PopCap donates Bejeweled Twist to Games for Soldiers
Long awaited Bejeweled sequel debuts in Iraq
Well, it sort of debuts in Iraq. You see, PopCap has donated the first 500 copies of the anticipated Bejeweled sequel, Bejeweled Twist, to the charity organisation Games for Soldiers.
The organisation sends games out to frontline troops to play during their down time, lifting morale and keeping their eye in when it comes time to shoot real guns. But all jokes aside, Bejeweled Twist is a perfect candidate for such an application – its addictive, meditative gaming qualities providing exactly the right kind of distraction soldiers undoubtedly need to try and unwind a little.
"We really appreciate PopCap's generous contribution – one of several the company has made to our organisation – and are ramping up to distribute copies of Bejeweled Twist to soldiers in the field by mid-December, just in time for the holidays," said Jesse Williams, founder of Games for Soldiers and Army National Guard soldier who returned home from Afghanistan earlier this year.
"So-called 'casual' games like Bejeweled, Peggle and Zuma are hugely popular with military personnel of all ages, ranks and backgrounds. These games lend themselves to the occasional and haphazard 'down time' common to military life in combat areas, and provide some distraction and even stress relief in what are often high-adrenaline and/or high anxiety environments."
The game officially goes on sale next on November 18th (for the PC, but we talk so much about Bejeweled here on Pocket Gamer we still thought it was worth a news item). In the meantime, check out the great work the Games for Soldiers organisation does over on its official website.
