Pop Cap and Zynga - the difference?

[Simalacrum]

Right, let me start off first by saying that this ISN'T a vs. thread, so no faming on either company please!

Zynga, as we all know, is one of the most hated gaming companies on the planet - it doesn't matter what platform you think is better, or whether you think that Battlefield BC 2 pwns MW2; 'hardcore' gamers seem to unite when it comes to hating on Zynga and their casual games, such as Farmville or Mafia Wars.

Pop Cap, on the other hand, is adored by the gaming community, as far as I can tell - Bejewelled, Plants vs. Zombies and the like are often thought of as great games by many 'hardcore' gamers - yet Pop Cap, like Zynga, make casual games.

So... what gives? How is it that one company is received with harsh criticism, while another with respect? While I also fall into the same categories ("Zynga, booooo! Pop Cap, yaaaay!"), it just occurred that we have polar opposite opinions upon surprisingly similar companies...

Why do you think this is? Do you have similar opinions to this about each company? Or do you have different views upon Zynga and Pop Cap?

 

[Aura Guardian]

"So... what gives? How is it that one company is received with harsh criticism, while another with respect? "
Hypocrisy can be weird huh?
So if one's a scam artist...they are bad. But...I doubt some people who call them scam artist have ever played there games.

 

[Blanks]

Pop cap is an actual developer and not a scam artist

 

[Radeonx]

It's because a lot of people enjoy Popcap games, and believe that, since their opinion is law, it must automatically be better than Zynga in every way. It might also because of the whole March Madness issue with Zynga. That's what I've gathered, at least.
For me personally, I am indifferent towards both.

 

[Gralian]

Because Zynga made the bile that is FarmVille.

PopCap are loved for starting out as a small indie company that made an overnight success selling cheap casual games and for getting mums, girlfriends kids and so on into videogaming.

Zynga on the other hand create basement-dwelling MMO-esque frankensteins who obsess over their FarmVille app and lurk on Facebook for the sole reason of checking on it every few seconds.

 

[Darktau]

Because they both make casual games they are the same? Because Activision makes hardcore games aswell as valve, does that make them both the same? No.

 

[oppp7]

Because Zynga is tied to Facebook, where all the cool kids go. And since we are bitter and alienated by them, we hate everything related to them.

 

[Mr. Grey]

As far as I'm concerned Pop Cop has done everything legitimately and hasn't worked with anything that could be spyware, screw people over with third party surveys that will sell information regarding you, etcetera.

Whereas Zynga has.

To me it's quite clear who is the better developer and who's the wolf in sheep's clothing.

 

[mikemart]

Zynga is a scam artist and games like farmville are horribly pointless, u do the same thing everyday with nothing to look foward to, nothing to unlock, except differint seeds, but your doing the same game, and most things cost $

Pop Cap makes game that are fun and good quality, and are casual

i can also make this comparison
Would you rather wait 4-48 hours for plants to grow and then to just get money off them just to spend it for more plants or would you rather have your plants kill zombies...

 

[BlumiereBleck]

Personally I like neither and the difference is the crowd they attract.

 

[SirCannonFodder]

Because Popcap does stuff like this [http://www.bruceongames.com/2009/07/29/evony-advert-ridiculed-by-popcap/] and this [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/93649-PopCaps-Evony-Spoof-Ads-for-Plants-vs-Zombies-Keep-Coming] and makes games that are actually high-quality, as opposed the mindless click-fests that Zynga make.

 

[Dexiro]

Why do you think this is? Do you have similar opinions to this about each company? Or do you have different views upon Zynga and Pop Cap?

They're absolutely nothing like each other.

Zynga make games that consist of "click to get point" and "wait for 10 hours", and it's annoying that this somehow draws people in.

Popcap on the other hand make genuinely enjoyable and amazingly designed games that cater to the same casual market as well as more 'hardcore' gamers.

 

[Susan Arendt]

PopCap is one of the most consistently excellent developers currently in business. Their dedication to creating polished, well-crafted, addictive games is admirable. They're constantly striving to better themselves and provide new gameplay experiences for their legions of fans.

Zynga is successful, certainly, but simply doesn't have the same kind of creativity at work. At Zynga's core is a business model. At PopCap's is a dedication to fun.

 

[Savagezion]

Pop cap is an actual developer and not a scam artist

Zinga only seems to care about money and PopCap is really dedicated about games.

This. I don't dislike Zynga completely but their games is about the "game" of making you pull your wallet out to contiue in the game. Popcap makes a game and sells it to you for 10 bucks. One with a decent amount of levels and a satisfactory ending, etc. Zynga makes the "MMOs" of the casual games. Those who pay get the advantage if an advantage is available. The whole purpose of playing most Zynga games is to pay money to be 'better' than other people who play.

 

[Altorin]

Zynga is a company that literally feeds on its userbase

Popcap, I didn't like at first, but they've grown on me, Plants Vs Zombies is better then everything Zynga's done combined, and then multiplied by 10

 

[mrpenguinismyhomeboy]

Because Farmville is really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really dumb, where as Bejeweled 2 is still really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really dumb, but has a better soundtrack.

That, and Zynga as a company are just really unlikable. They have admitted that they have wronged people to get what they want, and you don't see Pop-Cap making ice cream with 7-11 now do you? I think that, in the end, the difference is that Pop-Cap is a game company, and Zynga is a money making company. Believe it or not, but I think Pop-Cap do care about actual game play and actual fun, where as Zynga just care about making money.

 

[zehydra]

Zynga started off by running scams and getting people to install junk on their computer, no joke. PopCap, on the other hand, is a legitimate company.

 

[MONSTERheart]

For the record, Zynga Poker is actually pretty good. I use it frequently. But yeah, I hate them as much as anyone.

As stated above, PopCap actually MAKES games whereas Zynga just steals games and reskins them.

*cough* Mafia Wars *cough* FarmVille *cough*

 

[Weaver]

Since no one has posted it yet

 

[megapenguinx]

Pop Cap doesn't send you annoying invites to their games and keep telling you that they found a lost cow on their farm.