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The art of the sequel: Did Bubble Witch 2 Saga outperform its predecessor?

Bubble bobble

The art of the sequel: Did Bubble Witch 2 Saga outperform its predecessor?

Sequels can be a difficult trick to pull off. There's always a risk that a second offering can come across as a stale imitation of a game that an audience has already fallen in love with.

Of course, it's absolutely crucial that developers learn their lessons and make that scary second game an irresistible offering.

It doesn't matter if you're a tiny indie, or a huge powerhouse, the rule is the same for everyone, which is exactly why we want to find out if King has managed to perfect the art of the sequel with its recent release, Bubble Witch 2 Saga.

The game has been on the market for just over a month, so we'll be comparing its performance with that of its predecessor's to find out which one had the better start to life on the top grossing charts.

Before we begin, I should point out that we won't be looking at the game's performance in Asia this week, as both the sequel and the original title failed to find a foothold on those markets.

Now, without further ado, let the comparisons commence. 

A tale of two sagas

Bubble Witch 2 Saga's first month on the US top grossing charts for iPhone was more profitable than King's original offering.

While the first Bubble Witch Saga didn't necessarily perform poorly, breaking into the top 50 and peaking at #25 within the first month, the sequel climbed the charts with more vigour, rising higher, and peaking at #17.

Bubble Witch Saga's performance on the US top grossing chart for iPhone

Bubble Witch 2 Saga's performance on the US top grossing chart for iPhone
 

On the iPhone top 50 charts for the EU5 - which looks at Spain, France, Germany, Italy, and the UK - the difference in performance between original and sequel is clear from the get-go.

Again, the first Bubble Witch Saga did manage to fumble its way into the top 50 in some regions, however, its presence looked far from secure, with the game dipping in and out in Spain, France, and Germany.

In the UK and Italy the game did manage to reach peak positions of #25 and #27.

In retrospect though, those showings pale in comparison to the sequel's, with Bubble Witch 2 Saga sweeping into the top 50 in all 5 regions, cruising to a peak position of #8 in Italy, and finding a spot inside the top 20 in every country except Spain.

Bubble Witch Saga's performance on the EU5 top grossing chart for iPhone

Bubble Witch 2 Saga's performance on the EU5 top grossing chart for iPhone

Over on the Google Play store the comparisons become less interesting, and essentially, non-existent.

The original Bubble Witch Saga didn't make an impact when it hit the Google Play store, likely because it launched after the iOS version, and the game failed to enter the top 50 in either the US or Europe in its first month.

As a result, it couldn't compete with Bubble Witch 2 Saga's initial push, which saw the game launch an assault on the top 10 in the US and the EU5, peaking at #7 in France, and #10 in Spain and the UK.

Bubble Witch 2 Saga's performance on the US top grossing chart for Google Play

Bubble Witch 2 Saga's performance on the EU5 top grossing chart for Google Play

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What do you call someone who has an unhealthy obsession with video games and Sean Bean? That'd be a 'Chris Kerr'. Chris is one of those deluded souls who actually believes that one day Sean Bean will survive a movie. Poor guy.