PopCap making 25% of business in mobile space, sees future in social gaming
PopCap's Dave Roberts spoke with TechFlash recently, and revealed that about 25% of the company's profits are coming from the mobile division. You'd think that the iPhone would be a huge part of that (and it is), but it turns out the iPhone isn't alone -- Java/BREW versions of the games are also very popular for older wireless phones. In that sense, PopCap is a different iPhone game company -- rather than depending on Apple and the App Store for profits, it's a true cross-platform developer.
Roberts says the company is aiming for social gaming next -- Zuma Blitz is going to be the next big push, and PopCap is very tuned in to the relationship between the iPhone and Facebook. "Our customers love it," Roberts says about combining iPhone games with Facebook stats. "It is really sticky. It gets people excited about playing." It'll be interesting to see what PopCap does with Apple's Game Center -- presumably, they'll include the functionality in their games sooner rather than later.
Finally, Roberts says that a lot of casual game companies have come and gone in mobile gaming, but PopCap has endured, mostly because they simply work hard on making great games, and selling those in as many places as possible. "We've made more money on mobile gaming than probably any other company except for EA, just by doing our thing," he says. And as anyone who's enjoyed a Plants vs. Zombies marathon will tell you, we're glad they did.
