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I don't understand why people think Candy Crush is bad. I've played Candy Crush for close to a year (I'm on level 153) and I haven't spent a dime. Sure, I've p

I don't understand why people think Candy Crush is bad. I've played Candy Crush for close to a year (I'm on level 153) and I haven't spent a dime. Sure, I've played the same level for weeks on end, but I haven't bought anything. Of course I've been tempted to push the button, spend 99 cents and bypass the level, but I have something called willpower and a certain amount of pride that every level I've beaten is legit.

elliottcarlson 13y ago
I've been somewhat addicted to Candy Crush for the last few months (at level 305 now - long commutes give me way too much free time) and I haven't spent a dime either. What was surprising to hear was that some co-workers have paid at every "world" change - and they didn't know there was a way to get through to the next world without paying. It seems, when it is hooked up to your Facebook account, you don't have the option to play the three bonus levels over the course of 24 hours each - only nagging FB friends and paying. The trick is to just sign-out of FB in-game, play the three levels and then connect it back up if you wanted to.
- jlees 13y ago
  Yes, I only realised this recently. I got into the habit of paying (although via FB, as the cost to unlock new levels is 2 credits - 20c - rather than $0.99). However, I'm actually quite happy to pay for the content directly. Developers don't work for free, and they're constantly adding to the game. I like to support them (and other devs) as so many people expect to get hundreds of hours of gameplay for free these days. I don't see an issue with paying for content gates in such a fashion -- but I do dislike the "Pay $0.99 to get 5 more moves, you've nearly done it!" mechanic, and others like it, so I don't pay for those.
- officemonkey 13y ago
  I've never signed in to FB, so I never knew the bonus level option disappeared.
jader201 13y ago
> I don't understand why people think Candy Crush is bad. > ...but I have something called willpower This is why people think Candy Crush is bad -- because most people don't have this willpower, and it plays on this weakness, almost to an exact science.
mbreese 13y ago
I'm in the same boat as you - played for a while, high level, never paid. But, I wonder if all of the levels actually are beatable. I haven't been able to figure out if some of the levels are random or not. It seems like there are definite patterns for some levels, but not all. This is what bothers me. I want to know that any given board can be beaten. If it can't and then they charge you to keep playing, that would be dishonest. I just haven't figured out it that was the case or not.
- xixi77 13y ago
  I am pretty sure there are people out there who have completed all levels without powerups/extensions/etc, so I think yes. And with the wheel of fortune thing, you don't even have to pay for powerups. The only one I've had a problem with so far was 417 (which is basically a lottery level), but if I didn't have enough free powerups in storage, I am quite sure I would get lucky one time...
GaveUp 13y ago
My biggest gripe is that the game is designed in a way to extract as much money as possible to the detriment of the game itself. There are several levels you'll play where you have absolutely zero chance of winning (particularly the later levels where you need X of this and Y of that) because the colors just don't come up. Yeah, that's down to randomness, but it's one of those things that could be resolved. Also, when playing if you receive a call or switch to some other app in the middle of a game you lose your game and that life. Yet another way to pluck more money out of people. Then you have the arbitrary play limits (3 days to unlock another pack via bonus levels, 30 minute waits for lives, etc). I'd have much less of a problem with the game if each level had a solvable method to it. Then you can make it pay to pass or skill to win.
- xixi77 13y ago
  I'm not sure -- I think it just a patience vs. money trade off. Which levels are you talking about? Definitely there are levels where it all comes down to luck, but even with 0.5% of winning, you'll probably get there after a couple hundred games. I'm not even sure it's a good business decision for them, more like poor design imo -- I suspect there are more people who get frustrated and quit than those who actually pay...
  - GaveUp 13y ago
    The levels I'm thinking of are the ones that require 200 green or multiple combos of special candies. Add in the chocolate things and the tornadoes and it just gets worse. I don't know if it was poor design or purposeful to get more money out of people, but I tend to think the latter because of just how many places it begs to buy things. People probably do get frustrated and quit. I know that's what I end up doing. Especially when my gaming habits are 30 minutes here and there. I just want a short session, not play for 5 minutes and have to pay more or wait 30 minutes to play more.
Ygg2 13y ago
Great, so instead of spending willpower on something useful, you spend it on avoiding temptations of Candy Crush. http://seriouspony.com/blog/2013/7/24/your-app-makes-me-fat http://seriouspony.com/blog/2013/7/24/your-app-makes-me-fat The fact that people are playing it regardless of whether they are paying or not helps king.com make profit to demolish games like Banner Saga (note: this is a game I backed). You might wonder how - but it's rather simple. Even if you pay zilch to play and you get to level 153, your friend brother, mom, sister, father or acquaintance will see this and try it out, and perhaps get hooked (if it's someone that would pay money to 'compete' in levels with you, even better). It's a numbers game. Games like that depend on few gamers that spend in the thousands (aka 'whales'), and to get to them they need to wade through a sea of people that spend 0$ but are connected to the so called 'whales' . So yes, thanks again for helping King.com ruin The Banner Saga for me...

elliottcarlson 13y ago

I've been somewhat addicted to Candy Crush for the last few months (at level 305 now - long commutes give me way too much free time) and I haven't spent a dime either. What was surprising to hear was that some co-workers have paid at every "world" change - and they didn't know there was a way to get through to the next world without paying. It seems, when it is hooked up to your Facebook account, you don't have the option to play the three bonus levels over the course of 24 hours each - only nagging FB friends and paying. The trick is to just sign-out of FB in-game, play the three levels and then connect it back up if you wanted to.

jlees 13y ago
Yes, I only realised this recently. I got into the habit of paying (although via FB, as the cost to unlock new levels is 2 credits - 20c - rather than $0.99). However, I'm actually quite happy to pay for the content directly. Developers don't work for free, and they're constantly adding to the game. I like to support them (and other devs) as so many people expect to get hundreds of hours of gameplay for free these days. I don't see an issue with paying for content gates in such a fashion -- but I do dislike the "Pay $0.99 to get 5 more moves, you've nearly done it!" mechanic, and others like it, so I don't pay for those.
officemonkey 13y ago
I've never signed in to FB, so I never knew the bonus level option disappeared.

jader201 13y ago

> I don't understand why people think Candy Crush is bad. > ...but I have something called willpower This is why people think Candy Crush is bad -- because most people don't have this willpower, and it plays on this weakness, almost to an exact science.

mbreese 13y ago

I'm in the same boat as you - played for a while, high level, never paid. But, I wonder if all of the levels actually are beatable. I haven't been able to figure out if some of the levels are random or not. It seems like there are definite patterns for some levels, but not all. This is what bothers me. I want to know that any given board can be beaten. If it can't and then they charge you to keep playing, that would be dishonest. I just haven't figured out it that was the case or not.

xixi77 13y ago
I am pretty sure there are people out there who have completed all levels without powerups/extensions/etc, so I think yes. And with the wheel of fortune thing, you don't even have to pay for powerups. The only one I've had a problem with so far was 417 (which is basically a lottery level), but if I didn't have enough free powerups in storage, I am quite sure I would get lucky one time...

GaveUp 13y ago

My biggest gripe is that the game is designed in a way to extract as much money as possible to the detriment of the game itself. There are several levels you'll play where you have absolutely zero chance of winning (particularly the later levels where you need X of this and Y of that) because the colors just don't come up. Yeah, that's down to randomness, but it's one of those things that could be resolved. Also, when playing if you receive a call or switch to some other app in the middle of a game you lose your game and that life. Yet another way to pluck more money out of people. Then you have the arbitrary play limits (3 days to unlock another pack via bonus levels, 30 minute waits for lives, etc). I'd have much less of a problem with the game if each level had a solvable method to it. Then you can make it pay to pass or skill to win.

xixi77 13y ago
I'm not sure -- I think it just a patience vs. money trade off. Which levels are you talking about? Definitely there are levels where it all comes down to luck, but even with 0.5% of winning, you'll probably get there after a couple hundred games. I'm not even sure it's a good business decision for them, more like poor design imo -- I suspect there are more people who get frustrated and quit than those who actually pay...
- GaveUp 13y ago
  The levels I'm thinking of are the ones that require 200 green or multiple combos of special candies. Add in the chocolate things and the tornadoes and it just gets worse. I don't know if it was poor design or purposeful to get more money out of people, but I tend to think the latter because of just how many places it begs to buy things. People probably do get frustrated and quit. I know that's what I end up doing. Especially when my gaming habits are 30 minutes here and there. I just want a short session, not play for 5 minutes and have to pay more or wait 30 minutes to play more.

Ygg2 13y ago

Great, so instead of spending willpower on something useful, you spend it on avoiding temptations of Candy Crush. http://seriouspony.com/blog/2013/7/24/your-app-makes-me-fat http://seriouspony.com/blog/2013/7/24/your-app-makes-me-fat The fact that people are playing it regardless of whether they are paying or not helps king.com make profit to demolish games like Banner Saga (note: this is a game I backed). You might wonder how - but it's rather simple. Even if you pay zilch to play and you get to level 153, your friend brother, mom, sister, father or acquaintance will see this and try it out, and perhaps get hooked (if it's someone that would pay money to 'compete' in levels with you, even better). It's a numbers game. Games like that depend on few gamers that spend in the thousands (aka 'whales'), and to get to them they need to wade through a sea of people that spend 0$ but are connected to the so called 'whales' . So yes, thanks again for helping King.com ruin The Banner Saga for me...