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PopCap co-founder Vechey leaves, PopCap working on 'all-new' Peggle
PopCap co-founder John Vechey is leaving his role as CEO at the Plants vs. Zombies 2 developer. In a departing message shared by EA, Vechey notes that his leave follows a sabbatical, which allowed him to "step back and appreciate what I have in life, and what the future has in store." Although Vechey's plans for the immediate future focus on working with non-profit environmental news group Grist, PopCap is assuredly still focused on games: EA followed Vechey's post by mentioning "an all-new Peggle" among the studio's upcoming projects, as well as "global opportunities for PopCap brands like PvZ." Vechey's role as CEO began eight months ago, when he left his role as VP of development and strategy and, as was then described by his LinkedIn profile, "spearheading/helping new initiatives." Vechey was the only original founder left at PopCap after fellow co-founder Jason Kapalka moved to a consultant's role on January 8, 2013. [Image: EA]
Report: PopCap CEO stepping down, co-founder Vechey to take over
PopCap Games CEO David Roberts is stepping down after almost nine years with the company and will be replaced by co-founder John Vechey. The shift in management will take effect on January 8, Venturebeat reports. "PopCap's mission right now is to create the greatest mobile game studio in the world, and we're going to do that by only making games that are beloved by players," Vechey told Venturebeat. "We're focusing on our foundation in 2014 – talent, process, and most importantly, great products, around that mission." Presumably Roberts will retire from the gaming industry, though he has yet to announce any plans for beyond January 8. Vechey's current role is VP of development and strategy, where he has worked internally on "spearheading/helping new initiatives" for years now. He also moonlights as Chief Hype Man, starring in the best Pokemon/Peggle 2 mash-up gif of 2013. Popcap Games was founded in 2000 by John Vechey, Brian Fiete and Jason Kapalka. On January 8, Kapalka will transition into a consultant's role, leaving Vechey as the only remaining Popcap co-founder at the Seattle studio. EA acquired Popcap in 2011 for a hefty $750 million. [Image credit]
PopCap thinks iPad will change gaming, but not for years
Are you ready for the upcoming revolution (in approximately three years), when Apple's iPad begins to deliver on the "magical" capabilities that Steve Jobs promised not so long ago? We're not exactly on board yet either, but PopCap's co-founder John Vechey believes that we should be prepared for such a possibility. In speaking with Eurogamer, he says, "The iPad's important, but I think it's going to be more important in three years ... it's probably going to take the second generation to make it really, like, 'Wow!'" Before addressing gaming, he admits, "This is my opinion ... it's not like it has a magical set of features, just a great package." His perception is that the device will be perfect for both children and ... his mom? "Because she can't screw it up, she can't download a bunch of stuff ... that's the perfect mum computer, right?" (We're inclined to agree with Vechey's claim, for the record.) It's also a question of accessibility though, he says. "Here's this new device that gets to more people with a really great e-commerce model attached to it ... it's really easy to buy on the iPhone -- that's part of what makes it successful." And yes, like PopCap's Andrew Stein told us earlier this year, Vechey reaffirms the developer's interest in games being re-developed for the iPad. "I don't know if this is a PopCap position or my word, but we're certainly going to support it -- I want to play Plants vs. Zombies on that." In the meantime, we'll be playing PvZ on our iPhone while waiting for that (and the revolution).
