Popcap Hires Director Of Mobile Business Development

Casual games developer and publisher PopCap Games has announced that it has hired Andrew Stein to the newly-created position of Director of Mobile Business Development. Stein, most recently the Senior Marketing Manager of Games for Cingular Wireless' Media Mall, is to oversee the growth of PopCap's puzzle, word and retro action games on mobile devices. During his time at Cingular, monthly game revenues increased by more than 175 percent. Previously, Stein spent eight years in senior marketing, sales and product management positions with SEGA of America and Enix America (the predecessor of Square Enix.) In his role at PopCap, Stein's responsibilities include the creation and oversight of PopCap's North American mobile strategy, creation of new partnerships, management of existing partnerships, and the development and management of distribution, marketing and promotional programs. PopCap's catalogue of titles available onmobile platforms includes Astropop, Bejeweled, Bookworm, Insaniquarium, and Zuma on a range of J2ME, BREW, Windows Mobile, Palm, and other platforms. "We're excited to have Andrew joining our management team and taking on a critical role within the company," said Dennis Ryan, EVP of Worldwide Business Development at PopCap. "Mobile devices, especially cellular phones, could well be the largest market for casual games like ours. Andrew's experience with both the business of mobile games and the production of traditional and video games is uncommon, and makes for a perfect fit with our organization." "While spearheading the marketing of mobile games for the largest cellular carrier in North America over the past several years, I've seen PopCap's games show up on the top-ten lists month after month," said Mr. Stein. "From the games themselves to the company's management team and business philosophy, I've been utterly impressed with PopCap and am thrilled to be joining at such an exciting time in the company's history."