We are always looking for ways to keep our minds sharp as we get older, and Bejeweled Blitz may have just joined the ranks of crossword puzzles and Sudoku as tools to help us do that. A recent survey study of more than 10,000 U.S. adults suggests that playing Bejeweled Blitz regularly could enhance mental sharpness and pattern recognition in adults over 50.

This survey, which is the first in a series that takes a rare look at the cognitive benefits of video game playing on adults over 50, focuses on Bejeweled Blitz and the tasks the game sets on the brain, including quick decision making, visual searching, and reaction time. Sharpness in performing other tasks was the benefit seen most often – 47.2% in people over 50. Pattern recognition was reported most in adults over 65, as well as the ability to perform timed tasks more quickly.

The results were presented by PopCap Games and University of Massachusetts Amherst psychology researcher Susan K. Whitbourne, Ph.D. at this year’s American Psychological Association convention in Washington, DC., and were well received by fellow researchers attending. Dr. Walter Boot, director of the Attention and Training Lab of the Department of Psychology at Florida State University, stated “I believe the work Dr. Whitbourne and her colleagues are doing, using Bejeweled Blitz, is both critical and exciting, and that more research like this needs to be done exploring not only the types of games that bring about cognitive benefits, but also the types of games older adults are willing to play and why. The best cognitive aging intervention in the world is useless if older adults aren’t willing and able to engage in it. By investigating attitudes and perceived benefits of video game interventions, this research has the potential to discover game interventions that are both effective and enjoyable.”

It will be interesting to see what comes from the remaining surveys in the series and whether or not any of them spark more research into this potential, such as including new hands on studies with people who haven’t ever played before. But maybe that’s the next step… actually evaluating Bejeweled Blitz’s effectiveness as a tool for cognitive improvement after investigating its potential. Of course, all I really have to say is that I hope Bejeweled Blitz is still around when I am 65 .

I got word of a new sort of match 3 game that is sort of a mix of Pogo.com’s Poppit and PopCap’s Blitz series with added “strategy elements” to reel in and challenge players. It’s called Poseidon’s Realm. I have just started playing it and I am intrigued. The basic mechanism of the game is to pop bubbles and form lines of three or more (odd shapes or groups don’t count unless it’s a square) scoring as many points as possible in one minute. There are gems exchangeable for power ups, experience points, and novel abilities that add levels of complexity to the game. For instance, as bubbles pop, the ones below them float up to fill in the gaps. Well, the grid is on a sort of wheel, so players have the ability to turn the game 1/4 turn in either direction in order to change the flow of replacement bubbles. Also, extra time can be earned by forming lines of four or more of the same color of bubbles, but is taken away with each matchless pop.

I am looking forward to learning all the mechanisms of the game and testing different strategies. At the moment, there are two frustrations I have with playing. The first is the retraining of my mind to look for different patterns than those of other match 3 games that consist of swapping or rotating pieces and/or forming groups. This, and the added levels of complexity make this a difficult game to get used to playing just a minute at a time. Maybe a practice version without a time limit would be helpful. The second is the growing trend of allowing only a set number of games in a certain time, where “energy” replenishes every so often, allowing another round of play. I understand that these types of social games need to have avenues to bring in revenue, but as a player, it sometimes makes me want to stop playing a game altogether. It’s a cruel cruel thing to hook someone into a game and then make them wait to play it.

Having said that, I will say that Poseiden’s Realm is worth testing out for a new take on a minute long match 3 and an additional challenge to the brain. Play it now and post your strategies below!

And post a comment with your suggestions for any other Facebook games you’d like to see in the new weekly feature!
Thanks for reading!

BUY

One of PopCap’s most anticipated releases, and the second true reincarnation of their flagship genre pioneering favorite, Bejeweled 3 had some high expectations to live up to. Of course, I didn’t hop on the Bejeweled train until the Bejeweled Twist station, but it’s been a great ride so far. Bejeweled 3 is chock full of crazy match 3 fun for old Bejeweled pros and newbie Bejeweleders alike.

They went all out with this one in many ways. The background graphics in Bejeweled 3 are gorgeous and beautifully (optionally) animated. I must say that, during game play, I don’t usually pay that much attention to the background, but when I think to look, it is actually quite amazing. The colors and spectacle of each of the special gems also add to the updated feeling of the game. The newer secret games, are seamlessly woven into the bejeweled quilt, but with a flare that is all their own. I am not as fond of the transitions as I was of the transitions in Bejeweled Twist. I think that the thicker black borders around the jewels caught me off guard a little, and take away a little from the feel of the rest of the game.

The sounds of Bejeweled 3 are familiar in more ways than one. During the match 3 gameplay, the sounds of matches and creating and detonating of special gems match that of the latest versions of the game. The secret games have their distinct sounds to things specific to each one, which are appropriate and alert to things like the appearance and release of butterflies, destruction of ice columns, breaking of rocks, collecting gold and treasure, and the presence of skulls. There are also familiar sounds from other games in some of the puzzles which was amusing. And although I love the kudos given by the familiar voice, I have mixed feelings about the background music in general. I can’t really place my finger on it, but it was another of those small things that left a tiny sliver of disappointment.

The actual play of the game is fantastic. Players start out with four basic modes – Classic, Zen, Lightning, and Quest. After playing each of these to start with (classic is a fantastic place to start for those new to Bejeweled), one of four “secret” games will be unlocked. The secret games represent the match 3 plus that warranted a new and revamped Bejeweled, proving that Bejeweled 3 truly has something for every type of gamer.

Playing through 5 levels of Classic mode unlocks Poker. What a brilliant idea. In this secret game, the objective is to make the best poker hand possible with each 5 matches, earning points to keep the skulls at bay, because when a hand is made where a skull lies, a flip of the coin decides if the game continues or not.

Lightning mode, which is a fast paced timed Bejeweled frenzy, unlocks Ice Storm. Ice storm is not a race against the clock like Lightning, but a race against rising columns of ice, which in some ways is more exciting. Making Marches through the columns knocks them down a little, but making vertical matches within a column destroys the column completely (for a short time). Leveling up multipliers has the added benefit of creating a tropical breeze that lowers every existing ice column. The goal is to prevent the ice from reaching the top and completely freezing over. This one is a great cool rush.

Zen mode in Bejeweled 3 has seriously evolved into a truly individualized relaxing/motivational experience. From optional soothing sounds of nature, to positive mantras, to steady breathing (my personal favorite and possibly the most beneficial) to brain training tones, take any or take all, and drive life’s stresses into the ground with no pressure of time or fear of running out of moves. And once the 5th level of nirvana is reached in zen mode, it’s time to release the Butterflies secret game. Each match makes the butterflies climb higher and higher toward the waiting spider’s grasp. To keep this one going, players must release the butterflies before they reach the spider. Matching them sets them free, but it gets tricky because it changes the available matches each time they move.

Quest mode offers a journey of increasingly difficult challenges that provide a nice variety of strategies to uncover hidden treasures. Playing the secret games first will make the challenges in Quest mode easier because a lot of the quests are based on the secret games. And once the quest is complete, it’s time to start busting some rocks in the diamond mine. Diamond Mine offers a surprisingly exhilarating expedition to collect as much cash and treasures by matching to break out the ground. The ground must be completely below a marked level to level up and add some time to the clock, but clearing all the way to the bottom adds even more! For me, I think the continuous explosive sounds and competitive feel of this secret game make it the most addictive.

With something for anyone in any mood, Bejeweled 3 is just bursting at the seams with brilliant continuous entertainment to lose yourself in for a weekend every day. Replayability is extremely high on this one. With social gaming making its stamp on the casual games space, the pressure is on for developers to create something with enough novelty, accessibility, and versatility to pull us away from Facebook. Mission accomplished. This is a must have for anyone who appreciates a solid good sparkly time.

Review copy of Bejeweled 3 provided by PopCap Games and did not affect the outcome of this review.

Okay so that’s a letter and a number, but it’s true. It’s coming. Bejeweled 3 will be the first real sequel to PopCap’s Flagship genre-pioneering superstar Bejeweled in over 6 years. Not that there hasn’t been anything newly Bejeweled since then with Bejeweled Twist and the many incarnations of Bejeweled Blitz still holding a place on many a Bejeweleder’s monitor screen. I would imagine there to be a lot of pressure to reach farther should PopCap put forth a new installment of the original.

“The challenge in creating a new version of Bejeweled is to innovate and keep it fresh and exciting without losing touch with the game-play that millions of people love. So we’re very careful when we make changes to the core game, which is why it can take so long!” said Jason Kapalka, co-founder and chief creative officer at PopCap and co-creator of Bejeweled. “We’ve worked hard to make sure Bejeweled 3 retains the classic appeal of the earlier games while bringing a host of exciting new features to the table.”

So what are these exciting new features, exactly?

Well, it seems as though they have taken a bit of the best from every manifestation of Bejeweled, combining the smoothed out multi move classic game-play with gorgeous HD graphics, scenic backgrounds, an elaborate soundtrack, and added some new and powerful gems, secret games, mini games, and achievements to track your personal Bejeweled quest.

“Casual video games have been popular going back to the 1980s, but the introduction of Bejeweled 10 years ago launched an entire industry,” explained David Cole, founder and president of DFC Intelligence, the oldest research firm focused entirely on the video game market. “No other casual game comes close to the success of Bejeweled in terms of popularity and influence. PopCap has been able to keep the franchise strong for 10 years because they have focused on quality and innovation and have not flooded the market with dozens of sequels. I fully expect Bejeweled 3 to not only be a big success in its own right, but also ensure the Bejeweled brand continues to grow in popularity over its next decade on the market.”

Here’s a sneak peek! Enjoy!

Bejeweled 3 is set to launch December 7th on PopCap.com and other international game portals, as well as at North American retail stores for a suggested retail price of $19.95.

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“More than half a billion people worldwide have played Bejeweled over the past decade, which still blows our minds,” said Jason Kapalka, co-founder and Chief Creative Officer at PopCap and co-creator of Bejeweled. “Their enthusiasm for the game is unquestioned and we thought it would be fun to reward that incredible devotion in some way.”

What way is that, you ask? Well, by holding a contest and giving away prizes, of course!

The Contest: Show Your Bejeweled Love – part of the Bejeweled 10th Anniversary celebration extravaganza
The Entries: Participants are to make a video in some creative way showcasing their love for Bejeweled – in 2 minutes or less –
and post it on YouTube via the “Post Your Video Responses” button found at Bejeweled.com
The Prizes: A limited special edition Bejeweled 10th Anniversary laptop, (one of) 2 Apple iPads, or (one of) 7 complete PopCap
game libraries
The Judges: Members of PopCap’s Art and Game Design teams will judge entries on a combination of presentation, enthusiasm, and creativity.
Time & Eligibility: The Show Your Bejeweled Love contest is open today through May 26th to residents of US, Canada (except Quebec) and the UK ages 18 or older.

Here’s a video that’s under two minutes explaining the contest for videos under two minutes:

For complete contest rules, please visit Bejeweled.com

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Bejeweled is turning ten this year, and it looks like we get all the presents! To celebrate, Popcap is kicking off a 10 month long Bejeweled bonanza with contests, prizes, new games Bejeweled, new ways to play, and a community wide Bejeweled Blitz competition.

“Bejeweled has obviously succeeded beyond our wildest dreams,” said Jason Kapalka, co-creator of the game and co-founder and chief creative officer at PopCap. “When Brian Fiete, John Vechey and I built the game ten years ago, we had no grand aspirations for it or PopCap, we were trying to survive as a company during the depths of the dot-com collapse. Little did we know we’d still be selling copies of Bejeweled a decade later!”

Bejeweled was originally launched in Spring of 2000 titled, “Diamond Mine,” and has since undergone a few makeovers, adding “twist”s, and spanning across multiple platforms, selling more than a staggering 50 million copies worldwide, and according to PopCap, “and the company continues to sell a copy of Bejeweled every 4.3 seconds.”

So, look for all things Bejeweled this for the rest of this year, the first being a “Show Your Bejeweled Love” contest, which will commence next month and encourage Bejeweled fans to celebrate the original match 3 in creative audio and video forms. Complete details will follow! As for now, get your jewel matching finders ready, it’s going to be a great year!

The Fabulous Facebook App from PopCap Games, which has just made it out of Beta, has quickly become quite the phenomenon. As a pressure cooking, one-minute version of the original incredibly popular Bejeweled, Bejeweled Blitz has created a highly competitive (at least on my team) social community unto itself in just the 6 short months since it’s December ’08 debut.

“One-minute Bejeweled was initially an in-house joke,” said Jason Kapalka, PopCap’s chief creative officer, “because who’d think anyone would play a ‘casual’ game with such a frenzied time limit? But it turned out the one-minute timer actually made the game more accessible, as a bite-size entertainment for people busy doing other things on Facebook.”

John Vechey, PopCap’s head of online and social projects, added, “The social nature of the game felt like the missing link. Playing Bejeweled on your own was always fun, but playing with and against family and friends takes it to another level.”

“Social gaming is a catalyst for growth in the games market and in social network services,” said Billy Pidgeon, video games analyst at Game Changer Research. “Giving consumers more communal and connected ways to enjoy video game content with their ever-growing online networks drives awareness and usage of the game in question while also making the gameplay experience itself richer and more compelling. Accessible and entertaining games on social networks are in effect massively multiplayer experiences that appeal to everyone.”

I am proud to say that I certainly am one of the 2 million players that compete daily. It’s been sweet to see how the game has evolved, adopting new features as we kept on playing. Now, in an effort to make it more social and competitive, they have added stats, which show each player’s medal collections, a timeline of high scores from each weekly tournament, and they even show both players’ scores on the graph, so everyone can see how they match up to their team-mates. It really is a very accessible way to play, one minute is nothing, right (until there are suddenly 48 – or 75 – of them strung together)? I can’t get enough. In fact, I think I’ll go send some smack talk now…