EA testing Candy Crush Saga-inspired version of Peggle

Electronic Arts is currently testing a version of Peggle that has a lot in common with Candy Crush Saga and other free-to-play mobile games.

Like King’s immensely profitable Candy Crush Saga, this new version of Peggle features a world map and common free-to-play monetization methods. If you lose all your lives, for example, you could either wait for a significant amount of time, or buy more via in-app purchases and continue playing immediately.

This version of Peggle is currently free to download from the New Zealand and Singapore iTunes App Stores. Mobile game developers often launch games or test new versions of them in smaller territories like New Zealand (Canada and Australia are two other popular testing grounds) and gauge the audience’s reaction before rolling them out to bigger territories like North America.

Unfortunately, as Pocket Gamer reports, EA didn’t only launch this new version of Peggle in those territories, but also removed the original game from the app store.

“We're exploring different ways to extend the fun of Peggle on mobile, and we're currently testing a free-to-play version of the game in Singapore and New Zealand,” an EA representative told Kotaku. “It's important to note that we haven't finalized gameplay features or business model yet, and this free-to-play version of Peggle is part of a series of tests we'll be conducting in specific markets. We often test these experiences first to see if they resonate with our players.”

The older, paid version of Peggle is still available to buy in other territories.