When compared to other conferences, GDC is fairly light on big announcements. King.com clearly didn’t get the memo, though, as they’ve just announced that they’re changing their name to King and releasing two new entries in the Saga series.

Casual games developer King.com will be releasing both Candy Crush Saga and Bubble Witch Saga in the Japanese and Korean markets, the company announced in a press release. The games will launch first on the Facebook platform, with iOS and Android versions expected to follow shortly after.

After years of Zynga sitting comfortably atop the daily active user (DAU) charts for Facebook games, King.com’s Candy Crush Saga has taken the lead, boasting over 9.7 million daily players. FarmVille 2,  in comparison, is currently in second place with 8.8 million DAUs.

Hot off the heels of publishing Bubble Witch Saga and Candy Crush Saga on iOS, King.com has announced that both games are now available on Android. This marks the third platform the games are playable across, meaning players can fire them up on iOS, Android or Facebook, and continue playing them elsewhere with their save intact.

What is the best reason to play a puzzle game? To sharpen your mind? To whittle away twenty minutes or so while waiting for the next rebuttal on a Facebook fight you ignited? Or to save animals? If it’s not obvious, the third answer is the correct one. After all, if you don’t save the wee turtles, who will? 

Pet Rescue Saga is an action puzzle game created by King.com. Make your way through a variety of levels in this match-3 style adventure as you rescue pets from the malicious animal catchers! Gamezebo’s quick start strategy guide will provide you with detailed images, tips, information, and hints on how to play your best game.

I can’t say this with absolute certainty, but I have a sneaking suspicion that some people out there crave more cuteness in their puzzle games. Sure, there’s a degree of adorableness inherent to matching up colorful tiles and gems, but that only has so much mileage. What if, for some crazy reason, you tossed adorable animals into the mix? It’s a bold question to ask, but King.com has gone and answered it with Pet Rescue Saga.

Talk about a great day for sagas! First it was announced that Disney intends to continue the Star Wars saga, and now we’ve received word that King.com is bringing Facebook sensation Candy Crush Saga over to iOS. Are you sick of the word “saga” yet? I sure am. Not!

In the casual world, convenience is one of the most powerful tools in a developer's arsenal. It can make or break the install base of a game, and a lack of it can inspire people to quit playing. After all, they can exit out and be playing something new in a matter of seconds. How does one prevent that? Offering a compelling cross-platform experience is one possible solution, and King.com has done just that by synchronizing the Facebook version of Bubble Witch Saga with the recently released iOS version.

King.com CEO Riccardo Zacconi’s talk at this year’s Casual Connect revolved primarily around how best to create a compelling multi-platform experience. And he wasn’t just preaching the importance of ports, either. In his eyes, if you want additional control over how long people play your game and how much they spend, you’d better weave in some kind of social features or cross-platform play.