To most people, they are the often played but little known name stashed away in their favorites folder for when the boss isn't around, but PopCap games doesn't like to think of themselves that way. With over a billion total downloads of their games -- 10-million plus with Bejeweled alone -- you could say that they are sort of a big deal.
If you go by this excerpt from an upcoming interview between PopCap founder John Vechey and CVG, they kind of think they are to:
"I think we can destroy the depth of most Xbox and console games. It's arrogant to say, but I think that most of the games on the Xbox and PC aimed at hardcore gaming add complexity but they don't actually have depth."
No, these aren't some remnants of an old Ken Kutaragi interview, but the words of a man who has built a successful casual gaming empire. However, I can understand the mix-up. Not to downplay PopCap's games in any way (after all, they are fun), but do we have any reason to believe that they are in the same league as console/PC gaming? When it comes to PopCap, I don't recall ever seeking out these types of games for their depth; they are more like something to occupy yourself for 15-minute increments, at best.
It will be fascinating to see the rest of that interview, when it's ready. John has a lot of convincing to do, and his work really seems to be cut out for him. Couldn't help but notice that he left out any specific mention of Sony. Does he feel that Microsoft is the only competition?
Contest:
11:01 AM on 02.13.2008
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Wait, you're serious. Let me laught even harder.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
every game boils down to a few fun mechanics, i remember reading about bungie when they started to design halo, and how its one gigantic game of rock paper scissors (instead its gun, melee, grendae). so there you go, a billion dollar franchise boiled down to a game you played as a child, but someone else with more money, a team of writiers and artists and a few programmers.
its hard to argue that popcap doesn't know how to create these fun mechanics when their simple jewel matching games rack up millions of downloads, if they put more polish and substance over their play mechanics why couldn't they give the big guys a run for thier money?
They are simplistic little time wasters and I've only ever really played one or two. Not worth my time whatsoever. When I game, I play for story and the social aspect of it, not 'cause "simplistic mechanics."
Get your head out of your asses, just because a game features a gun or a village in despair doesn't make it any more or less relevant of a game. People complaining about casual games have no clue what they're really afraid of and are being elitist dicks.
Their fear is that if the casual market continues to get such a huge surge, creativity might happen a lot less in favor of minigame collections or games with no depth.
So tell your mommy to make you some cookies and calm down, it has nothing to do with being elitist.
Its like homophobia, only the games are gay.
In general, I'd be really fucking careful before I knock flash games as shallow and uncreative and destroying the soul of gaming. I certainly can think of any number of flash games I've played that I'd prefer to a good deal of popular, big name "real" games. Is Crysis really all that deep and creative? Really?
I don't think anyone is knocking flash games at all, because god only knows I've played my fair share of awesome ones. PopCap has got cred for making mad bank at putting out "casual" games, but I think the issue here is the contention of depth, or lack thereof, in your standard PopCap game. You can argue about how fun Bejeweled 2 is, and I am with you 100% on that, but to say that it can "destroy" the depth of console games is inaccurate at best. Plus, how in god's name can you hold up Crysis as something that's not deep or creative? Are you insane?
It's hilarious to see the CEO "praise Nintendo for its innovation" when Popcap has never done anything innovative and good.
Popcap's marketing muscle stifles creativity in one of the few areas of gaming where start-up developers have a chance to make a splash without a huge budget. What's the point of making a good casual game on a shoestring budget when Popcap will just steal it and make their own version?
doesn't he see that is this depth that has created the 'hardcore' crowd?
Casual players:
A) don't spend a lot of money on games, on average the XB360-user has the largest collection of games
B) won't buy these games for their console if they can play them for free online, or maybe they'll buy 1 or 2 but surely not a whole collection of it
plus there's only a limited amount of stuff you can do without depth, the fact that ( as stated by bVork ) their real 'topgames' are basicly just copies of allready existing formats is a testament to this problem... what will they release in the next 5 years? or in the next 10? they'll run out of 'new' stuff soon enough if they don't want any depth...
I wasn't thinking of Popcap games when I praised flash games as a medium, and talked about its creative potential. ;) I was thinking more in line of a couple of the great games I've played on sites like Newgrounds.com.
It's certainly a great folly to believe that just because a game runs in your internet browser means it's inherently trash designed for peons. There's a fuckton of popular mainstream games that are as shallow and uncreative and stale as any Popcap game.
Bookworm. Adventures.
Seriously, this is the best game on PopCap EVAR. Though I suppose a single game really doesn't prove anything about their entire library of rehashed clone games.