Once upon a time, Zynga (ZNGA) was the poster child for freemium success in casual social gaming. The company put up extraordinary growth for many years by leveraging a dominant position on Facebook's (NASDAQ: FB) platform, but after going public, it has not navigated the shift to mobile platforms very well.
King, the maker of the smash hit Candy Crush Saga, is now reportedly planning to go public. Rumors suggest that King has filed a confidential S-1 filing with the SEC, much like what Twitter did earlier this month. Candy Crush Saga is estimated to generate daily revenue of upwards of $850,000 and remains among the top-grossing titles within iOS and Android. In fact, you probably know someone who's addicted to the game.
There are some similarities between King and Zynga, but also some dramatic differences. Both companies have used freemium to much success, but King has shown more discipline with its growth. Zynga tried to use acquisitions to expand into mobile, while King conservatively focuses on fewer titles. One common risk is the need to follow up smash hits with a longer string of compelling titles. What happens when Candy Crush Saga eventually fades in popularity?
In today's episode of Tech Teardown, Erin Kennedy discusses the prospects of a King IPO with Evan Niu, CFA.
