It’s been a while since I’ve corralled an In the News blog post, and we’ve been busy! Not only was Plants vs. Zombies Adventures announced, but Solitaire Blitz was launched for iPhone and iPad!

• Check out these 2 great Solitaire Blitz reviews (and video!) from Parents Blog, and LittleTechGirl.com. Solitaire Blitz is now available for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch! Did we mention, it’s FREE?!
• Bejeweled Live is now available for Windows 8 and RT! Both WP Central and Mashable got the inside scoop at GDC 2013.
• FOX Carolina reported on the benefits of video games, including East Carolina University’s ongoing study regarding the benefits of playing Plants vs. Zombies.
• Plants vs. Zombies Adventures announced and launched its closed beta a couple of weeks ago. Check out Inside Social Games’ exclusive interview with the head of our San Francisco studio, Curt Bererton, and Creative Director Mathilde Pignol.
• Not to confuse, there was also some news about the timing of a Plants vs. Zombies sequel. Slide to Play has the details.

Now, onto some even funnier news coverage:

• GamesRadar has put together report cards for some of their favorite video game characters. Zombie gets his report card, and we’re thinking he might not want to put this one on the refrigerator.
• Our PAX East booth had a lot of crazy things, one being a magician! He decided to conduct a little social experiment, and Joystiq happened to catch it on camera…

• Last week, our new hidden object game, Hidden Agenda, was #7 among all Facebook games in monthly active users. According to Inside Social Games, this is an increase of 173% since the game launched its open beta!

• Plus, Unigamesity reviewed Hidden Agenda, saying that it is the only game on Facebook that poses a real challenge to lovers of the hidden object genre.

• This past week, Plants vs. Zombies entered PS Vita’s Instant Game Collection. So, if you have a Vita and are a PS Plus member, go get your free PvZ!

• Kill Screen takes a look at touch-screen word games and why they are so popular among mobile gamers. In the article, they reference Bookworm as a popular example, as well as quoting our very own Jeff Green!

• Michael Jordan shows us he has skills on and off the basketball court with his new title of ‘Bejeweled Demigod’. Both Business Insider and ESPN say that Jordan has reached level 100 in the game and uses it as a competitive outlet, now that he’s not spending so much time on the court. Not only does he play the game, but his longtime friend and driver George Koehler plays the game as well, and it seems to be a staple in the Jordan household.
• On the other hand, Andrew Lincoln, who plays Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead, is forced to channel his characters zombie-fighting skills in order to beat the zombies in one of the few games he plays on his iPad, Plants vs. Zombies. According to Adweek, Lincoln says that when he plays as himself, he is eaten in seconds.

USAopoly has announced that Plants vs. Zombies Risk: Collector’s Edition will launch in Fall of this year. Check out a picture of the game as well as some details on EGM Now.

As you all know, (and if you don’t, what are you waiting for?!) the new PopCap game Hidden Agenda is in open beta. AOL Games Blog has created a cheat sheet for the game, so check it out!

Game Informer Magazine put together their list of Top Ten Tower Defense Games. At #1 is none other than… Plants vs. Zombies! GI says that with its “adorable presentation” and variety, PvZ is able to give players endless ways to defend their home. Listing variety as one of the hardest achievements for tower defense games, we are thrilled to be at #1!

• Last week, we launched the open beta of our first SOCIAL hidden object game! In case you’re crazy and have not played it yet, it’s called Hidden Agenda. Read more about the game, as well as an interview with the executive producer for hidden object games at PopCap, on AOL Games Blog and Capsule Computers! Click HERE to play the game on Facebook.

•Two PopCap games made AOL Games Blog’s list of the 10 match-3 games you have to play. Both Bejeweled 2 and Zuma’s Revenge! made the cut.

• If you’re thinking about getting the new BlackBerry 10, do not panic… you can still play some amazing PopCap games on your phone. See which of our games you can expect on the BlackBerry 10 from Pocket Gamer and The Game Fanatics.

*MC stands for “Marketing Coordinator” but we have to call her MC Rachel. It’s in her contract. And who are we to crush her dreams of hip-hop glory?

• PopCap recently announced that we will be teaming up with Hasbro to create physical Bejeweled games! Now the world of Bejeweled can come to life in two games coming out this Spring! Check out AOL Games Blog and Polygon for more details on how you’re going to be spending this Spring. Please note, you should probably go outdoors once or twice… just for sunlight and such.

• With the passing of the Golden Globes, it’s officially award season. The Wall Street Journal has a solution for the boredom that is sure to set in… play Bejeweled! Obviously, we already thought of this; but, we thought if The Wall Street Journal agreed with us, we should pass it on.

• In case you aren’t sure what makes Plants vs. Zombies such a fun game (which is highly unlikely) or need to convince someone in your life to let you play more PvZ, an IGN blogger has created an awesome infographic to explain just that.

• PC World put together a list and video of the items that took center stage at CES 2013, the Consumer Electronics Show, which took place January 8-11. Walls 360 makes the list, using Plants vs. Zombies wall graphics as an example of their work.

• Last, but certainly not least, Bejeweled 2 was named Game of the Day by the AOL Games Blog, see why HERE!

It’s a new year and we have some great PopCap news to start off 2013. From having some of the best games to put on your newly gifted smartphone or tablet, to being ranked among the top 50 iOS games of the year, we’re starting the year off right!

• The Salt Lake City Tribune, Idaho Statesman and Daily Record have all listed Plants vs. Zombies as a must-have for the new tablets in your life. So, what are you waiting for?

• Slide to Play has created their top 50 iOS games for 2012 . . .  Zuma’s Revenge HD has made the list at number 21!

• Even though the December holidays have passed, there are plenty more opportunities throughout the year to be bombarded by family members. MacLife created a list of apps to help you survive. Plants vs. Zombies made the list as the only game to keep you sane!

• Last week, iTunes came out with a “cheat sheet” on how to become a hardcore gamer. Their “Gaming 101” list puts Bejeweled Blitz at #2 on the list of games you need to play! See more on Kotaku.

We have a ton of great coverage this week including a new breed of Bejeweled Blitz, and PopCap games that are helping the colorblind match gems and blast balls!

• Last week PopCap had TWO games on the top 20 list of fastest-growing Daily Active Users on Facebook! According to Inside Social Games, Solitaire Blitz came in at #5, while Zuma Blitz was #15!

• Plants vs. Zombies is also getting some love from Kotaku and is listed as one of the 12 Best Games on the iPhone. They say the game is a good match for all those “urban gardeners” out there.

• Check out this boxing movie montage-style video, on the AOL Games Blog, announcing Bejeweled Blitz: Rubies and Riches. The Game Show Network and PopCap have come together to allow players to compete for cash and prizes in the brand new Rubies and Riches.

• If you own a NOOK, you’re in luck! Plants vs. Zombies and Bejeweled 2 are now on the Nook HD and Nook HD+. Engadget has all the details.

• Last, but not least, The Wall Street Journal wrote an article about colorblindness and technology. PopCap was mentioned as a video game developer that has enforced gaming disability guidelines, with both Peggle and Zuma Blitz including a colorblind mode.

With our countdown to Halloween officially begun, we have some spooky-good news about our Stop Zombie Mouth campaign, a trip down iPod memory lane, and more!

• The Stop Zombie Mouth campaign is in full swing as it makes a Page 1 appearance in the print edition of ADA News. Not to mention, the campaign music video made its public debut! Check out the video and other campaign treats at stopzombiemouth.com.

• Not only did the Stop Zombie Mouth video launch, but so did the new campaign trading cards! Here is some of the press that covered these limited edition cards: Venture Beat, The Verge, and Digital Trends.

• Seattle Business Magazine had its 2012 Tech Impact Awards for companies and organizations that use technology to have a positive impact on the lives of others… and in 1^st place, PopCap! Check out what they had to say here.

• Remember when all iPods had click wheels? The Verge does, and they think Peggle was one of the best wheel games! Obviously!

Lastly, Plants vs. Zombies was listed by Pad Gadget as one of the best games to play if you want to kill time during a meeting. However, if you get fired for doing this, we will deny ever giving you this information.

• A huge congrats to Laura Rich and Kathleen Henkel who are officially the Guinness World Record holders for “the longest videogames marathon playing a card game.” Both ladies played 30 hours of Solitaire Blitz to beat this record and in the process raised over $92,000 dollars for charity:water!

• Check out the video below to see Laura’s record-setting moment:

• Zuma’s Revenge! will be launching for the Xbox LIVE this week. The sequel to Zuma will include several new game modes, including Boss Rush and Weekly Challenge. While the game doesn’t come out until later this week, make sure to check out some of the Zuma’s Revenge! avatar items that have already hit the Marketplace.

• Chris Dahlen hates Plants vs. Zombies. He hates it only because his son loves it so much. His son’s PvZ obsession had to be stopped, and Chris did this by tricking him into believing a lie. If you’re a parent, make sure to read his blog post titled “Sometimes You Just Have to Lie to Your Kid.”

• Lastly, these Sunflower & Zombie stained glass pieces put a smile on our faces. They’re made by Nerd Glass, and are nothing short of awesome.

• Plants vs. Zombies is nominated for a Pocket Gamer Readers’ Choice Award! If you enjoy playing PvZ on your mobile device, show your support by voting for us in the Best Handheld category. The zombies thank you in advance.

• It’s March Madness! And Games.com is hosting their second annual March Madness Facebook Game 2012, where social games go head-to-head in a single-elimination voting tournament. Bejeweled Blitz is up against Fruit Ninja Frenzy in Round 2, and we need your votes it make it to Round 3! You can vote for us here.

• We announced last week that Zuma’s Revenge! will be launching on the Xbox 360 sometime this summer. More details can be found here.

• Lastly, these PvZ stockings made the front page of Reddit last week. This is what happened when a fan told his mom he was really into Plants vs. Zombies: