Discuss: why portrait mode is better than landscape for the end-user

Karenr2

For many of us it isn't, but apparently we are no longer considered valued players by the King empire - our concerns and complaints are ignored, complaints hushed up and moved to a very long thread of similar comments.

Turning it round "Why landscape is better than portrait?"

# as a tablet user, there is no holding the device in an un-natural position - leading to lower rates of RSI and PAIN.

# as a tablet user, the power cable is to the side, not digging into my stomach, or sticking out of the top, pulling the top of the device down and making it feel heavier (see above re RSI), & not bending at an awkward angle - leading to greater longevity for both cable and cable port (and therefore device)

# as a PC user, the playing area is larger making it bigger and easier to see - so someone with visual accessible issues has a better chance of seeing the game.

# as a PC user, the playing are FITS the screen so less scrolling up and down to see the boosters and number of lives left while trying to play the screen.

# as a phone user, the playing area is larger, filling the screen and the candies themselves are BIGGER * making playing with fat fingers a slightly more enjoyable experience (* well they seemed bigger last time I played on the phone - landscape was a much more natural and enjoyable experience)

etc

I am sure there are more ...

Feel free to add your own (or if you think portrait is better than landscape add some counter arguments - anything except "the designers** say so"

**As a former software developer I am very aware that the actual coders/developers often have little say in the actual design, it will be some 'big boss' who 'had an idea' (changing to unreadable fonts on a product I once worked on was one), or bean counter ('we have to use this framework - its cheaper', plus 'if we don't have lots of options we don't have to test them, so cheaper' - win win - for the share holders and top bosses - not so much for the end user or PAYING CUSTOMER)

Arrowflinger

As a former PC player it just looks crap with everything bunched up in the middle of the screen. You open the events tab and you have to scroll up and down to see all the events then when you try to play a level you have to scroll again to see both the top and bottom of the board. Then if you have to go into the events tab to collect something or select a task on the chocolate box, you have to do the same thing again when playing a level.

Peaches12

I agree with everything you said Karen2. One other issue I have is that is too easy to make an unintended move because it is so small and I hit the candy next to the one I wanted to hit. I don't think you will get many reasons portrait is better, only that it doesn't matter when you are playing on a phone since phones are only portrait. I used to be in qa and I know that the developers only do what they are told. I'm not sure they even have a qa person looking at the changes. I think the just release the code and hope the developer didn't miss anything.

Alienscar

I have never played the game in landscape orientation @Karenr2 and I play on a 10" tablet.

I don't believe anyone actually holds a tablet unsupported and I imagine most people use their lap or a support when using a tablet. The only time I use my tablet in landscape orientation is when watching a video.

If I do hold my tablet I generally hold it in portrait orientation with the bottom edge on my lap and holding the top right edge. I don't hold it in landscape as this takes up more space on my lap and I find it uncomfortable.

Also I never use my tablet with the power cable attached. My tablet is a portable/mobile device and I treat it as such.

If I were to use it with the cable plugged in I would still have to use it in portrait as the power point on my device is at the top left corner when in portrait orientation. As you can imagine this would mean that in landscape orientation the cable would be resting on my lap or getting in the way of a solid support.

Karenr2

https://community.king.com/en/candy-crush-saga/discussion/comment/2847528#Comment_2847528

I also play on a 10" tablet which I hold more than 70% of the time - to have it resting on part of my body and still be viewable means I have to have my feet up and that is not always possible - even then, I find getting the angle right is tricky & often end up holding it to stop reflections etc - in landscape mode the weight on the hand is less than it is in portrait mode.

Given how power hungry Candy Crush (and other games) is, it is sometimes (actually often 😊) necessary for me to use the device while powering - for me it is not a portable device in that it leaves the home, but one in order to not have to have a laptop running all the time - I have a long (2m) cable to make this easier.

I guess its personal preference - but what many of us are now unhappy about is that the personal choice has been removed and we were suddenly forced, if we wish to play, to play in portrait mode.

My choice is that I have largely stopped playing CCS and am playing other games.

christinewupp

https://community.king.com/en/candy-crush-saga/discussion/comment/2847914#Comment_2847914

I agree with every word you said. This has been exactly my experience with my iPad. I did initially try to just play when I had my feet up watching TV in the evenings, but even that proved to be more of an effort than just to keep the iPad in my preferred position and either play something else on it, or play sideways with the candies moving from left to right instead of dropping.

BETH1365

The "developers" and whomever else is making these ridiculous changes are ruining the game. Portrait mode is an EPIC fail! It would be very much appreciated if you would put it back to Landscape. I don't know how many other people have had their chocolate box changed to where you only get to look at the "options" of what you want to try once (you can't go back) once you've looked at the choices. I used to be able to look at all the options and then go back and make my choice. Also, chocolate box doesn't even populate half the time until I am out of lives and if I accomplished the task I was trying I don't get credit for it because the chocolate box wasn't on my screen! It's also gotten ridiculous having to click on all the stuff that pops up, 15 - 20 clicks before I can actually play the game (and YES I have counted!) Again, your ruining the game.

Magnolia4

@Karenr2

Well...I always play holding my device in portrait mode( I use tablet occasionally) so I never thought about it before. Maybe it's just me but...holding a tablet in landscape mode is pretty uncomfortable for me😅. I got used to the smartphone...I think that's the reason.

kepeterson

I agree, I don’t know why anyone would hold their tablet in portrait. Even the tablet makers, like apple, know people want to use the device in landscape, that’s why all accessories are designed to make it easy to use a tablet in landscape. Foolish, foolish King.

T0rr1e

L know they are doing this portrait thing for mobile users but why cant they have both options available for people who want to use landscape? I am not a computer programmer, but surely it can not be tooo hard to give people the option of either landscape or portrait. Maybe the programmers at King are not to bright and can not do this.

christinewupp

https://community.king.com/en/candy-crush-saga/discussion/comment/2849546#Comment_2849546

There was a "glitch" a few weeks ago when the game went back to landscape on my iPad for one glorious Monday morning, so definitely it is POSSIBLE, it wouldn't take any new programming, just the will by King to make the game enjoyable for tablet and PC users. Let's face it. They want us out.