Any advertising integration we do must fit seamlessly into the gameplay experience to ensure it is authentic to our titles. For example, all of our in-game ads are opt-in and rewarded, so if the player chooses to watch the ad they are rewarded for their time with an in-game reward such as a color bomb. We take a player-first approach to all our revenue models. Players then have the choice to make purchases in game to claim extra lives or rewards or they can choose to watch a short ad from one of our partners. For us our games have always been and remain free-to-play services – this is at its core. Mobile games can generate revenue in a number of different ways – either by charging a fee to download and play the game, through in-app purchases or advertising. We also just announced a partnership with Barbie where players can join the Barbie characters on a Barbie Quest through the Kingdom.įollowing on from this, can you explain how mobile games generate revenue? For example, we recently teamed up with Meghan Trainor to launch her new music video, “Made You Look,” exclusively within the Candy Crush Saga app. We’re also increasingly looking at ways to bring new content into the game. For example, the game launched with 65 levels and now there’s over 13,000 and we add more every day. A huge amount of care and craft goes into creating a live game like Candy Crush and the team is constantly looking at new ways to surprise and delight our players. Now, we’re here a decade later and it’s had over three billion downloads, becoming the most downloaded casual match game of all time. You could argue that The Candy Crush Saga is the most successful mobile game ever created, are there plans to expand this, or do you have ideas that could be a competitive match for Candy Crush?Ĭandy Crush Saga launched in November 2012 and it was an instant hit. It takes people with different skills, experiences, and world views working together to create successful games for all. Diversity of thought is hugely additive to the game development process. We want to be leaders in correcting that. There is a long-standing gender imbalance across the industry, which is holding it back. We have a really diverse player base and recognise that the diversity of our people should also reflect that. Their work shows up in the hands of tens of millions of people every day. At King, our employees have the chance to work on some of the biggest and most-loved mobile games in the world. We have people from all different backgrounds working at King and one of our key values is around ensuring everyone can bring their authentic selves to work. You are passionate about creating a diverse work environment, how does this affect the workplace, and more specifically, how does this affect the gaming industry? They are meant to be enjoyed in short bursts, providing moments of fun and escapism, for example, on your commute, when taking a break from a hard day at work, or to pass the boredom in a waiting room. Take King’s games like Candy Crush Saga and Farm Heroes Saga as examples. They are also often designed to be played in a different way. This means mobile games can reach a much larger, more diverse audience. Most people have a mobile phone which they can easily access in their pocket. It’s different to other gaming platforms because it’s so accessible. Mobile gaming is increasingly seen as a mainstream entertainment platform. The industry is now bigger than PC and Console combined and is projected to more than double in revenue by 2031. Mobile gaming has seen significant growth in recent years. Whilst mobile games are incredibly popular, do you think they are a direct competitor to the PlayStation or Nintendo, or is mobile gaming its own entity? Now here I am today, as President, where I oversee all worldwide functions and business operations for King and lead our Kingsters in our purpose to Making the World Playful. Since joining, I’ve held various roles at the company including managing the Candy Crush franchise and King Studios, and more recently my role as Chief Development Officer. We’ve been at the very forefront of the casual gaming segment of the industry and have seen great success with our match-three puzzle format. Witnessing the shift to mobile and the rise of live games has been incredibly exciting. Now we’re around 2,000 people across the company so it’s been quite the journey. I’ve been working in the games industry for over 20 years now and joined King before Candy Crush was launched on Facebook, at the time we were just over 100 people in Stockholm and a few people in London. You became President of King in 2022, what was your journey like getting to this position? We spoke to Tjodolf Sommestad, President of King, about mobile games, diverse work environments, generating revenue, and much more.
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