PopCap reinventing Bejeweled in October

By Robert Purchese Published 30 September, 2008

Puzzler to take "totally new direction".

PopCap will release the third instalment in the Bejeweled series next month.

Dubbed Bejeweled Twist, the game has apparently been three years in the making. It's said to take the massively popular game in a "totally new direction".

PopCap "refuses to be drawn on the details of the game", according to a press release, and plans to release a full barrage of information for the launch event on 27th October.

"The game will be immediately recognizable to Bejeweled fans, and as accessible as earlier titles in the series, but with far more depth and flexibility," said Jason Kapalka, PopCap boss, eyeing both hardcore and casual wallets.

Bejeweled is the best-selling casual game of this century, raking in around USD 300 million (GBP 150 million) for PopCap.

In the game, players are faced with a screen full of various jewels that must be matched in lines of three or more before they disappear and fresh batches fall in and occupy their place.

This was the basis for the fiendishly addictive DS puzzler Zoo Keeper, which simply replaced jewels with cuddly animals - animals we cannot drive over and break its legs off.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (11) Latest comment 3 years ago

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  • siro #1 3 years ago

    I always thought about getting Zoo Keeper. Thanks for the heads up concerning the overdrivability of those animals (or better: the lack thereof). I'll steer away then.

  • Dark_Stranger #2 3 years ago

    to take the massively popular game in a "totally new direction".

    from Left to Right!

  • illusiondance #3 3 years ago

    god forbid pop-cap actually try to use their millions to make AN ORIGINAL GAME.
    pure scum

  • BobsUncle #4 3 years ago

    Oh good, my girlfriend will be happy.

    @illusiondance

    God forbid anyone should make a sequel of a game, what is the world coming to?

  • penhalion #5 3 years ago

    300 million dollars O_o

  • Shadman #6 3 years ago

    Erm... Pop Cap probably release more "original" games than any other games company. Remember Bejewelled was original once, just that people forget since it's become such a part of popular mainstream gaming. Other games they've released like Peggle, Bookworm and... that aquarium one I can't remember the name of... are also highly original and inventive, and all the games they released are amazingly well polished.

    Pop Cap are one of the very few good companies in the vast oceans of cynical "casual" game makers. But it's fun to jump on the band wagon and slate them because "casual = bad".
    Edited by 1 at 30/09/08 @ 12:58

  • Doctor_What #7 3 years ago

    Zoo Keeper is enormously addictive. Even years after we bought it, I still sometimes hear the plaintive cry from my girlfriend 'the pandas are angry at me!'.

    Popcap have done a damn good job of making money from Flash games. It's hard work! I did it for years and only scraped by, so fair play to them. I look forward to seeing what they try next.

  • BobsUncle #8 3 years ago

    @Shadman

    Don't forget it also fashionable to slate people that do well/make money.

  • chrisjm #9 3 years ago

    totally new direction? Lego Bejeweled? Bejeweled Halo?

  • penhalion #10 3 years ago

    I'm not seeing any of the bad comments. I must have all those people on ignore already.

  • Turambar #11 3 years ago

    If it's a totally new direction then surely it's a totally new game and thereby deserving of a totally new name?