In an interview with Kombo, PopCap Games’ PR director Garth Chouteau has noted that the highly acclaimed Plants vs. Zombies will follow its cousin Peggle onto other platforms: XBLA, PSN- even the DS and iPhone. Chouteau is quoted by Kombo on the matter:

…Peggle for XBLA is a good example of a game that we took that was popular on the PC and we spent probably twice as long as anyone else would have figuring how to make that game really good for Xbox and Xbox Live Arcade, and I think you will see that with Plants Vs. Zombies–I don’t know the exact order in which that game will make its way onto other platforms, but it’s certainly been successful enough, quickly enough, that we’re looking at other platforms and deciding where we’ll take that game next…

Since PvZ was such a success, both commercially and critically, it can only be good news that it can come to a bigger audience. I only hope that they make a DS version as good as Peggle DS.

Peggle, the disgustingly addictive Plinko-like game, is now available on the iPhone and iPod Touch for $4.99.

“Our new adaptation of Peggle for iPhone and iPod touch was truly a labor of love,” stated Andrew Stein, director of mobile business development at PopCap. “We spent huge amounts of time specifically optimizing this version of one of our favorite games to one of the world’s coolest devices, so that it was just right.”

The above excerpt is from the press release and is talking about new features such as zoom, new types of shots, and an enhanced UI better suited to for the devices.

Game Stooge

Peggle Nights is so addictive, it could be considered mainline gaming at its purest. It’s a game you can replay endlessly to squeeze out a good 20-30 hours of content— not bad for a “budget” title. Even though my preferred method of playing the game is to idly focus on the dozens of challenges while watching TV or listening to music, that doesn’t mean Peggle Nights qualifies as just half a game. It simply means I can’t stop playing it long enough to do anything else.

For the uninitiated, Peggle is a hybrid of Pachinko and Pinball. Wild yet completely accurate ball physics are the crux of the gameplay—after shooting out a bouncy metal ball from the top of the screen, you have to ricochet off of as many pegs as possible on the way down. Like in pinball, the pegs you hit act like bumpers to give you a high score and bonuses, and there’s even a powerup that gives you flippers at the bottom of the screen.

You’ll also find a moving bucket at the bottom of the screen for collecting your errant balls. While at first you’ll only make some lucky catches, later on you can actually time your shots to perfectly land in the bucket. This is just one way that Peggle rewards experience the longer you play—more balls means more chances to clear all the pegs, and you’ll earn a sweet bonus to boot.

This absurdly original gameplay mechanic would be a hit even if it were just in black and white, but Peggle Nights explodes with color. Like in the original Peggle, each level has a theme based on the charming animal creatures who lend you their special powers—Tula the Flower bursts multiple orange (level-clearing) pegs, while Renfield the Jack-O-Lantern gives you a spooky ball that passes through the bottom of the stage and reappears at the top.

You’ll have to play through the adventure mode to unlock all the characters and their powers (which are the same as the original Peggle), but there’s one new character and power at the very end. Her ability is very useful, but I’d love to see even more new cast members and powerups next time around.

Although the fact that there’s only one new character is a bit of a letdown, Peggle Nights takes you further into the minds of the existing characters than you might have cared to go. Each stage portrays a character’s dream state—Tula the Flower, for example, wants to be a world traveler instead of being rooted to the ground, so her stages take you to Peggle versions of the Great Wall of China and Mount Rushmore.

This charm is contagious. You can’t help but feel happy to play and replay these colorful, detailed, and imaginative stages. It certainly doesn’t hurt that you will feel a compelling urge to win a trophy for fulfilling every minor objective. Peggle Nights adds new “ace score” ribbons for earning a certain number of points, which nicely complements the 100% completion awards that stretched out the length of the first game.

Which brings me back to my initial point. I play Peggle Nights constantly now. Since half of the game is spent watching the points roll in while your “balls drop”, Peggle feels casual enough to be put on as background while I partake in other passive forms of entertainment. At the same time, I know that Peggle actually complex beyond reasoning. The first Peggle was nearly perfect, and this sequel just tucks in a little bit more of what was brilliant about it.

Can playing Bejeweled every day keep the doctor away? A recent study by the East Carolina University’s Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies suggests that casual games can relieve stress and improve one’s mood.

In a six month long randomized controlled study, 103 participants played Bejeweled 2, Peggle, and Bookworm Adventures, all made by PopCap Games. The control group was asked to search the internet for journal articles. The participants’ heart-rate variability, EEG, and mood states were measured before and after playing the aforementioned games.

Here are some interesting results from the study:

- Out of the three games, Bejeweled was found to reduce physical stress activity by 54%. There were no differences between males and females.

- Peggle had the greatest effect on overall mood, increasing it by 573% compared to Bejeweled 2 (435%) and Bookworm Adventures (303%).

- All three games reduced depression levels by 45% (Peggle), 43% (Bookworm Adventures) and 37% (Bejeweled 2).

- People in the experimental group experienced a reduction in confusion by 486% (Peggle), 462% (Bookworm Adventures), and Bejeweled (426%).

According to study director Dr. Carmen Russoniello, “These findings are especially intriguing as they present the possibility that casual games may be useful in ameliorating conditions such as attention deficit disorder, memory loss and general confusion attributed to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.”

So there you have it, folks. When you come home from a long, hard day at work, fire up a rousing game of Peggle and add years to your life!

Source: Earthtimes

Nvidia and Valve have joined forces and to kick it off they’re handing out exclusive games to Nvidia users.

If you use Nvidia, you can download Portal: First Slice, a Peggle Extreme demo, Half-Life 2 Deathmatch, and Half Life 2: Lost Coast for free via Valve’s distribution service, steam.

In a statement from Valve’s VP of marketing, Doug Lombardi said:

“More Steam gamers, including myself, play on NVIDIA hardware than any other GPU. That’s a testament to the company’s long history of innovation and quality. By working together with NVIDIA to expand our development, distribution, and marketing efforts, we’re increasing our ability to serve the millions of NVIDIA customers logging onto Steam and help us prepare for our next generation of content.”

Roy Taylor, Nvidia’s VP of content relations, gave a nice little “right back ‘atcha” with:

“Valve’s endorsement of our technology and tools is yet another example of how the world’s leading gaming companies are working with NVIDIA. Portal is the hottest new, award-winning title from Valve, and we’re delighted that Valve will offer First Slice exclusively to GeForce customers.”

For those of you who have already beaten Portal, Portal: First Slice is simply a demo of the game which encompasses the first ten levels. The Peggle Extreme demo is a lot of fun, even if you’ve already played Peggle, due to its hilarious “twist” using Valve properties. Half-Life 2 Deathmatch is arguably the sweetest offering, given that it’s a $10 value. Finally, Lost Coast is a fun – albeit short – little ride, but it’s already free to those who own Half Life 2.

All in all, it’s nothing mind-blowing, but free is free. Go here to claim your games.

Via GameIndustry