PopCap: Bejeweled Hits 25 Million Sold

Casual games developer PopCap says that its seminal match-three puzzler, Bejeweled has sold over 25 million units since 2000. The figure applies to both Bejeweled and Bejeweled 2, and includes sales from web distribution partners, mobile, retail, in-flight and other channels. More than 350 million trial editions of Bejeweled and Bejeweled 2 have been downloaded from the web, says PopCap, which estimates the casual gaming audience at between 350 and 450 million. Total Bejeweled downloads account for a third of PopCap's claimed one billion total downloads across all its titles. PopCap also highlights the game's relative ubiquity, available on platforms including web browsers, PCs, Macs, phones and various other portable devices, and gaming consoles, and claims that both Bejeweled and its sequel have seen 6 billion total hours of gameplay among its total audience -- "the equivalent of 60 people playing the game 24 hours a day since the last Ice Age 11,400 years ago." "Considering we tried to sell Bejeweled outright to more than one industry giant back in the early days of our company, and got no takers even after reducing our asking price to $60,000, this little game has done all right for itself," said Jason Kapalka, chief creative officer and co-founder of PopCap, original designer of Bejeweled and its sequel. "I vividly recall prospective buyers telling us 'It's not even a game,' while showing us the door."