Jason Kapalka, PopCap’s co-founder and chief creative officer, says he was half-joking when he pitched a game concept that combined Final Fantasy’s role-playing action and Bejeweled’s addictive casual gameplay to Square Enix.
The folks at PopCap were fans of another RPG-Bejeweled hybrid, Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords. In the early stages of brainstorming the concept that would eventually become Gyromancer, they figured it would be “karmically neutral” for PopCap to try making a similar title.
PopCap and Square Enix last week announced their collaboration on Gyromancer, a puzzle/RPG hybrid for Xbox 360 and PC the two companies are developing.
“Suddenly it was a real project over at Square,” Kapalka said.
Bejeweled Twist, according to Kapalka, had a more “strategic, hard-core feel that fit better with their vision for the game’s story line and world.”
PopCap built early prototypes for the puzzle engine, then handed the keys over to Square Enix.
“Square took over and did the bulk of the design and development fleshing out the RPG elements and of course adding all the incredible artwork and music,” Kapalka said. “It’s just been really fascinating to see them working, and of course pretty gratifying to see the offhand idea of ‘Final Fantasy Bejeweled‘ actually come to life.”
