PopCap co-founder John Vechey announced today that he will be leaving the Seattle-based game development studio just nine months after taking the top job from former CEO Dave Roberts.
Vechey was the only remaining member of PopCap’s founding team, and his tenure was marked by a number of tough decisions including layoffs and the closure of several game projects in development. In an interview with GeekWire earlier this year, Vechey attributed some of that pain to PopCap’s transition from making games that people paid for up front to games that are free to play.
PopCap will remain a subsidiary of Electronic Arts, which purchased the studio in 2011. The company is known for a number of successful gaming franchises, including “Bejeweled,” “Plants vs. Zombies,” and “Peggle.”
In a letter to employees, Vechey said that he would be directing his energies towards non-profit and social justice work while considering his next career move.
In his absence, the PopCap mobile studio will be run by Steve Mauri, Cara Ely and John David. It’s unclear if anyone will be appointed the General Manager of the whole studio.
Here’s the full version of Vechey’s letter to employees:
My Dearest PopCap,
Over the years we have laughed, we have cried, we have clinked gems, blasted balls, collected sun and went on an amazing win streak together. But, sadly, today my time at PopCap comes to an end.
Taking a sabbatical gave me time to get married, watch Izzy’s first steps, and take a step back to appreciate what I have in life, and what the future has in store.
When I founded PopCap my biggest goals were to have a good time and to make great games. PopCap’s vision has always been to make people happy through games, and I believe we are achieving that every day. Today, I am proud of this company we have built together. Proud of the games we make and proud to have worked with all of you. I will miss you greatly.
The future is bright for PopCap. We have some amazing games live, with millions of people enjoying them every day. We have some great games in production, which will surprise and delight players over the coming year. We have a robust prototyping investment, which will fuel new brands and new games for PopCap for years to come.
The future is also bright for EA and I continue to believe in Andrew’s vision of a company that puts its players first. The best years are ahead for both EA and PopCap, and I look forward to watching development teams live up to what it means to be electronic artists.
So, what’s next?
Many of you know me as the energetic, happy-go-lucky founder of PopCap, and I want to use that energy to give something back for awhile until I figure out what’s next. I will be spending some time working with environmental news non-profit Grist.org, of which I am a board member. I’ll be taking some non-violence workshops, furthering some of the things I’ve learned from being part of the Quaker community, while I explore peace and social justice issues, such as war abolition, prison reform, poverty and the effects of race and gender privilege.
And after that? Who knows what the future will hold. Maybe I’ll stick with non-profit work, maybe start a new company, or maybe join a bigger one. For now, I’m going to focus on getting some space, so I can appreciate the last fifteen years. :-)
So, this is goodbye for now, PopCap. I will always love you.
John
