Crush is King. I recently caught up with King’ s CEO Riccardo Zacconi to discuss the new launch.

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Peter High: Congratulations on the launch of the new Candy Crush Friends Saga. What is different in this version of the game from prior versions?

Riccardo Zacconi: We have made the game more beautiful with incredible 3D graphics. We have taken the best parts of the Candy Crush franchise games and brought them to the next level with Candy Crush Friends Saga. For the first time in the Candy Crush franchise, we brought the characters to life, giving them personality and background stories, that users will grow to know and love. The characters help you in the game by strategically throwing boosters into the game board to help beat blockers and allow you to level‐up more quickly, creating an authentic connection to the player.

Players can also unlock and collect new characters and use them as they advance in the game while also customizing their outfits. For the first time ever, the game taps into cultural moments with seasonal game updates. For example, a Dracula costume for one of the lead characters, Tiffi, is currently available for Halloween. A more rewarding game experience than ever, Candy Crush Friends Saga is filled with joy and constant sweet surprises.

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