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Deals with Gold: PopCap puzzlers
This week's Deals with Gold features discounts on a handful of PopCap-developed games for Xbox Live Gold subscribers. Xbox One owners can pick up third-person shooter Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare at 66 percent off ($13.59) as well as Peggle 2 at 60 percent off ($4.79). Garden Warfare is just $10.19 this week on Xbox 360 as well. Other Xbox 360 games are half-off this week, such as the original Peggle ($4.99) and its Peggle Nights expansion ($2.49) as well as Bejeweled 3 and Plants vs. Zombies ($7.49 each). Lastly, players can download both Zuma and Feeding Frenzy ($2.49 each) as well as their sequels Zuma's Revenge and Feeding Frenzy 2 ($4.99 each). The deals are good through Monday, December 15. [Image: PopCap Games]
PlayStation Now gets Mirror's Edge, Mass Effect 2, more next month
EA will bring games from its catalog to Sony's video game streaming service PlayStation Now starting next month. As of December 2, five of EA's games will be available to stream starting "around $1 per day," according to PlayStation Blog. The games being added to PlayStation Now are: Mirror's Edge, Mass Effect 2, Dead Space 3, NBA Jam On Fire Edition and Bejeweled 3. Sony kicked off the open beta for its PlayStation Now service in July on PS4 before rolling its open beta phases out for PS3 in September, later arriving on Vita as well as PS TV in October. The streaming service will reach Europe in 2015, with the UK slated to get access to the first beta in the region. EA continues to find ways to leverage its catalog on digital platforms, as it kicked off its own subscription-based service on Xbox One in August, EA Access. Sony previously evaluated EA Access and determined that it "does not bring the kind of value PlayStation customers have come to expect," leading to the service's Xbox One exclusivity. [Image: EA]
Nab a free copy of Bejeweled 3 on Origin
Bejeweled 3 is the latest entry in Origin's On the House program, meaning the normally $5 tile-matching puzzler is free for Windows PC and Mac until October 28. As with the other On the House freebies, once you claim the game, it's yours to keep. PopCap's super-successful series may be in its teens, but it's only seen five releases to date, including two spinoffs. Bejeweled 3 added four new modes to the mix which you unlock as you play through, but as Joystiq's Richard Mitchell put it in his 2011 XBLA in Brief video, "Why are you still watching this? It's Bejeweled. It's the same game it's been for a decade, except it's prettier and it's got more stuff." [Image: EA]
Humble Weekly Sale spotlights PopCap with Peggle, Plants vs. Zombies
This week's Humble Weekly Sale focuses on casual games developer extraordinaire PopCap Games, serving up downloadable copies of Peggle, Plants vs. Zombies, and other favorites plucked from the studio's back catalog. Buyers who pay at least $1 for the bundle will receive Steam and Origin copies of PopCap's pachinko-puzzler hybrid Peggle, match-three gem-buster Bejeweled 3, word-stringing puzzle game Bookworm, hidden-object adventure Escape Rosecliff Island, and sealife evolution sim Feeding Frenzy Deluxe. Chip in more than $6 and you'll also get the Game of the Year Edition of PopCap's tower defense strategy game Plants vs. Zombies, DLC expansion Peggle Nights, and color-matching puzzler Zuma's Revenge. PopCap owner Electronic Arts is donating all bundle proceeds to The V Foundation for Cancer Research and the Melanoma Research Alliance. [Image: Humble Bundle / PopCap]
Xbox 360 Ultimate Sale continues with FIFA 14, Skyrim, Dead Island: Riptide
It's day 3 of the Xbox 360 Ultimate Game Sale, and that means seven more discounts vying to divorce hard-earned cash from bank accounts. The big name games include FIFA 14, Skyrim, and Dead Island: Riptide, but the biggest discount of the day goes to Bejeweled 3; should you want your precious time consumed by addictive match-3 puzzling, the Arcade game is down by a whopping 93 percent to just over a buck. We've got today's one-day-only discounts in full below the break. Don't forget, there's also a collection of games staying on sale throughout the week, including a little-known gem by the name of Portal 2. Could be a sleeper hit, that game, so if you want to get ahead of the curve, it's two-thirds off at $9.89/£6.59/9.89 euros.
All PopCap games half-off this weekend
To celebrate the Chinese New Year, PopCap put every game in its library on sale through Tuesday, February 12. All downloadable PC games are 50 percent off though the developer's store, including Plants vs. Zombies, Peggle and Bejeweled 3.The sale could certainly fund PopCap's "AAA console title" ambitions, but the savings are passed on to you, the player. That extra money equates to a lot of burritos, or in this weekend's case, egg rolls.
PopCap revamps Bejeweled on iOS, sends Bejeweled Blitz freemium
Very similar to the way EA has revamped its Tetris app recently, PopCap Games (now owned by EA) has decided to revamp its Bejeweled offerings on the iPhone, taking the various versions of the world's brightest match-3 game gem and concentrating them down into a few offerings. There will be two Bejeweled games on the App Store after all is said and done. Bejeweled Blitz is going to go to a freemium model where players can earn coins to unlock content (or just buy it outright via in-app purchase); the app will also take advantage of full Facebook integration. Bejeweled 2 is being reinvented as Bejeweled for iPhone and iPod touch, featuring three gameplay modes, full Retina Display graphics, and a host of various social and profile features. Bejeweled for iPhone will be 99 cents on the App Store. I've been waiting for PopCap to release Bejeweled 3 on the iPhone, but it looks like this is the best we're getting -- the new app has a Zen mode in it, plus all the achievements and ranking the latest PC game comes with. Odds are that if PopCap is bringing other updates to the iOS version, it'll be through this app, not through an official Bejeweled 3 port. Interesting that there's no iPad coverage yet, either -- I for one wouldn't mind playing Bejeweled on my iPad, too. But it certainly seems like PopCap and EA are getting their ducks in a row before the holidays, laying out out their biggest properties so they can be found (and purchased) by players with shiny new iPhones and iPads.
XBLA in Brief: Bejeweled 3
We've reviewed the multiplatform release Dungeon Defenders (which is excellent, by the way), and that only leaves Bejeweled 3 for XBLA in Brief this week. It's ... well, it's Bejeweled. There are new Xbox Live Arcade games released every week. We realize that our readers are busy, attractive people, and may not have time to download and examine each and every new XBLA game. You've got busy, attractive person stuff to do, after all. Not to worry though, because we've done the work for you, downloading every single trial game and giving you a taste of what to expect. Watch XBLA in Brief every week to see which games deserve a closer look. When you have the time, of course.
TUAW's Daily Mac App: Bejeweled 3
Fancy an addictive, fun, casual game for your Mac? Look no further than the classic Bejeweled, now back in its third iteration on the Mac. Played either in full screen or windowed, the standard game hasn't changed, you still match three or more gems in a row to clear them from the board. There are four different play modes to choose from: classic, which you just match the gems until you can't make any more moves, levelling up as you go; Zen, where the board is shaken up if you can't move; Lightning, where you have to match against the clock; and Quest, where you have to complete a set task or puzzle to progress. Four secret modes are also available to unlock like Poker, a cross between gem matching and the classic card game, which are unlocked by playing the four regular game types. Bejeweled 3 has all sorts of fancy gems, which explode, zap and annihilate the gems, while the explosions and sound effects are joined by an announcer who blasts out "Excellent" and "Awesome" when you get on a roll. The game even has a fairly decent midi sound track to it. If you're a fan, the whole experience really draws you in so be prepared to waste a good hour or two before you know it. As with most modern games Bejeweled 3 also comes with achievements in the form of 20 badges to collect, including five "Elite" badges, while you can level up with experience points gained from playing each of the games. Bejeweled 3 is available from the Mac App Store for the rather dear US$19.99, but if you've played the free online version and want the ads gone and a native experience, Bejeweled 3 for Mac delivers in droves and there's even a free trial to test it out.
Bejeweled 3 headed to consoles
PopCap Games announced today that Bejeweled 3 will drop on DS, PS3 and Xbox 360 (in retail, PSN and XBLA versions, respectively) during the last quarter of 2011 in North America and Europe. If you haven't already declared PopCap Games the enemy of global productivity, the company now reminds you that the Bejeweled games are purchased "at the rate of one copy every 4.3 seconds." The developer and publisher of such time-sinks as Plants vs. Zombies and Peggle has already given us a glimpse into the future of its cuddly, iron-fisted domination of free time. The company recently began its huggable assault on Android devices, is funding a $3 million Spicy Horse project and continues to put the pieces in place for further Facebook control. Fear the power of a PopCap IPO, friends.
Hear the remastered Bejeweled soundtracks for the first time
You know, we didn't even realize Bejeweled games had music. Every time we play one of those joints it's when we're supposed to be doing something else -- so it's always muted, if not half-tucked under our desk on an iPhone, all cocked sideways. Listening to the remastered Bejeweled 2 and 3 soundtracks, now available to stream (or purchase) from the composers' page on online music store Bandcamp, it's clear that we've been missing out. These lively electronic ditties have a lot of spirit -- so why waste them on gem-matching? This could be the mix that finally transforms your mundane ride to work into a "journey," or your half-assed workout into a "quest." Bonus: The Plants vs. Zombies soundtrack is also available on Bandcamp.
Bejeweled 3 (probably) coming to iOS
Here's some good (if obvious) news to kick off your weekend right. PopCap Games' Garth Chouteau says in a recent interview that yes, in case you were wondering, they will probably bring Bejeweled 3 to iOS. The latest version of the original gem-matching masterpiece was released on PC a while back, but many players held off in order to buy it on iPhone and iPad. Chouteau says that while "we're traditionally somewhat slow to adapt our games to other platforms after launching them on PC/Mac... Bejeweled 3 for iPhone/iPad is probably something we'll do...eventually...!" I can't say I blame PopCap for taking its time -- of course they want to sell copies of the desktop app, and with a game as simple as Bejeweled, I'd imagine most people would rather play it in a mobile form. But even though they go slow, PopCap eventually hits as many platforms as possible, so we'll see Bejeweled 3 on iOS at some point. The company is organizing a meetup at the Game Developers' Conference in San Francisco later this month so perhaps "eventually" will be sooner than we think. I'll be there in person, and if there are any new iOS games to speak of you'll be the first to know.
Bing adds playable games to search results
At approximately 3:00pm ET, Joystiq blogger Richard Mitchell was assigned an article regarding the Bing search engine now including playable games in its search results. For example, if a user were to search the term "blackjack," the results page will include a playable version of blackjack embedded directly in the search engine itself. Furthermore, players can log into either Facebook or Windows Live to compare scores with friends. Mr. Mitchell is believed to have begun a game of Bejeweled 3 for research purposes. He has not been heard from since. Should any reader discover the whereabouts of Mr. Mitchell, please contact Joystiq immediately. For the sake of your loved ones, it is recommended that you do not examine the list of available games after the break.
PopCap's (almost) entire PC and Mac catalog is 50% off
Dozens of PopCap's titles are on sale through January 2 -- from Alchemy to Zuma's Revenge. The sale covers all PC and Mac downloadables, excluding the recently launched Bejeweled 3 (it also doesn't extend to any game bundles). Still, even sans its new puzzler, there are plenty of gems to be had.
Bejeweled 3 out now for Mac
Billed as the world's #1 puzzle game, PopCap's Bejeweled 3 for Mac is out and ready for download. This new version has 8 different game modes, including Classic Bejeweled, non-stop Lightning, and Zen mode, and it also allows players to collect up to 65 achievement badges and unlock 4 new games as they play. Available for Mac OS X 10.5-10.6.x and later, Bejeweled 3 is priced at US$19.99. A free 60-minute trial of the game is also available for those looking to check it out before buying. After Angry Birds, Bejeweled 2 is my second favorite time waster game on my iPhone. While the release of Bejeweled 3 for Mac is notable, I myself will be waiting for the iOS release as that's where I do most of my gaming. Click Read More to check out a video of Bejeweled 3. [via Steam]
Bejeweled 3 drops a gem on us December 7
Just when you thought you were ready to kick that decade-old "habit," PopCap goes and announces Bejeweled 3. You might be thinking: Okay, so they just added the number three to the title ... I can resist that. Really? Can you? The only good news is you don't have to lie to yourself, because it's not just the number three that's been added. The new Bejeweled -- coming in, uh-oh, just five short weeks -- appears to offer plenty of excuses for your imminent relapse, including new Quest and Zen modes, plus unlockable "secret" game variants. Of course, you can always blame it on the "ultra-smooth gameplay" and "mellifluous music and sound" -- that's probably even grounds for a class action right there. Beginning December 7, Bejeweled 3 will be peddled for $20 through online and retail outlets across North America, Europe and Asia. A Popcap representative confirmed to Joystiq that at that time the game will be available for PC and Mac, with other unannounced platforms to follow. %Gallery-106368%
