PopCap Games
Encyclopedia
PopCap Games is an American
video game developer
and publisher, based in Seattle, Washington
, United States
. It was founded in 2000 by John Vechey, Brian Fiete and Jason Kapalka, and currently employs about 400 people. Most of Popcap's games can be played free in a limited form, with the full version available for a fee.
PopCap’s flagship title Bejeweled
has sold more than 50 million units across all major platforms. PopCap games are available for Web
, PC
and Mac
, Nintendo DS
, Nintendo DSi
, Wii
, Xbox
, Xbox 360
, PlayStation 3
, Zeebo
, Cell Phones, PDAs, iPod Classic
, iPhone
, iPod Touch
, iPad
, Android
, Windows Phone
, and other mobile devices.
, a huge-hit gem-swapping game, which was supported on all major platforms and awarded by Computer Gaming World Hall Of Fame in 2002.
The company expanded in 2005 with the acquisition of Sprout Games, a Seattle-based casual games developer company like PopCap Games, founded by James Gwertzman. Sprout Games is the creator of the game Feeding Frenzy. The Sprout team subsequently moved to Seattle and helped PopCap to make a sequel to the hit game, Feeding Frenzy 2
, with Gwertzman becoming the Director of Business Development at Popcap.
In early 2006, PopCap International was opened, based in Dublin, Ireland. Working on product localization, mobile games development, marketing, sales and business development.
On August 22, 2006, it was announced on Valve Software
's Web site that PopCap Games had entered into an agreement with Valve Software to deliver PopCap's games via Valve's Steam content delivery system. Beginning on August 30, 2006, 17 of PopCap's products became available via Steam. In keeping with PopCap tradition, each PopCap game offered via Steam is available for a free trial period as well as for purchase.
After these acquisitions, the PopCap Games Logo was rebranded, dropping the "Games" portion. PopCap's premium games list on their website are now mixed with other games from other developers/distributors.
On July 12, 2011, Electronic Arts
announced it was acquiring PopCap for $650 million with an addition $100 million stock option.
Hall of Fame
status for Bejeweled.
members Jonne Valtonen
and Peter Hajba
. Two exceptions are Talismania
, which featured an ethnically Greek
soundtrack with a modern twist, and Peggle
, which featured an easy listening soundtrack (as well as a choral
passage of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony
), both by SomaTone Productions
.
, released by PopCap Games. It is designed to let programmers easily and quickly create "PopCap-style" games, and is part of their developer program that encourages game creators to distribute their finished games through PopCap Games. The PopCap Games Framework is licensed under a proprietary free license. The PopCap framework powers casual games such as PopCap's own Bejeweled and Sandlot Games' Cake Mania
. The framework only officially runs on the Windows
platform, although some games have been ported to the Mac using proprietary conversions of the framework. A community-supported effort is under way for porting the framework to Linux as well. One such effort is TuxCap http://sourceforge.net/projects/tuxcap/, which additionally makes use of PyCap http://www.farbs.org/pycap.html, wrapping the SexyApp API in a Python layer. A community forum for the PopCap framework http://forum.fischeronline.de/ has helped developers and improved on the last official release of the framework.
PopCap have finished their developer program (as of 27 July 2009). Community efforts to modernise the framework have culminated in SexyKanji http://www.sexykanji.net/, which wraps the SexyApp API around the Gogii Games Engine (formerly the Kanji Engine), introducing support for new features and many different platforms, including Android, and iOS (iPhone/iPad). However, the Gogii Games Engine is a commercial engine, so developers must pay to acquire a license to use it (unlike the original PopCap framework).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
video game developer
Video game developer
A video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...
and publisher, based in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was founded in 2000 by John Vechey, Brian Fiete and Jason Kapalka, and currently employs about 400 people. Most of Popcap's games can be played free in a limited form, with the full version available for a fee.
PopCap’s flagship title Bejeweled
Bejeweled
Bejeweled is a puzzle game by PopCap Games, first developed for browsers in 2001. Three follow-ups to this game have been released. More than 75 million copies of Bejeweled have been sold, and the game has been downloaded more than 500 million times....
has sold more than 50 million units across all major platforms. PopCap games are available for Web
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
, PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
and Mac
Macintosh
The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a...
, Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
, Nintendo DSi
Nintendo DSi
The is a handheld game system created by Nintendo and launched in 2008 and 2009 in Japan, North America, PAL territories, and other regions. It is the third iteration of the Nintendo DS, and its primary market rival is Sony's PlayStation Portable...
, Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
, Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
, Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, Zeebo
Zeebo
Zeebo is a 3G-enabled entertainment and education system from Zeebo Inc. It not only enables users to play video games, but also connect to the Internet, communicate online and run educational applications. The Zeebo is targeted at developing markets such as BRIC and Mexico. Zeebo Inc...
, Cell Phones, PDAs, iPod Classic
IPod classic
The iPod Classic is a portable media player marketed by Apple Inc...
, iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
, iPod Touch
IPod Touch
The iPod Touch is a portable media player, personal digital assistant, handheld game console, and Wi-Fi mobile device designed and marketed by Apple Inc. The iPod Touch adds the multi-touch graphical user interface to the iPod line...
, iPad
IPad
The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
, Android
Android
An android is a robot or synthetic organism designed to look and act like a human, and with a body having a flesh-like resemblance. Although "android" is used almost universally to refer to both sexes, and those of no particular sex, "Android" technically refers to the male form, while "Gynoid" is...
, Windows Phone
Windows Phone
Windows Phone is a mobile operating system developed by Microsoft, and is the successor to its Windows Mobile platform, although incompatible with it. Unlike its predecessor, it is primarily aimed at the consumer market rather than the enterprise market...
, and other mobile devices.
2000–July 2007: Original hit games
PopCap Games was founded by John Vechey, Brian Fiete and Jason Kapalka in 2000. They wanted to create games, firstly by learning from other Internet gaming sites. Their first game was BejeweledBejeweled
Bejeweled is a puzzle game by PopCap Games, first developed for browsers in 2001. Three follow-ups to this game have been released. More than 75 million copies of Bejeweled have been sold, and the game has been downloaded more than 500 million times....
, a huge-hit gem-swapping game, which was supported on all major platforms and awarded by Computer Gaming World Hall Of Fame in 2002.
The company expanded in 2005 with the acquisition of Sprout Games, a Seattle-based casual games developer company like PopCap Games, founded by James Gwertzman. Sprout Games is the creator of the game Feeding Frenzy. The Sprout team subsequently moved to Seattle and helped PopCap to make a sequel to the hit game, Feeding Frenzy 2
Feeding Frenzy 2: Shipwreck Showdown
Feeding Frenzy 2: Shipwreck Showdown is an arcade-style video game involving the marine food chain. It is also the sequel to the 2004 title, Feeding Frenzy. The game was developed and published by PopCap Games.-Gameplay:...
, with Gwertzman becoming the Director of Business Development at Popcap.
In early 2006, PopCap International was opened, based in Dublin, Ireland. Working on product localization, mobile games development, marketing, sales and business development.
On August 22, 2006, it was announced on Valve Software
Valve Corporation
Valve Corporation is an American video game development and digital distribution company based in Bellevue, Washington, United States...
's Web site that PopCap Games had entered into an agreement with Valve Software to deliver PopCap's games via Valve's Steam content delivery system. Beginning on August 30, 2006, 17 of PopCap's products became available via Steam. In keeping with PopCap tradition, each PopCap game offered via Steam is available for a free trial period as well as for purchase.
July 2007–present: Casual games distribution
PopCap began another round of expansion in July 2007 by buying other casual game developers including the creators of an online consumer portal, SpinTop Games. Just a week beforehand the company acquired the Chicago-based development house Retro64, founded by Mike Boeh, which is best known for their retro-arcade action and puzzle titles.After these acquisitions, the PopCap Games Logo was rebranded, dropping the "Games" portion. PopCap's premium games list on their website are now mixed with other games from other developers/distributors.
On July 12, 2011, Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
announced it was acquiring PopCap for $650 million with an addition $100 million stock option.
Games
Most games run both with or without hardware acceleration, are usually controllable with the mouse, and often feature various game modes based on the same concept (although in many cases, this is just the introduction of a time limit).Awards
According to the official company website, PopCap Games has won at least 25 industry awards, including Computer Gaming WorldComputer Gaming World
Computer Gaming World was a computer game magazine founded in 1981 by Russell Sipe as a bimonthly publication. Early issues were typically 40-50 pages in length, written in a newsletter style, including submissions by game designers such as Joel Billings , Dan Bunten , and Chris Crawford...
Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame
A hall of fame, wall of fame, walk of fame, walk of stars or avenue of stars is a type of attraction established for any field of endeavor to honor individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field...
status for Bejeweled.
Music
Games generally use tracker music as soundtracks, often written by Future CrewFuture Crew
Future Crew is a now-defunct Finnish demogroup who created PC demos and software, active mostly between 1992 and 1994.-History:The group was founded in 1986 by PSI as a Commodore 64 group, before moving to the PC demoscene in 1988; other members included, over time, Trug, Wildfire, Pixel, ICE,...
members Jonne Valtonen
Jonne Valtonen
Jonne Valtonen is an award-winning Finnish composer, arranger and orchestrator. He is renowned for his contributions in the field of demoscene and video game music.- Life and early career :...
and Peter Hajba
Peter Hajba
Peter Hajba also known by his demoscene nickname Skaven, is a Finnish musician and graphic artist.Despite having no formal training, he has won numerous awards for his music, including winning the Assembly music competition in 1993, 1995 and 2002. His most recent project is with Remedy...
. Two exceptions are Talismania
Talismania
Talismania is a puzzle game developed jointly by RocketJump Games and PopCap Games, and published by PopCap Games. It was released on July 20, 2006....
, which featured an ethnically Greek
Music of Greece
The music of Greece is as diverse and celebrated as its history. Greek music separates into two parts: Greek traditional music and Byzantine music, with more eastern sounds...
soundtrack with a modern twist, and Peggle
Peggle
Peggle is a casual puzzle video game developed by Sukhbir Sidhu and Brian Rothstein of PopCap Games. Initially released for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X systems in 2007, it has since had versions released for Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, the Nintendo DS , Windows Mobile, the iPod, the...
, which featured an easy listening soundtrack (as well as a choral
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
passage of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony
Symphony No. 9 (Beethoven)
The Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, is the final complete symphony of Ludwig van Beethoven. Completed in 1824, the symphony is one of the best known works of the Western classical repertoire, and has been adapted for use as the European Anthem...
), both by SomaTone Productions
SomaTone Productions
SomaTone Interactive Audio Productions is a business that provides original music, sound effects, and voice overs for video games, including casual games, console games, handheld games, MMO's and mobile games. The company has studios in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Canada, and Germany...
.
PopCap Games Framework
PopCap Games Framework (official name was SexyApp Framework) is the name of a computer game development kit for C++C++
C++ is a statically typed, free-form, multi-paradigm, compiled, general-purpose programming language. It is regarded as an intermediate-level language, as it comprises a combination of both high-level and low-level language features. It was developed by Bjarne Stroustrup starting in 1979 at Bell...
, released by PopCap Games. It is designed to let programmers easily and quickly create "PopCap-style" games, and is part of their developer program that encourages game creators to distribute their finished games through PopCap Games. The PopCap Games Framework is licensed under a proprietary free license. The PopCap framework powers casual games such as PopCap's own Bejeweled and Sandlot Games' Cake Mania
Cake Mania
Cake Mania is a name and also a series of cooking and time management video games developed and published by Sandlot Games in 2006. The Wii version is known as Cake Mania: In the Mix!- Plot :...
. The framework only officially runs on the Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
platform, although some games have been ported to the Mac using proprietary conversions of the framework. A community-supported effort is under way for porting the framework to Linux as well. One such effort is TuxCap http://sourceforge.net/projects/tuxcap/, which additionally makes use of PyCap http://www.farbs.org/pycap.html, wrapping the SexyApp API in a Python layer. A community forum for the PopCap framework http://forum.fischeronline.de/ has helped developers and improved on the last official release of the framework.
PopCap have finished their developer program (as of 27 July 2009). Community efforts to modernise the framework have culminated in SexyKanji http://www.sexykanji.net/, which wraps the SexyApp API around the Gogii Games Engine (formerly the Kanji Engine), introducing support for new features and many different platforms, including Android, and iOS (iPhone/iPad). However, the Gogii Games Engine is a commercial engine, so developers must pay to acquire a license to use it (unlike the original PopCap framework).