The transformation of the video game industry has been a long one in the making. Although nowadays, the pillar of modern entertainment is defined by immersive and high-tech experiences, it was not always the case. The world of casual gaming owes a lot to a game that was released 20 years ago by a trio of Bay Area friends; a game that we all know and love, Bejeweled.
It all started in the late 1990s with Jason Kapalka, who was working at Total Entertainment Network, at the time. He was introduced to John Vechey and Brian Fiete and when Kapalka was put on a Java-based online bingo project, the decided to quit and take the two Indiana developers with him.
The trio started a new studio in Kapalka’s apartment, and they created a strip poker game, Foxy Poker. This was not a hit, but it was the start of something magnificent. Kapalka then started experimenting with the simple mechanism of swapping coloured tiles and removing them from a board. The Java-based game was pitched to Microsoft with the name Diamond Mine. They loved the concept but hated the name. The game was later named Bejeweled and the trio agreed and granted Microsoft a license to the game for $1,500 a month.
Quickly, Bejeweled become one of Microsoft top games. The trio’s studio, now named ‘PopCap’ was regretting its deal with Microsoft and offered to sell the game to them for $50,000. This deal was refused but it was brokered. PopCap would let them license the game to advertisers in exchange for handing it over.
The trio decided to experiment with a web version where players could download a limited version and digitally unlock it for a one-time payment. With personal computers becoming more and more popular in America, this deal started to become more frequent.
Bejeweled is still incredibly popular today with young adults being introduced to the game to kill boredom. The game also merged its popularity over other industries including the online gaming sector where most of the best new online casinos still offer a Bejeweled spin-off game despite its original release many years ago. A case in point is WMS’ Cool Jewels found at Borgata Casino.
However, the company was not just a one-time hit wonder. Once they realised that Bejeweled was such a success, they were quick to act. Games like Bookworm and Zuma followed the same Bejeweled principles; satisfying experience that required low skill but potential for replay-ability. While not every PopCap game was a success, they all helped refine their approach.
Another key success factor for PopCap is that they were willing to license titles to any platform. That is how Bejeweled also hit mobile phones. PopCap was at the front of the line as a featured developer in the iPhone’s app store at launch. It also worked with Microsoft to get games on everyone’s Xbox consoles.
Over the last two decades, PopCap has released over 50 titles, including massive hits like Match 3 and Candy Crush Saga. In 2011, the founders sold to Electronic Arts, paying a massive $1.3 billion for PopCap at the height of the casual games market. By then, the company has grown to include 600 people, getting onto platforms like Facebook and Steam.
Casual gaming continued to grow and flourish. While Bejeweled was released many years ago, casual gaming owes this game its life. It was a key point in the start of the worldwide obsession for casual gaming.
