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Poster: SySAdmin
Posted on July 15, 2010 at 8:07:01 AM
PopCap Preps Zuma® Blitz for Facebook® Platform
Casual Game Leader's Latest Social Adaptation Launching Next Month; Multi-Platinum Selling Marble-Matcher Will Offer Competitive, Cooperative Fun with Friends
SEATTLE, and DUBLIN, July 15 -- PopCap Games, the worldwide leader in casual video games, today announced that Zuma®, its second best-selling franchise with nearly 20 million units sold worldwide, will soon be debuting on Facebook in a free, social form. Zuma Blitz will be the first adaptation of the seminal ball-blasting favorite to offer fans the opportunity to see how they stack up against other players, and will include a host of other social-centric features new to the game. Zuma Blitz is expected to roll out gradually via Beta launch in approximately three weeks.
"We've received a ton of feedback regarding how players consume Bejeweled Blitz and other leading social games, and incorporated a number of those insights into this initial phase of Zuma Blitz, with more to come," said Jason Kapalka, co-founder and Chief Creative Officer at PopCap. "Zuma is a very different game than Bejeweled, so the social adaptation has gone in different directions. Zuma is already a fast-paced arcade game, so the challenge was to make it feel approachable to players of all skill levels, even with just sixty seconds to play."
PopCap plans to continue evolving Zuma Blitz over time, in a fashion similar to the ongoing addition of major new features and functionality in Bejeweled® Blitz. New features available at the introduction of Zuma Blitz next month are expected to include:
-- Weekly tournaments and leaderboards
-- New levels introduced regularly
-- An "experience points" system to unlock additional features and
capabilities
-- A "Treasure Chest" virtual currency-based system for obtaining in-game
power-ups
-- New features such as time extenders, score multipliers and the "Hot
Frog" speed mode
-- Additional information on friends' in-game performance and status such
as medals won, achievements earned at various point thresholds and
experience level
"Once again PopCap is bringing a beloved game to the Facebook Platform and enhancing already successful game play with social features and functionality," said Gareth Davis, Facebook Platform Manager. "Zuma Blitz will provide a fun and engaging way for our more than 400 million users to play with their friends on Facebook."
Zuma Blitz joins Bejeweled Blitz as PopCap's second full-fledged social game on Facebook. Bejeweled Blitz has attracted nearly 30 million users since its introduction 18 months ago, and more than 100 million sessions of the game are played each day by consumers worldwide.
About PopCap
PopCap Games (http://www.popcap.com) is the leading multi-platform provider of casual video games: fun, easy-to-learn, captivating games that appeal to everyone from age 6 to 106 and are available anytime, anywhere. Based in Seattle, Washington, PopCap was founded in 2000 and has a worldwide staff of more than 275 people in Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, Vancouver, B.C., Dublin, Seoul, and Shanghai. Its games have been downloaded over 1.5 billion times by consumers worldwide, and its flagship title, Bejeweled, has sold more than 50 million units across all platforms. Constantly acclaimed by consumers and critics, PopCap's games are played on the Web, social platforms, desktop computers, myriad mobile devices (cell phones, smartphones, PDAs, Pocket PCs, iPod, iPhone, iPad and more), popular game consoles (such as Xbox and DS), and in-flight entertainment systems. PopCap has been one of the most innovative companies in the video industry since its inception a decade ago. Pioneering new game mechanics, sales models, and platforms ranging from mobile devices to online and location-based games of chance, PopCap is the only video game provider in the world with leading market share across the entire spectrum.
The PopCap logo and all other trademarks used herein that are listed at http://www.popcap.com/trademarks are owned by PopCap Games, Inc. or its licensors and may be registered in some countries Facebook® is a registered trademark of Facebook Inc. Other company and product names used herein may be trademarks of their respective owners and are used for the benefit of those owners.
Source: PopCap Games
CONTACT: North America, Garth Chouteau, +1-415-602-8147,
garth@popcap.com, or International, Cathy Orr, +353 1 646 8107,
corr@popcap.com, both of PopCap Games
Web Site: http://www.popcap.com/
Casual Game Leader's Latest Social Adaptation Launching Next Month; Multi-Platinum Selling Marble-Matcher Will Offer Competitive, Cooperative Fun with Friends
SEATTLE, and DUBLIN, July 15 -- PopCap Games, the worldwide leader in casual video games, today announced that Zuma®, its second best-selling franchise with nearly 20 million units sold worldwide, will soon be debuting on Facebook in a free, social form. Zuma Blitz will be the first adaptation of the seminal ball-blasting favorite to offer fans the opportunity to see how they stack up against other players, and will include a host of other social-centric features new to the game. Zuma Blitz is expected to roll out gradually via Beta launch in approximately three weeks.
"We've received a ton of feedback regarding how players consume Bejeweled Blitz and other leading social games, and incorporated a number of those insights into this initial phase of Zuma Blitz, with more to come," said Jason Kapalka, co-founder and Chief Creative Officer at PopCap. "Zuma is a very different game than Bejeweled, so the social adaptation has gone in different directions. Zuma is already a fast-paced arcade game, so the challenge was to make it feel approachable to players of all skill levels, even with just sixty seconds to play."
PopCap plans to continue evolving Zuma Blitz over time, in a fashion similar to the ongoing addition of major new features and functionality in Bejeweled® Blitz. New features available at the introduction of Zuma Blitz next month are expected to include:
-- Weekly tournaments and leaderboards
-- New levels introduced regularly
-- An "experience points" system to unlock additional features and
capabilities
-- A "Treasure Chest" virtual currency-based system for obtaining in-game
power-ups
-- New features such as time extenders, score multipliers and the "Hot
Frog" speed mode
-- Additional information on friends' in-game performance and status such
as medals won, achievements earned at various point thresholds and
experience level
"Once again PopCap is bringing a beloved game to the Facebook Platform and enhancing already successful game play with social features and functionality," said Gareth Davis, Facebook Platform Manager. "Zuma Blitz will provide a fun and engaging way for our more than 400 million users to play with their friends on Facebook."
Zuma Blitz joins Bejeweled Blitz as PopCap's second full-fledged social game on Facebook. Bejeweled Blitz has attracted nearly 30 million users since its introduction 18 months ago, and more than 100 million sessions of the game are played each day by consumers worldwide.
About PopCap
PopCap Games (http://www.popcap.com) is the leading multi-platform provider of casual video games: fun, easy-to-learn, captivating games that appeal to everyone from age 6 to 106 and are available anytime, anywhere. Based in Seattle, Washington, PopCap was founded in 2000 and has a worldwide staff of more than 275 people in Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, Vancouver, B.C., Dublin, Seoul, and Shanghai. Its games have been downloaded over 1.5 billion times by consumers worldwide, and its flagship title, Bejeweled, has sold more than 50 million units across all platforms. Constantly acclaimed by consumers and critics, PopCap's games are played on the Web, social platforms, desktop computers, myriad mobile devices (cell phones, smartphones, PDAs, Pocket PCs, iPod, iPhone, iPad and more), popular game consoles (such as Xbox and DS), and in-flight entertainment systems. PopCap has been one of the most innovative companies in the video industry since its inception a decade ago. Pioneering new game mechanics, sales models, and platforms ranging from mobile devices to online and location-based games of chance, PopCap is the only video game provider in the world with leading market share across the entire spectrum.
The PopCap logo and all other trademarks used herein that are listed at http://www.popcap.com/trademarks are owned by PopCap Games, Inc. or its licensors and may be registered in some countries Facebook® is a registered trademark of Facebook Inc. Other company and product names used herein may be trademarks of their respective owners and are used for the benefit of those owners.
Source: PopCap Games
CONTACT: North America, Garth Chouteau, +1-415-602-8147,
garth@popcap.com, or International, Cathy Orr, +353 1 646 8107,
corr@popcap.com, both of PopCap Games
Web Site: http://www.popcap.com/