PopCap Games Enters the Console Market

Casual game behemoth PopCap Games will be testing the console waters with the release of two "greatest hits" packages for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 2.

PopCap Arcade Volume 1, for the Xbox 360, will feature Bejeweled 2, AstroPop, Feeding Frenzy and Zuma, and will list for $29.95, while PopCap Hits Volume 1 will offer Bejeweled 2 and AstroPop for the PlayStation 2 at $19.95. While the Xbox titles have previously been available via Xbox Live Arcade, this marks the first retail release of Xbox games from PopCap, and the first PopCap games ever for the PlayStation 2 system.

Glenn Drover, PopCap director of retail sales, said, "We're very excited to be bringing some of our top million-selling casual games to consoles via retail shelves, and eager to see how consumers respond. We've had tremendous success at retail with the PC versions of many of our games, and these new collections for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 2 are priced even more aggressively, so they should be a hit with holiday shoppers."

Founded in 2000, PopCap has quickly grown to become the world's dominant casual game developer and publisher, and in July, announced the acquisition of casual game companies SpinTop and Retro64. Its best-known hit remains Bejeweled, which was released in 2001; since then, Bejeweled and Bejeweled 2 have sold more than 10 million units across multiple platforms and have been downloaded over 300 million times.

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I do not get this. There are full length first person shooters for that price. WHO the heck could be that irresponsible with their money?

"We've had tremendous success at retail with the PC versions of many of our games"
That's because Popcap's games are less aimed at younger audiences (though admittedly I do play them from time to time)and they are more for when you have a spare few minutes, are just generally bored or cant afford a game console. Why would anybody spend 10-15 quid on games you can play for free..?

Not everyone is online. Not everyone who is online wants to screw around with web-based versions of the games. And the core casual demographic - older, female - often tends to be less "computer savvy" (which is a polite way of saying they're not as likely to just warez the thing) and therefore more inclined to legitimately buy the games. Besides, 15 or 20 bucks on a game you'll blow possibly hundreds of hours on? It's a bargain.