PopCap Games Partners With NCsoft to Offer "PopCap(R) World"
LONDON/PRNewswire/ ---- PopCap's First Ever Online Multiplayer Social Game Service Will Debut
in Korea Later This Year
PopCap Games, worldwide leader in casual games, today announced a deal
with NCsoft, leading provider of online & MMO games to bring PopCap's first
online multiplayer social game service to Korea later this year.
The new platform, PopCap(R) World, is the first product to be developed
and released by PopCap's Shanghai game studio and marks a major milestone for
the company in terms of its global online and social strategies.
PopCap World, operated by NCsoft, will launch with 13 of PopCap's
award-winning games such as Bejeweled(R), Plants vs. Zombies(TM) and Zuma(R)
as well as an all-new multiplayer game, Super Zuma(TM), built exclusively for
Korean players. All of the games are free to play, with optional, premium
paid elements to be added later.
James Gwertzman, PopCap's Vice President for Asia/Pacific, said:
"When Disneyland first opened, it revolutionized the amusement park
industry and ushered in the era of the modern theme park. In the same way, we
believe PopCap World has the potential to redefine casual games in Korea and
beyond by offering players the most immersive PopCap experience yet.
"Our announcement today is just the beginning. We are very excited about
our partnership with NCsoft - their formidable presence in the online market
combined with PopCap's leadership in the casual and social spaces makes for
an interesting recipe that we look forward to serving up to players in Korea
- and beyond."
PopCap - and flagship franchise, Bejeweled - is widely regarded as a
founding father of the casual games industry. Over the past 10 years, the
company has solidified its reputation as a games pioneer by innovating new
games genres exemplified in games such as the BAFTA-nominated, Plants vs.
Zombies. PopCap is one of the few game developers/publishers that has
successfully adapted itself to an ever-increasing variety of new gaming
platforms and technologies.
Most recently, the company has gained notoriety for its success in the
mobile and social spaces: its first iPhone game, Bejeweled 2, has been in the
top 20 apps since its July 2008 launch; while the company's first social
game, Bejeweled Blitz, launched in December 2008, is one of the top games on
Facebook with over 4 million daily active users (DAU). As PopCap prepares to
launch its second social game, Zuma Blitz, on Facebook later this month,
there is palpable excitement surrounding projects on both sides of the world
- and how these might eventually inform each other.
Mr. Whang, NCsoft's Vice President for Web Business Center, said
"We are thrilled to be collaborating with PopCap Games on this new
project. PopCap is famous not only for the high quality of their games - they
are a very talented developer - but also for appealing to an extremely wide
audience. We look forward to a successful launch, and to opening up this new
world of fun to both our existing Korean users, as well as a whole new
audience for whom this may well be their first online game."
PopCap games have been downloaded over 1.5 billion times by players
worldwide; its flagship title, Bejeweled, has sold more than 50 million units
across all platforms. PopCap World will launch later in 2010 with all games
localized in Korean.
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 300 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. Other company and
product names used herein may be trademarks of their respective owners and
are used for the benefit of those owners.
Press Contact:
Cathy Orr
corr@popcap.com
+353-1-646-8107
Source: PopCap Games International
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