DMW Vlog - PopCap's David Roberts On The Crossover Between Casual and Hardcore Gaming

Authored by Jay Baage on November 2, 2008 - 3:15pm.

Seattle - PopCap Games, a developer and publisher of casual games, recently released a new game in its flagship Bejeweled series called Bejeweled Twist at a gala launch event at Seattle’s Experience Music Project Museum. You might think that it’s a bit strange to throw a big launch party for a casual game, but this is not just any casual game. Bejeweled is one of the most popular and lucrative casual games franchises out there with more then 350 million copies downloaded and over 25 million units sold across all platforms. PopCap is also an interesting company in itself. Founded in 2000 by John Vechey, Brian Fiete and Jason Kapalka, PopCap has grown to a sizable business with a worldwide staff of over 200 people and many different games under its umbrella. Because of the almost instant success of Bejeweled, PopCap has also been able to grow to its current size without taking any external funding, which is a rather unique accomplishment in this day and age. In the video interview embedded above, CEO David Roberts talks about the company, how he sees the lines blurring between casual gamers and hardcore gamers as well as the challenges and opportunities involved in developing games for the iPhone, and much more.

Published in DMW Daily, November 3, 2008

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Comments

For several years I've

Submitted by HC4BR (not verified) on November 5, 2008 - 10:06am.

For several years I've avoided playing casual games like Bejeweled but would occassionally play other PopCap games online to pass the time at school or even sometimes now at work. What I find interesting is the marketing component of bringing the game to new platforms. It wasn't until I bought my HP laptop computer that I had the option of downloading Bejeweled. I threw my hands up and said what the heck. I downloaded it and played one night. It really surprised me. I like the game a lot. I'm interested to explore Bejeweled Twist and to inform my cousin who obsessed over Bejeweled last year. I think exploring new platforms and expanding current options through iPhone and other such devices, is a smart, strategic way of encouraging adoption from new users. I was recruited in to the gaming habit and once your hooked (in a good way) you look forward to more.

I am susceptible to video game addiction

Submitted by Jack Anthony (not verified) on November 18, 2008 - 12:44pm.

What a lovely couple of jingles!