The company entered the Chinese market in 2008 by establishing its Asian regional headquarters in Shanghai. It has launched different games in China since then.
Implanting the game into an SNS is only one aspect of the company's ambition. To accrue a greater share of the game market, PopCap also preyed upon the global iPhone fever.
"The mobile gaming market is huge, but it never really took off until the iPhone arrived," Gwertzman said, adding that it provided a great platform for the company.
Only two weeks after the launch of the Chinese version of PvZ on the App Store, PopCap saw phenomenal growth, he said.
China has now become the second largest market after the US in terms of iPhone app download volume, according to app store application analytics company Distimo. As the world's largest Internet market with an Internet population of 457 million last year, it has attracted an increasing number of overseas game companies.
Rovio Mobile Ltd, the Finnish developer of hit game Angry Birds, for example, will establish its first overseas office in China as early as this summer, Peter Vesterbacka, head of the company, told reporters in late April when attending a conference in Beijing. Vesterbacka said he expects China to become its second largest market after North America.
Last year, Zynga, developer of famous Facebook game FarmVille, also acquired Chinese social-gaming company XPD Media to tap into the China market.
Unlike hardcore gamers who actively search for games, PopCap believes novices should be given easy access to the game, "and that is why we need to develop various platforms, on iPhones, iPad, Android-system phones, et cetera. We no longer concentrate solely on PC downloads," Gwertzman said.
PopCap also has a merchandising deal with Meters Bonwe, a domestic clothing brand, through which it sells PvZ-themed T-shirts. Sales are brisk, Gwertzman said.
These pioneering moves in China are likely to be duplicated in its global strategy, according to Gwertzman. But developing a really great product will be the linchpin for success.
Many say PvZ's attraction lies in the fact that it is "reflective of people's daily lives".
Implanting the game into an SNS is only one aspect of the company's ambition. To accrue a greater share of the game market, PopCap also preyed upon the global iPhone fever.
"The mobile gaming market is huge, but it never really took off until the iPhone arrived," Gwertzman said, adding that it provided a great platform for the company.
Only two weeks after the launch of the Chinese version of PvZ on the App Store, PopCap saw phenomenal growth, he said.
China has now become the second largest market after the US in terms of iPhone app download volume, according to app store application analytics company Distimo. As the world's largest Internet market with an Internet population of 457 million last year, it has attracted an increasing number of overseas game companies.
Rovio Mobile Ltd, the Finnish developer of hit game Angry Birds, for example, will establish its first overseas office in China as early as this summer, Peter Vesterbacka, head of the company, told reporters in late April when attending a conference in Beijing. Vesterbacka said he expects China to become its second largest market after North America.
Last year, Zynga, developer of famous Facebook game FarmVille, also acquired Chinese social-gaming company XPD Media to tap into the China market.
Unlike hardcore gamers who actively search for games, PopCap believes novices should be given easy access to the game, "and that is why we need to develop various platforms, on iPhones, iPad, Android-system phones, et cetera. We no longer concentrate solely on PC downloads," Gwertzman said.
PopCap also has a merchandising deal with Meters Bonwe, a domestic clothing brand, through which it sells PvZ-themed T-shirts. Sales are brisk, Gwertzman said.
These pioneering moves in China are likely to be duplicated in its global strategy, according to Gwertzman. But developing a really great product will be the linchpin for success.
Many say PvZ's attraction lies in the fact that it is "reflective of people's daily lives".
