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Peggle XBLA priced at 800MS points, adds 4-player multiplayer
One of the most addictive and deceptively simple titles in the PopCap catalog is Peggle. The concept is simple. Destroy all orange orbs by shooting a ball into an open area. Think Plinko with orbs. Once you make the shot the ball bounces around the environment raking up points and combos for hitting -- and thus destroying -- all of the colored spheres in the environment. Sounds enthralling, doesn't it? Well, it is and soon Xbox 360 users are about to join in the fun. In an interview with Uncle Gamer Radio, vice president of PopCap Games Greg Canessa announced the upcoming XBLA release of Peggle will hit the service for 800MS points ($10 USD). Need some perspective? When it originally launched on PC the title sold for $19.99. Additionally, Canessa finally revealed up to 4-players will be able to compete both locally and over Xbox Live. Peggle has yet to land a firm release date but Canessa did confirm the previously announced level packs will not be ready when the title ships unlike some other DLC. As long as they don't go all Lumines Live! on us, we're willing to listen. [Thanks, Virtonian]
Bejeweled add-on coming to World of Warcraft
There are many ways to deal with the boredom that can sometimes strike during lengthy World of Warcraft sessions -- other than walking away from the computer to partake in a more enjoyable activity (that's just unthinkable). Some people level up new characters. Some people head to the Barrens area to spew their hate-speech towards like-minded scoundrels. However, the virtual denizens of Azeroth will soon be wasting their time using a popular, real-life time wasting engine -- PopCap's uber-successful casual puzzler, Bejeweled. The in-game add-on began as a homebrew Bejeweled clone from Michael Fromwiller, cleverly titled Besharded. Fromwiller developed the add-on as a method of killing time during long raids and farming sessions, but it wasn't too long before PopCap caught wind of the MMO mini-game. Instead of issuing a timely cease and desist, the casual gaming colossus hired Fromwiller to create a more polished version of the application. The add-on will launch this coming Thursday -- it would probably be wise to put in as much quality time with your WoW-playing acquaintances before then, as you won't be seeing them again for quite some time.
Bejeweled addon gets beta'd by WoW Insider
What happens when you take a fun, addictive and productivity-threatening game like World of Warcraft and combine it with another fun, addictive and productively-threatening game like Bejeweled? We're not sure, since everyone who's been tasked with playing it has never been heard from again. Still, we're sure there's not risk of losing friends, family, your job and your pet bunny SirHopsalot if you get this addon.Our sister site WoW insider has a write-up of the beta version of the Bejeweled addon. While we're not sure how they managed to tear themselves away from Bejeweled in World of Warcraft to actually write the whole thing, we are duly impressed with what they have to report. This isn't just Bejeweled slapped into WoW. Popcap Games is working to integrate their game into WoW itself in clever ways. So, for example, whenever you hop onto a flight the game will instantly pop up with a timed mode play session for you to enjoy. There's also high-score boards that you, your friends and guildmates who've got the addon can all see. This is definitely the start of some kind of frakenddiction. Gallery: Popcap Games' Bejeweled Addon Preview One of Azeroth's millions of citizens? Check out our ongoing coverage of the World of Warcraft, and be sure to touch base with our sister site WoW Insider for all your Lich King needs!
WoW Insider's preview of PopCap Games' Bejeweled addon
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/pc_games/WoW_Insider_previews_Popcap_s_Bejeweld_addon_for_WoW'; As anyone who's ever stayed up late for a raiding or grinding session will tell you, World of Warcraft is already an addictive game. About the only thing you could do to make it more addictive is have a game company like PopCap Games (they make some of the most popular casual games around, from Bejeweled to Bookworm to Peggle) stick one of their time-wasters in an addon. And so when PopCap came to WoW Insider earlier this week to tell us that they're planning to do just that, our minds understandably exploded.They sent us a beta version, and for the past few days, we've wasted as much time in Azeroth as in real-life. That's not exactly true -- I've been leveling up my fishing and cooking lately, and the addon has been really helpful with all of the downtime and flight time (even if I do miss catching a cast every once in a while because I'm on a big streak). After the break, read more about just how the free Bejeweled addon (to be released later this week from PopCap) will devastate all of your formerly empty downtime in Azeroth, and check out our gallery to see the beta version of Bejeweled being played on the live realms.%Gallery-32336%
SEQUEL FEVER! Peggle Nights available now
Which is terrible news, by the way. We've been trying to write this post since the weekend, but have been unable to escape Peggle Nights' "just one more go" vortex. Its predecessor, Peggle, was the game that massacred productivity on a global scale last year, even managing to controversially trounce Mass Effect in our Game of the Year awards. The $20 sequel, which is now available at PopCap's site (it'll hit other game portals next month), boasts "60 all-new Adventure Mode levels and 60 new Challenge Mode hurdles, along with a new "Peggle Master" power-up, new kinds of style shots, achievements, and other special bonuses." And yes, we just copied and pasted that from the press release so we could go back to playing it.
Weekly XBLA: Feeding Frenzy 2 and Domino Master
Being a little slow on their announcement, today Microsoft announced that this Wednesday, September 17th, the Xbox Live Arcade will be receiving a double dose of Arcade goodness, with both Feeding Frenzy 2 Shipwreck Showdown and Domino Master seeing a release. Both games will set you back 800 Microsoft points and both games have, uh ... Xbox Live leaderboards? Yes, it's a stretch, but that's all we have. And now we're hungry for pizza ... darn.
Bejeweled franchise downloaded 350 million times, sells 25 million units
The crack refinement corporation disguising itself as a game company -- also known as PopCap Games -- has announced that the Bejeweled franchise has sold over 25 million units across all platforms. The definition of "all platforms" would consist of online, mobile, retail, "in-flight" and other channels. PopCap also noted that the Bejeweled series has been downloaded 350 million times from the interwebs and makes up one third of the company's billion-plus downloads. The game has earned over $300 million in revenue through sales and "tens of millions" in online advertising. Jason Kapalka, co-founder of PopCap, says online distributors wanted no part of the game when it released eight years ago -- he vividly remembers buyers telling him, "It's not even a game."
PopCap bringing Peggle to DS this winter
We allowed ourselves to get our hopes up for a DS version of the terrifyingly addictive Peggle earlier this year, only to have them crash down around us. Now though, it seems we can sweep up the pieces of our hopes, assemble them once again and send them flying on the back of a magical unicorn into a rainbow-filled sky: PopCap has confirmed a DS version of the game will arrive this winter. If you've already played the game, you know it's a little like pachinko on crack or steroids or whatever drug means really fun and addictive. If you haven't played the game, then we'd urge you to think very carefully before starting, at least if you have any hopes of carrying on a normal life. Oh, and PopCap will also be bringing two seek-n-solve games, Amazing Adventures and Mystery PI to the system, not that you'll have time for them, what with all the Peggle.
PopCap promises "coolest collaboration ever"
PopCap are well known for their catalog of casual games, having released a bunch of them on the Live Arcade, and even more via other release channels. So it was no surprise when in an interview with Gamasutra, both the co-founder and CEO reasserted their commitment to continuing to make games that appeal to the widest possible audience. A surprise did come toward the end of the interview though, when it was announced that PopCap is collaborating with a company that has extensive console experience but also highly values casual games. In a fleeting moment of hyperbole, the project was described as "the coolest collaboration ever, I promise," then pulled back to the more reasonable "I'll maintain that it will be one of the top ten collaborations (in gaming)."Whatever it turns out to be, if the co-fonder of the company thinks this highly of any specific project out of all the ones that PopCap oversees, it's quite likely to be good. Or maybe this is all just marketing designed to get us to think that ...
Mytopia reinvents Yahoo! Games for the MySpace generation
Are casual, social games the wave of the future? In years to come, will we lovers of the swinging sword, the flashing fireball and the gigantic gun be left reminiscing about the "good old days" as we sign on for another evening of massively multiplayer bingo? The makers of Mytopia took a look into their crystal ball, saw the success of MySpace and Facebook and casual-game havens like Popcap, Yahoo! and Neopets and said, "These great tastes... would taste great together!"Thus was born Mytopia, a Flash-based virtual world where you can create your own super-deformed avatar (like Wii's Miis) and play popular board and card games with people from around the world, build friends lists, send email, and gamble away virtual money challenging other players to backgammon, chess, Sudoku and several other similar games. It works not only as a standalone web site, but also as an application you can install in Facebook, MySpace or Bebo. No matter how you arrive in Mytopia, though, you'll be able to play with everyone else -- there's only one game world shared by all.Mytopia has a cheerful art style, bouncy music, and well-rendered board games. What it does not have, though, is bloody avatar fights in the Battledome. Come on. Even Neopets has that.[Via Techcrunch]
Romantic gamer proposes with homebrewed Bejeweled
Proposing in MMOs like World of Warcraft and Second Life is played out, so what's a gamer to do when he wants to drop to one knee and still retain his nerd credibility? Well, how about homebrewing your honey's favorite game to pop the question? Xanga user Bernie did just that to propose to his girlfriend Tammy. Knowing that Bejeweled was her favorite game, Bernie spent a few weeks putting together a Nintendo DS version (completely from scratch, no less). Once the game hits a certain score, the screen clears and a ring made of the game's jewel sprites lowers on the screen. When his girlfriend played the game and arrived at the special screen, Bernie was ready with real ring in hand. Proposal by casual game is certainly a first, so congrats to Bernie and Tammy both for getting engaged, and for setting a new precedent in nerd love.
XBLA Peggle will support downloadable content
PopCap Games' almost, nearly, okay it's just like crack Peggle is headed to the XBLA sometime in the near future and with the addition of some form of multiplayer, we're happy campers. And thanks to 1UP, we have yet another reason to be excited for the XBLA version of Peggle ... downloadable content! That's right, our future Peggle addiction will technically be limitless with confirmation from PopCap that the game will definitely support downloadable levels off the XBLM. No word on pricing details or how much DLC is planned (the game hasn't released yet, be patient), but we're not in the game of specifics when dealing with Peggle. We'll pay anything for more crack Peggle fun. Give us our crack Peggle now!
XBLA Peggle gets multiplayer, 'online modes and features'
And if you don't think we're taking all the credit, we can settle this over a one-on-one multiplayer round of Peggle when it hits XBLA in Q2 this year. You see, when we called Peggle one of the best games of 2007 we closed by suggesting, "Maybe Peggle 2 will include some sort of Internet play option. PopCap ... you listening?" Evidently, not only were they listening, they were taking notes and – just to throw doubters off our scent – they're adding multiplayer functionality to Peggle 1! In an interview done by the folks at Microsoft's Gamerscore Blog – powered by questions from Evil Avatar – PopCap's Greg Canessa confirms that the XBLA release will include "online modes and features" including multiplayer, but didn't offer any specifics short of that (co-op? versus?). You can check out the video after the break to hear it for yourself (scrub ahead to 2:40 to catch Greg's comments). Consider us pleased ... just send that royalty check over to our offices at 1337 Joystiq Way, alright PopCap? [Via X3F]
XBLA Peggle to include new online multiplayer modes [update]
With the help of the team over at the Gamerscore Blog, Evil Avatar got a chance to get a few questions answered by PopCap Games' Greg Canessa about two of their upcoming XBLA games, Feeding Frenzy 2 and Peggle. From the interview we learn that not only will Peggle be amazingly, addictively fun (who would have guessed that?), but we find out that PopCap is working very hard to bring multiplayer to Peggle. Canessa confirms that the XBLA version of Peggle is guaranteed to include two player co-op as well as online multiplayer, but refused to cite specifics about how many players will be supported or if co-op will be online enabled. We say, bravo to that! Including any form of multiplayer in Peggle is a huge step forward for the franchise and should make it even more addictive. Color us Peggle excited! Oh yeah, we should also tell you that Canessa confirmed that Feeding Frenzy 2 will include local co-op as well. Multiplayer XBLA gaming for all! Update: Canessa did not specifically confirm whether or not Peggle's multiplayer modes will include co-op.
PopCap denies Peggle DS 'rumor'
Not so fast peg-pounding pellet paramours! PopCap has promptly pulled the plug on PocketGamer's proof of Peggle for DS. Pop! Poof! Phizzle ... ya dig? PopCap VP of Video Game Platforms Greg Canessa issued a brief statement via press release today, claiming the ol' rumor mill has kicked into "overdrive." "We have ambitious plans for many of our titles including Peggle, and are eager to bring its peg-popping pleasures to as many appropriate platforms and devices as possible," said Canessa, "But Nintendo has not approved this product, we have not signed a developer to port Peggle to DS, and we have not green lighted this project."
We told you so! Peggle now confirmed for the XBLA
Fresh off of yesterday's ESRB searching for unannounced Xbox Live Arcade games, we just received confirmation that one of the three games we discovered will release to the Arcade Q2 of 2008. Our detective work must have put too much pressure on the studio to keep it a secret any longer. PopCap Games just confirmed with Shacknews that Peggle is indeed releasing to the XBLA later this year when unicorns dance across your screen and take over your soul. Seriously guys, Peggle is like crack rolled in heroine laced ecstasy ... you will become a Peggle addict later this year. And we can't wait! [Via Joystiq]
PopCap's Peggle confirmed for XBLA
The ESRB's on-going quest to free cats from their cruel bag prisons has prompted another and surprisingly quick confirmation -- Peggle is indeed on its way to Xbox Live Arcade. Shacknews reports that interactive drug peddler, PopCap, has tentative plans to expose Xbox 360 owners to the Pachinko-like substance in Q2 2008. Coupled with PC, Mac and iPod versions, it seems there's simply no escaping the addictive power of unicorns.
Rumor: Peggle, Bliss Island and UBAM to XBLA [update]
Update: Peggle has now been confirmed for a Q2 2008 XBLA release. More details here. Today, being the little detectives we like to think we are, we decided to go search crazy on the ESRB ratings board website and we struck XBLA gold! We came across Xbox 360 listings for three new and unannounced XBLA games including PopCap's addictive Peggle, Codemasters' Bliss Island and Majesco's Ultra Bust-A-Move which, in all honestly, could be an Xbox Original seeing that it originally released to the black box a few years back. Since we found all these games listed on the ESRB we have absolutely no other details pertaining to release dates or pricing, but we're sure we'll be seeing one, two or all of them making headlines later this year. So, who is up for some XBLA Peggle?
Peggle (finally) coming to Mac
In Peggle parlance, Popcap Games has just landed a very nice rebound shot, knocking out two hits in one day and launching us into a state of "Extreme Fever." In layman's terms, Popcap has just announced the launch of Peggle for Mac OS X, closely following the game's release on Apple's iPod music player. Identical to the PC-version, Peggle Deluxe on Mac features 55 levels of Pachinko-inspired, ball-bouncing, peg-busting mayhem. Unlike recent Mac ports like Guitar Hero III and GameTap, the release is Universal Binary, meaning it's compatible with Intel Macs, as well as older Power PC Macs. Also releasing today for the Mac is Popcap's classic puzzle game Chuzzle, a match-three casual title originally released in 2005. Now all we need is Bookworm Adventures on the Mac and we'll be set for life.
Sonic the Hedgehog and Peggle come to iPod
Two new games are available on the iPod today, and they couldn't be any more opposite of each other. One is perfectly suited to the iPod's limited controls, and was practically built to be played with the circular click wheel. The other... well... not so much.The original Sonic the Hedgehog is now available for the iPod, featuring the full Sega Genesis classic, as well as the option to replace the game's seminal tunes with your own crappy music. We love Sonic and all, but the platforming precision required to play through this title will most likely not prove conducive to the iPod's click wheel and buttons. We expect much cramping and cursing.Contrast this with Peggle, Popcap's ever-so-excellent casual game offering, and the other game now playable on the iPod. Of the two, Peggle's much more suited to the format, and could easily become one of the best games available for the music player. Both titles are now available for purchase through the iTunes Music Store for $4.99 USD each, and are compatible with the 3G iPod Nano, the 5G iPod, and the iPod Classic.Read - Sonic press releaseRead - Peggle press release
