| Bejeweled | |
|---|---|
| Genres | Puzzle |
| Developers | PopCap Games |
| Publishers | PopCap Games |
| Creators | Jason Kapalka[1] |
| Platforms | Windows Xbox 360 Windows Phone Windows Mobile Mac OS X iOS PlayStation 3 PlayStation Portable Nintendo DS Nintendo Wii Java ME Adobe Flash Palm OS Symbian^3 |
| First release | Bejeweled May 30, 2001 |
| Latest release | Bejeweled 3 December 7, 2010 |
| Spin-offs | Bejeweled Twist, Bejeweled Blitz |
Bejeweled is the name of the first game and series of puzzle games created by PopCap Games, first developed for browsers in 2001. Four follow-ups to this game have been released, Bejeweled 2, in 2004, Bejeweled Twist in 2008, Bejeweled Blitz in 2009, and Bejeweled 3 in 2010, all also by PopCap Games. Blitz is a one-minute timed version which can be played by linking to Facebook or in an offline mode. More than 25 million copies of Bejeweled have been sold, and the game has been downloaded more than 150 million times.[2]
The game was initially created by PopCap Games as a web-based Flash game named Diamond Mine. It was reportedly successful for PopCap—a company formed in 2000. PopCap created partnerships with established Internet gaming sites such as Microsoft Zone to host Bejeweled as well. The name Bejeweled was suggested by Microsoft, who thought that the original name Diamond Mine was too similar to that of an existing game, Diamond Mines.
The game has also been ported to other platforms, including Microsoft Windows, where it was called Bejeweled Deluxe. Astraware produced versions for PDAs on the Palm OS, Windows Mobile, Smartphone and Palm platforms. They also released Bejeweled Deluxe on the Xbox as a downloadable Xbox Live Arcade game. On September 12, 2006, it was released as one of the first games downloadable from the iTunes Store for the iPod.
PopCap Games initially announced a version of Bejeweled for the iPhone that was not a standalone game but rather a web application playable over the Safari browser.[3] A native application for the iPhone has since been made available for purchase in the iTunes store, although the web-based version still exists.
Recently, skill games like Bejeweled have been featured in online competitions for prizes.
Its influence has crossed the virtual divide, as a scratchcard based on the game has been issued by Lotterywest.
On October 9, 2007, PopCap Games announced Bejeweled for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 platforms in a compilation with other puzzler games.[4]
On September 20, 2008, a World of Warcraft fansite known as WoW Insider revealed that PopCap Games would be releasing a free version of Bejeweled as an add-on for World of Warcraft's interface for download the following week.[5]
On October 27, 2008, PopCap released the official third installment in the Bejeweled series: Bejeweled Twist. It is similar to the classic design, except now instead of swapping two gems, the player rotates clusters of four gems clockwise to make matches. The gems also will not move back if they do not initially match up, unlike in previous games.
On December 20, 2008, Popcap released Bejeweled Blitz, an application on Facebook that allows players to compete with their Facebook friends in a timed, one minute game.[6]
On November 11, 2009, Popcap released a Bejeweled Blitz add-on for the iPhone version of Bejeweled 2.[7]
On November 18, 2009, Popcap and Square Enix released Gyromancer, which combines the gameplay of Bejeweled Twist with RPG elements, for Windows and Xbox Live Arcade.
On December 14, 2009, Popcap released a Bejeweled Twist for DSiWare.
On February 10, 2010, PopCap released a statement announcing that at that time, a copy of the Bejeweled franchise was sold every 4.3 seconds and that more than 50 million units had been purchased, making it one of the top ten best-selling video games of all time.[8]
On June 13, 2010 PopCap released a Bejeweled for PlayStation Network.
On June 14, 2010 PopCap released a Bejeweled 2 for WiiWare.
On October 10, 2010 PopCap gave away Bejeweled 2 Deluxe for free to commemorate the 10-10-10 date, making a joke about the core game play design of 'three-in-a-row'.
On November 1, 2010, PopCap announced the fifth game in the series, Bejeweled 3. It is the true sequel to Bejeweled 2 from 2004 and features new gamemodes, HD graphics and high quality sound and music. The game goes back to basics by swapping gems instead of rotating gems like in Bejeweled Twist.
On December 7, 2010, PopCap released Bejeweled 3.
On February 23, 2011 PopCap released Bejeweled Blitz LIVE exclusive to XBOX 360. Bejeweled Blitz LIVE has both Gameplays from Regular Bejeweled blitz with Elements from Bejeweled Twist.
On June 25, 2011, PopCap announced Bejeweled 3 is coming to consoles in Q4 2011.
On October 19, 2011 Bejeweled 3 Comes to Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 via digital download or Disc Base Format. Also Bejeweled 3 was Release for Nintendo DS.
Bejeweled was most likely influenced by the Shariki game,[9] written in 1988 by Russian developer Eugene Alemzhin, which had nearly identical gameplay. The popularity of Bejeweled has spawned countless clones. Collectively known as Match 3 games, these all revolve around the mechanic of creating a three-in-a-row line of identical pieces. They include:
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