Why I Make Games: Cara Ely
2016-05-12
EA Staff
There’s something special about making video games, and whether you love art, engineering or both you know how magical the experience can be.
We’re lucky to have lots of amazing creative people who make video games here at EA, and we wanted to find out more about why they’ve chosen to make video games.
Games can offer an escape. For Cara Ely, Executive Producer of BejeweledTM Stars and Studio Creative Director at PopCap,TM grabbing a few minutes with Bejeweled can be just the thing to help unwind.
“I like the way match-3 games turn what could be a tedious moment into something playful and satisfying,” says Ely. “I travel a lot for work, and match-3 games have saved me many times when I’m in a long security line at the airport, or the Seattle to San Francisco flight is delayed for fog.”
Ely’s older brother worked for industry veteran Sid Meier (Civilization), which helped put her on the path towards creating games. “I realized pretty early that this was actually a legitimate career path,” she says.
Starting out as an associate producer, Ely has worked mostly on casual games, including the “You Don’t Know Jack” series.
“At a company called Oberon Games I transitioned from production to design, and created their most successful original IP series, “Dream Day,” which reached over 70 million downloads and is still going strong today,” says Ely. “I’ve worked on almost every type of casual game mechanic in some capacity.”
Ely is one of many working on Bejeweled Stars, the latest in the series from PopCap.
“I’ve been a Bejeweled fan since the very beginning, so I’m truly honored to be contributing in some way to this franchise,” says Ely. ”Bejeweled is one of the main reasons I wanted to join PopCap.”
PopCap is full of talented developers who love Bejeweled. “Creativity knows no bounds at PopCap,” says Ely. “It’s not limited to designers and artists — we have a studio full of passionate, creative, opinionated people in every single discipline.”
Ely and the team at PopCap are focused on player feedback to make sure the game delivers all of the fun, polish and personality that fans expect.
“I definitely feel a responsibility to our players — to Bejeweled fans and match-3 aficionados everywhere,” she says.
“It’s so inspiring to see the team making a game that is not simply a clone of what already exists in the market, but is instead delivering innovation where we believe players will most appreciate it. Players can create their own powers to win levels, fill Constellations with the stars they earn, and collect Charms to express themselves and build relationships in the game. I can’t wait to see what people think!”
Download Bejeweled Stars now!
Love Bejeweled? Tell us why on Twitter @EA.
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