PopCap have announced that they will be updating the iphone/iPod Touch version of Bejeweled 2 for free. The update will bring Bejeweled Blitz, which itself will get Facebook Integration, to Bejeweled 2.
Bejeweled Blitz for the iPhone/iPod Touch will have the same features as the Facebook. Facebook Blitz leaderboards will be shared with the iPhone/iPod Touch and you will also be able to see which of your friends are currently playing the game.
PopCap say that this is the first multiplatform game they have released which has interoperable adaptations of a game, the single interactive leaderboard for both the Facebook and iPhone/iPod Touch versions of Blitz, and also the first time that PopCap have taken a social game beyond the Web.
Press Release
SEATTLE, Nov. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- PopCap Games, the leading developer and publisher of the world's most widely played video games, today announced a free update for Bejeweled® 2 for iPhone™ and iPod® touch (collectively referred to below as iPhone). Bejeweled 2 is one of the five best-selling iPhone games of all time, and the new update, available at no cost to current owners of Bejeweled 2 for iPhone, adds an exciting new mode featuring Facebook Connect integration of the "Bejeweled Blitz" game previously found only on Facebook.com. The new iPhone Blitz game mode replicates the wildly popular connected version of the game that allows consumers to play anywhere, anytime, with scores and achievements reflected on their own and their friends' Facebook profiles. Bejeweled 2 for iPhone carries a list price of US$2.99 and is available worldwide via the App Store. Anyone who has previously purchased Bejeweled 2 for the iPhone can receive the new Blitz mode as a free update via the App Store or iTunes.
"Ultimately, social gaming is about being able to play games with and against your friends, and the new Blitz update for Bejeweled 2 on iPhone lets you play against your friends anywhere," explained John Vechey, co-founder and director of PopCap's social gaming initiative. "This is a natural next stage in our multi-platform and social strategies. Blending the Facebook and iPhone Bejeweled communities should prove very compelling for players."
The new Blitz update for Bejeweled 2 on iPhone offers the full feature set of Bejeweled Blitz on Facebook, including bonus multipliers, laser gems, star medals, real-time gem swapping (even while the gems are falling into place) and posting of scores to your (and your friends') shared leaderboards. Scores and medals achieved while offline will be recorded the next time you connect your iPhone.
After connecting to Facebook and launching the Blitz mode of Bejeweled 2, iPhone players will be able to see their full list of Facebook friends who are playing Blitz (either on the Web or on an iPhone), including pictures and their friends' scores - just like the leaderboard from the Web game. During play, scores are automatically uploaded to Facebook, including any earned achievement star medals. Leaderboards will seamlessly reflect scores achieved on both the iPhone and Web in a single integrated list so players can try to improve their scores and track their friends' performances from either place. This marks the first time that PopCap has released multi-platform interoperable adaptations of a game and the very first time that PopCap has extended social gaming beyond a Web application.
About PopCap
PopCap Games (www.popcap.com) is the leading multi-platform provider of fun, easy-to-learn, captivating video games that appeal to everyone from age 6 to 106. Based in Seattle, Washington, PopCap was founded in 2000 and has a worldwide staff of over 240 people in Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, Vancouver, B.C., Dublin, and Shanghai. Its games have been downloaded more than 1 billion times by consumers worldwide, and its flagship title, Bejeweled®, has sold more than 25 million units across all platforms. Constantly acclaimed by consumers and critics, PopCap's games are played on the Web, desktop computers, myriad mobile devices (cell phones, smartphones, PDAs, Pocket PCs, iPod, iPhone and more), popular game consoles (such as Xbox, PlayStation and DS), and in-flight entertainment systems. PopCap is the only "casual games" developer with leading market share across all major sales channels, including Web portals, retail stores, mobile phones, MP3 players, and game devices.
The PopCap logo and all other trademarks used herein that are listed at www.popcap.com/trademarks are owned by PopCap Games, Inc. or its licensors and may be registered in some countries. Facebook® is a registered trademark of Facebook Inc. Other company and product names used herein may be trademarks of their respective owners and are used for the benefit of those owners.
SOURCE: PopCap Games
Web site: http://www.popcap.com/
