Bejeweled Twist(TM) Launches Web-Wide on Major Games Portals

SEATTLE, Nov. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- PopCap Games, the leading developer and publisher of casual games, announced that its latest hit PC game Bejeweled Twist(TM) is available for download at a number of the largest online games portals worldwide beginning today. MSN Games, RealArcade(R), Yahoo Games, WildTangent, Zylom(R), ORB, Telstra and STEAM all begin offering the new crown jewel of PopCap's immensely popular Bejeweled(R) franchise this morning, and each will be celebrating the arrival of Bejeweled Twist in myriad ways on their homepages. Since launching exclusively on http://www.popcap.com three weeks ago, Bejeweled Twist has been downloaded and purchased more than any previous PopCap title in its first month of availability and has garnered rave reviews from consumer and trade media including Associated Press, USA Today and WIRED.com.

"Bejeweled is truly a defining franchise in the casual gaming market, and Microsoft is proud to have built a home for Bejeweled on Windows and MSN Games," said Phil Spencer, general manager of Microsoft Game Studios. "We've worked closely with PopCap since the game first launched -- Microsoft even suggested the name Bejeweled -- and we couldn't be happier to continue that partnership with Bejeweled Twist."

MSN Games, RealArcade and WildTangent will all "skin" their homepages with a Bejeweled Twist theme as part of the introduction of the game on their websites. They and the other portal launch partners will also conduct ongoing promotions and advertising of Bejeweled Twist throughout their sites and in their customer newsletters. Some sites, such as RealArcade, will also enable visitors to participate in PopCap-run sweepstakes, contests and other giveaways.

Bejeweled Twist removes the barriers of traditional match-3 games. Instead of swapping adjacent jewels to make a set, players rotate an entire 2x2 block of gems clockwise in an effort to create a line of three or more gems of the same type. Further, in Bejeweled Twist players don't have to make a match with every move -- instead they can freely rotate gems anywhere on the board, allowing far greater liberty of movement and vastly increased strategic freedom to plan combinations, cascades and chains. From the most stunning high-def visuals and widescreen play to half a dozen new types of bonus and power gems and four unique modes of play, Bejeweled Twist is light years ahead of earlier versions of the game in every respect.

About PopCap

PopCap Games (http://www.popcap.com) is the leading multi-platform provider of "casual games" -- fun, easy-to-learn, irresistible computer games that appeal to everyone from age 6 to 106. Based in Seattle, Washington, PopCap was founded in 2000 and has a worldwide staff of over 200 people in Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, Vancouver, B.C., Dublin, and Shanghai. Its timeless games have been downloaded more than 1 billion times by consumers worldwide, and its flagship title, Bejeweled(R), has sold more than 25 million units across all platforms. Constantly acclaimed by consumers and critics, PopCap's games are played on the Web, desktop computers, myriad mobile devices (cell phones, smartphones, PDAs, Pocket PCs, iPod, iPhone and more), popular game consoles (such as Xbox 360 and Nintendo DS), and in-flight entertainment systems. PopCap is the only casual games developer with leading market share across all major sales channels, including Web portals, retail stores, consoles, mobile phones and MP3 players.

*Additional Bejeweled Twist materials, including logos and screen shots, can be found at http://www.popcap.com/promos/pressresources/.

The PopCap logo and all other trademarks used herein that are listed at http://www.popcap.com/trademarks are owned by PopCap Games, Inc. or its licensors and may be registered in some countries. Other company and product names used herein may be trademarks of their respective owners and are used for the benefit of those owners.