PopCap Games is the developer behind what are arguably some of the most popular releases in the mobile space. Rovio might have Angry Birds, but PopCap has Peggle. And Plants Vs. Zombies. And Bejeweled. Some other cool things are coming up too, such as the recently announced deal with Alice: Madness Returns creator American McGee’s Spicy Horse Games. PopCap releases have been slow to embrace support for Google‘s Android OS, but a new partnership with Amazon will start to correct that, along with giving the online retailer a small window of exclusivity over Android Market.
It all ties in with the ongoing competition between Google’s Market and Amazon’s Android frontend, the Amazon Appstore, which launched in March. Under the terms of this new agreement, PopCap will release its first two Android games — Chuzzle and Plants Vs. Zombies — exclusively through Amazon, a press release reveals. The apps will remain exclusive for a two-week period, after which they’ll be available via Android Market as well. In an added twist, both of the games will be downloadable for free on day one, with the price jumping up to $2.99 after that.
PopCap exec Giordano Bruno Contestabile had a little bit to say on the reasoning behind the deal. “Our relationship with Amazon is pivotal to PopCap’s overall strategy in bringing a growing roster of mobile titles to the ever-widening base of smartphone users,” he said. “By making these titles available on the Android platform, we’ll significantly extend the reach of our top franchises to legions of new mobile customers and gaming fans alike.”
Chuzzle is available starting TODAY, and Plants Vs. Zombies will follow “later this month.”
