Co-founder of PopCap Games Resigns from Company

One of the three co-founders of PopCap Games, known for developing the likes of Bejeweled, Plants vs. Zombies and Peggle, has resigned from the company.

Electronic Arts has announced that John Vechey, co-founder of PopCap Games, has parted ways from the studio. PopCap Games was acquired by EA in 2011 for over $650 million. This high buyout price was due to the success PopCap received with the likes of Bejeweled, Peggle and Plants vs. Zombies. While many of PopCap's games have simplistic, puzzle-based natures, they have highly addictive qualities to them, which led to the studio's success on the mobile market.

Vechey helped create PopCap Games with Jason Kapalka and Brian Fiete in 2000. Inspired by Internet flash games, the trio hired a few others to help create their debut title, Bejeweled, which would eventually become a hit across mobile devices and home consoles.

John Vechey left the company on amicable terms, citing more time with family and a focus on charitable, non-profit organizations being the reasons why he'd like the time away from the gaming industry. A part of his goodbye letter to his fans and PopCap cohorts reads as follows:

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.