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  • Make a game to fight trademark trolling in Candy Jam
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    Make a game to fight trademark trolling in Candy Jam

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    If there's one word I'd use to describe independent game developers, it's… well, independent. They don't like being told what they can't do. So what a big company like King comes along and trademarks a word like 'candy,' indie game devs get understandably grumpy.In response to King's actions (which Gamezebo broke the news about on Monday), Cariboo (developer of the upcoming Berserkgangr) and uuav (check out their Ludum Dare entries here) have just launched Candy Jam, a game jam that tasks developers with making a game that involves candies. Why? "Because trademarking common names is ridiculous and it gives us an occasion to make another gamejam :D," or so says the Jam's Tumblr account.Interested developers must submit their games before the February 3 deadline. The only rules are that it has to have candy, and that you should consider using the word 'candy' several times. Bonus points for other trademark problem words like 'scroll,' 'memory,' 'saga,' and 'apple.'Also, there's always a high five from me if you get the word 'Gamezebo' or 'jimmycanuck' in there somewhere. ;)
  • King: We don’t enforce against all uses of CANDY
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    King: We don’t enforce against all uses of CANDY

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    On Monday morning, Gamezebo broke news of a story too strange to be believed. King, the makers of Candy Crush Saga, had trademarked the word CANDY. While this won't affect the likes of Skittles or SweeTarts, app developers whose games have 'candy' in their name braced for the oncoming storm.But according to a King spokesperson, that storm may not really be coming."We have trademarked the word 'CANDY' in the EU, as our IP is constantly being infringed and we have to enforce our rights and to protect our players from confusion. We don't enforce against all uses of CANDY - some are legitimate and of course, we would not ask App developers who use the term legitimately to stop doing so."
  • King has trademarked the word CANDY (and you’re probably infringing)
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    King has trademarked the word CANDY (and you’re probably infringing)

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    When you have an intellectual property - especially one that's worth millions of dollars - you want to protect it. But can such protections ever go too far? That's the question a lot of industry watchers are asking this morning, as developers far and wide whose games include the word 'candy' are getting emails from Apple on behalf of King, the makers of Candy Crush Saga.In a filing with the US trademark office dated February 6, 2013, King.com Limited registered claim to the word 'candy' as it pertains to video games and, strangely, clothing. On January 15, 2014 the filing was approved for publication. And now, a mere five days later, reports are coming in from developers that they're being asked to remove their app (or prove that their game doesn't infringe upon the trademark)."Lots of devs are frustrated cause it seems so ridiculous" says Benny Hsu, the maker of All Candy Casino Slots - Jewel Craze Connect: Big Blast Mania Land. Benny's game, which shares no similarities with King's properties aside from the word 'candy,' is one of a number of games that have been targeted by King. 
  • Farm Heroes Saga is now available on iOS and Android worldwide
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    Farm Heroes Saga is now available on iOS and Android worldwide

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    At the beginning of December, we first told you that King's charmingly addictive Facebook game Farm Heroes Saga would be moseying on over to the mobile camp in the near future. But at the time of that writing, only those lucky gamers in Canada, Romania, Sweden, and Spain were able to partake in all of the farm-matching mayhem on the go. Well now the wait is finally over, as King has officially unleashed the mobile version of Farm Heroes Saga for iOS and Android devices worldwide today!In case you've never had the chance to play it before, Farm Heroes Saga takes the pitch-perfect match-3 and puzzle-infused gameplay of Candy Crush Saga and redresses it in a bubblier (and albeit healthier) environment full of tasty farm crops. But despite the change in the items you'll be matching, that addictive gameplay is still ever intact. And now that we can play it on our smartphones wherever we go? Well now that's just downright dangerous. But who really wants to make eye contact with other people these days anyways?"Farm Heroes Saga can be downloaded for free right now on the iOS App Store and Google Play Marketplace.
  • Farm Heroes Saga now fits in your pocket (in select markets)
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    Farm Heroes Saga now fits in your pocket (in select markets)

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    If you're a fan of King's style of play, you've had plenty to get excited about in the last few weeks. Whether it's Papa Pear Saga going mobile worldwide or the launch of Pepper Panic Saga on Facebook, you've no doubt lost more than a few hours to their patented brand of gaming. And now, if you live in Canada, Romania, Sweden or Spain, you're about to lose a few more: Farm Heroes Saga is launching today on mobile devices in your territory.Originally launched on Facebook back in April, Farm Heroes Saga is a match-3 game that swaps the tooth-rotting sweetness of candy for the healthy-inducing sweetness of fruit (and other crops). In our review, we were quick to point out both it' addictive nature and occasionally frustrating difficulty - two hallmarks of King game design. "It's the cutest game you'll ever rage at," reviewer Nadia Oxford said.If you don't live in one of these select markets, you may not have too long to wait. While no definitive date has been given, we've been told that mobile gamers worldwide can be expecting to play this one in early 2014.
  • Papa Pear Saga bounces onto mobile
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    Papa Pear Saga bounces onto mobile

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    Looking for a great new game to put in your pocket this weekend? Papa Pear Saga, King's free-to-play spin on Peggle-style pachinko games, has finally made the jump from Facebook to mobile. The game is now available on iTunes and Google Play. If you need more reason to check it out than that, be sure to check out our four star review from this past April.Papa Pear follows King's tradition of Saga games that are finetuned on Facebook before making the jump to mobile. Candy Crush Saga, Pet Rescue Saga, and Bubble Witch Saga have all gone the same route. If you're a fan of their other games, it seems like it's only a matter of time until Farm Heroes Saga and the recently released Pepper Panic Saga follow suit.Now if you'll excuse me, I have some acorn-shaped pegs to bounce off of.
  • King to open Berlin studio in 2014, recruiting new talent
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    King to open Berlin studio in 2014, recruiting new talent

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    King has announced this week that the powerhouse company responsible for gaming juggernauts like Candy Crush Saga and Papa Pear Saga will be opening a brand new studio in Berlin, Germany in early 2014. The upcoming Berlin studio will join King's handful of other existing Europe-based locations in Barcelona, Bucharest, London, Malmo, and Stockholm.It certainly makes sense, given everything we've learned from our recent trip to King's studio in Stockholm last month. The company strives to keep everything regarding King completely based out of Europe, so that everyone is always working within the same time zone, and if employees need to make a trip out to a different studio, then it's only just a quick plane ride away."In speaking on the company's decision to set up shop in Berlin going forward, King CEO Riccardo Zacconi has stated, "Germany is home to an exceptional amount of games development talent and Berlin is one of Europe's leading creative hubs, so we have no doubt that the Berlin studio will produce fantastic, fun casual games that can be enjoyed by millions of people around the world."And as luck would have it, if you just so happen to live in the area, or just feel like packing up and relocating to Berlin on a whim, King needs some help filling up that shiny new studio before its 2014 grand opening, and is currently accepting job applications for numerous positions in the technical, art, and business performance departments (and don't forget our top 5 reasons of why you'll want to be working at King in the first place).
  • King debuts Pepper Panic Saga on Facebook
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    King debuts Pepper Panic Saga on Facebook

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    Have you been wondering what the makers of Candy Crush Saga, Farm Heroes Saga, and Papa Pear Saga were cooking up next? I'll give you a hint: it's something colorful, charming, and muy caliente.Ok - I've probably spoiled the surprise with the headline. The latest game from King is Pepper Panic Saga, and it's now live on Facebook (so you should probably stop reading this and click that link already).I had a chance to go hands-on with a pre-release version of the game when visiting King's offices in Stockholm last month, and while I haven't played nearly enough to merit a full review yet (coming soon!), my time with the game was enough to give a good sense of what you can expect.Like Candy Crush Saga and Farm Heroes Saga, Pepper Panic Saga is a match-3 game - but with a twist. As players match like-colored peppers, they grow in size. Match peppers that are big enough and they'll trigger an explosion. Chain together enough explosions and its Pepper Panic time! There's also an evil cat that tries to steal your peppers off the playing field, which adds a whole new strategic element to the formula.Honestly, it has the potential to be the best of their match-3 games yet.We'll need some more time to see if it lives up to that potential, though. Stay tuned for our full review in the coming days. Or if you're really impatient (and why shouldn't you be?), jump in and start playing it yourself right now.