Mark B. – Studio Artist, Plants vs. Zombies

I had a total blast but oh my gosh did it wipe me out. Between what seemed like hundreds of boxes of swag to get out, running the “Test Your Strength” machine, keeping the booth tidy, and trying to contain Wall-nut hat mania, it was hard to find time just to get a bite to eat. Saturday afternoon, in the chaos, my lunch order didn’t come through. It was 2 or 2:30, and I was STARVING! Jeff saw the situation and came over, “Hey man, you can have half my sandwich.” Then, Philip came in and shared his lunch as well. I had a lot of fun being on panels, seeing all the amazing cos-players, and mingling with people who love PopCap games. But a small act of kindness when you need it the most, it stays with you. Thanks for having my back guys. It was awesome to have the opportunity to be at PAX East with ya.

Dana S. – Customer Service Content Manager

First of all, I sustained some major hits on this trip. I came back with a touch of con crud, and I got so dehydrated throughout the weekend that my hands cracked and bled, and then my nose started bleeding as well. On the way back to Seattle, I broke a tooth on airport food, and when I picked up my suitcase at baggage claim, it looked like this:

American Airlines customer support is awesome though, so I got a new bag. However, my Batman belt was lost along the way. Circle of life.

So, all that said, it really says something that I am so completely happy with my PAX East experience! I loved every minute of it (in retrospect, I guess — I mean, in the moment, I do remember never wanting to hear that hammer strike/bell ding sound combination again). I made some awesome new friends, saw a couple of cool panels, brought home a pile of card games to start playing, and best of all, hung out with the coolest group of friends I could have hoped for.

I also especially dug getting to talk to Peggle fans, as ever. Between the Peggle Master plushies we were giving out and the free Peggle download offer, that game was on everyone’s mind, and I love that. Extreme Fever forever!

Tara T. – Community Manager, Core Franchise

Couldn’t agree more with Mark. You were all so fun, amazing, and wonderful to work with. Even in the frustrating, starving, tired moments.

My favorite memories of the booth were the kiddos for sure. Each lil’ smile just from a simple plushy was worth every effort! The magic show was a highlight for me too. He brought a nice crowd and was super engaging. The strong man never-ending line was the biggest surprise for me. The popularity of that activity was crazy cool! The worst part of the whole event were the greedy folks who took 10 of everything without thinking twice. Seeing the inflation on ebay today is just slightly annoying. I’m still exhausted and sore, but all in all I can’t wait for the next event and can only hope we have a group as great as this one was! Thanks so much, everyone!

The gang's mostly all here!

Philip S. (hey, that’s me!) – Copywriter

Quick impressions: super noisy and I can’t believe how popular our decidedly analog High Striker hammer game was. Beyond that, I didn’t get out of our own booth too much (except to escort our zombie to and from his Kissing Booth) so I missed most of what I’m sure was a lot of great stuff on the floor. But what I took away from the whole event was that there are tons of great people in this business. From the groovy cats on my own team who worked hard and stayed loose the whole weekend, to the thousands of fans who stopped by to grab some swag or just to say ‘hey’ and ‘thanks,’ plus the two indie developers I ran into repeatedly in the break room (what up Ackk Studios and ClutchPlay Games?), and the dynamite crew of Enforcers including our most-awesome “XA” (Exhibitor Assistant) Laura, who was traffic cop, civil engineer, valet and den mother, and who we all agreed should come home with us. I spend a lot of time online where some days it seems like endless negativity. It was great to be face-to-face with so many fans and colleagues and to see how much passion and enthusiasm still exists in our industry. Oh, and the back-room swag deals with other developers was fun and sort of hilarious.

We killed it good.

Stephanie B. – Community Manager, Plants vs. Zombies

This was sent to me via the PvZ page yesterday:

Dear PopCap,

I just wanted to thank you for being the coolest booth at PAX East. I visited your booth often over the weekend but I had the best experience on Friday. I noticed people lining up to ring a bell with a mallet; I’m not sure if that game has an actual name. I’ve personally never tried those types of games before due to not having a lot of upper body strength. I normally wouldn’t attempt hitting anything with a mallet but I saw you were giving out Disco Zombie Figures and I knew I had to have one. I saw many girls fail to push their upper body strength to hit the bell and they were walking away with an energy drink. I really didn’t want an energy drink so I knew I had to give it my all for the figure! After waiting in line I got up to the green mat… and failed miserably. After three attempts I handed in my mallet. It was sad; I was sad. The guy said “Nice try” and I sighed. I was almost angry because I felt this game was really unfair for the average girl unless she had the extra muscle or had a hulky boyfriend. I didn’t have either of those things. However, after I walked away one of the the PopCap guys ran after me to give me a figure. I thanked him and I was really happy, even though I was still sad on the outside. So please thank whoever was giving out the prizes that Friday afternoon for running after the girl who was incredibly unhappy she failed at ringing the bell.     –Jennifer

Everyone did such a fantastic job. Seriously. Awesome. I heart all of you for the hard work at the event and PAX always reminds me of why I love my job and our fans. You all should feel super proud you pulled off a fantastic show! Everyone loved our booth and my favorite part was all of us working together and becoming better friends because of it.

Jeff G. – Nobody Really Knows What He Does Around Here

Other than our own booth, which we are contractually obliged to say was the best thing ever, I had a few other favorite moments at PAX East, including: Learning how to play Cards Against Humanity, being relieved that my daughter wasn’t with me while playing, attending the always hilarious Giant Bomb panel, and not breathing one molecule of clean air for three days. No, wait. That last one was awful. But overall the show was awesome, as it always is! By far my favorite gaming show, every time. And hanging out with PopCap friends outside of the office? Priceless.

“Phew!”

Okay maybe I should say a few more words, or this will be a very short blog post. The next thing we should say, most assuredly, is “thank you” to all those who attended and stopped by our booth. PopCap has been going to the PAX conventions in Seattle and Boston for the past few years, and we always have an amazing time. But this past weekend in Boston was probably the best of them all so far, as we were crushed by enthusiastic fans all weekend long, to the point where the only thing greater than our utter exhaustion was the immense feeling of gratitude we had for the response we received. So, again: Thank you!

This year was particularly stressful as far as working at a game company goes – because the booth that we had planned, around a certain unreleased game, completely fell through in the last few weeks leading up to the show. So the booth that those in Boston saw this weekend is what we might refer to as a  Hail Mary, or final act of desperation. Basically, a few of us sat in a conference room,  with flies swirling around our heads,  as we attempted to come up with a booth concept at the last minute. Someone – I don’t remember who – said, “Hey, how about a carnival?” And with lack of a better second idea, that’s what we went with.

But, hey — who doesn’t love a carnival?  With a Kiss the Zombie booth, a magician, a High Striker game, a Not-A-Lemonade Stand (loaded with free PopCap swag), and the Incredible Swag Machine itself, which dispensed our ever-popular Wall-nut caps every couple hours, we inadvertently created a three-day mob scene. Give people free entertainment and free gifts, and they’ll be happy! Who knew?

Honestly, as much fun as it is working at a game company most of the time, it really is just another office job, with all the stress, workloads, politics, compromises, and boring meetings as every other office job. So it’s easy for us to lose sight of the bigger picture. What shows like PAX East do is remind us of that bigger picture. Which is you. Spending three days with tens of thousands of happy, enthusiastic gamers, fans, and nerds of all ages, nationalities, body types, and planetary affiliations brings it back home to us just how much fun all of this is supposed to be, and how making people happy is really all we’re in it for.

We may have given you free stuff, for which you are more than welcome, but, in our eyes, you gave us the bigger gift: You showed us just how awesome it is to for us to do what we get to do. Some of you also reminded us of the importance of practicing proper hygiene, but that’s a blog post for another day.

And if you somehow didn’t make it to PAX East, you still have a chance to get the virtual goodies we were handing out at the show, including a free copy of Peggle, right here:  http://www.popcap.com/promos/pax-east-2013

Enjoy, and we’ll see you at PAX Prime in the fall! Yay!

In any event, such idle speculation led us to think about each compiling a list of our five favorite characters for posting here. Because, you know, blog topics are hard to come up with every single day, especially while you’re waiting for your own games to ship. So here is my list. I’m going to say up front that I did not include any PopCap characters, lest I be accused of bias, nor did I include a couple of obvious characters — Mario and Link — who really at this point are kind of at Lifetime Achievement status and for whom no further ink, or pixels, need to be spilled. I love them, you love them, we all love them, so now let’s move on.

My other bias, which the list will reveal in a moment, is that I’ve always been more of a PC guy than a console guy. So if you’re wondering why one of the pretty boys from the Final Fantasy games isn’t on this list, or Sonic, or whoever else, that’s why. This is my list. You can make your own and put them on there yourself rather than yell at me about it. Your yelling may make you feel better but it won’t change my list.

Now that that’s clear, I hope, here are my picks, in no real order because I’m wishy-washy that way:

Gordon Freeman (Half-Life series) — the mute, bespectacled protagonist of the greatest first-person shooter series of all time also happens to be the only character on this list (or in all of gaming) with a PhD in Theoretical Physics. Plus he wields a mean crowbar. What Freeman lacks in the personality department he more than makes up for in his looks – dorkus supremus — and uber-nerd credentials, which made him way closer to what actual gamers are like, rather than roided-out lunkheads like Duke Nukem. Besides, Freeman’s lack of dialog made him the perfect vehicle for us to inhabit, as we blasted our way through the nightmare of the Black Mesa facility. Gordon Freeman is us!

Guybrush Threepwood (Monkey Island series) — Representing the opposite end of the spectrum from Freeman is the inimitable Guybrush Threepwood, the would-be pirate of LucasArts’ brilliant Monkey Island adventure games, who is lacking in almost every department except in the verbal one. Guybrush’s “insult swordfighting” — in which he battles that game’s villains via witty repartee — is a highlight of the series, but even when just bumbling around from puzzle to puzzle, Guybrush’s steady stream of nonsense make these some of the funniest video games of all time. (And hats off to Purple Tentacle and Manny Calavera, who also could have occupied this spot. The LucasArts library of awesome adventure game characters is vast.)


Minsc (Baldur’s Gate series) — Of course, I can’t really give Minsc a spot here without giving a co-spot to his pet space hamster, Boo, without whom Minsc would be only half the awesome bald, tattooed berserker that he is. The obvious highlight of BioWare’s awesome Baldur’s Gate RPGs, Minsc brought plenty of LOL moments to these otherwise semi-serious fantasy games, with an endless stream of declaration, invective, and flat-out bizarre non sequiturs, usually issued in a loud bray even in the quietest of environments. “Go for the eyes, Boo!” will now and forever be my go-to battle cry.

HK-47 (Knights of the Old Republic) — I will totally confess without any fear of repercussions that I am not much of a Star Wars geek. I am old enough to have seen the very first film at the theater on Opening Day, so at least give me credit for that. But my lack of overall enthusiasm honestly does precede the abominations that were Episodes 1-3, which killed my interest forever. In the gaming world, however, there have been a number of stellar Star Wars titles, and if Knights of the Old Republic (again from BioWare) is not my favorite (that honor goes to Dark Forces), it does have one of my favorite characters of all time, HK-47, the assassin droid who referred to our species as “meatbags.”  As with Minsc, HK-47 livens up an otherwise semi-grim affair with nonstop hilarity — a sarcastic, mean, condescending robot who never fails to insult you and everyone else in the game at every given opportunity.

GlaDOS (Portal series) — And, finally, speaking of sarcastic, mean, condescending non-humans, there is GlaDOS (Genetic Lifeform and Disc Operating System), the unforgettable antagonist of Valve’s Portal games, who entices you through a series of ever-more-difficult and life-threatening puzzles at the Aperture Science research facility with the promise of cake, only to turn out (SPOILER ALERT) to be the most malevolent and insane AI this side of 2001′s HAL. Unlike Hal, however, the Portal writers play it entirely for laughs, and if there’s a more passive-aggressive character in all of gaming I don’t want to know her, because GlaDOS is like the worst girlfriend ever times one million. Plus, she was totally lying about the cake!

Zombie from Plants vs. Zombies

Zombie already say Zombie not make resolutions but Zombie editor getting all fussy so Zombie going to make exception just this one time. ‘K, you know how Plants vs. Zombies 2 is coming out in 2013? You know that right? How does you not know that. Oh, wait. Now you know that. Okay, anyways, where was Zombie… Oh, right. In 2013 Plants vs. Zombies 2 is coming out and Zombie resolve to win this time. You has been warned.

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Lex from Bookworm

I will endeavor to further assay lexicological phenomena in my continual undertaking to expand my already Brobdingnagian personal word-hoard. In this, I am resolute.

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The Frog from Zuma

My resolution is to keep my cool when in Hot Frog mode. Seriously, no more panicking and wasting those shots when I could be clearing the curve for major points!

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Tula from Peggle

I will give more blooming flowers and magical flowering rainbows of budding extremeness to the world. And get more shimmer lip gloss. And some really good eye drops. And eat a few bear claws now and again.

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Buckethead Gnome from Hammer Heads

I resolve to get out of my hole with my bucket intact, and to remember not to remove my bucket so often (as it leads to headaches). Also, I plan to begin and chair the “Jeff Green for Gnome President” committee, as he really seems to want to take the battle for gnome rights to the people of the world.

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Walter the Penguin from Insaniquarium

2013 is the year I will overcome my pugilistic nature.*

*Totally not. But I was asked to like, set a better example and stuff. Come on, I’m a penguin! I have wings but can’t fly, and everyone thinks I’m sooo cute and cuddly. Plus, my name is Walter, and every time I’m introduced to someone new, their eyes light up, and they yell, “Waaalllt!” and then look at me eagerly for approval. Yeah, I’ve seen Lost, the kid had the same name, I get it. Tell me you wouldn’t wanna punch someone from time to time. Except, um, don’t.  Because it’s only funny when penguins do it. And kangaroos. And Malcolm Reynolds.

Xbox 360 is a prerequisite for these item. But they also make great gifts, so don't let that stop you.

See, I love my time at the arcade, but you don’t always feel like going out to play, especially in the rainy season. At home, you may not have as many multiplayer, cooperative gaming options available. Here are a couple of great choices!

Bejeweled 3 for Xbox 360 is not only a terrific game in its own right, the disk version also includes Bejeweled Blitz Live, which is a really fun way to spend time with someone you care about. I’ve spent hours with good friends, alternately winning and losing rounds, talking smack and laughing like crazy as we make gems explode.

Plants vs. Zombies for Xbox 360 has the first-ever co-op mode in a PopCap game, and it’s a great choice if you want to sneak a love of gaming past the skeptical or snooty misgivings of a friend or partner who’s been reluctant to try it out. Even better, it also includes Peggle, the simplest form of radiant delight the world has ever known. (And if that sounds like hyperbole, you haven’t played Peggle.)

So that’s my holiday shopping list from PopCap!  What about you?

As for the rest of you, we’ll be back soon with another contest and a chance for you to unseat Rob K as King of All Captions.

Anyhoo, here’s the drawing. Make with the captions! We’ll put our favorites up for a vote on Friday.

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.