Peggle
Encyclopedia
Peggle is a casual
puzzle video game developed by Sukhbir Sidhu and Brian Rothstein of PopCap Games
. Initially released for Microsoft Windows
and Mac OS X
systems in 2007, it has since had versions released for Xbox Live Arcade
, PlayStation Network, the Nintendo DS
(with the help of Q Entertainment
), Windows Mobile
, the iPod
, the iPhone OS
, Zeebo
and Android; the game has also been ported as a Java
application, and an extended minigame
incorporated into the massively multiplayer online game
World of Warcraft
. A sequel was released in September 2008, titled Peggle Nights
.
Inspired by pachinko
, each level of Peggle challenges the player to shoot a limited supply of balls at a field of colored pegs to clear out specifically marked pegs while attempting to achieve a high score through skilled shot planning. Special powers associated with a number of cartoon "Peggle Masters" can be activated to aid the player in this task. Peggle initially sold slowly but was boosted by the inclusion of a specially designed demonstration in Valve
's The Orange Box
, and has since enjoyed over 50 million downloads from the Internet. Both its release on Xbox Live Arcade and the iPhone OS have enjoyed similar success.
Within the game's main "Adventure" mode, Peggle is divided into fifty-five levels. Each level features an arrangement of approximately one hundred blue "pegs", positioned to correspond with the level's background picture, inside of three walls on the top and sides (leaving the bottom opened), along with other fixed and moving features. The goal of each level is to clear the board of the twenty-five random pegs that are turned orange at the start of the level, by using a ball launcher located at the top center of the screen to strike one or more of the pegs. Pegs light up when hit, and once the ball either falls through the bottom of the screen or is caught by the ball catcher that moves back and forth along the bottom in a fixed manner, the pegs will be removed. Struck pegs are also removed if the ball is stuck on them. The player begins each level with ten balls (twelve on the non-Touch iPod version) to clear the orange pegs, but may earn more by landing the ball in the ball catcher, or by earning high scores on single shots. Failure to clear the board with the allotted number of balls will require the player to restart the level, while completing this objective will allow the player to progress forward to the next board.
Every five levels in the Adventure mode correspond to playing with one of ten "Peggle Masters", cartoon characters that help the player. Each of the Peggle Masters has a unique special ability that is activated when the player strikes one of the two randomly selected green pegs on the board. Some abilities activate immediately; one ability causes a second ball to be generated from the green peg when struck. Other abilities will have effects that activate on the next shot or for several more shots; one ability shows the ball's path including rebounds, while another will extend the length of the ball catcher. In the final five levels of the Adventure mode, called "Master" levels, the player can select which of the Peggle Masters they want to use.
In addition to clearing the board, the player is challenged to get high scores with each shot. Points come from two main sources: striking pegs, and style points. Each struck peg earns points, with further bonuses gained by hitting numerous pegs on a single shot, and by clearing orange pegs, which builds up a scoring multiplier up to 10x when all but a few orange pegs remain. Additionally, for each shot, one random blue peg will be marked purple and revert to blue after the shot if it is not struck; striking this peg will further boost the player's score. Style points are awarded for making difficult shots such as striking two orange pegs consecutively that are a distance apart, or by getting lucky bounces off the ball catcher. When the player clears the board of orange pegs, as announced by the song "Ode To Joy"
and the message "Extreme Fever", the bottom of the level is replaced with five bins of different point values that the ball will fall into. The player is awarded this score in addition to any unused balls remaining to get their final score for the level. If all the pegs on a level are cleared, a bonus is awarded and all the bins turn to the maximum value and the message "Ultra Extreme Fever" is displayed.
In addition to the Adventure mode, the game features a series of challenges that require the player to complete boards under stricter requirements, such as having to clear more orange pegs or remove every peg from the board. A "Duel" mode allows the player to compete against another person or a computer AI
on the same board in attempting to reach the highest score. The Xbox Live and PlayStation Network versions add a "Peg Party" mode, in which up to four players compete on their own boards using a limited number of balls, each attempting to get the highest score. In each of these modes, the game generally offers the ability for players to select which Peggle Master they wish to use.
machines. However, he recognized that pachinko was mostly luck-based, and would not translate well into a video game. After seeing a 2D
game engine created by PopCap programmer Brian Rothstein, Sidhu was able to realize his game, and worked with Rothstein for the first five months of its development before bringing in additional programmers. Initial designs focused on bringing together elements of pachinko with Breakout
. The team initially incorporated a "rapid-fire" mechanic used in pachinko, along with numerous moving targets, but they found this made the levels either too fast-paced or too demanding of the player. They found over time that a static field of pegs provided a more enjoyable experience for the player; the path of the ball would be more predictable, leading to the gameplay mechanic of requiring only a random subset of orange pegs to be cleared. Once the team had established the core mechanics of the game, they brought on character artist Walter Wilson, background artist Marcia Broderick and an additional coder, Eric Tams, to help complete Peggle within its two-year development period. Even with their game established, Sidhu and Rothstein faced internal challenges at PopCap to increase the level of interactivity with the game, but the two defended their vision of the game.
Though the game was technically completed within a year, PopCap opted to spend more time to polish it, improving the visuals and background images. The team spent time refining the various sound effects used in the game, in order to provide an appropriate atmosphere. In some cases, they found the desired sound quickly; the sound of the ball hitting a peg was borrowed from another game in development at PopCap, but was considered perfect for Peggle. Other cases required iteration; the sound of the ball shooter was originally closer to that of a cannon, while a "plunk" sound effect was used when the ball catcher caught a ball. These were changed to more airy sounds (an air cannon and a brief angelic chorus) in order to make the elements sound as if part of the game's music. The team found it helped to create a defining moment at the end of each level when the player is moments from clearing the final peg. This initially was programmed as a simple message stating "Extreme Fever" and the music of Ode to Joy as a placeholder. Sidhu wanted to recreate the "wild sounds and visuals" that were present on winning pachinko games. However, the team found that the players reacted well to the simpler placeholder elements, and the team focused on improving the presentation of these, including adding a zoom on the current ball as it neared the last orange peg to be cleared.
, featuring levels inspired by Half-Life 2
, Team Fortress 2
, and Portal. It includes ten levels with one Peggle Master, and five Challenges. Peggle Extreme was eventually made free to download for anyone with a Steam account. The game was developed in conjunction with Valve Corporation
after PopCap's Tams learned that Peggle was played often at Valve's offices and that the company had helped to promote the game on Steam. PopCap proposed a version that would pay tribute to Valve's games, which Valve readily warmed up to, helping PopCap with its development, including providing graphical assets and artwork.
Peggle has been ported to Xbox Live Arcade
, the PlayStation Network, the iPod
, and the iPhone OS
. The Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network versions includes the "Peg Party" mode in which up to four players can compete simultaneously. Both the Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network and iPhone OS versions include the "Duel" mode, with the iPhone OS version having the players share the iPhone between turns. Peggle has also been ported as a minigame
inside World of Warcraft
, featuring levels based on the game, though including a limited set of Peggle Masters to use. Warcraft players can also use Peggle to decide how to distribute loot
from successful raids or dungeons. Subsequently, in July 2009, a free standalone, ten-level edition of Peggle themed around Warcraft in a similar manner as Peggle Extreme was released.
PopCap released a sequel to the original game, Peggle Nights
, in September 2008 for Windows. The sequel expands upon Peggle by adding one new Peggle Master in addition to new levels and challenges. The Xbox Live and PlayStation Network versions of Peggle received Nights as a downloadable expansion
to the game on November 19, 2009. Peggle Nights was made available as an in-app purchase for iOS devices. Peggle: Dual Shot is a Nintendo DS
port of the game, developed by Q Entertainment
; the game includes content from both Peggle and Peggle Nights. This version of the game awards the player a star each time a purple bonus peg is hit, activating a new bonus minigame upon collecting five stars. The minigame requires that the player continually bounce a ball with pinball-like bumpers to collect diamonds and extra balls.
found the game to be a "constant series of rewards" in gameplay, graphics, and audio that would continue to satisfy the player. Gus Mastrapa of The A.V. Club
considered the game "comfort food for the omnivorous gamer", with its ability to draw even hardcore gamers into its fantasy visuals. IGN
's Erik Brudvig cited Peggle as being "simple enough for anybody to pick up and instantly start having fun". The Xbox Live version was seen as truthful to the PC version, and while the Peggle Party mode was considered an interesting addition, Dan Whitehead of Eurogamer
felt it was a "curiously remote approach" that did not fully integrate a multiplayer experience into the game, a point also stated by Mastrapa who lamented the lack of online leaderboards.
The game did not initially perform well in sales when released for Windows, but according to Sidhu, sales of the game took off following the release of Peggle Extreme as part of The Orange Box; Sidhu stated that the special version of the game helped to bring in video game players that would "never be caught dead playing a game with unicorns and rainbows". Peggle (both trial and full versions) has been downloaded more than 50 million times from the Internet as of early 2009, though PopCap has not released how many of these downloads were for full sales of the game.
Upon its release on Xbox Live Arcade, Peggle was the top-selling game on the service for two weeks, and remained in the top ten applications for several weeks afterward. Within a month, over 100,000 players were listed on the Xbox leaderboards for Peggle, though this number also includes players who purchased the game through the PopCap Arcade Volume 2 retail package, which contained the game as well. IGN
editor Cam Shea ranked it eighth on his top ten list of Xbox Live Arcade games. He stated that while its theme could easily turn players off, they should not let it, as it is "It's infectious, and most importantly, fun" according to him. In a list compiled by the IGN staff in September 2010, Peggle was listed as the 10th best Xbox Live Arcade of all time.
The release of Peggle on the iPhone OS was extremely popular, placing in the top ten applications purchased through the App Store for the first two weeks it was available. During a weekend in June 2009, the title was put on sale for $1 (normally $5); the sale caused the game to become the most purchased application in the App Store. A PopCap representative stated that they made as many sales during this four-day period as they had in the three weeks prior, after the game's launch on the Store.
Peggle is considered to be an addictive
game. The game is stated to have a simple premise that follows the KISS principle
, but requires some amount of repeating playing to master, similar in fashion to early arcade game
s, leading to its addictive qualities. Peggle is also claimed to entice the user to play "just a few more minutes". The accessibility of the game across multiple platforms is also considered to contribute to its addictiveness. MSNBC
named Peggle one of the "Top 5 most addictive computer games of all time." Despite its addictive nature, the game, like many of PopCap's casual games, is also considered a stress reliever. A study underwritten by PopCap at East Carolina University
found that across 132 subjects, Peggle was found to increase their mood by 573% across all subjects, with a 45% reduction in depression
. Peggle along with other PopCap games were also found to help children with ADHD improve their attention span and memory recall, in a survey done by Information Solutions Group on behalf of PopCap.
Peggle was nominated for the 2007 Game Developers Choice Awards
for "Best Downloadable Game", "Best Handheld Game" (for the iPod port), and "Innovation" awards. The game was also nominated as the "Best Downloadable Game" for the 2007 Interactive Achievement Awards by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences
. Peggle appeared as #40 on the 2007 PC Gamer Magazine
(UK) list of their 100 favorite computer games of all time.
Casual game
A casual game is a video game targeted at or used by a mass audience of casual gamers. Casual games can have any type of gameplay, and fit in any genre. They are typically distinguished by their simple rules and lack of commitment required in contrast to more complex hardcore games...
puzzle video game developed by Sukhbir Sidhu and Brian Rothstein of PopCap Games
PopCap Games
PopCap Games is an American video game developer and publisher, based in Seattle, Washington, United States. It was founded in 2000 by John Vechey, Brian Fiete and Jason Kapalka, and currently employs about 400 people...
. Initially released for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
and Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
systems in 2007, it has since had versions released for Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
, PlayStation Network, the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
(with the help of Q Entertainment
Q Entertainment
Q Entertainment creates, produces, and publishes in digital entertainment content across multiple game consoles, PC broadband and mobile units...
), Windows Mobile
Windows Mobile
Windows Mobile is a mobile operating system developed by Microsoft that was used in smartphones and Pocket PCs, but by 2011 was rarely supplied on new phones. The last version is "Windows Mobile 6.5.5"; it is superseded by Windows Phone, which does not run Windows Mobile software.Windows Mobile is...
, the iPod
IPod
iPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle...
, the iPhone OS
IPhone OS
iOS is Apple's mobile operating system. Originally developed for the iPhone, it has since been extended to support other Apple, Inc. devices such as the iPod Touch, iPad, and Apple TV. Apple, Inc. does not license iOS for installation on third-party hardware...
, Zeebo
Zeebo
Zeebo is a 3G-enabled entertainment and education system from Zeebo Inc. It not only enables users to play video games, but also connect to the Internet, communicate online and run educational applications. The Zeebo is targeted at developing markets such as BRIC and Mexico. Zeebo Inc...
and Android; the game has also been ported as a Java
Java Platform, Micro Edition
Java Platform, Micro Edition, or Java ME, is a Java platform designed for embedded systems . Target devices range from industrial controls to mobile phones and set-top boxes...
application, and an extended minigame
Minigame
A minigame is a short video game often contained within another video game. A minigame is always smaller or more simplistic than the game in which it is contained. Minigames are sometimes also offered separately for free to promote the main game...
incorporated into the massively multiplayer online game
Massively multiplayer online game
A massively multiplayer online game is a multiplayer video game which is capable of supporting hundreds or thousands of players simultaneously. By necessity, they are played on the Internet, and usually feature at least one persistent world. They are, however, not necessarily games played on...
World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the fourth released game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994...
. A sequel was released in September 2008, titled Peggle Nights
Peggle Nights
Peggle Nights is a Windows, Mac OS X and Microsoft Xbox Live Arcade downloadable game from PopCap Games. It is the sequel to 2007's Peggle. It is also unlockable in Peggle: Dual Shot for the Nintendo DS. However, in Peggle Dual Shot, Marina is not unlockable...
.
Inspired by pachinko
Pachinko
is a type of game originating in Japan, and used as both a form of recreational arcade game and much more frequently as a gambling device, filling a niche in gambling in Japan comparable to that of the slot machine in Western gambling. A pachinko machine resembles a vertical pinball machine, but...
, each level of Peggle challenges the player to shoot a limited supply of balls at a field of colored pegs to clear out specifically marked pegs while attempting to achieve a high score through skilled shot planning. Special powers associated with a number of cartoon "Peggle Masters" can be activated to aid the player in this task. Peggle initially sold slowly but was boosted by the inclusion of a specially designed demonstration in Valve
Valve Corporation
Valve Corporation is an American video game development and digital distribution company based in Bellevue, Washington, United States...
's The Orange Box
The Orange Box
The Orange Box is a video game compilation for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, Mac OS X and PlayStation 3. The Windows and Xbox 360 versions were produced and published by Valve Corporation and released on October 10, 2007 as a boxed retail copy...
, and has since enjoyed over 50 million downloads from the Internet. Both its release on Xbox Live Arcade and the iPhone OS have enjoyed similar success.
Gameplay
Every five levels in the Adventure mode correspond to playing with one of ten "Peggle Masters", cartoon characters that help the player. Each of the Peggle Masters has a unique special ability that is activated when the player strikes one of the two randomly selected green pegs on the board. Some abilities activate immediately; one ability causes a second ball to be generated from the green peg when struck. Other abilities will have effects that activate on the next shot or for several more shots; one ability shows the ball's path including rebounds, while another will extend the length of the ball catcher. In the final five levels of the Adventure mode, called "Master" levels, the player can select which of the Peggle Masters they want to use.
In addition to clearing the board, the player is challenged to get high scores with each shot. Points come from two main sources: striking pegs, and style points. Each struck peg earns points, with further bonuses gained by hitting numerous pegs on a single shot, and by clearing orange pegs, which builds up a scoring multiplier up to 10x when all but a few orange pegs remain. Additionally, for each shot, one random blue peg will be marked purple and revert to blue after the shot if it is not struck; striking this peg will further boost the player's score. Style points are awarded for making difficult shots such as striking two orange pegs consecutively that are a distance apart, or by getting lucky bounces off the ball catcher. When the player clears the board of orange pegs, as announced by the song "Ode To Joy"
Symphony No. 9 (Beethoven)
The Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, is the final complete symphony of Ludwig van Beethoven. Completed in 1824, the symphony is one of the best known works of the Western classical repertoire, and has been adapted for use as the European Anthem...
and the message "Extreme Fever", the bottom of the level is replaced with five bins of different point values that the ball will fall into. The player is awarded this score in addition to any unused balls remaining to get their final score for the level. If all the pegs on a level are cleared, a bonus is awarded and all the bins turn to the maximum value and the message "Ultra Extreme Fever" is displayed.
In addition to the Adventure mode, the game features a series of challenges that require the player to complete boards under stricter requirements, such as having to clear more orange pegs or remove every peg from the board. A "Duel" mode allows the player to compete against another person or a computer AI
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
on the same board in attempting to reach the highest score. The Xbox Live and PlayStation Network versions add a "Peg Party" mode, in which up to four players compete on their own boards using a limited number of balls, each attempting to get the highest score. In each of these modes, the game generally offers the ability for players to select which Peggle Master they wish to use.
Development
Peggle was originally envisioned by PopCap's studio director, Sukhbir Sidhu, who was inspired by pachinkoPachinko
is a type of game originating in Japan, and used as both a form of recreational arcade game and much more frequently as a gambling device, filling a niche in gambling in Japan comparable to that of the slot machine in Western gambling. A pachinko machine resembles a vertical pinball machine, but...
machines. However, he recognized that pachinko was mostly luck-based, and would not translate well into a video game. After seeing a 2D
2D computer graphics
2D computer graphics is the computer-based generation of digital images—mostly from two-dimensional models and by techniques specific to them...
game engine created by PopCap programmer Brian Rothstein, Sidhu was able to realize his game, and worked with Rothstein for the first five months of its development before bringing in additional programmers. Initial designs focused on bringing together elements of pachinko with Breakout
Breakout (video game)
Breakout is an arcade game developed by Atari, Inc and introduced on May 13, 1976. It was conceptualized by Nolan Bushnell and Steve Bristow, and influenced by the 1972 arcade game Pong, also by Atari. The game was ported to video game consoles and upgraded to video games such as Super Breakout...
. The team initially incorporated a "rapid-fire" mechanic used in pachinko, along with numerous moving targets, but they found this made the levels either too fast-paced or too demanding of the player. They found over time that a static field of pegs provided a more enjoyable experience for the player; the path of the ball would be more predictable, leading to the gameplay mechanic of requiring only a random subset of orange pegs to be cleared. Once the team had established the core mechanics of the game, they brought on character artist Walter Wilson, background artist Marcia Broderick and an additional coder, Eric Tams, to help complete Peggle within its two-year development period. Even with their game established, Sidhu and Rothstein faced internal challenges at PopCap to increase the level of interactivity with the game, but the two defended their vision of the game.
Though the game was technically completed within a year, PopCap opted to spend more time to polish it, improving the visuals and background images. The team spent time refining the various sound effects used in the game, in order to provide an appropriate atmosphere. In some cases, they found the desired sound quickly; the sound of the ball hitting a peg was borrowed from another game in development at PopCap, but was considered perfect for Peggle. Other cases required iteration; the sound of the ball shooter was originally closer to that of a cannon, while a "plunk" sound effect was used when the ball catcher caught a ball. These were changed to more airy sounds (an air cannon and a brief angelic chorus) in order to make the elements sound as if part of the game's music. The team found it helped to create a defining moment at the end of each level when the player is moments from clearing the final peg. This initially was programmed as a simple message stating "Extreme Fever" and the music of Ode to Joy as a placeholder. Sidhu wanted to recreate the "wild sounds and visuals" that were present on winning pachinko games. However, the team found that the players reacted well to the simpler placeholder elements, and the team focused on improving the presentation of these, including adding a zoom on the current ball as it neared the last orange peg to be cleared.
Versions and sequels
Peggle Extreme was packaged with the Windows version of The Orange BoxThe Orange Box
The Orange Box is a video game compilation for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, Mac OS X and PlayStation 3. The Windows and Xbox 360 versions were produced and published by Valve Corporation and released on October 10, 2007 as a boxed retail copy...
, featuring levels inspired by Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2 , the sequel to Half-Life, is a first-person shooter video game and a signature title in the Half-Life series. It is singleplayer, story-driven, science fiction, and linear...
, Team Fortress 2
Team Fortress 2
Team Fortress 2 is a free-to-play team-based first-person shooter multiplayer video game developed by Valve Corporation. A sequel to the original mod Team Fortress based on the Quake engine, it was first released as part of the video game compilation The Orange Box on October 10, 2007 for Windows...
, and Portal. It includes ten levels with one Peggle Master, and five Challenges. Peggle Extreme was eventually made free to download for anyone with a Steam account. The game was developed in conjunction with Valve Corporation
Valve Corporation
Valve Corporation is an American video game development and digital distribution company based in Bellevue, Washington, United States...
after PopCap's Tams learned that Peggle was played often at Valve's offices and that the company had helped to promote the game on Steam. PopCap proposed a version that would pay tribute to Valve's games, which Valve readily warmed up to, helping PopCap with its development, including providing graphical assets and artwork.
Peggle has been ported to Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
, the PlayStation Network, the iPod
IPod
iPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle...
, and the iPhone OS
IPhone OS
iOS is Apple's mobile operating system. Originally developed for the iPhone, it has since been extended to support other Apple, Inc. devices such as the iPod Touch, iPad, and Apple TV. Apple, Inc. does not license iOS for installation on third-party hardware...
. The Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network versions includes the "Peg Party" mode in which up to four players can compete simultaneously. Both the Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network and iPhone OS versions include the "Duel" mode, with the iPhone OS version having the players share the iPhone between turns. Peggle has also been ported as a minigame
Minigame
A minigame is a short video game often contained within another video game. A minigame is always smaller or more simplistic than the game in which it is contained. Minigames are sometimes also offered separately for free to promote the main game...
inside World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the fourth released game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994...
, featuring levels based on the game, though including a limited set of Peggle Masters to use. Warcraft players can also use Peggle to decide how to distribute loot
Looting (gaming)
Looting in a gaming context, specifically in massively multiplayer online games and MUDs, is the process by which a player character obtains items such as in-game currency, spells, equipment, or weapons, often from the corpse of a creature or possibly the corpse of another player in a PVP situation...
from successful raids or dungeons. Subsequently, in July 2009, a free standalone, ten-level edition of Peggle themed around Warcraft in a similar manner as Peggle Extreme was released.
PopCap released a sequel to the original game, Peggle Nights
Peggle Nights
Peggle Nights is a Windows, Mac OS X and Microsoft Xbox Live Arcade downloadable game from PopCap Games. It is the sequel to 2007's Peggle. It is also unlockable in Peggle: Dual Shot for the Nintendo DS. However, in Peggle Dual Shot, Marina is not unlockable...
, in September 2008 for Windows. The sequel expands upon Peggle by adding one new Peggle Master in addition to new levels and challenges. The Xbox Live and PlayStation Network versions of Peggle received Nights as a downloadable expansion
Downloadable content
Downloadable content is official additional content for a video game distributed through the Internet. Downloadable content can be of several types, ranging from a single in-game outfit to an entirely new, extensive storyline, similarly to an expansion pack. As such, DLC may add new game modes,...
to the game on November 19, 2009. Peggle Nights was made available as an in-app purchase for iOS devices. Peggle: Dual Shot is a Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
port of the game, developed by Q Entertainment
Q Entertainment
Q Entertainment creates, produces, and publishes in digital entertainment content across multiple game consoles, PC broadband and mobile units...
; the game includes content from both Peggle and Peggle Nights. This version of the game awards the player a star each time a purple bonus peg is hit, activating a new bonus minigame upon collecting five stars. The minigame requires that the player continually bounce a ball with pinball-like bumpers to collect diamonds and extra balls.
Reception
Peggle was well-received by critics. Alec Meer of EurogamerEurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
found the game to be a "constant series of rewards" in gameplay, graphics, and audio that would continue to satisfy the player. Gus Mastrapa of The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
considered the game "comfort food for the omnivorous gamer", with its ability to draw even hardcore gamers into its fantasy visuals. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's Erik Brudvig cited Peggle as being "simple enough for anybody to pick up and instantly start having fun". The Xbox Live version was seen as truthful to the PC version, and while the Peggle Party mode was considered an interesting addition, Dan Whitehead of Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
felt it was a "curiously remote approach" that did not fully integrate a multiplayer experience into the game, a point also stated by Mastrapa who lamented the lack of online leaderboards.
The game did not initially perform well in sales when released for Windows, but according to Sidhu, sales of the game took off following the release of Peggle Extreme as part of The Orange Box; Sidhu stated that the special version of the game helped to bring in video game players that would "never be caught dead playing a game with unicorns and rainbows". Peggle (both trial and full versions) has been downloaded more than 50 million times from the Internet as of early 2009, though PopCap has not released how many of these downloads were for full sales of the game.
Upon its release on Xbox Live Arcade, Peggle was the top-selling game on the service for two weeks, and remained in the top ten applications for several weeks afterward. Within a month, over 100,000 players were listed on the Xbox leaderboards for Peggle, though this number also includes players who purchased the game through the PopCap Arcade Volume 2 retail package, which contained the game as well. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
editor Cam Shea ranked it eighth on his top ten list of Xbox Live Arcade games. He stated that while its theme could easily turn players off, they should not let it, as it is "It's infectious, and most importantly, fun" according to him. In a list compiled by the IGN staff in September 2010, Peggle was listed as the 10th best Xbox Live Arcade of all time.
The release of Peggle on the iPhone OS was extremely popular, placing in the top ten applications purchased through the App Store for the first two weeks it was available. During a weekend in June 2009, the title was put on sale for $1 (normally $5); the sale caused the game to become the most purchased application in the App Store. A PopCap representative stated that they made as many sales during this four-day period as they had in the three weeks prior, after the game's launch on the Store.
Peggle is considered to be an addictive
Behavioral addiction
Behavioral addiction is a form of addiction which does not rely on drugs or alcohol. Increasingly referred to as process addiction or non-substance-related addiction ) behavioral addiction includes a compulsion to repeatedly engage in an action until said action causes serious negative consequences...
game. The game is stated to have a simple premise that follows the KISS principle
KISS principle
KISS is an acronym for the design principle Keep it simple, Stupid!. Other variations include "keep it simple and stupid", "keep it short and simple", "keep it simple sir", "keep it simple or be stupid" or "keep it simple and straightforward"...
, but requires some amount of repeating playing to master, similar in fashion to early arcade game
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
s, leading to its addictive qualities. Peggle is also claimed to entice the user to play "just a few more minutes". The accessibility of the game across multiple platforms is also considered to contribute to its addictiveness. MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
named Peggle one of the "Top 5 most addictive computer games of all time." Despite its addictive nature, the game, like many of PopCap's casual games, is also considered a stress reliever. A study underwritten by PopCap at East Carolina University
East Carolina University
East Carolina University is a public, coeducational, engaged doctoral/research university located in Greenville, North Carolina, United States. Named East Carolina University by statute and commonly known as ECU or East Carolina, the university is the largest institution of higher learning in...
found that across 132 subjects, Peggle was found to increase their mood by 573% across all subjects, with a 45% reduction in depression
Depression (mood)
Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless...
. Peggle along with other PopCap games were also found to help children with ADHD improve their attention span and memory recall, in a survey done by Information Solutions Group on behalf of PopCap.
Peggle was nominated for the 2007 Game Developers Choice Awards
Game Developers Choice Awards
The Game Developers Choice Awards are annually presented by the Game Developers Conference for outstanding game developers and games.Introduced in 2001, the Game Developers Choice Awards were preceded by the Spotlight Awards, which were presented from 1997 to 1999.The 2009 award presentation was...
for "Best Downloadable Game", "Best Handheld Game" (for the iPod port), and "Innovation" awards. The game was also nominated as the "Best Downloadable Game" for the 2007 Interactive Achievement Awards by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences
Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences
The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences , founded in 1996, is a non-profit organization that promotes computer and video game entertainment with the annual D.I.C.E. Summit event, where its Interactive Achievement Awards ceremony has been held annually since 1998...
. Peggle appeared as #40 on the 2007 PC Gamer Magazine
PC Gamer
PC Gamer is a magazine founded in Britain in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future Publishing. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games magazines in their respective countries...
(UK) list of their 100 favorite computer games of all time.