This week, Jonah Falcon rants about the bosses in Deus Ex: Human Revolution while Jordan Lund expresses a desire for cold, rainy weather. This week’s Gaming Flashback is The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall, with the following news items:

• Lord British wants to make another Ultima, EA not so much
• Crytek rebukes “unlawful layoff” claims
• Gabe Newell wants Steam on Xbox Live Marketplace
• DICE addresses console “limitations” in Battlefield 3
• Black Ops map packs hit 18 million sold
• Sony targets teens with new PSP
• Angry Birds PS Mini problems

The guys also read more reader mail, and pose this week’s Question of the Week: What was the worst game mechanic you ever dealt with in a game you liked?

This week is a big episode, as it is chock full of surprising news this week, as well as some long, long reader mail. If that weren’t enough, we take a look back at the IntelliVision game Maze-a-Tron, deal with too much love for Paul, and the mystery that is the popularity of gorillas.

This week’s news includes:

• Electronic Arts buys Popcap Games
• Microsoft: Only Master Chief in Halo from now on
• PlayStation Vita dev costs closer to PSP
• Netflix takes aim at usage based billing
• Expert glitcher hired to clean up Modern Warfare 3′s multiplayer
• Skyrim ‘less confusing’, not ‘more accessible‘

There’s no Gaming History this week, but the Question of the Week is: “What old game do you most want to see remade?” There’s no contest behind it, but you can always take heart in the fact that your question was probably the most awesome.

We review our experiences of PAX East in this podcast and the second half is full of gaming news and community comments. Derrick reflects at his fun experience of Orcs Must Die while Jonah spent some time with LA Noire and Star Wars: The Old Republic. The news highlights include:

• PSP Go Price Goes Back to $200 After 3 Days
• Phil Harrison Sez Industry Struggling With Casual and Mobile Game Market
• Angry Birds Hits 100 Million Downloads
• Bioware Talks Jade Empire Again
• Gamer Loses $1800 In Games from Steam

This week’s question of the week: Which convention would you want to attend most: E3, PAX or Comic Con?

This week we’re pulling a 2-person shift while Don is away being sick and tired. We substituted his astute comments with extra epic insight… okay, we just did as best as we could without him. We flash back to Venture, we do an audio review of Zuma’s Revenge and we kicked it free style with some news:

• Halo: ODST Reviews are in
• Turbine working on an MMO for the console
• Price Cuts boost sales, initially, but not over the long term
• Infinity Ward Responds to Gearbox … sort of
• Red Octane considering Natal controls

This week’s question of the week, can big companies still innovate with new games?

It seems Spore was the staging point for the SecuROM revolt and the massive amazon 1-star reviews and backlash have not gone on deaf ears. Electronic Arts has opted to leave SecuROM out of The Sims 3, an upcoming release for just that reason.

“We have heard your requests over the past months and here is our plan for The Sims 3,” Sims development head Rod Humble stated on the official website. “The game will have disc-based copy protection – there is a serial code just like The Sims 2. To play the game there will not be any online authentication needed. (casualgaming.biz)

We wonder, did they do this primarily because of the Spore revolt or because the demographic for The Sims is even more casual than that of Spore? Casual gamers expect a casual experience from install to un-install because they don’t want to be hassled with silly copy protection. Or, perhaps casual games like The Sims is less likely to be hacked because it’s not a “hardcore” game?

We’re sticking with the thinking that this is a “good faith” jesture to the gamers for how they “rocked the vote” on the last title as The Sims is one of the best selling series on the PC gaming platform. Lots of sales with lots of fans, why interrupt that momentum with ugly DRM whiplash?

The game industry is doing “okay” in this bad economic time compared to other industries.  Primarily, Nintendo is rocking the house with their games, hand-held’s and consoles while mobile developers are showing some great successes in the industry. Many success stories in our industry are based on small titles, downloadable games of the more “casual” style while a few larger titles are experiencing slower than expected sales trends.

We’ve mentioned this in the past, but the tough economy gives many smaller developers great opportunities for success. While big publishers struggle to look good in the eyes of the investor, tiny developers can produce quality titles for minimal cash investment and time to market. Ten years ago, smaller developers tried to compete with the big boys making larger titles, cloning successful titles or simply asking investors to put it on the line for their game. Today, developers can create a small iphone app, a cute WiiWare title or exploit the XNA efforts of Microsoft for Xbox Live Arcade and actually have a chance.

There are still challenges with these smaller developers when working in the WiiWare and XBLA publishing channels, your game marketing and promotion becomes highly reliant on Nintendo, Microsoft or Sony for PSN. Tom Prata, senior director of Nintendo of America talked to Gamespot about this issue:

“Finally, there’s the problem of promotion. It’s not enough to make a great game if nobody notices it. Prata specifically said Nintendo will be devoting more resources to support the promotion and development of WiiWare games in the future.” (gamespot)

Of course, in the world of smaller game titles and downloadable casual games, you’re going to be at risk of finding a lot of “shovelware” — products that are only released to make a quick dime, often based on some license or popular theme/character. The great game titles will, hopefully, rise to the top and show themselves off amongst all the wanna-be money makers.

Those smaller developers putting a huge passion into their titles actually have a chance in this new industry trend. Game makers, internationally, now have a chance to grasp a small piece of the industry and make their dreams come true. The core audience may see this as a trend of noisly low quality titles, but I believe the industry needs this change to grow a new generation of developers based on niche interests.

While many can wait for their next release of Madden the rest of us will continue to spend a little money to see what the future innovators are going to be bringing to the table.

Casual gamers will be glad to know one of the big publishers of casual games will be publishing Luxor 3 for the Wii console, perhaps this will be one of many to come. While large console based developers like Ubisoft, Electronic Arts and others are trying to make casual games for the Wii but MumboJumbo’s a pro in the industry.

It’s going to be hard to compete with a casual game publisher like MumboJumbo if they decide to produce more casual game titles for the Wii. Most folks associate Nintendo’s latest generation console with casual gaming in an ever growing casual market and now it’s time to bring aboard many casual game companies that know the inner working of casual gamers.

MumboJumbo has plenty of great Nintendo DS titles, so the Nintendo relationship is obviously strong. Now, we’re hoping to see them dominate the Wii console and make those other big publishers work for their casual gaming money.

(Thanks, CasualGamerChick)

Every now and again we mention casual games on our Gaming Podcast and we’ve taken the opportunity to open a little store to sell some casual game titles. Our store is located at BuyCasualGames.com and carries titles publishes and distributed by Big Fish Games.

Lot’s of folks have found the games Big Fish publishers are great quality titles for a low cost (as casual games should be). We’ve been working with Big Fish Games for a few years on CasualGamerChick so we’re extending that to its own little website. If you’re looking to pickup a few casual games, this is a great way to get familiar with some titles.

A new game arrives each day and we have free downloadable trials that gamers can test drive before they commit on a purchase. If you’re into the casual gaming scene and want to help support us, use buycasualgames.com for all your casual gaming needs!

Rhythm Gaming is all the rage, or is it? Turns out Guitar Hero: World Tour didn’t meet or exceed the figures they hit with Guitar Hero III. Where GH3 brought in $115 million in the first week, GHWT brought in $67 million in the same time frame.

Why?

There are plenty of factors that could cut down the sales units, considering those that can purchase Guitar Hero World Tour don’t have to purchase additional instruments to play the game like they played GH3.

• Rock Band 2: This game arrived before Guitar Hero 3 and folks went for this game instead because it was first to launch. Some gamers have to make a choice on which to purchase because they can’t buy both.
• Hot Games: Although Rhythm gaming can be fun, a lot of great games are arriving this season so gamers have to make some big decisions.
• Economics: The economy isn’t exactly thriving right now and retail outlets are already predicting less than stellar numbers.
• Saturation: Since the original Guitar Hero game, we’ve had a number of titles from Activision including their Aerosmith edition and Harmonix pulling out Rock Band and Rock Band 2. There is talk of a Hendrix version and a Metallic release – how much is too much?

We know people love charts, so here is another to toss at you via Kotaku:

Guitar Hero World Tour Sales, via Kotaku

The break down from Guitar Hero 3 to World Tour is obvious, also apparent is the shift in console when buying into the rhythm gaming franchises. The Wii has started taking more market share, odd considering the DLC isn’t there, and the PS3 is showing its lackluster sales of the console by growing in proportion but not excelling to grab huge share (PS3 fanboys attack!). Sony kicked ass by taking control of the share using their PlayStation 2 with Guitar Hero 3, but has lost that lead for the World Tour.

Will these lower sales figure change the future roadmap for Activision in their Guitar Hero franchise or are they satisfied taking home $67 million in the first week of the launch. That is still a lot of money and probably doesn’t even consider any money they could (or will) potentially make on the World Tour hardware.

Luckily, the rhythm gaming content doesn’t get old with age, it just gets more classic. No doubt Guitar Hero World Tour will be landing in homes over the holidays and into 2009.

This week we’re looking at some crazy news articles, looking back at Jungle Hunt and covering our review of the casual game, Bejeweled Twist from Popcap. This weeks news includes:

• Activision considering charging for user-generated songs
• Little, BigPlanet Content being “moderated”
• Grand Theft Auto DLC probably won’t be released this month
• Epic weighs in on used games sales

This weeks soapbox tackles the question, “would gamers be interested in non-violent cooperative games?” This weeks podcast ends with a new contest to give away two copies of Bejeweled Twist on the gaming podcast and another two copies in our gaming podcast forums.

Gaming is mainstream and growing, this is obvious to most video game enthusiasts. Even Jack Thompson has failed in taking down the industry in his efforts on video game violence and general FUD. In order to survive in a mainstream environment publishers and developers are going to target a broad demographic to make them as much money as possible.

The game industry, like other entertainment avenues, is a risky business in which publishers have to pick titles they “predict” will do well in the market while passing on other “risky” propositions. While a the good ol’ shooter title will break sales records, the market cannot rely on one genre to carry the business especially considering many of these titles are forgotten within two months from launch. Publishers are going to be forced in expanding their reach to “family games” in order to finance new blockbuster titles.

Enter family gaming.

The idea of designing a “family” game isn’t new to our industry, as a matter of fact, it’s one of the oldest cornerstones of video game entertainment. Pong, Centipede, Pac-Man, Space Invaders and many other classic titles were no doubt playable by the entire family, but things have changed. We’ve evolved from hit titles like Donkey Kong to hit titles like Halo. We migrated from 2D gaming to full 3D adventures and pixel graphics to pixel shaders, but where do we go next?

Nintendo has the correct vision for the next stage of the video game industry and it involves bringing the entire family into gaming. It’s mainstream, right? Mainstream isn’t your dad playing a video game in the basement after the kids go to bed, it’s replacing Sorry with Spore and bringing out Wii Sports and having little family tournaments. We must respect what the big titles have done for the industry in merchandising, novels, sequels and spin-offs but we should not rely on them to carry us into the next generation of gaming.

While Nintendo’s vision provides evidence with cash in the bank, they’re lacking the library of games to keep the console living and breathing six years down the road. Novelty? Call it what you want, it got your grandmother gaming! The future isn’t all about Nintendo, however Nintendo has proven to everyone in the industry that games involving the entire family are making money and doing it quickly.

Soon we’ll start seeing more spouses changing their tune from, “games are stupid” to “let me try.” As one of our podcast hosts found in episode 95 of our Gaming Podcast during his review of LittleBigPlanet, his wife pulled the controller from his hands to give the game a try and… liked it. As member ATC 1982 found when trying the A Kingdom for Keflings demo, the family might actually like the game which could, in turn, cause him to purchase it.

“The new OXM disc has the demo and I am surprised by it.  With all the new console games I might give my console games a rest and pick up this arcade game.  Even though your a giant managing people and working mostly.  For me it was addicting and my daughter was enjoying it as well and now wants me to build her a princess castle. The wife likes the music, but is unsure.  With the aid of the avatar system in play this might be one game that will be a sleeper hit.” (gamingpodcast.net/forum)

Let’s face it, the average gamer is a male out in the 32 to 34 year old demographic and probably has a few kids and a wife. Many folks want to share their passion and experiences for their hobbies with their family, providing games to bridge this gap is a possible solution. Gamer dads will find themselves spending money on a game they might normally pass up just to experience their childhood activities with their family.

The casual games industry is growing rapidly and captures a broad demographic, the console industry continues to strive for huge sales records and a means to producing the best content for their respective consoles. Why sell a blockbuster hit game like GTA IV to a single member of a family when you can sell a less costly game to their entire family? The sales figures for Bejeweled smoke those of GTA because they can sell the title to more individuals without the Mature Audience (MA) restriction.

Will this mark the end of “hardcore” games and reinvigorate less violent titles? Hardly. In many ways, a video game that breaks into the household and grips the whole family may be a “gateway game” to other larger titles down the line. Many family members may never progress to hardcore titles at all, but this just strengthens other video game markets and allows them to flourish along with our core audiences.

Imagine a world where video game dads and moms can play games with their entire family across all competing consoles, PC’s and the Macintosh. When the kids go to bed, they can power off their family games and crack into a few first person shooters, in-depth RPGs or subscription based MMO.

Designing games for the entire family will financially stabilize some of these publishers that can’t figure out why gamers don’t want their eight sequel or a crappy licensed movie game. This financial stability will allow them to invest more money into block buster Mature Audiences only titles for the “hardcore gamer” and keep their share holders and investors smiling.

In a world driven by the Internet, global economics and the short attention spanned reader we’ve been bombarded with social networks and 140-character micro-blogging. We’re constantly finding ways to promote ourselves, promote our brands or tell people what we’re eating for dinner. Is this obsession with ourselves and our creativity bridging into video games?

It’s games 2.0 people!. A time when we’re inventing our own video game stages, characters and full blown casual games! Not only are people getting a chance to design their own games with Microsoft’s XNA, Adobe Flash or from small independent casual games, but we can design our own stages in games like LittleBigPlanet.

Microsoft wants to remind us that Boku is much like LittleBigPlanet in its user generated video game content. Seen in this video below:

It’s obvious their going down the same path as Sony has gone with creating your own stages with LittleBigPlanet and creating a new way of gaming: playing other people’s stuff. You can find some similarities with Guitar Hero: World Tour‘s ability to create your own songs and publish them for others to play.

Are we heading down a generation of games where some of the best stages are created by fellow dedicated gamers? Or, is this just a distraction and means for developers to have gamers invigorate and create more of a demand for the games they are making the money on?

(Thanks, Destructoid)

Apple’s iPhone and iPod platforms have been great stages for launching some hot casual game titles. Besides the slick sexy look the platforms play games well, have great user interface features and, as developers are concerned, offer great support and turn around speeds.

While Nintendo and Sony own a lot of the market in terms of hand-held devices, Apple is growing in the space and offer developers an easier time getting their titles to market. Ironic considering Apple has never been a huge gaming platform for their primary computer architectures.

Although Apple is the upcoming shining star in this area, it’s important to remember they’re the underdog. It’s often in the best interest of the “little guy” to kiss up to developers and make their migration to the platform as easy as possible. Once Apple becomes the top dog in the industry, will they forget the “little guys” that made their platform so great and become just another big company in the mobile game space?

Hopefully Apple won’t forget about those developers that are making their platform great by turning their back on them once they’ve become a market leader. We don’t need another Montreal Screwjob.

Lots of great news in this weeks gaming podcast thanks to the holiday season approaching. We also take a retro style flashback to Space Invaders and talk about our attendance at the popcap launch party for Bejeweled Twist and a very light preview of our initial Guitar Hero World Tour impressions.This weeks news includes:

• EA breaking the sequel and sports games mold
• Activision/Red Octane feeling the pain of creating plastic instruments
• E for All officially canceled
• World of Warcraft hits 11 million subscribers

This weeks soapbox segement, we ask the question, does unlimited level creation cause bad press in video games?

After four years of development, Popcap lit up Seattle Monday night with the launch of Bejeweled Twist sparing no expense to show off their new casual game. It took four years to complete but Popcap isn’t going to release a game until it’s perfect. You won’t play it until they believe it is a game their mom would love.

“Popcap builds games for people, not demographics,” says CEO David Roberts. At the launch the founders, John Vechey, Brian Fiete and Jason Kapalka talked about the casual game market while the “Gem Girls” walked around looking sexy and flashy. Roberts talked about the casual game industry and forecasts it growing to become an $8 billion market — not too shabby for USD $19.99 games.

Downloads of Bejeweled, of course, show no signs of stopping and Popcap explained that 40% of their revenue comes from the old concepts of “Diamond Mine.” Phil Spencer, Microsoft Game Studios’ General Manager, hopped on stage and explained how Microsoft saw Popcap’s vision in their Diamond Mine flash game and suggested a rename to Bejeweled, the founders hated the name but took the big companies suggestion on the change.

Since then, we’ve had many folks attempt to clone and replicate the success in Popcap’s flagship product. Complete with open bar, Gem Girls, camera flashes and glitter this game launch shows the growing casual games industry the great power and momentum of “simple” casual games.

Nothing about Bejeweled Twist is simple. The game play of Bejeweled Twist aggregates all the knowledge Popcap has acquired over the last seven years to design one blockbuster title. From classic Bejeweled to Chuzzle to Peggle, the game takes pieces of each successful title and combines the game play, sounds, graphics and modes into a product that will bring casual gaming to a new level. Bejeweled Twist is going to be the new bar to reach in the industry in terms of addictive game play and a unified casual vision.

Stay tuned for the full review as we get deep into the full features of Bejeweled Twist. Special thanks to Dale North from Destructoid for hanging out for some drinks during the after party.

I’m here in Seattle Washington awaiting tonight’s Bejeweled Twist launch party. It was a long trip considering Chicago’s the leading city for airport traffic and the wind didn’t allow for a speedy departure. Arriving at 2:00 a.m left me cold, hungry and in dire need of sleep.

Today it’s bright and sunny, still cold as hell, but slightly well rested and awaiting the upcoming launch of Bejeweled Twist. This is by far the biggest launch for a casual game that I’ve seen in the history of casual games so the experience should be a great one. We’re not talking about Bejeweled Cookies anymore, this is the real thing. I’ve got the camera ready and I’ll get some photos and experiences later tonight.

PopCap’s Website to Go Radio Silent In Advance of Bejeweled Twist™ Launch

But It’s a Good Thing – Bejeweled Twist Site Redesign and Live Launch Event Webcast Await Site Visitors

SEATTLE, Washington – October 24, 2008 — PopCap Games, the leading developer and publisher of casual games, will be shuttering its website (www.popcap.com) for six hours prior to the formal unveiling and official launch of Bejeweled Twist™  next Monday, October 27, at a gala celebration in downtown Seattle. The site will reopen at approximately 7:00 p.m. PDT that evening after going offline six to seven hours earlier – during which time the site will undergo a revolutionary makeover to celebrate the arrival of PopCap’s biggest game to date. When the site reopens, it will be co-hosting a live webcast of the Bejeweled Twist launch event being held at Seattle’s Experience Music Project museum. (The webcast will also be available via AllGames.com) At approximately 7:40 p.m., Bejeweled Twist for PC will become available via web download at www.popcap.com, as the game officially launches to the world.

“We’re really excited to be covering this historic event, and plan to bring every bit of the excitement and action to viewers worldwide via our webcast,” said Scot Rubin, founder of AllGames.com and a webcast veteran of more than a dozen years. “A new installment in the Bejeweled lineup is cause for celebration among casual and hardcore fans alike, and the webcast will capture it all, from game demos to the on-stage performances, as well as interviews with gamers, analysts and executives.”

The Bejeweled Twist launch event will offer everything from aerial acrobats to a steampunk-inspired “prototype” of the new game’s input interface, as well as a demo of Bejeweled Twist given by all three company co-founders. All other details of the new game, the biggest, most ambitious title in PopCap’s history, are being withheld until the launch event. Credentialed journalists interested in attending the event in person can contact PopCap PR for more information and to RSVP.

Bejeweled is available for more than a dozen devices and platforms and is the most popular casual game of the 21st century. More than 350 million copies of Bejeweled/Bejeweled 2 have been downloaded from the web, accounting for nearly a third of the 1 billion-plus downloads of all PopCap® titles. Tens of millions of copies of Bejeweled have been installed on mobile phones worldwide, and more than 25 million units of the game have been sold across all platforms, amounting to over $300 million in consumer spending over the history of the game. Further, PopCap’s games are the most played games in the history of casual gaming: the Bejeweled franchise alone has been enjoyed for more than 6 billion hours by consumers worldwide, with no end in sight.

About PopCap
PopCap Games (www.popcap.com) is the leading multi-platform provider of “casual games” — fun, easy-to-learn, irresistible computer games that appeal to everyone from age 6 to 106. Based in Seattle, Washington, PopCap was founded in 2000 and has a worldwide staff of over 200 people in Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, Vancouver, B.C., Dublin, Ireland and Shanghai. Its timeless games have been downloaded more than 1 billion times by consumers worldwide, and its flagship title, Bejeweled®, has sold more than 25 million units across all platforms. Constantly acclaimed by consumers and critics, PopCap’s games are played on the Web, desktop computers, myriad mobile devices (cell phones, smartphones, PDAs, Pocket PCs, iPod, iPhone and more), popular game consoles (such as Xbox), and in-flight entertainment systems. PopCap is the only casual games developer with leading market share across all major sales channels, including web portals, retail stores, consoles, mobile phones and MP3 players.

I arrived at home tonight to find the most peculiar yet creative marketing message from Popcap. Not knowing what it was, I tore it open to examine the contents. It’s a secret message made of pastry. Yes, it’s a box of cookies! Holiday treats made of bejeweled pieces.

How cool, now this is marketing we can eat up! A poster, a press release paper or even plastic figures cannot compare to edible treats. We’re guessing this is all about Popcap’s Bejeweled Twist which arrives soon. Excuse me, but I think I’m hungry….

Read on for Bejeweled Twist press release information

PopCap Prepping New Bejeweled® Title for October Launch
Bejeweled Twist™, First New Installment in Casual Game Leader’s Flagship Franchise in Nearly Four Years, Will Put New Spin on Match-3 Genre

SEATTLE, Washington – September 29, 2008 — PopCap Games, the leading developer and publisher of casual games, today announced that it will be launching the next entry in its flagship franchise Bejeweled® next month. Titled Bejeweled Twist™, the new game has been in development for more than three years and will bring a completely new perspective to the “Match-3” genre of puzzle games that the original Bejeweled pioneered eight years ago. PopCap plans to formally unveil the game at a gala event at Seattle’s Experience Music Project Sci-Fi Museum and Hall of Fame on the evening of Monday, October 27, 2008 – the first such launch event in casual games history. The game will carry a retail price of US$19.95 and will initially be available exclusively via Web download from www.popcap.com.

“As our first and most popular game, we’re particularly dedicated to Bejeweled and wanted to make sure that our next offering in the lineup delivered as much innovation, polish, and sheer pleasure as possible,” explained Jason Kapalka, co-founder and chief creative officer at PopCap. “We spent a long time conceiving and prototyping a totally new direction for Bejeweled Twist. The game will be immediately recognizable to Bejeweled fans, and as accessible as earlier titles in the series, but with far more depth and flexibility. Previous versions of Bejeweled appealed to a pretty broad audience, but we’re confident Bejeweled Twist will offer a compelling experience for everyone, from the novice gamer to the seriously hardcore player.”

From PCs and Macs, PlayStation and Xbox consoles to mobile phones, PDAs, iPods and iPhones, Bejeweled is available for more than a dozen devices and platforms and is the most popular casual game of the 21st century. More than 350 million copies of Bejeweled/Bejeweled 2 have been downloaded from the Web, accounting for nearly a third of the 1 billion-plus downloads of all PopCap® titles. Tens of millions of copies of Bejeweled have been installed on mobile phones worldwide, and more than 25 million units of the game have been sold across all platforms, amounting to over $300 million in consumer spending over the history of the game.

All other details of Bejeweled Twist are currently under wraps and will be disclosed at the game’s gala launch event in Seattle on October 27. Credentialed journalists interested in attending the event should contact PopCap PR (above) to RSVP.

About PopCap
PopCap Games (www.popcap.com) is the leading multi-platform provider of “casual games” — fun, easy-to-learn, captivating computer games that appeal to everyone from age 6 to 106. Based in Seattle, Washington, PopCap was founded in 2000 and has a worldwide staff of over 200 people in Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, Vancouver, B.C., Dublin, Ireland and Shanghai. Its games have been downloaded more than 1 billion times by consumers worldwide, and its flagship title, Bejeweled®, has sold more than 25 million units across all platforms. Constantly acclaimed by consumers and critics, PopCap’s games are played on the Web, desktop computers, myriad mobile devices (cell phones, smartphones, PDAs, Pocket PCs, iPod, iPhone and more), popular game consoles (such as Xbox), and in-flight entertainment systems. PopCap is the only casual games developer with leading market share across all major sales channels, including Web portals, retail stores, consoles, mobile phones and MP3 players.

If there is one time this year to pickup a PlayStation 3, it’s going ot be on October 21st when Sackboy jumps onto the scene with Little Big Planet. You don’t have to be a casual gamer to have a desire to play Little Big Planet and we’re sure to see that in upcoming reviews.

The question really comes down to, will Little Big Planet move consoles off the shelf? In theory, had the console been more reasonably price, you’d probably get a huge pop in sales. As it stands, you’re asking customers to spend above and beyond on a console just to play a 2D-Style platformer. No matter how fun the product is, and it will probably be fun in epic proportions, John Q. Public isn’t going to run out and drop large bills for the game.

Proof of that can be seen in the huge sales increase when Microsoft dropped their pricing structure. Gamers who were not current generation compatible ran out to pickup the console and the shelves went empty. No doubt Little Big Planet will move a few consoles, for those on the edge of PS3 readiness… but it won’t be long lived and it won’t be as epic as this title will.

The place to be, this week, is Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) as Popcap’s now released Feeding Frenzy 2 on the 360 platform. Xbox Live Arcade has been the go to place for awesome new content brought in high definition on both shrink wrapped box games along with classic casual titles.

Not into casual games? Perhaps your spouse or children are into them! If you’ve got an Xbox 360 and continually consider it a “big boys hardcore console” it’s time to change your perspective because that’s old world thinking. Microsoft, together with Popcap, plans to change how people game on the Xbox 360 console system.

This isn’t Popcap’s first title, many may remember Heavy Weapon on the Xbox 360. This sure won’t be the last!

Read on for full press release details!

PopCap Launches Feeding Frenzy™ 2 Game on Xbox LIVE® Arcade

Award-Winning Sequel Features All-New Multiplayer Modes, Lite Mode and More

SEATTLE, Washington – September 17, 2008 — PopCap Games Inc., the leading developer and publisher of casual video games, announced that beginning today its popular action game Feeding Frenzy™ 2: Shipwreck Showdown is available for download via the Xbox LIVE® Arcade (XBLA) online service of Microsoft’s Xbox 360® video game console. Featuring a wealth of optimizations exclusively for Xbox LIVE, the XBLA version of Feeding Frenzy 2 includes high-definition graphics, achievements and leaderboards, and several all-new multiplayer modes. Available now for 800 Microsoft Points ($8.00), Feeding Frenzy 2 joins five other PopCap® titles already on XBLA, including Zuma™, Heavy Weapon™ and the original Feeding Frenzy.
“Feeding Frenzy 2 really improves on the original game in virtually every way, as far as XBLA is concerned,” said Greg Canessa, VP of video game platforms at PopCap. “With three different multiplayer modes, high-def graphics and some new moves that really lend themselves to a joystick controller, the new sequel is pretty perfectly suited to Xbox.”

In Feeding Frenzy 2: Shipwreck Showdown, you’re a little fish in a big sea, and must gobble your way up the food chain to solve an underwater mystery. Swim fast, eat anything smaller than you and avoid larger fish who want you for lunch. Battle everything from poisonous minnows to fish-munching orcas in your pursuit of a mysterious menace of the sea. Keep eating the power-ups to increase your speed and growth rate, add extra time, bulk up your “food bank” and more!

This new version of Feeding Frenzy makes a sizable leap in overall gameplay and XBLA-specific features, including:

• A bigger-and more challenging single-player story mode, featuring over 60 new levels with bosses and mini-bosses for an even greater challenge!
• New moves, power-ups and more — freeze enemies, stop time, play at night — even jump out of the water to eat bugs!
• Frenzied fish-eating action can involve up to 4 friends in the all-new XBLA-exclusive multiplayer party mode*, featuring 10 new mini-games!
• Story mode enables players to join with a friend in cooperative play*
• Multiplayer Party modes come in two flavors: Party Games (pick from a list of mini-games and compete head-to-head) and FrenzyFest (compete for trophies across a series of mini-games to earn Party Points and climb the new Party Leaderboard)*
• All-new Lite mode lets families experience the game’s Story mode without the pressure of losing lives (available for single-player and co-op play)
• High-definition graphics and 5.1 surround sound create a more immersive experience

*All multiplayer modes are same-console only

About PopCap
PopCap Games (www.popcap.com) is the leading multi-platform provider of “casual games” — fun, easy-to-learn, captivating computer games that appeal to everyone from age 6 to 106. Based in Seattle, Washington, PopCap was founded in 2000 and has a worldwide staff of over 200 people in Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, Vancouver, B.C., Dublin and Shanghai. Its games have been downloaded more than 1 billion times by consumers worldwide, and its flagship title, Bejeweled®, has sold more than 10 million units across all platforms. Constantly acclaimed by consumers and critics, PopCap’s games are played on the Web, desktop computers, myriad mobile devices (cell phones, smartphones, PDAs, Pocket PCs, iPod and more), popular game consoles (such as Xbox), and in-flight entertainment systems. PopCap is the only casual games developer with leading market share across all major sales channels, including Web portals, retail stores, mobile operators and developers, and game device manufacturers.

For those that haven’t posted on the forum or send us an e-mail about our Peggle Nights contest, it’s time to get in the action! The free Peggle Nights game giveaway will expire soon and we want as many contestants as possible.

We’ve got many great entries, we’ll be reading off some of the e-mails we received about our podcast contest this week along with some of the great forum posts. Those that love Peggle have a passion and desire for the title, so the next one is sure to be a hit.

For those that have already written in, sent e-mails or otherwise contacted us, we appreciate your efforts. Make sure you listen to the gaming podcast for all the details on the contest.

Many folks know the name Peggle as an addictive casual game from PopCap Games. For those that have played the original Peggle game, you’re already up to speed on the addictive nature of the little peg bopping game with family fun and innovative game play.

Gamingpodcast.net has a unique chance to give away eight electronic downloads of the upcoming game title Peggle Nights for Microsoft Windows. We’re making it very easy to enter to win our contest, you can:

• Post in our Gaming Podcast – Contest Forum and answer the question “What does peggle mean to you?”
• You can listen to Gaming Podcast Episode 87 and answer Don’s e-mail question, then fire us an e-mail.

How do you know if you’re a Peggle addict? No better way than signing up to win a free copy of Peggle Nights! Feeling unlucky? Listen to the podcast and write-in and then post in our forums to double your chances of winning one of the eight copies we’re giving out! We’ll have four reserved for forum posters and four reserved for gaming podcast entries.

If you want to read my past review of Peggle, head over to GameStooge.com and read up, get ready and start entering to win!

A 3D version of Deal or No deal sound desirable to you? Perhaps you’re a game show fan and just can’t get enough Howie, if so, you’re in luck. Koch Media announced their new casual games label As Seen On TV which will bring popular TV brands to the console.

At first we were thinking “a games division based on infomercials?” No, their intention is to bring familiar casual game experiences into the home. Many families sit down and share their experiences of TV viewing together when it comes to watching game shows, Koch Media plans to make this a bit more interactive and competititve.

When can we expect the games to hit the market? “We are delighted to be launching the As Seen On TV range during the key Christmas retail period,” said Craig McNicol, Managing Director at Koch Media.

(Thanks, CasualGamerChick)

Read on for full press release…

London, UK – 17th July 2008: Leading distributor and publisher of interactive entertainment, Koch Media, today announced its brand new range of family-focused games based on some of TV’s most popular game show franchises. Debuting under Koch’s new “As Seen On TV” label, the games which include a brand new 3D sequel to the hugely popular 2007 release Deal Or No Deal, are set for a Q4 2008 launch on Nintendo Wii and DS.

Aimed primarily at a casual and family gaming audience, the As Seen On TV range features games developed as direct spin offs from highly-rated, mainstream TV shows such as Golden Balls, The Magic Roundabout and Are You Smarter Than A 10 Year Old? With in-game presentation from the likes of Noel Edmonds and Jasper Carrot, As Seen On TV’s products are both familiar and instantly accessible for all levels of gamer.

Other key features of the range are bold new packaging, featuring As Seen On TV’s distinctive, retro television logo, and an impulse buy price point. Together with broad and far reaching trade marketing, and print and TV advertising plans, along with continued, regular TV scheduling of shows in the range, helps guarantee mass market appeal for As Seen On TV throughout the busy Christmas period and beyond.

The initial launch titles include Deal Or No Deal 2008, Golden Balls and Professor Heinz Wolff’s Gravity on both Wii and DS and Are You Smarter Than A 10 Year Old? on DS. All games in the As Seen On TV range have a SRP of £29.99 for Wii titles and £19.99 for DS titles.

“We are delighted to be launching the As Seen On TV range during the key Christmas retail period,” said Craig McNicol, Managing Director at Koch Media. “With its strong visual branding, competitive price point and superb line up of much-loved titles and TV personalities we expect this to be a massive hit with family audiences over the Christmas season.”

At E3 Reggie Fils-Aime let the world know he wasn’t satisfied with the sales progress of the Wii or DS in 2007 and hopes Nintendo can do better this year. Perhaps Nintendo is playing the humble card? No doubt they bragged about their 10 million sales of the Wii and 20 million sales of the DS but quickly followed it by saying they’re not satisfied.

Or, is this a threat?

Nintendo has built some steep competition while both Sony and Microsoft scoff at their product and tell everyone its a novelty and it doesn’t really “count” in this next-generation console battle. It doesn’t count… really?

Perhaps Microsoft and Sony are right; maybe every Wii owner that wanted a PlayStation 3 and/or an Xbox 360 purchased their console too. There may be some truth to that as hardcore gamers may purchase a Wii for many reasons:

• They want every console so they have the widest array of game purchases
• They’re hardcore nature forces them to spend money on all products
• They want to get their kids in on gaming early, to grow them up in their image
• Mob mentality, if everyone has a Wii you must as well!
• The technology is cool and you want to be there for its inception

It seems they don’t feel a threat because Wii is a non-gamer console and thus attracts a different crowd… yet they’re both mimicking some of the motion sensing in their own controllers and playing nice towards “casual games” and non-gamers of late. Maybe their not threatened, but impressed?

Fils-Aime isn’t impressed with their sales figures, perhaps because he expected a higher degree of Wii sales by now, but the fact that people cannot purchase them two years into production has hurt sales figures. Although 10 million units sold is an impressive figure, knowing you had such higher potential if the product was actually on the shelves has to hurt a bit of your pride.

The DS sales were impressive considering the product has been in the market for awhile and is easier to find (minus the holiday rush). We’re not sure why he’s not satisfied with the figures, but inspiring a higher degree of DS sales will require some work. Perhaps this is why they’ve gone with the GTA Chinatown approach; using the GTA name to grow their DS sales figures?

It will be interesting to see how Wii does through the next few quarters and if sales slow down now that we’re a few years into the product. What was the last home console Nintendo owned to get this high of a demand?

Perhaps none.

Since the release of Peggle on February 2007, gamers around the world have caught on to the addictive casual game. Now those that didn’t download Peggle on Steam, Popcap.com or other electronic download site can buy at packed boxed version in retail outlets!

Peggle hits retail stores and the world will never be the same! You can download it for your ipod, on your PC and on your Macintosh but never before could you purchase it in a local store. Although, it seems, boxed casual games are the rarity, not the norm, the more outlets a developer like PopCap gets the better.

MSNBC listed Peggle in the top five most addicting games of all times, PC gamers couldn’t get enough and, eventually, Xbox Live gamers will have that same experience. If you’ve never played Peggle I suggest you run out and buy it when it arrives in retail stores… or just buy it online the way you could do for the last year and some change…

July 2008 – Focus Multimedia and casual games pioneer, PopCap Games today announced a partnership that sees the long-awaited arrival of PopCap’s critically acclaimed masterpiece, Peggle, at retail.

From the makers of Bejeweled, Peggle combines elements of pinball, pachinko and pool to create a completely different kind of casual game. Players fire a silver ball from the top of the screen, relying on the laws of physics to propel the ball downwards while ricocheting off orange and blue ‘pegs’.

Using a mixture of luck and skill the goal is to clear all the orange pegs before running out of balls. A moving “bucket” at the bottom of the screen offers the chance of free balls, while green pegs give the player one of ten amazing power-ups to help them complete the level.

Since its web launch, Peggle has taken the industry by storm – and both casual and hardcore gamers by surprise. A feast of colour and fun – with rainbows and unicorns and an ‘Ode To Joy’ soundtrack – Peggle has proved an unlikely hardcore hero and is causing ‘Extreme Fever’ wherever – and whenever – it pops up.

Key features of Peggle include:
• Four different modes representing hundreds of levels:
1. Adventure Mode takes players through 55 unique hand-painted levels on a quest to become a Peggle Master
2. Duel Mode allows for head-to-head battles against friends or computer opponents
3. Challenge Mode features increasingly difficult goals across 75 levels
4. Quick Play mode lets players choose their favourite level and power-up combinations, or play a random set of levels and/or power-ups.
• Ten “Peggle Masters” – they teach you how to play but later serve as tricky opponents
• Stunning sound FX and themed music
• “Style Points” reward players for shots that display great skill or just incredible luck!

Craig Johnson, managing director of Focus Multimedia, commented: “We’re very excited about launching Peggle because it’s so unique, charming and loveable. PopCap’s titles really are a breath of fresh air in the PC games space,” added Johnson. “Thanks to their massive popularity online, games like Bejeweled 2 and Mystery P.I. The Lottery Ticket have quickly established themselves as best-sellers at retail. With Peggle’s excellent pedigree and superb price point, we’re forecasting that there will soon be a whole lot more Peggle Masters out there!”

Mark Cochrane, European Director of Business Development at PopCap Games said: “Everyone – from teenagers to pensioners, to female gamers and hardcore ones – raves about Peggle but struggles to ‘peg’ down exactly what it is that makes the game so fun. We, at PopCap, have concluded that nobody can really be told what Peggle is like – you just have to play it for yourself. With that in mind, we are delighted to bring it to retail to give even more people the opportunity to experience the power of Peggle.”

PopCap Games is already a leading developer and publisher of casual games for platforms including Web, PC, Mac, mobile, Xbox, PS2 and iPod and many more. PopCap games have been downloaded more than 1 billion times by consumers worldwide. Flagship title, Bejeweled, has sold more than 10 million units across all platforms and PopCap estimates the Bejeweled franchise has consumed roughly 6 billion hours of consumers’ leisure time since 2001.

Peggle is available now for a suggested retail price of £9.99 including VAT, from all good retail outlets of PC software and direct from www.focusmm.co.uk.

About Focus Multimedia
Focus Multimedia is one of the UK’s leading consumer software publishers. Within a comprehensive and constantly evolving product range, Focus is able to offer more than 400 high quality PC software titles for all the family. The company consistently delivers quality, value and choice across its market-leading PC budget software brands – Essential, Revival and PC Fun Club. Focus’ portfolio includes many highly acclaimed brands, amongst them; Bratz, CSI, Deal or No Deal, Disney Pixar Cars, Driving Test Success, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Law & Order, LEGO, Oxford University Press, Scooby Doo, Scrabble and SpongeBob SquarePants, and many more. For further information on Focus Multimedia please visit www.focusmm.co.uk.

About PopCap
PopCap Games – www.popcap.com – is the leading multi-platform provider of “casual games” — fun, easy-to-learn, captivating computer games that appeal to everyone from age 6 to 106. Based in Seattle, Washington, PopCap was founded in 2000 and has a worldwide staff of over 200 people in Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, Vancouver, B.C., Dublin and Shanghai. Its games have been downloaded more than 1 billion times by consumers worldwide, and its flagship title, Bejeweled®, has sold more than 10 million units across all platforms. Constantly acclaimed by consumers and critics, PopCap’s games are played on the Web, desktop computers, myriad mobile devices (cell phones, smartphones, PDAs, Pocket PCs, iPod and more), popular game consoles (such as Xbox), and in-flight entertainment systems. PopCap is the only casual games developer with leading market share across all major sales channels, including Web portals, retail stores, mobile operators and developers, and game device manufacturers.

For those that are Facebook junkies, playing their hearts out of Scrabulous, you’re going to be hit with some reality: it’s not real scrabble. Hasbro has attempted to pull the Scrabulous game off of Facebook because they’re not licensing it from the owner, but it’s still there. Is Hasbro’s “real” Scrabble going to sway addicted Scrabulous players?

Now, Hasbro is launching the real Scrabble game on pogo.com and on Facebook for social networking purposes. Our own Casual Gamer Chick, Jennifer, will be reviewing the upcoming Facebook app later this week (once we get her to sign up for Facebook!)

This will be Hasbro’s first go at social networking, given their trying to beat out Scrabulous, it’s going to be a tough battle, let’s see how they do!

EA AND HASBRO DELIVER AUTHENTIC SCRABBLE WEB FUN TO FACEBOOK PLATFORM AND POGO.COM

Redwood City, Calif. – July 7, 2008 – Sign in and start playing the most renowned word game, as Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS) and Hasbro Inc. (NYSE:HAS)  deliver the latest in SCRABBLE games in the US and Canada on the Facebook® and online at Pogo.com™. EA’s first Hasbro-based Facebook application launches later this month and the Pogo.com SCRABBLE game is available now, extending the presence of EA SCRABBLE games across two new platforms in July.

SCRABBLE from EA on Facebook Platform will be the first EA Hasbro-licensed property to go live on a social networking site, with many more Hasbro game properties in development and slated to launch on social networking sites later this year. SCRABBLE on Pogo is the initial HASBRO title in a suite of free online games slated to go live on Pogo in 2008. EA SCRABBLE games currently are available on mobile phones and the iPod® in the US and Canada.

“SCRABBLE is one of the best social game brands in existence and we’ve worked diligently with the Hasbro team to ensure that regardless of the platform you’re playing, you’ll be able to enjoy a world class version of SCRABBLE with friends or family,” said Chip Lange, General Manager, EA Hasbro Games. “We’re delighted to be bringing communities everywhere access to one of their favorite games.”

“Hasbro, together with EA, is eager to share our expertise and technological know-how by bringing a genuine SCRABBLE experience to fans throughout the US and Canada whenever they want and wherever they go,” said Mark Blecher, General Manager, Hasbro Digital Media and Gaming.  “We understand the current popularity and potential of web-based and social network gameplay for a wide range of our toy and game brands.  EA and Hasbro are committed to providing SCRABBLE fans with a great digital game experience.”

“After playing with EA’s social networking and Pogo versions of SCRABBLE, I have no doubt that SCRABBLE players in the US and Canada will absolutely love the gameplay and overall experience,” said John D. Williams Jr., Executive Director of the National SCRABBLE Association (NSA). “We have seen the SCRABBLE brand grow in popularity in so many different ways, including this year’s School SCRABBLE Championship and the current interest in SCRABBLE for social networking.  I am particularly pleased that the Pogo and Facebook EA SCRABBLE games offer such simple and clean interfaces that allow players to jump right in and start playing.”

SCRABBLE on Facebook Platform
The SCRABBLE application built on Facebook platform provides an intuitive interface that allows head-to-head challenges with family, friends or anyone accessing Facebook from within the US or Canada. Players can choose to play a real-time turn-based game or pause and pick up to resume playing at their leisure. With easy tracking of scores and statistics, players will always know where they rank against competitors. While playing SCRABBLE on Facebook, gamers can enjoy built in chat and dynamic animations. They can also get help from extensive word lists and choose one of the several flexible speed levels to customize their level of difficulty.

SCRABBLE on Pogo.com
Play SCRABBLE for Pogo alone or with up to three friends in real time. Players can choose one of five customizable skill levels that match the dictionary and opponent accordingly. Pogo offers several “rules” including: house rules when playing with family, traditional rules to follow the style of the board game and à la carte rules for those who want to make up their own. Timed games allow for fun competition, but the integrated hints, tips and tricks allow every level of player to hone skills and become a champion in SCRABBLE on Pogo. As a bonus, Club Pogo players will be able to unlock extra SCRABBLE features including their own set of NSA tournament rules, the ability to play rated games modeled after the National Scrabble Association’s rating system, a choice of three different SCRABBLE boards and a NSA room, exclusively for NSA tournament players to compete online.