After four years of development, Popcap lit up Seattle Monday night with the launch of Bejeweled Twist sparing no expense to show off their new casual game. It took four years to complete but Popcap isn’t going to release a game until it’s perfect. You won’t play it until they believe it is a game their mom would love.
“Popcap builds games for people, not demographics,” says CEO David Roberts. At the launch the founders, John Vechey, Brian Fiete and Jason Kapalka talked about the casual game market while the “Gem Girls” walked around looking sexy and flashy. Roberts talked about the casual game industry and forecasts it growing to become an $8 billion market — not too shabby for USD $19.99 games.
Downloads of Bejeweled, of course, show no signs of stopping and Popcap explained that 40% of their revenue comes from the old concepts of “Diamond Mine.” Phil Spencer, Microsoft Game Studios’ General Manager, hopped on stage and explained how Microsoft saw Popcap’s vision in their Diamond Mine flash game and suggested a rename to Bejeweled, the founders hated the name but took the big companies suggestion on the change.
Since then, we’ve had many folks attempt to clone and replicate the success in Popcap’s flagship product. Complete with open bar, Gem Girls, camera flashes and glitter this game launch shows the growing casual games industry the great power and momentum of “simple” casual games.
Nothing about Bejeweled Twist is simple. The game play of Bejeweled Twist aggregates all the knowledge Popcap has acquired over the last seven years to design one blockbuster title. From classic Bejeweled to Chuzzle to Peggle, the game takes pieces of each successful title and combines the game play, sounds, graphics and modes into a product that will bring casual gaming to a new level. Bejeweled Twist is going to be the new bar to reach in the industry in terms of addictive game play and a unified casual vision.
Stay tuned for the full review as we get deep into the full features of Bejeweled Twist. Special thanks to Dale North from Destructoid for hanging out for some drinks during the after party.
@Super Pitfall
Erm, the youtube video didn’t look THAT bad …
@“Super-slim” PS3 will be a no-show at Gamescom
Meh … not a console user, don’t plan to buy one, not a PS3 at least.
@UbiSoft claims lack of new consoles penalizes creativity
… again with the lack of new consoles? Enough with blaming the hardware manufacturers for the bad choices developers/publishers make. The producers/developers are not being held at gunpoint to release only Call of Duty, it is their damned choice >:(.
Not talking about indies? Why not? How come their creativity isn’t penalized? Or is it that they simply take the plunge?
Rage tanked, yes. Still, kudos to id for at least trying, even if they only got themselves a new game engine.
@Diablo III ‘God mode’ exploit for Wizard discovered
I’m just going to stay away from Blizzard, until they get their act together. Always online DRM, single player game on an MMO platform, really? Really?!
@EA: Nintendo “on track to become primarily a software company”
Yep, always funny reading comments of one company rep. setting a road map for another company …
No question of the week from me.
Gez I think that Blizzard needs to get their act together. They had problems during the beta that weren’t dealt with. But maybe it’s a marketing scam? draw attention to the company just before they are set to release a new WOW expansion?
@Super-slim PS3
Never cared how slim my console is. It’s not a PC. It will run the same games at the same rate as a fat console. Regarding PS3 sitting on the shelves, that’s to be expected. Out of all the consoles currently available (at least in UK) PS3 is still the priciest. Since there is a lack of exclusives nowadays, there is not much difference between PS3 and Xbox 360. Xbox is just cheaper and has Kinect.
@Ubisoft and penalised creativity
I am sick and tired of hearing this argument. We know this console generation overstayed it’s welcome. Why does Ubisoft have to state the obvious that has been stated many times before? Do they want us to storm Microsoft headquarters and demand a new Xbox? Do they think there will be a new Xbox if they tell everyone how bad the industry is feeling? Ubisfot. Sit down. Shut up. Bake Assassin’s Creed 3.
Diablo III “God mode”
You will be surprised at how many glitches/ exploits can pop up in well tested games. Cast yourselves back to the Modern Warfare 2 Javelin glitch. It was discovered a few years after the game was played by millions of people for trillions of hours.
@Nintendo going software only
This argument splits me down the middle. EA has a point. I own a 3DS. I am regretting it. I could have spent my money on more worthwhile things. Like illegal drugs, alcohol and prostitutes. And the WiiU looks dead in the water already. So close to launch and still no price. Most announced titles are games you can play on the Xbox NOW. I hope that Nintendo will pull itself together. But they are led by Japanese old men who seem to live by bushido code and would rather kill their company then give up their franchise to business.
This is all I have this week.
@QOTW: When was the first time that you really got into video games?