How did the PopCap Games / Square Enix partnership come about?
I believe it was around two years ago, PopCap’s Jason Kapalka (Gyromancer, Puzzle Advisor) visited our office while he was in Japan attending TGS. It’s not that we suddenly decided to collaborate at that point — it was simply a great opportunity to exchange ideas about the processes behind developing puzzle-game mechanisms. The conversation was very insightful, especially as my primary expertise was in developing RPGs and simulation games. We got excited talking about creating a brand-new title by bringing together PopCap’s knowledge of puzzle-game development with Square Enix’s game designs. Puzzle Quest had just launched at that time, and our development staff, as well as Jason, were all creatively inspired in the midst of enjoying the game. I had worked on several large-scale, high-profile titles in the past, which were received well in both North America and Europe, but felt that with our efforts combined we could create a more casual experience that could be enjoyed by a wider ran
