Seattle’s Pop Cap games living the dream
Jul 15, 2011, 2:09 PM | Updated: Jul 16, 2011, 9:37 am
Dave Ross Commentary – Listen: Seattle Pop Cap games living the dream
Yes there is some good economic news. And it’s in the video game industry. Those little laptop and iPhone games are making money and creating jobs, and no one knows that better than the co-creator of a little game called Bejeweled:
“Bejeweled our first game was done in about three days, where it was like one day idea, one day art and theme, the next day an actual working version of bejeweled,” said John Vechey.
Vechey and his buddies founded a company called Pop Cap which specializes in addictive little games:
“A lot of people in the gaming industry that we showed it to, like our friends were like, ‘That’s not even a game, there’s no way to lose really, what is that?'”
And this week, Pop Cap …. was sold to Electronic Arts for $1.3 billion.
$650 million of that in CASH:
“I feel like I’m sitting there and a tsunami just hit me and someone goes, ‘How’s the water?'” said Vechey.
Listen to interview: John Vechey
Well, when the tsunami is money — the water’s pretty good.
“Maybe I’ll even get a credit card,” says Vechey.
He and his girlfriend will also buy a house, although he promises it will be nothing ostentatious:
“There’s no waterfront in my future I promise you that. We vetoed that.”
Right – after all — when you make your living playing video games — what other possessions do you need?
Where they DO plan to spend the money — is on employees:
“I think we have over 50 job openings on our website, and I believe that number is going to go up over time, not down.”
And that is music anyone’s ears.
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