Blizzard Hires Casual Games Gure From PopCap
The former general manager of Xbox Live Arcade and v.p. at Peggle studio PopCap is going to Blizzard. Let the development speculation begin.
Kotaku has learned that Greg Canessa, the man who ran Xbox Live Arcade at launch and has since served as vice president of game platforms at PopCap is joining the team at World of Warcraft and Diablo studio Blizzard.
Blizzard has shown an interest in casual gaming recently, weaving PopCap’s popular Peggle game into WoW earlier this year.
Peggle, like PopCap’s other popular games, was primarily played as a downloadable PC title, lumping it into the casual gaming category with the company’s other hits Zuma and Bejeweled.
But in an interview with me earlier this year, Canessa said that Peggle proved its hit potential with a more hardcore crowd and that PopCap seized upon its success with the Half-Life-oriented version of Peggle offered on Steam.
What Canessa seemed proud of in that context was merging casual game design with hardcore appetites.
And now WoW’s got Peggle. And Blizzard now has Canessa.
Blizzard did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
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Comments (AU Comments | US Comments)
@deanbmmv: Don't forget twitter.
@Struct09: What an ominous association you have made.
@deanbmmv:
In other words, the day the earth stood still.
sentroshi
Can Blizzard hire ME!?
Diverse-Nerd
Plants vs. Zombies Blizzard Edition?
Please let this happen!
@TheDJ17- Cold War II Vet.:
All it needs is Facebook and Youtube integration and the world as we know it will come to a standstill.
@Graham: THIS. Implement it into WoW somehow, NAAAAO.
SensAzn
@[www.blizzard.com]
@[www.valvesoftware.com]
spannu
I guess that means even more rainbows in Diablo 3
More rainbows for the rainbow god!
dirtface
Blizzard is just making WoW more casual base as time goes on so when they announce the release of their new MMO the old hardcore players will flock to that and the casuals will follow suit eventually.
I'm not knocking the idea, I think it's great. I cannot wait for that new MMO :P
Gingeyy
@darthmole12: I believe you are correct.
Blizzard + Popcap = World Domination.
@TheDJ17- Cold War II Vet.: You said it. Being hooked on the XBLA version of Peggle was bad enough, but then when it showed up in WoW? Extreme Fever, indeed.
prototype beta
Oh baby...I can't wait for a Zerg Themed Insaniquarium!
@Etheris:
You and me both brudda
(Them or VALVe, both are pretty good)
Yoshiarecool
I want to work for Blizzard.
Well, to be clear, AFAIK Blizzard had no hand whatsoever in Peggle or Bejeweled being release for WoW. It was 100% PopCap's doing.
darthmole12
The world and what's left of its productivity is effed.
TheDJ17 hasn't bought a game in 6 months.
MORE TOWER DEFENSE!
Graham
@Gingeyy:
I doubt that Casuals follow the hardcore. That trend really doens't happen in gaming. The Hardcore Dungeon guilds just changed their habits for the new content. While the casuals never got into the hardcore raiding idea. So blizz changed the content to fit their style.
Even more in most games the Peggle community don't pick up the hardcore console games. So blizz's new IP will probably go towards the casuals first and the hardcore will follow them.
If blizz made a MMO for the small hardcore community best believe the majority of wow players won't even bat an eye at the game. And I am positive that is not what blizz wants. Look at WOTLK it is practically teaching anybody who plays it how to Play Diablo with the different quest and dailies.
zsavior
Blizzard is so hardcore, they poach top-talent for their MINIGAMES.
MajellaKablamy
It's obviously so the guy can put the unicorns, rainbows, and magicians in Diablo III.
Blizzard didn't weave peggle or bejeweled into WoW. In fact, popcap did bejeweled as an add-on completely without blizzard's knowledge and blizzard involved themselves after peggle was already in development for WoW.
AlexAlready
@NeoAkira: Druids vs the Scourge!
the guy who actually wrote the code, Moongaze, also does my favorite addon, Lunarsphere. Link!
also, an interview with Moongaze and a producer at PopCap who was involved with the Bejeweled and Peggle addons.
birdtongue
I'm surprised anyone would link this with world of warcraft considering Blizzard is currently in the process of building a new battle.net.
EnochRodeo
@MaxS: Defense of the Ancients... oh wait
@SensAzn: Plants vs Zombies: best game ever
@spannu: Thanks for the link but not only have I already looked at that, but I'm not quite at the level of expertise to work for them yet.
Oh gawd. What does this mean?
@Graham: Other than TDs were in Warcraft 3 long before flash versions... go pick it up if you want TDs(or DotA) it's cheap and fun
@onidavin:
I hope not. The two are very very different companies. o.o
ssh83