By PopCap’s long pledged to bring their mobile offerings to the Android market, but as of today, their commitments have still gone unfilled. After letting loose news that they’d already launched Bejeweled for Windows Phone 7 – which has no phones on the market to date – they apparently received a lot of flack from their Android-using fans.
In response, PopCap’s issued the following tweet:
“Android users – we are working on some games for your platform! promise!”
That’s awesome, except we’ve been waiting since late 2009. At least as far back as my knowledge of them committing to Android-based games goes, it will have been one full year come this November since they made their first “promise.” It’s not to sound sour and put them down, but it’s quite frustrating as an Android user to see them ignore the platform’s recent successes.
If they don’t start treating Android with a sense of urgency, EA and other publishers will likely be glad to dominate a market where users are just begging for quality games from high profile developers.
And for the sake of everyone’s sanity and to save yourself from further embarrassment, would you at least take down your Android page until you have something to put up on there? It’s quite maddening.
[via EuroDroid]
it’s their loss too… they don’t have to pretend they are doing us a favor by releasing games on android platform. they need our money more than we need their games…
“Bejeweled for Windows Phone 7 – which has no phones on the market to date – ”
Not true
The US is not the world ;)
Ah, my mistake then. (I don’t follow Windows Phone 7 launches as closely.) Still doesn’t change the fact that they’ve been promising Android support for nearly a year and have had nothing to deliver.
Oh yeah, I can’t wait. Are they still gonna charge $9.99 for each one?
Ya, I am pretty disappointed in them. They had a lot of fun games circa 2008. Now the bar is too high for the likes of popcap. There are too many viable clones on the Android market (jewellust is a good example), some of which are free. Like GreenLeaf said, you arent doing us any favors. Especially when games like 3d homerun baseball, reckless racing, and other higher end 3d titles are out. Just take your android page down, you are old news. You’ll always have a niche of people who aren’t “in the know” over at the app store on crApple.
Phandroid should FINALLY stop being so US-centric. There are *several* Windows Phone 7 devices on the market in various countries. Just because the US does not have those phones yet doesn’t mean they’re not out in the market in some places already…
Most of us (all of us?) don’t come here for WP7 news, so I don’t think it’s a high priority to get WP7 info right, and most of us probably don’t care about WP7 anyway. Besides that, Phandroid covers non-US Android news all the time, so I don’t think that you have a lot of evidence that Phandroid is a US-centric site. If they cover more US Android news, fine, but there are a lot of non-US Android articles, and if you want non-US WP7 info…then go to a WP7 fansite?
I found the PopCap Android page last week whilst looking to see if there was an official Bejewelded game. I’ve tried a few clones and wasn’t impressed.
Also need PvZ!
Seriously…. what could be taking you so long? I for one am eager to purchase your games. I would like Bejeweled, blitz and Plants vs. Zombie’s.
Android is kicking the crap out of the competition and Win Phone 7 barley has legs and you decide that’s the route to go?
Google, seriously I blame you… How is it you can’t get these dev’s over to your market. Why no true ecosystem, what are you waiting for.
@ Fish, as true as that may seem…. We’re in the US and this is the market most of us phandroid readers are interested in. Yes I care about whats out there, but if I can’t get my hands on it, I don’t need my time wasted on such crap… Besides, this is an Android forum, if you need a Win 7 Phone fix go to a Win 7 Phone forum….
I’m glad to hear they’re working on it, even though promises are made to be broken. I don’t mind waiting as long as they get it right the first time. I can always made room and time for some PvZ action.
Since PopCap seems to be putting us on the backburner, do what I did and refuse to pay for PvZ a third freakin time. Buy one of the chinese clones, Leave Devil Alone is pretty good.
@ SHO_ONE. Shut the fuck up. Why blame Google you dumb bitch? It’s the devs fault and probably microsoft for buying out the dev, like they have been doing to most devs lately. gtfo
Oh yea, PopCap can jump of a cliff
I imagine that they got some money or other consideration up front from Microsoft to fast track the development of Bejeweled for WP7. I don’t see that as necessarily a bad thing, but it sucks as an Android user. From Microsoft’s perspective, convincing a high-profile developer to release a solid game early in the life of a new OS/phone product is a great idea.
Speculating on a different path (the money/consideration thing is also pure speculation) perhaps there is some logistical reason that made it easier to finish the game for WP7 before Android? It seems less likely to me than a business arrangement, but still possible.
this is because android is a fragmented piece of trash and wp7 is a delightful user experience.
why would any true company develop for android, every new release requires a complete rewrite of the app or it wont work. android is doomed b/c google doesnt look at it as a business. it is something they give away for free to sell adds. they will be crushed by microsoft. believe me. ms knows how to sell operating systems. apple and android have no chance. game over.
@jon doe Shut up troll. My apps in the market work just fine on new OS releases. Games are probably in the best situation because they mainly tie into OpenGL which isn’t going to change much. They don’t use much in the way of the other API’s.
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MS knows how to sell operating systems huh? You ever take a look at the market share of Windows Mobile? You wonder why WP7 came about? The Kin? Yea its game over alright…for MS lmao.
Android really is an outstanding chance for indie devs to make a splash in mobile gaming. You still have major shops overlooking the platform and the game engines seem to be coming along nicely at least for 2D. The tools are there…
If nothing else, can’t PopCap use Adobe Air to easily port their flash games over?
Just for reference;
The Flash version of Plants vs Zombies is very playable on my Nexus One where as even with the screen overrun with zombies, it was still very responsive and I played it for about 49 minutes.
I just had to wait to get past their initial advertising — which displays blank — but after about a minute or two the game’s start screen appears.
a god bejeweled alternative: bezombied – available in the market. definitely a bunch of fun to play, I’m hooked.
@Rick I just discovered Bezombied the other day. It is fun, and I like the body parts mechanic. I wish there were animations for tile swapping, but that’s a really minor nitpick.
pleaseeee get chuzzle for android!
Popcap. PLEASE. I’M LOOKING FOR YOUR GAME FOR ONE YEAR NOW.