PopCap Games were founded in 2000, although it’s safe to say that their prominence within the industry has only recently, and rather significantly, taken off, with the explosion of free, online and casual games. Platforms such as Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch, Facebook and other mobile devices have seen them spring from small-time indie developer to one of the most influential in social gaming.
Recently announcing that Zuma – their second best-selling franchise (selling an almighty 20 million units thus far) – is now slated to become their newest addition to Facebook, this marks a turn in the franchise towards social, free form play where users can see where they stand against other friends. The Zuma Blitz beta will be available in around 3 weeks and is also said to include other “social-centric” features that will enable the game to better suit the platform.
Jason Kapalka of PopCap goes on to explain that the addition has been designed to accommodate all players, new and old – “we’ve received a ton of feedback regarding how players consume [our other games], and incorporated a number of those insights into Zuma Blitz. The challenge was to make it feel approachable to players of all skill levels”.
For more information on PopCap games, visit www.popcap.com