Game Stooge

PopCap Looking For Console Developers

• Scribbled on June 20th, 2008 by Derrick Schommer
• Filed in Arcade, Casual Gaming, Game Genres, Industry News, Microsoft Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii

An interesting challenge, a console developer with experience in casual games; this is a challenge that PopCap is ready to meet. How? They’re looking to collaborate with other big developers (although they mask one of their high profile collaborators) to help them get a bigger console presence.

Right now you can find Zuma and Heavy Weapon on Xbox Live Arcade, but PopCap probably wants a bit more exposure on top quality titles and, to do that, they’ll need some top notch console developers to make it happen. Yet, those same console developers have to understand the casual gaming market space, which is slightly different than developing a GTA IV, Halo 3 or Half-Life.

“I mean, we’re very much a company who believes that experience is important, so one of the challenges was, “Okay, how do we find people who have console experience but think like casual game developers?” says co-founder John Vechey.

Click “Read more…” for the rest of the article.

Popcap continues to challenge us with addicting casual games and will continue to do so on the PC and Macintosh, but expanding to other mediums can bring in a new audience of gamers. Without getting into the “hardcore gamer vs. casual gamer” discussion, let’s all agree that some console gamers haven’t experienced a game like Venice or Peggle. It’s about time they do!

PopCap isn’t a huge company, we’re not talking about a company the size of EA, Activision/Blizzard or Ubisoft. PopCap only has so much resources to dedicate to different divisions (as they mention in their interview) so it’s not unimaginable to think that they’re still working to get onto the console train.

Like many folks, it doens’t make sense why PopCap isn’t all over the Nintendo Wii product until you consider physical resources. It’s easy to know a direction to bring your company but much harder to drive your resources in a brand new direction, especially when your current direction is working perfectly.

PopCap can see the forest through the trees, it’s just a bit of a hike to get there.

(Thanks, Gamasutra)