When thinking about Bejeweled, most gamers will likely think of their Aunt May, who casually plays the game after a rough patch of bridge with her friends at the club. This is precisely what PopCap Games thought of as well when considering how to launch their new game, Bejeweled 3. A survey of over 2000 gamers revealed that the average casual gamer is a, "45 year old mum called Sue." Thus, PopCap threw a launch party, inviting a number of typical casual gamers, including: a Welsh Librarian, a trendy dad, a secretary and a granny. Aunt May likely won't be able to figure out how to search Google for this news story, but PopCap still has her in mind.

Here's a relevant quote from the 51 year old Welsh Librarian at the party:

"“I love an evening in on the sofa playing Bejeweled on my laptop. My husband Jeff and I have a giggle playing together and we’ve even converted our 28-year-old son to playing games with us as a family.”

Each participant came to the event armed with a likely poorly specced laptop, and as the tea flowed and the cake disappeared these casual gamers likely scored Bejeweled scores pro StarCraft or Counter Strike players could never dream of.

Bejeweled 3 - Launch Party with Grandmas and Tea

Looking at the trailer for the upcoming Bejeweled 3, it appears that the sequel will be adding a multitude of new and exciting modes for casual gamers to try out. The poker one looks particularly exciting. The game is certain to draw out the slot machine love in every gamer.

All joking aside, Bejewled is a great time waster. It likely ranks up there with Tetris in terms of intuitive and simple gameplay that even Aunt May can appreciate. It's great to see PopCap coming out with Bejeweled 3, because it's hard not to wonder how Facebook games like Farmville are affecting profits. Then again, PopCap could likely pump out Plants vs. Zombies sequels and be set for all time, so it's probably not worth worrying about them.

There you go, Ranters. Make sure to celebrate tomorrow's launch of Bejeweled 3 by going over to your Grandma's or Aunt's house and setting a bookmark to Bejeweled 3 on their desktop. That way they won't call you ten times a week to help you get the game open. Also, eat some cake.