According to CMO Alex Dale, this is no grand gesture.
Staying big in the social scene means targeting the platforms where the players are. As such, launching games on mobile platforms starting with Bubble Witch Saga on iOS is nothing more than a logical move.
We caught up with Dale for his take on how King.com plans on staying in its throne.
Pocket Gamer: You're targeting iOS first. What expectations do you have individually for the iOS and Android versions?
Alex Dale: We know that there is a high adoption of smartphones and tablets amongst our audience with high share for Apple.
We launched on Apple but we will be bringing out an Android version of Bubble Witch Saga in the near future.
Was linking the new versions with the existing game on Facebook important?
Super important.
The synchronisation means that if you have a virtual good on Facebook you also have it on the mobile version. The challenges of each level are also shared, so you can progress in the game regardless of device. And of course score and status are shared.
These are all great benefits for the player. And if you run out of lives on Bubble Witch Saga on Facebook you can get more by using the mobile version.
Overall, we believe that there is no other game with this level of cross-platform synchronisation today.
How vital is the mobile market for King.com's future?
Again, mobile is key. People are playing more and more games on phones and tablets.
Our games need to be available where our players want to play them any time, any place, any where. This means that cross-platform and synchronisation are vital.
Please note that in addition to providing a super games platform, Facebook itself also provides a great discovery mechanism for players to find the mobile version of our games.
You've previously acquired Fabrication Games and set up a new studio in Barcelona did either of these outfits have anything to do with Bubble Witch Saga's move to mobile?
Barcelona, no. The team from Fabrication worked hard with our Romanian studio on developing Bubble Witch Saga for mobile.
Thanks to Alex for his time.
