INTERVIEW: PopCap Looks to New Consoles

While PopCap originated as a Web-based form of entertainment, CEO David Roberts told Next-Gen that extending the company's platform reach is one of the keys to growing its business. PopCap games can be found on the web, mobile phones, Xbox Live Arcade, Valve's Steam platform and at retail. If it were up to Roberts, it sounds like he'd love to have a version of Zuma and Bejeweled on everything from your microwave to your washing machine.

"A couple years ago we were on lots of platforms, but now we're certainly on just about every one you can find for casual games. Maybe Tetris has got us beat but they've had a lot more time to do it," Roberts said.

One of the more interesting areas of expansion is the console arena. PopCap already has games including Astropop, Bejeweled 2, Feeding Frenzy and Zuma on Xbox Live Arcade, but the Wii and PS3 are future platform possibilities as well.

"We love XBLA," confessed Roberts. "We were on the XBLA bandwagon early, and we actually have Heavy Weapon shipping very soon now. That's our first sort of Live-enabled multiplayer version of any of our games."