I disagree -- I don't think either of those things were major factors contributing to the success of 2048.
The how would either of those facts have changed the basic viral mechanism of the game -- click this link and play? It didn't go viral because everyone was forking it, or because people enjoyed the lack of ads. It went viral because it was very easy to share, addictive, and a novel concept to most people.
The how would either of those facts have changed the basic viral mechanism of the game -- click this link and play? It didn't go viral because everyone was forking it, or because people enjoyed the lack of ads. It went viral because it was very easy to share, addictive, and a novel concept to most people.