The Unofficial PopCap PopCast

Wow! PopCap Co-Founder Jason Kapalka - Part 1

Isaac Aubrey & Stephen Notley — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 08:00:00 -0700

Steve and Isaac go allllll the way back, before PopCap was a glint in anyone's eye, with PopCap Co-Founder Jason Kapalka. How did PopCap come to be? Do video games make money? What was it like to create Bejeweled? What did he think of Plants vs Zombies during its development? All this and so much more. Indulge!

CHAPTERS
00:00 The Unofficial PopCap PopCast
00:19 Hello and Welcome
00:48 Jason Kapalka is Indeed Very Special
01:49 Blue Wizard
03:24 Long Before PopCap
03:45 The Gateway
06:15 Computer Gaming World
06:32 TEN/Pogo
08:05 The Hustle of the Writing Job
13:50 Dark Sun Online
15:55 meeting Brian and John
19:51 Sexy Action Cool
21:49 creating Bejeweled
31:10 Microsoft paying a couple grand a month
39:00 Omnipresent on Burrito
44:47 Drink Responsibly Often
49:58 PvZ Getting Off the Ground
59:20 There's No Way We Can Sell This For $20 on Steam
1:00:28 Maybe Plants vs Zombies Would Work on iPhone
1:00:32 And on that...

#popcap
#popcapgames
#pvz
#plantsvszombies
#bejeweled

Pop Plays: Peggle - 02 Kat Tut & Splork

Isaac Aubrey & Stephen Notley — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 08:00:00 -0700

Unofficial PopCap Popcast co-host and former PopCap Games writer/designer Steve Notley plays some PopCap Games he worked on.

This week we continue with Peggle Adventure mode, exploring the Egyptian mysteries of yarn-obsessed Kat Tut and the head-scratching spacial utterances of that oddest of aliens, Splork Sporkan.

The Peggle gameplay and background chitchat doesn't get hotter or more enthralling than here on Pop Plays, so do yourself a favor and check it out!

Pop Plays: Peggle - 01 Bjorn & Jimmy Lightning

Isaac Aubrey & Stephen Notley — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 08:00:00 -0700

Former PopCap writer/designer Steve Notley plays some PopCap Games he worked on over the years, narratin' all the while.

First up: Peggle, one of the great games of all time. OF ALL TIME. Thrill along with Steve as he plays through the first two sections of Peggle's Adventure mode, introducing us to Headmaster Bjorn Unicorn and the irrepressible Jimmy Lightning.

It's white-hot Peggle action with loads of commentary, chit-chat, and inaudible mumbling. Hooray!

PvZ2 Secrets: Art Director Monte Michaelis - Part 2

Isaac Aubrey & Stephen Notley — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 08:00:00 -0700

Isaac and Steve continue their conversation with Monte Michaelis, Art Director on Plants vs. Zombies 2.

Monte shares his unique perspective on the complex processes that led to the followup to the classic original PvZ, discussing ups, downs, frustrations, triumphs, plus all sorts of stuff in between and besides. Revel in the reveals, PvZ fans!

CHAPTERS

00:00 The Unofficial PopCap PopCast
00:19 Hello Greetings Bonjour
01:13 Previously on...
01:52 Planet vs. Zombies
04:02 Flash Facebook PvZ
11:26 Everything Around Us Is Shifting
13:28 Desirability, Viability, Feasibility
17:03 Vague Target, Vague Solution
19:39 Lionizing Suffering
20:34 Worthwhile Experiences
22:04 Surviving as a Creative
30:51 It's About Time
37:13 Premium to Freemium
42:32 PvZ2 Is Trying To Do a Really Difficult Thing
44:02 Still Dealing With the Consequences
45:29 The Winchester House
47:41 Peak Joy and Rough Trenches
50:19 Spintop
52:33 I Remember My Emotions
54:21 The Best Version of Myself
58:45 Just Keep Moving
1:00:09 Where Is My Happiness In This?

LINKS

badpennygoods.com
https://www.badpennygoods.com/
(real physical goods)

ADPList
https://adplist.org/mentors/montye-michaelis
(mentoring)

thisismonte.com
https://www.thisismonte.com/
(Monte stuff!)

LinkedIn Monte Michaelis
https://www.linkedin.com/in/montemichaelis/
(Monte has been extremely busy since his PopCap days. So many talents and experiences!)

PvZ2 Secrets: Art Director Monte Michaelis - Part 1

Isaac Aubrey & Stephen Notley — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 08:00:00 -0700

Isaac and Steve get into it with Monte Michaelis, Art Director on Plants vs. Zombies 2.

Being one of the few people who worked through much of PvZ2's early development, Monte has a unique perspective on the forces that shaped the follow-up to the classic original.

Game Jams, unicycles, cat cutouts and the all-important art of distiguishing between what's clever and what's clear are just a tiny fraction of the mysteries these three old-school PopCappers discuss. Chow down, PopCap and PvZ fans!

CHAPTERS

00:00 The Unofficial PopCap PopCast
00:19 Hello Greetings Bonjour
00:58 Welcoming Monte Michaelis
02:53 Biggs Darklighter
03:13 Semi-rural Alaska
04:18 Animation
11:22 First Introduction to PopCap
12:44 "Where's My Art?"
16:40 Working on Blitz
18:17 Commercial Value of Attention
22:50 Game Jams
23:20 Michael Jackson Unicycle Daredevil
27:37 Disco Zombie
31:48 Being Clever vs. Being Clear
34:03 Snackers
35:05 Moving Into Plants vs Zombies 2
38:49 Vector Rather Than Pixel
42:06 Plant Food
43:47 Farmageddon
46:32 "PvZ2 is cancell bed."
46:59 Higher Fidelity
49:49 New Peashooter & Sunflower Animations
58:32 PvZ2 Design: Mohan Rajagopalan
59:28 Exponentially Better
1:00:35 And On That...

LINKS

badpennygoods.com
https://www.badpennygoods.com/
(real physical goods)

ADPList
https://adplist.org/mentors/montye-michaelis
(mentoring)

thisismonte.com
https://www.thisismonte.com/
(Monte stuff!)

LinkedIn Monte Michaelis
https://www.linkedin.com/in/montemichaelis/
(Monte has been extremely busy since his PopCap days. So many talents and experiences!)

PopCap Originals: Jeff W & Tysen H - Part 2

Isaac Aubrey & Stephen Notley — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 08:00:00 -0700

Isaac and Steve continue the conversation with hyper early PopCap hires Jeff Weinstein (code) and Tysen Henderson (art/design). This time around worms are booked, wishes are made, star police are allied, and indy game studios are quit from after they're bought by titantic multinational billion-dollar corporations. So much stuff!

CHAPTERS

00:00 The Unofficial PopCap PopCast
00:19 Hello Greetings Bonjour
01:20 Previously on...
05:40 Original Bookworm
08:09 DJ Qbert's Wave Twisters
10:07 Let's Follow Up Bookworm
15:13 An Overarching Bad Guy
16:42 Comical Dialogue
18:27 Writing in Games
23:11 The Couch
25:26 The AAA of Casual Games
26:43 Bookworm Adventures 2
29:11 Robo Dojo
36:03 Allied Star Police
39:47 Too Loud
40:53 Bookworm Heroes
45:31 End Up in the Ditch
46:13 Time to Split
50:42 Shortcut to Riot
52:38 A Lot of Nothing
53:16 Chrono Dojo
54:00 The Last 15 Years
55:08 Space Otter Charlie
56:03 PopCap Replay System
1:00:44 One Good Brian Story
1:03:00 Takeaway
1:05:12 I Miss Playing Foosball With You
1:06:36 And On That...

LINKS
DJ Q-Bert - Wave Twisters - Animated Film - 2001
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQVRTdRnQiQ

OG PopCappers: Tysen Henderson & Jeff Weinstein - Part 1

Isaac Aubrey & Stephen Notley — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 08:00:00 -0700

Isaac and Steve talk to two of the earliest PopCap hires, artist/designer Tysen Henderson and programmer Jeff Weinstein, both of whom were at PopCap years before either of our gracious hosts arrived. Insane aquariums, anti-shark typing and flying pigs erupted soon after, along with one of PopCap's first fully polished action games, Astropop. Come, join us in the weeds with these two PopCap legends!

CHAPTERS

00:00 The Unofficial PopCap PopCast
00:19 Hello Greetings Bonjour
01:02 Realest and Earliest
02:14 Quest For Glory
05:39 Free Stars
07:00 How I Learned How to Program
10:49 Insaniquarium
12:49 Doing Digital Art
17:47 Dinosaur Smut Porn
18:45 GDC & George Fan
24:46 Terrible Demo Disc
27:57 What AMD Stands For
29:53 When Pigs Fly
35:18 The Only Team in the Office
39:23 Typer Shark
43:06 Vulgarity Filter
47:35 Astropop
52:27 Such a Crucial Part of Any Game
58:34 Expermiental Stuff
1:01:19 And On That...

Peggle, Valve & Skpow!: Eric Tams - Part 2

Isaac Aubrey & Stephen Notley — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 08:00:00 -0700

Isaac and Steve continue their deep dive with programming/game design whiz Eric Tams. Topics include a ton of stuff about Peggle, working nights on homebrew projects, moving on when the time is right, accounting for failure as well as success, and a whole spew of other fascinating stuff.

LINKS
Star Control: The Ur-Quan Masters
https://sc2.sourceforge.net/downloads.php

PopWar & Portals: Eric Tams - Part 1

Isaac Aubrey & Stephen Notley — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 08:00:00 -0700

Isaac and Steve chat with former PopCap, now Valve programmer Eric Tams. Discussion touches on chess, growing up in Utah, figuring out where games go wrong, and the unreleased gem, Prince of Toys! Check it out... if you dare!

No Episode This Week!

Isaac Aubrey & Stephen Notley — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 08:00:00 -0700

Isaac and Steve pop in to briefly explain that while there won't be a full episode this week, listeners and fans should rest assured more PopCast is well on the way!

CHAPTERS

00:00 The Unofficial PopCap PopCast
00:19 Hello Greetings Bonjour
01:06 ...annnnnd we're out!

PopCap and beyond - Ed Allard pt2

Isaac Aubrey & Stephen Notley — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 08:00:00 -0700

Steve and Isaac continue to converse with the omnitalented Ed Allard about PopCap Games and beyond.

Ed co-founded Escape Factory & Sprout Games, founded Wayward Distractions, audio designed for TIVO, and directed games worldwide for PopCap... all before breakfast! We keep chatting about all of it in this second half of our conversation. Check it out!

CHAPTERS

00:00 The Unofficial PopCap PopCast
00:19 Hello and Welcome
01:22 118 Direct Reports
04:29 Platform Stuff
05:06 Pvz2 Development
07:10 The Siloing Effect
10:36 Pig Up & New IP
31:01 Wayward Distractions
34:09 Space Otter Charlie
41:04 Game Dev Triangle of Labor
46:16 The Prairies of Possibility
50:09 Prototyping on Robotics
50:58 Time With AI
55:12 Experience Organic Life
56:17 Wrapping Up

Sprout Games and beyond - Ed Allard pt1

Isaac Aubrey & Stephen Notley — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 08:00:00 -0700

Steve and Isaac welcome the multitalented Ed Allard for conversation about his tenure at PopCap during the golden age.

Co-founder of Escape Factory and Sprout Games, founder of Wayward Distractions, audio designer for the TIVO, and Director of Games Worldwide for PopCap Games around the time of the buyout. Ed has a very storied career and we get the privilege of talking with him about all of it. Join us!

Pour Another One Out for the Two Bells - Part 2

Isaac Aubrey & Stephen Notley — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 08:00:00 -0700

Isaac and Steve continue to grill and be grilled by Rich Werner, Matt Holmberg and Julie Thomas regarding the nexus of nonsense known as the Two Bells pub.

Sandwiches are discussed, as are soups, billionaires and Narnia. Pull up a stool and join us!

CHAPTERS

00:00 The Unofficial PopCap PopCast
00:19 Hello and Welcome
01:45 Previously on...
02:27 Duck Hunt
03:52 Pulse of Creativity
07:19 Favorite Item
15:56 Soups
20:57 Covid
25:07 Pub at Piper's Creek
34:16 We'll Never Be Billionaires
38:59 A Two Bells Memory (or two)
47:00 Narnia
50:48 Cold Spots
52:33 Life After Death
55:38 This Beautiful Thing

Pour One Out for the Two Bells - Part 1

Isaac Aubrey & Stephen Notley — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 08:00:00 -0700

Isaac and Steve push Zoom to the limit to babble about the legendary "PopCap South," otherwise known as the Two Bells Pub.

Plants vs. Zombies artists Rich Werner and Matt Holmberg team up with bartending superstar Julie Thomas for an unflinching sprint down memory lane. We dig up old memories of a beloved bar, examine them, and shake our collective heads at the sort of nonsense we used to get up to, all while celebrating a special place that meant so much to so many.

CHAPTERS

00:00 The Unofficial PopCap PopCast
00:19 Hello and Welcome
02:27 Pop a Cap in Yer Ass
03:39 Vechey
04:50 Symbiotic
06:56 Back Tables
09:31 TTP
12:37 Belltown
14:02 Big Fish
16:46 Human Thing
19:22 Irish Noir Gangster
23:05 Some Kind of Disturbance
27:29 Meredith Storm
29:41 Smart Drinkers Drink Water
33:54 Two Bells Movie Night
36:26 Punks and Party Animals
40:05 Evil Disney Witch Ladies
46:31 That Third Place
49:30 Robo Dojo
52:01 Pure Daylight
52:29 And On That

Ultra Extreme Peggle Grand Master: Ace Rothstein - Part 2

Isaac Aubrey & Stephen Notley — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 08:00:00 -0700

Steve, Isaac and Ace return for a scorching Part 2 discussion about Magic Powers, Zen Balls, game names, art styles, wild adventures and more Peggle and video game programming nerd stuff than a stick can be shaken at -- all these and more are talked about in this astounding episode. Rejoice!

CHAPTERS

00:00 The Unofficial PopCap PopCast
00:19 Hello and Welcome
01:25 Previously On...
02:15 We Got a Hit On Our Hands
03:57 Magic Powers Need Identities
05:06 Zen Ball
07:39 Pego Mastery
11:28 Controlling the Bucket
13:53 A Game Called Peggle
14:24 Our Peggle's Better
15:53 How To Create A Peggle Level
24:24 White Room
25:13 Walked Out
30:59 An Original Idea
34:39 Art Style - Walter Wilson
39:12 Wild Adventuers and Stories
49:40 GoBit.com
50:10 Basically Burger Shop
54:43 Scoring Systems
56:33 Speedrunning
58:38 Ultra Extreme Grand Master
59:31 Replays
1:00:45 Everything Is Feeling Good
1:02:59 It's Better When Other People Like It

LINKS
Gobit Games
http://gobit.com

The Original Peggle Master: Ace Rothstein - Part 1

Isaac Aubrey & Stephen Notley — Wed, 27 May 2026 08:00:00 -0700

Isaac and Steve are hyped to chat with original Peggle programmer Ace "Brian" Rothstein.

Chatstuff includes working for Sierra Online, how Ace and the various PopCap founders met, several unpublished games, and a goodly chunk of a deep deep dive into the glory that is Peggle. Check it out!

CHAPTERS

00:00 The Unofficial PopCap PopCast
00:19 Hello, Greetings and Bonjour
00:50 Ace "Brian" Rothstein
03:39 I Call Myself a Programmer
10:53 Sierra Online
13:53 How I Became Ace
17:46 Early PopCap
21:32 Ready to Join the Good Guys
25:00 Circle Shoot (Zuma)
34:16 Deep Thoughts
37:32 Punch Patrol
42:38 Foxy Poker
44:57 Peggle
54:06 That Fever Moment
1:02:20 The Brilliance of Peggle
1:02:39 Until Next Time

Producing Plants vs. Zombies: MLJ - Part 2

Isaac Aubrey & Stephen Notley — Wed, 20 May 2026 08:00:00 -0700

Isaac and Steve circle back to more salty goodness with Producer Matthew Lee Johnston.

Discover how PvZ2 made the transition to Fremium, what EA CEO John Riccitello said to MLJ, plenty about game jams and indie games inside indie games, Make-a-Wish projects and oh so much more. Tune in... if you dare!

CHAPTERS
00:00 The Unofficial PopCap PopCast
00:19 Greetings and welcome
00:39 Previously on...
03:11 PvZ2 Rapid Iteration Mode
05:32 Time Travel
07:53 Plant Food
11:59 Consumables
13:34 Fremium
16:57 My Kid Had This Great Idea
19:32 "Matt's really kinda f**kin' up, right?"
21:23 Business People Masquerading as Creative People
24:01 Back-stabby Ladder Climbing
27:47 Knock a Muthaf**ker Out
30:22 When 4th and Battery Got Killed
30:32 What Is 4th and Battery
35:41 Allied Star Police
39:18 Pop Camp
43:41 Imperfect Segue
45:30 Positive Mental Attitude
51:08 All Things Become Possible

LINKS
https://getthatpma.com

Producing Plants vs. Zombies: MLJ - Part 1

Isaac Aubrey & Stephen Notley — Wed, 13 May 2026 08:00:00 -0700

Isaac and Steve welcome skater, entrepreneur and former PopCap and Plants vs Zombies producer Matthew Lee Johnston to the show.

Learn what a first day at PopCap was like, discover interwoven webs of perfectly hand-balanced dependencies, attend to the differences between "porting" a game and "adapting" it, and be apprised of the many ways that folks can fail to see eye to eye on the very same adaptation process. All that and a fair bit more on this week's episode of The Unofficial PopCap PopCast!

CHAPTERS
00:00 The Unofficial PopCap PopCast
00:19 Hello, Greetings
00:48 Introducing Matthew Lee Johnston
01:41 Tricked Into Interviewing
07:41 What's a Producer?
10:08 Most Noteworthy Games
12:42 First Day at PopCap
24:07 PvZ Xbox
27:04 Controlling PvZ
30:37 Fundamental Disagreement
38:23 Couch Co-op
41:16 Perfectly Hand-Balanced Dependencies
45:06 Working "with" George Fan
48:55 Plants vs. Zombies 2
56:18 MLJ Part 1 Wrapup

LINKS

PMA Magazine
https://www.getthatpma.com/

The Girl with the Popcorn Dragon Tattoo

Isaac Aubrey & Stephen Notley — Wed, 06 May 2026 08:00:00 -0700

Isaac and Steve greet a very special guest: writer and former PopCap Customer Support agent, Dana Sweeney!

Dana dishes dirt on how she got into PopCap, what life in the CS trenches was like, how a manager in Ireland stepped up, how she branched out from Customer Support, why she got one game-related tattoo but not another, and much, much, MUCH more! Oh, and we get a glimpse at a cat! Check it out... if you DARE.

CHAPTERS
00:00 The Unofficial PopCap PopCast
00:19 Welcome and Bonjour
01:02 PopCap Community
02:41 Temping Into PopCap
04:41 Free Games
06:02 Supporting Customers
07:09 Kitty Break - Lovey!
07:37 Bonkers Emails
11:43 Surviving CS
19:40 Career Development
21:16 Stuck in a Role
22:21 Special Memories
23:17 Great Place to be a Nerdy Person
25:49 Double Down
27:39 Undead World
29:03 In a Band
29:59 Tattoos
31:00 PopCorn Dragon
31:41 Cancelling Games
33:39 Shift to Mobile
34:48 Dumped in a Trash Can
36:00 Lust For Tomorrow
40:34 Writing Advice
41:35 Final Thoughts

LINKS
The Stronghold (Lust for Tomorrow & Trust In Tomorrow)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CW4V2YCR

Plants vs. Zombies Artists: Matt & Rich - Part 2

Isaac Aubrey & Stephen Notley — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 08:00:00 -0700

Matt Holmberg and Rich Werner! Two incredible Plants vs Zombies artists continue to blabble about games and more with Isaac & Steve.

Topics include but are not limited to: Conan the Barbarian, fast follows, premium vs. freemium, exploding books, industry dirt, how Rich got the PvZ art job, and what these magical creatures are doing RIGHT NOW. It's inadvisable to miss it, so don't!

CHAPTERS
00:00 The Unofficial PopCap PopCast
00:19 Bonjour and Greetings
01:37 Influences
11:04 Emotion in Games
20:15 Getting Into PvZ
29:44 Game Names
34:24 Making PvZ
36:18 Premium vs. Freemium
39:54 After PvZ
43:45 Sequels
45:24 PopCap QA
47:47 PvZ Hits (The Video)
53:03 Modern PvZ (PvZ 2026)
58:40 Exiting PopCap
1:07:35 Magical Creatures
1:14:59 Right Now
1:18:03 Until Next Time

LINKS

Gulf Guardian
https://gulfguardian.io

This Book Might Explode (Explodeyworld)
https://explodeyworld.com/

Plants vs. Zombies Artists: Rich & Matt - Part 1

Isaac Aubrey & Stephen Notley — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 08:00:00 -0700

Rich Werner & Matt Holmberg! Two amazing Plants vs Zombies artists join Isaac & Steve to blabble about making games.

We talk art school, teen translation, different paths into gaming, what it's like to work on soullessly empty media tie-ins, how the magic of PNGs make everybody's lives 1000x easier, and oodles of other things! Tune in!

CHAPTERS

00:00 The Unofficial PopCap PopCast
00:19 Greetings
00:33 Early Inspirations
08:45 Getting Into Games
16:46 Interactive Entertainment
22:29 Sprout
29:50 Into PopCap
37:29 PopWar/Prince of Toys
47:18 Jank Animation
48:34 Tools
54:12 FT
55:26 Free Ball
58:27 Next Time: Part 2

The Rise and Fall of Pig Up!

Isaac Aubrey & Stephen Notley — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 08:00:00 -0700

Isaac & Steve launch into the legendary game-that-wasn't, Pig Up! Learn awful secrets about how indie games start, develop, show great promise, and get crushingly cancelled!

o0:00 The Unofficial PopCap PopCast
00:21 Hello
01:12 The Rise and Fall of Pig Up
02:20 Prologue - When Pigs Fly
09:59 Prototype - When Pigs Flap
28:59 Development Heaven - The Rise
45:51 The Apex - The Award
48:42 Development Heck - The Fall
58:02 Crash Landing - Final Score
1:06:11 Next Time

LINKS
Wired article:
"Pig Up! Facebook Game Just Ruined Your Productivity"
https://www.wired.com/2011/07/pig-up/

When Electronic Arts Bought PopCap Games

Isaac Aubrey & Stephen Notley — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 08:00:00 -0700

DESCRIPTION
Isaac & Steve share their memories of when megacorp Electronic Arts bought PopCap Games.

CHAPTERS:
00:00 Unofficial PopCap PopCast
00:18 Greetings!
02:52 Overview
05:34 The Announcement All-Hands
17:38 Follow the Money
31:26 What It Meant
54:34 Next Time

The Unofficial Popcap PopCast: Why Is This Happening?

Isaac Aubrey & Stephen Notley — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 09:00:00 -0700

In the inaugural episode of The Unofficial PopCap PopCast, hosts Isaac Aubrey & Stephen Notley present their PopCap credentials and make the case for doing an insider podcast about the legendary indie game studio. Oink!