popcap

PopCap Planning Bloodless Zombie Apocalypse

5:20AM Stuart Houghton | Zombies are THE pop-cultural touchstones of our times. There is probably a deep-seated psychological reason for this based upon post-millennial angst, Generation Z nihilism and half a dozen other things, but I for one can’t be bothered looking into it. Let’s just say that if an actual Zombie Apocalypse were to happen tomorrow, I doubt if there would be any more zombies around than are currently stinking up our screens. More »

Bejeweled Twist Will Make Casual Games History

11:30AM Michael McWhertor | Bejeweled is a big, big deal. It’s also a big money maker, with casual gamers dropping a mind-blowing $300 million on the game over the course of Bejeweled’s eight-year existence across every platform PopCap Games can squeeze the game onto. The publisher is hoping to keep that money train a-rollin’, announcing Bejeweled Twist, a new game in the series that, if you can believe it, has been in development for three years. Details are scant, as PopCap is keeping the twist in Bejeweled Twist under wraps. The publisher plans to unveil the game at a gala event at Seattle’s Experience Music Project Sci-Fi Museum and Hall of Fame on October 27. No, they’re no kidding, not even when they say the gala will be “the most spectacular launch event in casual games history.” The most spectacular launch event in casual games history and we have the good fortune to be alive when it happens. More »

Peggle XBLA Gets Better With 4-Player Multi

9:40AM Michael McWhertor | Know what’s awesome? Peggle. Scoff if you must, but it’s taking every molecule of willpower to continue with this post instead of just saying “Fuck it” and playing some Peggle. Fortunately, the Xbox Live Arcade release of PopCap Games’ Peggle appears to be inching ever closer to release, now slated for a “sometime in 2008″ release. The price? Cheap, at 800 Microsoft Points according to a new Talking About Games interview. Sure, this whole level pack business will drive the price up, but its Microsoft Points, imaginary fun money with no real value. Plus, there’s four-player multiplay via Xbox Live planned. Off to find a new vein for my Peggle addiction! Peggle on XBLA: 4 player multiplayer, 800 MS Points, no level packs at launch [Talking About Games via X3F] More »

Bejeweled Coming to Warcraft. Yes, Really.

2:00AM Owen Good | Had to rub my eyes when I saw this Onion-esque headline at Wired. “Bejeweled, Warcraft Combine to Form World’s Most Addictive Game.” No, it’s not April Fool’s. The puzzle game will be added into WoW next Thursday, allowing players to kill time when they’re on long, tedious tasks, like waiting for a raid or gold/item-farming. What’s interesting on top of packing one world-class timesuck inside of another (in real world terms, this would be like snorting bacon-flavored meth), is how it all came to pass. Michael Fromwiller, a student at San Jose State, wrote an add-on he called Besharded, which came reasonably close to mimicking PopCap’s hit. But it didn’t come close enough for PopCap, which instead of sending out a C&D letter, reached out to Fromwiller and hired him to do a version of the real thing. Next week it’s available for WoW, with no opposition from Blizzard. Wired has the word straight from PopCap itself, but a no-comment from Blizzard. Bejeweled, Warcraft Combine to Form World’s Most Addictive Game [Wired] More »