Bejeweled may not the best puzzle game out there, but it could be the most accessible, and that my have something to do with its total sales of 25 million copies. That’s right: since the launch of the first title in 2000, both Bejeweled and Bejeweled 2 have moved 25 million units on every platform from mobile phones to the in-flight games.
That’s not bad for a game PopCap almost sold outright:
“Considering we tried to sell Bejeweled outright to more than one industry giant back in the early days of our company and got no takers even after reducing our asking price to $60,000, this little game has done all right for itself,” said Jason Kapalka, co-founder of PopCap, and creator of Bejeweled.. “I vividly recall prospective buyers telling us ‘It’s not even a game,’ while showing us the door.”
According to Opposable Thumbs, Bejeweled has brought in an estimated $300 million in sales, and even more in advertising dollars. Not bad for a game where you slide jewels back and forth.
