The maker of the addictive gaming sensation Candy Crush are accused of systematically deleting players’ "lives" in order to spur sales, according to a lawsuit filed in Chicago in March. The complaint alleges that game maker, King.com, and affiliated companies are taking away, without warning, the key "lives" that allow a player to keep playing the game, even if he or she fails to move up a level. Players who do not have extra "lives" are otherwise locked out of the game for 30 minutes unless they pony up 99 cents to buy five new lives. "We believe the claims are without merit and intend to defend them vigorously," King said in a statement.
