PopCap Games and Taito Launch "PopTower(TM)"
Poster: SySAdmin
Posted on May 19, 2011 at 8:07:01 AM
PopCap Games and Taito Launch "PopTower(TM)"
TOKYO, May 19, 2011/PRNewswire/ --
- PopCap's First Mobile Social Game Service Live on Japan's Largest
Social Network
PopCap Games, worldwide leader in casual and social games, and
TAITO Corporation (TAITO(R)), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix
Holdings Co., Ltd today launch PopTower(TM) on GREE, Japan's largest social
network with 25 million users.
PopCap has already sold more than 1 million units of its
single player mobile games in Japan, but PopTower firmly marks PopCap's
arrival into the mobile social gaming space. PopTower launches with a
custom-built social adaptation of PopCap's flagship global game brand
Bejeweled(R) - with Chuzzle(R) and Zuma(R) due to follow shortly. The
PopTower editions of PopCap classics feature all-new game modes and social
elements that allow Japanese users to interact with friends. The service is
tied together with an all-new metagame with RPG elements that sees players
rescue PopCap's beloved game characters to restore beauty to the land.
This new game service is the first product released under the
supervision of PopCap's Tokyo office, and is representative of PopCap's
vibrant global strategy, which has generated major announcements in APAC in
the past 12 months. These include a strategic partnership with one of China's
largest social networking sites, RenRen, as well as an agreement with NCsoft,
leading provider of online games, to bring PopCap's first online multiplayer
game service, PopCap(R) World, to Korea.
A veteran of the game business from the earliest days of the arcade
industry, TAITO has made a seamless transition to the mobile, connected world
of today. TAITO was one of the first major game companies to enter the
burgeoning mobile social game market, releasing more than a half dozen
successful titles to date. James Gwertzman, PopCap's Vice President for
Asia/Pacific, said:
Many of us grew up playing Taito games, so we're especially delighted to
partner with Taito to launch PopTower. The results of the collaboration are
everything we expect from a PopCap game - it's innovative, creative, and a
bit quirky too. PopTower is undoubtedly one of the most exciting projects
we've worked on to date, and I'm particularly proud that our Japanese team
managed to bring it to market on schedule despite the devastating effects of
the recent earthquake.
PopCap - along with flagship franchise Bejeweled - is widely regarded as
a founding father of the casual games industry. Over the past 10 years, the
company has solidified its reputation as a games pioneer by innovating new
game genres exemplified in games such as BAFTA-nominated, Plants vs.
Zombies(TM). PopCap is one of the few game developers/publishers that has
successfully adapted itself to an ever-increasing variety of new gaming
platforms and technologies.
Mr Akihito Shoji, TAITO's Senior Vice President of Content, said:
I'm thrilled and excited to see PopTower go live. PopTower represents an
elegant fusion of PopCap's world-renowned titles and TAITO's refined and
market-proven social gaming know-how, and I believe the service will fully
live up its promise, delivering a fresh and appealing experience to users
throughout Japan.
About PopCap
PopCap Games is the leading global developer, publisher and operator of
casual video games: fun, easy-to-learn, captivating games that appeal to all
ages across PC, mobile, social and other platforms. Based in Seattle,
Washington, PopCap was founded in 2000 and has a worldwide staff of more than
350 people in Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, Vancouver, B.C., Dublin,
Seoul, Shanghai and Tokyo. Its games have been downloaded over 1.5 billion
times by consumers worldwide, and its flagship franchise, Bejeweled(R), has
sold more than 50 million units.
About TAITO Corporation
TAITO Corporation (TAITO(R)) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix
Holdings Co., Ltd. With headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, TAITO operates core
businesses such as game arcade operations, coin-operated game machines, and
mobile phone content services. A seminal part of gaming history, TAITO caused
a worldwide sensation with its arcade legend, SPACE INVADERS(R), and
developed such fan favorites as PUZZLE BOBBLE(R) (BUST-A-MOVE(R)) and
ARKANOID(R). Today, TAITO continues to thrill game lovers of all generations
by offering both classic and new family-oriented titles on the latest gaming
platforms. TAITO delivers a wide range of entertainment experiences with the
goal of providing consumers with fresh surprises and new discoveries.
More information on TAITO can be found on the Internet at
http://www.taito.com/.
About GREE
GREE provides Japan's leading social networking service and social
applications at the forefront of mobile technology with over 25 million
users. GREE started its global expansion by opening GREE International in San
Francisco, a 100% wholly-owned subsidiary of GREE, a multi-billion dollar
company trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (Code:3632). GREE aims to provide
a truly global social platform for users worldwide by pursuing further
collaboration with established Japanese as well as international partners,
and enabling meaningful person to person interaction within games. For
further information, please visit at http://www.gree-corp.com.
The PopCap logo and all other trademarks used herein that are
listed at http://www.popcap.com/trademarks are owned by PopCap Games, Inc. or its
licensors and may be registered in some countries. Other company and product
names used herein may be trademarks of their respective owners and are used
for the benefit of those owners.
Press Contact:
Cathy Orr
corr@popcap.com
+353-1-646-8107
Source: PopCap Games International
.
TOKYO, May 19, 2011/PRNewswire/ --
- PopCap's First Mobile Social Game Service Live on Japan's Largest
Social Network
PopCap Games, worldwide leader in casual and social games, and
TAITO Corporation (TAITO(R)), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix
Holdings Co., Ltd today launch PopTower(TM) on GREE, Japan's largest social
network with 25 million users.
PopCap has already sold more than 1 million units of its
single player mobile games in Japan, but PopTower firmly marks PopCap's
arrival into the mobile social gaming space. PopTower launches with a
custom-built social adaptation of PopCap's flagship global game brand
Bejeweled(R) - with Chuzzle(R) and Zuma(R) due to follow shortly. The
PopTower editions of PopCap classics feature all-new game modes and social
elements that allow Japanese users to interact with friends. The service is
tied together with an all-new metagame with RPG elements that sees players
rescue PopCap's beloved game characters to restore beauty to the land.
This new game service is the first product released under the
supervision of PopCap's Tokyo office, and is representative of PopCap's
vibrant global strategy, which has generated major announcements in APAC in
the past 12 months. These include a strategic partnership with one of China's
largest social networking sites, RenRen, as well as an agreement with NCsoft,
leading provider of online games, to bring PopCap's first online multiplayer
game service, PopCap(R) World, to Korea.
A veteran of the game business from the earliest days of the arcade
industry, TAITO has made a seamless transition to the mobile, connected world
of today. TAITO was one of the first major game companies to enter the
burgeoning mobile social game market, releasing more than a half dozen
successful titles to date. James Gwertzman, PopCap's Vice President for
Asia/Pacific, said:
Many of us grew up playing Taito games, so we're especially delighted to
partner with Taito to launch PopTower. The results of the collaboration are
everything we expect from a PopCap game - it's innovative, creative, and a
bit quirky too. PopTower is undoubtedly one of the most exciting projects
we've worked on to date, and I'm particularly proud that our Japanese team
managed to bring it to market on schedule despite the devastating effects of
the recent earthquake.
PopCap - along with flagship franchise Bejeweled - is widely regarded as
a founding father of the casual games industry. Over the past 10 years, the
company has solidified its reputation as a games pioneer by innovating new
game genres exemplified in games such as BAFTA-nominated, Plants vs.
Zombies(TM). PopCap is one of the few game developers/publishers that has
successfully adapted itself to an ever-increasing variety of new gaming
platforms and technologies.
Mr Akihito Shoji, TAITO's Senior Vice President of Content, said:
I'm thrilled and excited to see PopTower go live. PopTower represents an
elegant fusion of PopCap's world-renowned titles and TAITO's refined and
market-proven social gaming know-how, and I believe the service will fully
live up its promise, delivering a fresh and appealing experience to users
throughout Japan.
About PopCap
PopCap Games is the leading global developer, publisher and operator of
casual video games: fun, easy-to-learn, captivating games that appeal to all
ages across PC, mobile, social and other platforms. Based in Seattle,
Washington, PopCap was founded in 2000 and has a worldwide staff of more than
350 people in Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, Vancouver, B.C., Dublin,
Seoul, Shanghai and Tokyo. Its games have been downloaded over 1.5 billion
times by consumers worldwide, and its flagship franchise, Bejeweled(R), has
sold more than 50 million units.
About TAITO Corporation
TAITO Corporation (TAITO(R)) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix
Holdings Co., Ltd. With headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, TAITO operates core
businesses such as game arcade operations, coin-operated game machines, and
mobile phone content services. A seminal part of gaming history, TAITO caused
a worldwide sensation with its arcade legend, SPACE INVADERS(R), and
developed such fan favorites as PUZZLE BOBBLE(R) (BUST-A-MOVE(R)) and
ARKANOID(R). Today, TAITO continues to thrill game lovers of all generations
by offering both classic and new family-oriented titles on the latest gaming
platforms. TAITO delivers a wide range of entertainment experiences with the
goal of providing consumers with fresh surprises and new discoveries.
More information on TAITO can be found on the Internet at
http://www.taito.com/.
About GREE
GREE provides Japan's leading social networking service and social
applications at the forefront of mobile technology with over 25 million
users. GREE started its global expansion by opening GREE International in San
Francisco, a 100% wholly-owned subsidiary of GREE, a multi-billion dollar
company trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (Code:3632). GREE aims to provide
a truly global social platform for users worldwide by pursuing further
collaboration with established Japanese as well as international partners,
and enabling meaningful person to person interaction within games. For
further information, please visit at http://www.gree-corp.com.
The PopCap logo and all other trademarks used herein that are
listed at http://www.popcap.com/trademarks are owned by PopCap Games, Inc. or its
licensors and may be registered in some countries. Other company and product
names used herein may be trademarks of their respective owners and are used
for the benefit of those owners.
Press Contact:
Cathy Orr
corr@popcap.com
+353-1-646-8107
Source: PopCap Games International
.