PopCap's Peggle sale on the App Store was clearly another blow to the productivity of thousands (millions?) of lost souls. A representative for the publisher told us, "We sold nearly as many units in the three or four days of the sale as we did in the preceding three weeks." MTV's Multiplayer takes note of the deeper politics of the App Store sale and Peggle's success, which saw the app move on the sales chart from #60 to to #1 during the sale.

PopCap tells us it's still trying to determine what the right price is for games on the iPhone/iPod Touch, expressing that the "App Store is still kind of an experimental arena or environment for anyone who is making products there." When asked if the company plans a similar sale for any of its other highly addictive titles, we were informed that's still "TBD."

Look, guys and gals, there is a crazy sale going on right now. If you're observant and like to read post titles before you dive right in to the meaty body of text you're reading right this second, then you already know the score: Peggle on the iPhone is only $1 for a limited time. Seriously, it's only a buck up until midnight, June 14. We're talking about one of the most addictive game experiences ever, for only $1. That's like ... we can't even compare it to anything, because, dude, Peggle is only $1. That's like ordering some chicken fingers and the server hands you some filet mignon, too.

Act fast, though. The sale is only going on for a couple more days.

[Via Shacknews]

Download Peggle for iPhone/iPod Touch -

Plants vs. Zombies' sales certainly aren't shambling, as PopCap tells Joystiq that it has been the fastest-selling game in the company's electronic narcotic pharmacy.

PopCap's Garth Chouteau believes this is just the tip of the iceberg for the the flora vs. undead simulator, telling Joystiq, "It's as strategic as any game launched this year ... in it's own humble cutesy sort of way." He believes that players will continue to find incredible depth in the title, especially after they are done with the adventure's story and move into the survival mode. It appears that PopCap is happy with the sales of its latest piece of interactive crack, but it knows it'll only get better as the junkie word-of-mouth increases.

Something terrible happened to the Joystiq staff in the spring of 2007. Our desire to work was leeched by some uncanny force, some primordial vacuum of journalistic motivation. These sapping energies could be easily identified by scanning our browser history -- there, a repeated phrase, a moniker for our destitution: Desktop Tower Defense, Desktop Tower Defense, Desktop Tower Defense, Google, Desktop Tower Defense -- and so on, et cetera.

Two years (and a hundred thousand Pellet Towers) later, our thirsts had been quenched, and our diligence restored. Then, on May 5, the minds at PopCap gave birth to a new source of blogger work ethic poison -- as is their nefarious custom -- titled Plants vs. Zombies. Yes, those monsters combined our two biggest interests (the undead and household horticulture), and wrapped the whole package up in a neat Tower Defense crust, which they then sprinkled with humor, and roasted until brilliant.

Also, there's probably some crack (or equally addictive narcotic) in there as well.

The question isn't: Should I buy Peggle? It's: Should I buy Peggle again? If you've been holding off on re-buying the game and are looking for an obsessive, detail-oriented comparison of the portable versions, read on! (Otherwise, jump to a conclusion.)

This week's iPhone/iPod touch release is the same game we've been playing for two years now on our PCs (and Macs), touch-wheel iPods, DSs, Xbox 360s, and Java/BREW cell phones. To be completely accurate, this version is a port of the original Peggle modified for use on iPhone. While it lacks any new content (so-called "trophies" hardly count) or even levels from the sequel, Peggle Nights, the iPhone adaptation excels as the definitive portable version of PopCap's masterful time sink.

Well folks, it took approximately 12 hours to squash the rampant rumors and speculation surrounding Greg Canessa. Bob Colayco of Blizzard Entertainment, Canessa's new employer, informed us today that the man will be taking the reins of Battle.net as project director.

The former VP of game development at PopCap jumped ship recently to work on an "unannounced project in the online space." Apparently that "unannounced project" is a revamping of the Battle.net structure, totally announced last February by Blizzard's own Paul Sams. Colayco clarified Mr. Canessa's role in the project, saying, "He will report to our vice president of online technologies and work closely with the executive team to help fine-tune the next version of Battle.net, currently in development." Speculation officially squashed.

Just two short years after Greg Canessa left his position as group manager of Xbox Live to try his hand on more casual fare at PopCap, he is once again jumping ship -- -- this time to Blizzard Entertainment, masters and commanders of online powerhouse World of Warcraft. Our trusted source tells us he's working on an "unannounced project in the online space," allegedly joining forces with VP of game design at Blizzard, Rob Pardo.

Has Mr. Canessa snagged one of the two open positions working on the "fifth, unannounced Blizzard project" advertised recently on the company's website? Could he be working on porting Bookworm to World of Warcraft, making the PopCap games within Blizzard games trifecta complete? We've asked for comment from both PopCap and Blizzard and hopefully one of those two will help shed some light on Mr. Canessa's next project.

Update: Garth Chouteau of PopCap PR got back to us and confirmed Greg Canessa's move to Blizzard, saying, "We are sorry to see him go and we wish him the very best. It's been a pleasure working with him and his move is largely predicated on it being a big personal and professional opportunity for him. This isn't going to have any material impact on our console presence and our strategy with respect to the consoles and the DS and the areas that Greg was heading up. We're still very committed to those."

PopCap has confirmed with Joystiq that Peggle will be priced at $4.99 when it launches tomorrow in the App Store for iPhone and iPod Touch. The "nickel bag" will include a single nugget, the original Peggle, with the potential to sprinkle on additional content through DLC support once iPhone OS 3.0 is released. It's a familiar high, but the iPhone version does deliver with all of the original content (not Nights), adding a double-tap zoom view and scroll wheel for precision aiming on the device's relatively tiny screen, plus redesigned, touch-based menus -- not to mention "trophies" to keep you chasing that elusive dragon.

Stay tuned for our full review of Peggle for iPhone -- just as soon as we *ahem* sober up. In the meantime, head past the break for a video preview courtesy of UGO.

Update: PopCap must have grown tired of the repeated calls and hangups from users fans, as it has gone ahead and released the game a day early. (app store link)

Although we've been sworn to secrecy about its finer points (shhh, PopCap nailed it), Joystiq can excitedly confirm that Peggle for iPhone / iPod Touch will be released onto the App Store on Tuesday, May 12. PopCap is still considering an appropriate price, but we can assume Peggle is not going to be tossed in the 99-cent free-for-all pile and will probably fit into a more "premium" price range between $5-6. Though, if any game's worth the ceiling price of $10, Peggle is (just, you know, don't actually price it that high, PopCap, cool?).

Rest assured, the "delay" -- heightened by our agonizing jonesing for a Peggle fix ever since the App Store launched -- has been used to design a quality experience. This is no half-baked port. Peggle has long been likened to "crack," but let's be more accurate: It's one of those highly-addictive pharmaceutical concoctions, created by professionals in tidy laboratories and tailored through extensive QA trials. Can you tell? We're hooked.

Watch out for our review of Peggle for iPhone / iPod Touch in the coming weeks.

PopCap Games' upcoming Plants vs. Zombies isn't just some cute tower defense game. No, it's also responsible for 2009's catchiest tune, and even before the game's release on PC next month, there are rumblings it could be planting its seed into consoles and iPhone, according to comments PopCap made to casualgaming.biz.

While the casual games giant (and crack dealer) made no mention of those platforms specifically (other than to say it has no plans involving them), it did want to make clear that its goal is to bring its product to as many people as possible. The company explained that its "overriding mission" is to have its games "in as many different places, and on as many platforms, as possible – to make them accessible to this audience of 'everyone'."

The game would be great on XBLA, PSN and WiiWare, we'd say. And, sure, why not the iPhone? That thing is too legit to quit now.

Valve has announced Steam users who pre-order Plants vs. Zombies before its May 5 release will receive a free copy of Heavy Weapon Deluxe right away. While both titles are from PopCap's library, they couldn't be more from one another. Plants vs. Zombies is the latest in a never-ending stream of tower defense style games while Heavy Weapon Deluxe puts is an action title putting players in control of an atomic tank.

If one free thing isn't good enough, you can also rock out to the Plants vs. Zombies trailer theme song, "Zombies on Your Lawn" by downloading the tune today. Performed by Laura Shigihara, the song -- which will no doubt be stuck in your brain forever -- is available for download at our sister site BigDownload in both English and Japanese flavors. We dare you to try and hate it.

There are a few strings on our heart that, upon plucking, unlock our eternal love. It's kind of like the Konami code, except instead of finishing Contra, you get some weird dudes hanging outside your house at night, breathing deeply. Well, PopCap Games, we hope you have Brinks or something because taking cute, living plants and combining them with cute, undead zombies means that we'll forever love you. We know we said that after Peggle, but we're super serious this time.

Of course, none of these things are in the latest trailer for Plants vs Zombies, which is a viral video used to promote the title. Still, it's kind of funny, if only to see a zombie file things outside of the "braaains" category.

In the battle to determine which is more bizarre -- a game about plants battling zombies or a music video about a game where plants battle zombies -- the latter has prevailed. Ladies and gentlemen, for tonight's bedtime snack we present Plants vs. Zombies: The Music Video, based on PopCap's upcoming (and if you hadn't guessed, totally weird) tower defense game for PC ... Plants vs. Zombies.

What's your favorite part? The zombies with butter on their heads? The zombie dolphins? The whole mad thing? It takes a company like PopCap -- purveyors of unicorn-infused digital crack like Peggle -- to invent something that just has to be an April Fools' joke but, we swear, totally isn't.

Brace yourself, then click through after the break for animated insanity.