SYDNEY, Australia \u2013 November 11, 2008 \u2014 PopCap Games, the leading developer and
\npublisher of casual games, has introduced an irresistible innovation in its flagship
\nBejeweled\u00ae franchise. Bejeweled Twist\u2122, the first new Bejeweled title in almost four
\nyears, puts a completely new spin on the top-selling puzzle game that PopCap pioneered
\neight years ago. Featuring a revolutionary new style of play and production values
\nunrivalled by any other casual game, Bejeweled Twist will be distributed by Mindscape,
\na leading Australian consumer software publisher and distributor, and due to hit retail
\nshelves in Australia in December 2008.<\/p>\n
Bejeweled is the most popular casual game franchise of the 21st century, with more than
\n350 million copies downloaded and over 25 million units sold. And Bejeweled Twist is
\nalready winning over fans of the original Bejeweled and Bejeweled 2: \u201cThere\u2019s no doubt
\nthis is the world\u2019s greatest casual video game,\u201d declared Cindy Robertson, who wrote,
\npublished and sells a strategy guide for Bejeweled 2 under the pen name Julia Gemstone.
\n\u201cPopCap has done it again…Bejeweled Twist provides thousands of hours of fun for
\nanyone. If Bejeweled is hot chocolate, Bejeweled Twist is a double mocha latte!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt took considerably more time, more money and more people than the original
\nBejeweled, but we feel it was worth every ounce of that effort,\u201d said Jason Kapalka, chief
\ncreative officer and co-founder of PopCap, and co-creator of all three Bejeweled titles.
\n\u201cWe promised ourselves we\u2019d come up with something really new for \u2018the next
\nBejeweled\u2019 and we must have gone through at least a hundred ideas before settling on
\nthe \u2018twist mechanic\u2019 in the new game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bejeweled Twist removes the barriers of traditional match-3 games. Instead of swapping
\nadjacent jewels to make a set, players rotate an entire 2×2 block of gems clockwise in an
\neffort to create a line of three or more gems of the same type. Further, in Bejeweled Twist
\nplayers don\u2019t have to make a match with every move \u2013 instead they can freely rotate
\ngems anywhere on the board, allowing far greater liberty of movement and vastly
\nincreased strategic freedom to plan combinations, cascades and chains.<\/p>\n
New Features of Bejeweled Twist:<\/p>\n
Virtually every aspect of Bejeweled Twist is new and different from the previous
\niterations of Bejeweled, including:
\n\u2022 Stunning visual and audio effects \u2013 the highest production values – highdefinition
\nimagery, subtle audio effects and a custom-composed soundtrack
\n\u2022 Endless rewards \u2013 instant replays, bonus multipliers, stats and rankings
\n\u2022 Deep play \u2013 the more you play, the more you\u2019ll discover new ways to play
\n\u2022 All-new elements \u2013 new gem types, obstacles, challenges, and modes of play
\nNew Special Gems:
\n\u2022 Flame gems are created by matching four gems of the same kind at once. When
\nmatched with like-coloured gems, these fiery jewels explode.
\n\u2022 Lightning gems are created by matching five gems of the same kind. When
\nmatched, they fire bolts of explosive destruction in four directions at once.
\n\u2022 Fruit gems are rare but powerful gems that can only be created by making lots of
\nconsecutive matches to max out the chain meter. When the chain meter reaches its
\nzenith, one gem on the grid is transformed into a special Fruit gem, which, when
\nmatched, vaporizes all like-coloured gems, among other powerful effects.
\nNew Obstacles:
\n\u2022 Bomb gems: These appear in later stages of the game and count down with every
\nmove you make. Eliminate them via matches or adjacent explosions from Flame
\nor Lightning gems before they reach zero; if you don\u2019t, only the last-minute
\ndisarm spinner can save you.
\n\u2022 Locked Gems: Locked gems can still be matched, but they can\u2019t be moved.
\nBreak free of them with like-colour matches and special gems.
\n\u2022 Coal: These inert rocks can hamper your ability to match gems, but they deliver a
\nsparkly surprise when you burst them open with Flame or Lightning gems!
\nPopCap Games Launches Bejeweled Twist \u2013 p.3
\nFour Game Modes:
\nClassic and Zen is available from the start – unlock the other modes as you progress:
\n\u2022 Classic: The essential version of the game, Classic features Bomb gems that tick
\ndown to a deadly detonation. You need to clear them before they hit zero!
\n\u2022 Zen: More a relaxation exercise than a puzzle. Explore dozens of alien worlds as
\nyou hone your gem-matching skills without the pressure of obstacles or time.
\n\u2022 Blitz: This timed mode is perfect for both hardcore arcade players and those who
\nonly have a few minutes to spare.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Challenge: Challenge mode offers a dozen separate puzzle worlds, each with
\nseven levels of difficulty and a final infinite stage. For the serious problem-solver.
\nFrom PCs and Macs, PlayStation and Xbox consoles to mobile phones, PDAs, iPods and
\niPhones, Bejeweled is available for more than a dozen devices and platforms. More than
\n350 million copies of Bejeweled\/Bejeweled 2 have been downloaded from the Web,
\naccounting for nearly a third of the 1 billion-plus downloads of all PopCap\u00ae titles. Tens
\nof millions of copies of Bejeweled have been installed on mobile phones worldwide, and
\nmore than 25 million units of the game have been sold across all platforms, amounting to
\nover $300 million in consumer spending over the history of the game. The Bejeweled
\nfranchise has been enjoyed for more than 6 billion hours by consumers worldwide.
\nBejeweled Twist\u2122 will be available for the PC in Australia in December 2008 retailing
\nfor SRP of $19.95 inc GST.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
SYDNEY, Australia \u2013 November 11, 2008 \u2014 PopCap Games, the leading developer and publisher of casual games, has introduced an irresistible innovation in its flagship Bejeweled\u00ae franchise. Bejeweled Twist\u2122, the first new Bejeweled title in almost four years, puts a completely new spin on the top-selling puzzle game that PopCap pioneered eight years ago. Featuring<\/p>\n