PopCap Closes Down Baking Life

[vansau]

PopCap Closes Down Baking Life

Baking Life's user numbers just aren't sweet enough to keep the game alive any more, so PopCap is permanently shutting the oven doors.

Virtual bakers, I come to you with sad news: PopCap has decided to shut down Baking Life. The decision's been a long time coming, since the game's future was up in the air after PopCap acquired Facebook developer ZipZapPlay last April. Even though the game still has about 100,000 folks playing every day, that's just not enough to keep it operating.

Speaking to Inside Social Games, Garth Chouteau, PopCap's VP of Communications said:

"Unfortunately, we had to make a very difficult decision to shut down the game. The Baking Life player numbers have dropped in such a way that Baking Life is no longer performing well enough to justify continued support. As such, we are reallocating resources to games that we are developing for future release."

It's hard to fault PopCap for its decision, purely based on the numbers data. Although Baking Life had nearly 7 million monthly players whipping up online pastries, the current number has deflated to roughly 760,000. PopCap is promising that Baking Life players will receive in-game "rewards" within other titles like Bejeweled and Zuma.

Source: Inside Social Games

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[Weaver]

Was this decision PopCap's or EA's, now that they own them?

This is how it starts. Oh it's just small things at first and before you know it; BAM! You're shoving DLC down throats like Bioware.

 

[Kopikatsu]

Although Baking Life had nearly 7 million monthly players whipping up online pastries, the current number has deflated to roughly 760,00.

I spy with my little eye...

Anyway, is zip cash money that can be earned in-game or do you have to pay for it? Because if you have to pay for it, it's kind of jerkish to be like 'Spend it all quick, because we're shutting down!'. Of course, just closing down without being able to use it is also jerkish, but...

 

[vansau]

Although Baking Life had nearly 7 million monthly players whipping up online pastries, the current number has deflated to roughly 760,00.

I spy with my little eye...

Anyway, is zip cash money that can be earned in-game or do you have to pay for it? Because if you have to pay for it, it's kind of jerkish to be like 'Spend it all quick, because we're shutting down!'. Of course, just closing down without being able to use it is also jerkish, but...

Doh! Thanks, I've been staring at the screen all day and sometimes miss that sort of stuff.

 

[bjj hero]

Has anyone here actually played this? Popcap are a business so if its not doing well they will drop it.

 

[BanicRhys]

Goodbye Baking Life, I shall miss you for always and eternity... owait, I've never heard of the game and would have no urge to play it even if it wasn't shutting down.

Good for them for having the balls to close down a no longer profitable game.

 

[isometry]

Has anyone here actually played this? Popcap are a business so if its not doing well they will drop it.

Well 760,000 people lost the game they were playing. All of the time and money they put in the game is gone.

I understand the game wasn't making enough money, but still I wouldn't want to be one of those 760,000 people. This story is yet another example of EA's anti-customer business model.

 

[bjj hero]

Well 760,000 people lost the game they were playing. All of the time and money they put in the game is gone.

I understand the game wasn't making enough money, but still I wouldn't want to be one of those 760,000 people. This story is yet another example of EA's anti-customer business model.

Its a shame but you cannot expect them to run a game thats not profitable. EA is not a charity.

 

[Dogstile]

Has anyone here actually played this? Popcap are a business so if its not doing well they will drop it.

Well 760,000 people lost the game they were playing. All of the time and money they put in the game is gone.

I understand the game wasn't making enough money, but still I wouldn't want to be one of those 760,000 people. This story is yet another example of EA's anti-customer business model.

Sucks, but that's how things work. Wait until steam eventually goes under, then you'll see rage.

 

[Richardplex]

Has anyone here actually played this? Popcap are a business so if its not doing well they will drop it.

Well 760,000 people lost the game they were playing. All of the time and money they put in the game is gone.

I understand the game wasn't making enough money, but still I wouldn't want to be one of those 760,000 people. This story is yet another example of EA's anti-customer business model.

Sucks, but that's how things work. Wait until steam eventually goes under, then you'll see rage.

I doubt rage will be anything near what will be felt if that happens.

 

[Bosef1]

So I've never played this game either, and I was wondering if anyone in the gaming community knows if PopCap made any effort to spin off the game before they closed it down. I completely understand that you can't keep runing a service that isn't making money, or isn't making "enough" money, but did anyone come to the community and say "Hey, we've got six months left on this, would anyone be willing to take it over?" Now, whether anyone would have stepped up is an open question, but this seems to be an ongoing issue in several different areas of socienty and commerce. An organization chooses to close down or discontinue a service or product (game, book, TV show, music album, that gum you like), and makes no effort to spin the product off or open it up to the public. There seem to be so many... things that are no longer being monetized and will never again be monetized, but are also not spun off or released, and this is what makes people angry.

 

[Your Fearless Captain]

Stop the presses, people! A terrible Facebook game no one cares about is shutting down!

 

[BehattedWanderer]

Needed more Plants vs Zombies themed cakes, clearly.

 

[Semudara]

Why did I not know about this game BEFORE!?

 

[Formica Archonis]

That poor little baker in the corner looks so sad D=

I know! I apparently also put too much stock in animated figures because I had to hit up Google for a picture of her smiling before I was comfortable going on with my browsing.

 

[lRookiel]

Wait until steam eventually goes under, then you'll see rage.

Good god don't say that, the day steam dies is the day I die! D: