Gyromancer Started as a Joke
The PopCap/Square Enix game, which mixes Bejeweled Twist with RPG elements, was brought up as a joke, according to PopCap's CCO.
Jason Kapalka, PopCap Games' co-founder and CCO, spoke with Wired about the recently announced puzzle-RPG hybrid Gyromancer for Xbox Live Arcade and Steam. The game, a PopCap and Square Enix collaboration surprisingly began as a joke.
He brought up the idea of a "Final Fantasy Bejeweled" at a meeting with Square Enix, who are the publishers some of PopCap's games in Japan. It was around that time that the designer of some of the recent Final Fantasy Tactics games, Yuichi Murasawa, became a part of the Gyromancer development process.
Unlike the Bejeweled-based RPG Puzzle Quest, Gyromancer uses Bejeweled Twist as the basis of the battles. “[It had a] strategic, hard-core feel that fit better with their vision for the game’s story line and world," said Kapalka.
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