User blog comment:Ciccio01/Questions/@comment-27321292-20180811231130

1. King was focused on Flash as L819F said but there was also the taking over. King was bought by Activision, so new managers were brought in.

2. They are testing those new elements by introducing them in the lower levels. The app is much bigger now and during the 2000's there were many glitches, so to avoid new glitches, they started doing that since the bobber (who was unofficially introduced in the 400's).