PopCap has recently announced a collaboration deal with Korea based MMO provider NCsoft. Titled “PopCap World” this will mark PopCap’s first ever online multiplayer social game service, and will be developed and released by PopCap’s Shanghai game studio.
PopCap/NCsoft’s PopCap World is slated to debut in Korea later this year, and marks a major milestone for PopCap in terms of it’s global online and social developments. PopCap World will be operated by NCsoft and will have 13 PopCap titles including Bejeweled, Plants vs. Zombies, and Zuma at launch. All games will be free to play, with premium paid elements arriving at a later date.
“When Disneyland first opened, it revolutionized the amusement park industry and ushered in the era of the modern theme park. In the same way, we believe PopCap World has the potential to redefine casual games in Korea and beyond by offering players the most immersive PopCap experience yet,” comments PopCap VP Asia/Pacific James Gwertzman.
“Our announcement today is just the beginning. We are very excited about our partnership with NCsoft – their formidable presence in the online market combined with PopCap’s leadership in the casual and social spaces makes for an interesting recipe that we look forward to serving up to players in Korea – and beyond,” he adds.
From NCsoft’s side, things look equally exciting, “We are thrilled to be collaborating with PopCap Games on this new project. PopCap is famous not only for the high quality of their games – they are a very talented developer – but also for appealing to an extremely wide audience. We look forward to a successful launch, and to opening up this new world of fun to both our existing Korean users, as well as a whole new audience for whom this may well be their first online game,” says NCsoft Vice President for Web Business Center, Mr. Whang.
It looks like this is just another plume in PopCap’s cap, and they show no signs of slowing the success. Since July 2008, PopCap’s Bejeweled has remained in the top 20 apps for iPhone, and Bejeweled Blitz on Faceook counts over 4 million active daily users. Zuma Blitz, a new multiplayer game, presumably tied to the original Zuma, is expected to launch on Facebook later this month. With a social platform of their own, AND a Facebook launch, PopCap and NCsoft may just be creating the perfect storm of buzz, marketing, and uptake.






