The Phenomenon of Candy Crush: Why Is the Game So Popular?

     In 2012, Candy Crush was released on Facebook and was later converted to smartphone format for people to play on the go. In 2013, the game reached real prominence and became the most popular game on Facebook. It’s no surprise then that so many people play this game on their phones. Candy Crush Saga has changed the way many of us kill time on commutes, or even in the toilet. I don’t remember the last train journey I took where at least one person wasn’t playing Candy Crush on their phone. I’m sure almost every reader of this article will have either been invited or invited others to play Candy Crush via Facebook in an effort to get more lives or even levels.

    Despite being incredibly similar to many games over the years, Candy Crush Saga has added new depth to the genre, with seemingly unlimited combinations of new scenarios and concepts. So, this mixture of simplicity and variety is what makes Candy Crush so unbelievably popular.

     As a result, Candy Crush Saga shows no signs of slowing down. New levels are generally released via the Facebook version every three weeks, with new levels also being made frequently available for the smartphone version. With 6.7 million active users, the developers are rumoured to be earning $633,000 per day from Candy Crush users.

Adapted from http://metro.co.uk/2013/09/27/

The Phenomenon of Candy Crush: Why Is the Game So Popular?

     In 2012, Candy Crush was released on Facebook and was later converted to smartphone format for people to play on the go. In 2013, the game reached real prominence and became the most popular game on Facebook. It’s no surprise then that so many people play this game on their phones. Candy Crush Saga has changed the way many of us kill time on commutes, or even in the toilet. I don’t remember the last train journey I took where at least one person wasn’t playing Candy Crush on their phone. I’m sure almost every reader of this article will have either been invited or invited others to play Candy Crush via Facebook in an effort to get more lives or even levels.

    Despite being incredibly similar to many games over the years, Candy Crush Saga has added new depth to the genre, with seemingly unlimited combinations of new scenarios and concepts. So, this mixture of simplicity and variety is what makes Candy Crush so unbelievably popular.

     As a result, Candy Crush Saga shows no signs of slowing down. New levels are generally released via the Facebook version every three weeks, with new levels also being made frequently available for the smartphone version. With 6.7 million active users, the developers are rumoured to be earning $633,000 per day from Candy Crush users.

Adapted from http://metro.co.uk/2013/09/27/

                                         Brazil’s Rolezinhos – The Kids Are All Right

     Mall owners and shopkeepers have reasons to be cautious. A few rolezinhos have led to muggings and robberies. But most do not end in Itaquera-like chaos: the word’s true meaning is closer to “little outing”. And theories that rolezeiros are class warriors or favela dwellers tired of the country’s veiled racism are not correct. “Their battle cry is not ‘Less oppression!’” says Renato Barreiros, who has directed a documentary about them. “It’s ‘More Adidas!’”

    The point of a rolezinho is “to hang out, chill, buy nice things, meet people”, explains Vinicius Andrade, a 17-year-old from Capão Redondo, a favela in western São Paulo. He has taken part in 18 big rolezinhos and helped organise a few, drawing some of his 89,000 Facebook followers. His 15-year-old girlfriend, Yasmin Oliveira, a rolezeiro sweetheart with 94,000 fans of her own on the social network, says that shopping centres make good meeting places because they are safe – an important consideration in a crime-ridden city. There are few other public venues for kids, especially in poorer neighbourhoods.

     As well as air conditioning, shopping centres also confer something no open-air space can: status. Rolezeiros enjoy walking around in a branded T-shirt and bermudas, with a pair of 400- reais ($170) shades perched on a baseball cap. Vinicius confesses to spending 800-1,000 reais a month on clothes and accessories, most of what he makes as a helper at a local Adventist church. Just 8% of Itaquera shoppers enjoy a monthly income in excess of 2,780 reais. Some rolezeiros support their flashy lifestyle by reselling outmoded attire to poorer neighbours.

    Shopkeepers in the local malls have mixed feelings about the gatherings. On the one hand, the youngsters make ideal clients: they often pay cash and can spend 2,000-3,000 reais in one go. On the other, larger groups can scare away customers.

Adapted from http://www.economist.com

                                         Brazil’s Rolezinhos – The Kids Are All Right

     Mall owners and shopkeepers have reasons to be cautious. A few rolezinhos have led to muggings and robberies. But most do not end in Itaquera-like chaos: the word’s true meaning is closer to “little outing”. And theories that rolezeiros are class warriors or favela dwellers tired of the country’s veiled racism are not correct. “Their battle cry is not ‘Less oppression!’” says Renato Barreiros, who has directed a documentary about them. “It’s ‘More Adidas!’”

    The point of a rolezinho is “to hang out, chill, buy nice things, meet people”, explains Vinicius Andrade, a 17-year-old from Capão Redondo, a favela in western São Paulo. He has taken part in 18 big rolezinhos and helped organise a few, drawing some of his 89,000 Facebook followers. His 15-year-old girlfriend, Yasmin Oliveira, a rolezeiro sweetheart with 94,000 fans of her own on the social network, says that shopping centres make good meeting places because they are safe – an important consideration in a crime-ridden city. There are few other public venues for kids, especially in poorer neighbourhoods.

     As well as air conditioning, shopping centres also confer something no open-air space can: status. Rolezeiros enjoy walking around in a branded T-shirt and bermudas, with a pair of 400- reais ($170) shades perched on a baseball cap. Vinicius confesses to spending 800-1,000 reais a month on clothes and accessories, most of what he makes as a helper at a local Adventist church. Just 8% of Itaquera shoppers enjoy a monthly income in excess of 2,780 reais. Some rolezeiros support their flashy lifestyle by reselling outmoded attire to poorer neighbours.

    Shopkeepers in the local malls have mixed feelings about the gatherings. On the one hand, the youngsters make ideal clients: they often pay cash and can spend 2,000-3,000 reais in one go. On the other, larger groups can scare away customers.

Adapted from http://www.economist.com