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Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare growing to other platforms
Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare will sprout first on Xbox One and Xbox 360, as Microsoft was keen to point out at its Gamescom showcase this week. A PC version will arrive shortly after, and now we've learned from PopCap producer Brian Lindley that other platforms are also in the works. "We'll reveal more details about other platforms in the future," he tells Joystiq. Of course, we can only guess at what those platforms might be. Given the prolific nature of the original Plants vs. Zombies, and the expected outgrowth of its recently released sequel, we're going with a low-ball estimate of "all of them." Sony platforms, at the very least, seem like a shoe-in."
PopCap CEO talks free-to-play model for Plants vs. Zombies 2
PopCap CEO Dave Roberts discussed Plants vs. Zombies 2's free-to-play business model with GeekWire last week, mentioning both the game's swift adoption rate and the ire it has inspired from some fans. "I don't think anyone at EA has seen anything go up that fast to the top downloads," Roberts said. "My guess, by lunch [on launch day], we will have hit the same number of downloads that it took us five months to hit in the first version. It probably took us close to a year to hit that number on the PC." While noting that many view free-to-play as "evil," Robers pointed out that the majority of the top-grossing games in the App Store are free-to-play. "People have decided that free-to-play is a better way for them to monetize. And, some of the purists would argue that the industry has made them do that." Roberts suggested there are "ways to abuse any business model, and people sometimes say: 'Yeah, you can do horrible things with that.' Yeah, of course you can ... With PvZ we have a pretty important brand here and we are trying to protect it." PvZ2 is currently available for iOS devices and will cross-pollinate to other platforms "later this year and beyond."
Plants vs Zombies 2: First look
Right now, my iPad is my enemy. On it is Plants vs Zombies 2 (free, or more realistically, "free, but you are an IAP target waiting to be plucked repeatedly"), just released last night and since about 11PM yesterday, well, let's just say sleep and work went by the wayside. It's a funny kind of upgrade. There are bits about it I'm disappointed with, but overall, it has charmed me. You don't purchase PvZ 2. It's a free download. Instead, the emphasis has transferred to in-app purchases, with hardcore upsells throughout the app. If Candy Crush is the great Satan of IAP abuse, PvZ 2 is certainly an acolyte. I'd much rather pay US$10 or $20 for a full app than constantly be treated as a mark. But this is the way the App Store works these days. Visuals are the first big change you notice in PvZ 2. The artwork has lost the glossy beauty from the original PvZ. It feels more like an embedded web game (is "Facebooky" a word?) than the original. The designs are flatter, less three-dimensional, and while certainly playable, it looks more basic overall. The gameplay, however, remains delightful. I love the storytelling (yes, even Crazy Dave), the challenges, the new tools and the overall epic. In this version of PvZ, you work your way through a quest through time to bring Crazy Dave back to the present, so he can eat more spicy tacos. No one ever said PvZ was Shakespeare. The game starts off with a hint of dinosaur bones beneath the turf, a suggestion of the overall theme, then quickly throws you back to ancient Egypt where you battle historic-style Zombies. If you're familiar with the original PvZ, all your skills and strategies still apply, but there are plenty of engaging and fun new twists. I'm looking forward to other historic venues as the game continues. Features like plant food (that zap your lawn defenders into overdrive) and power-ups (pinching the heads off zombies -- more fun than it sounds, flicking and zapping your zombies) offer intriguing interaction updates. New plants, new obstacles and a bunch of new challenges (archaeologist zombies with torches, dustdevil storm zombies) provide plenty of play fun. In the end, PvZ 2 transcends "more of the same." It's a fun and noteworthy update, one that I'd have been happy to pay a premium for if PopCap weren't so insistent on keeping its hand outstretched for IAPs. It would be a far better game if they converted it to simple pay-then-play, but I suspect their bottom line has taught them how today's App Store market can optimize revenue. I really liked it as I played it, but I do hope I can do so without ever using any IAPs. Should PopCap reconsider and offer a single-payment option that reconsiders this approach, I'll be in line with my credit card.
Plants vs. Zombies 2 gets delayed, now coming later this summer
I got to see Plants vs. Zombies 2 running at E3, and the game looked essentially done. That's why this news is so surprising. PopCap has tweeted that the title has been delayed from its July 18 launch to "sometime later on this summer." Note that it will still premiere on iOS. There could be several reasons for this. PopCap is part of EA, so perhaps the title must go through extra quality reviews, or maybe July 18 conflicts with something else in EA's lineup. It's also possible that PopCap wants to leverage other additions to the Plants vs. Zombies empire (the company is working on a cheeky third-person shooter based on the popular franchise). There are also some concerns from E3 about the game's freemium elements. Unlike the original game, Plants vs. Zombies 2 is free to play, but dependent on in-app purchases for revenue. So it's possible that PopCap is reconsidering, or at least tweaking, those elements. We won't know for sure until we see the game again, which will hopefully be soon. Plants vs. Zombies 2 (which is somewhat ironically titled "It's About Time") is now set to arrive later this summer.
Plants vs. Zombies 2 delayed until 'later in the summer'
Plants vs. Zombies 2 has hit a wall-nut and won't launch on July 18 as intended. According to game's official Twitter account, the continuing battle between flora and undead won't continue until "later in the summer." In follow-up tweets, PopCap notes the game will still launch on "Apple products first," as it was originally announced and scheduled for iOS. After that, more braaaaains will be found on other platforms. It is the PopCap (and EA) way.
Plants vs. Zombies 2: it's about time we talked freemium vs. premium
PopCap Games is known for making games that appeal to a mass audience, and perhaps none are more so than Plants vs. Zombies. The cute 'n clever tower defense game has connected with players of all ages and origins. A sequel, then, was inevitable, and after an announcement last year we finally got to see the game in action at E3 last week. It's unfortunate, however, that much of the discussion around Plants vs. Zombies 2: It's About Time, at least during the game's iOS launch, probably won't be around any of the great new content. There are new zombie enemies, new plants, three new worlds set in different time periods, touchscreen-centric powerups that allow you to throw zombies around or pinch them apart, and even a new "plant food" buff that gives each plant an extra burst of ability when used. At launch, they'll probably all get lost in the mix, because there's one other big difference between the first Plants vs. Zombies and its sequel: PvZ 2 is a freemium game.
Peggle 2 coming this year from PopCap
Popcap's John Vechey just announced Peggle 2 will launch this year on unknown platforms from PopCap.
Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare pops up in E3 lobby
Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare has been revealed, following photos taken by Gamekyo in the Los Angeles Convention Center lobby over this pre-E3 weekend. PvZ: Garden Warfare hasn't previously pollinated the internet with any information of its existence, but sources tell Kotaku that the game is a multiplayer first-person shooter. We'll just let that thought settle in your mind for a bit. EA's press conference will be held tomorrow, June 10, and the game is sure to get its time in the sun then.
Plants vs Zombies 2 exclusively on iOS at launch
Ever since Plants vs. Zombies 2 was first announced, I've been crossing my fingers that we wouldn't have to wait long for an iOS release. The original game was hugely successful on Apple's touchscreen devices, but of course it was first seen on PC, and then eventually made its way out to every other platform on the face of the Earth. It turns out, however, that I shouldn't have worried about the sequel at all. Not only is Plants vs. Zombies 2 coming to iOS, but it's coming to iOS first and exclusively for a limited time. You can read the whole press release below, but suffice it to say that when PvZ2 arrives on July 18, it'll be only on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and that's awesome. The game will also have some touchscreen-only features (that allow you to interact with the zombies directly, which sounds interesting), and EA is planning lots of extra content for the game going forward. The title will be free-to-play, though the press release also mentions some freemium item sales like plant food or other unlocks. That's a little bit worrying, considering how much trouble the Real Racing 3 freemium items caused when that game arrived, but this is Popcap we're talking about, so they'll do it right ... right? At any rate, we'll find out soon enough. The game is set for a preview at E3 next week, so stay tuned and if I see it there, you'll hear about it here. And then everyone will be able to jump in when the game finally arrives on July 18. Show full PR text POPCAP DETAILS PLANTS VS. ZOMBIES 2: SEQUEL TO ACCLAIMED ORIGINAL LAUNCHING WORLDWIDE ON JULY 18 Plants vs. Zombies 2: It's About Time! Available Exclusively For iPhone, iPad and iPod touch At Launch SEATTLE, Washington – June 3, 2013 - PopCap Games, creator of some of the world's most beloved video game franchises and a division of Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA), today provided additional details regarding Plants vs. Zombies™ 2. The highly anticipated sequel to Plants vs. Zombies, a fan favorite among players of all ages, Plants vs. Zombies 2 will be previewed by invitation only at E3 in Los Angeles next week and will launch worldwide on July 18 exclusively for iPhone®, iPad® and iPod touch®. PopCap today also unveiled a trailer for Plants vs. Zombies 2, on its YouTube channel: (www.youtube.com/plantsvszombies). Designed from the ground up as a live service, the ever-expanding universe of Plants vs. Zombies 2 continues the epic struggle of plants defending your brainz against zombies from your backyard through the vast reaches of time, both past and future. New worlds with new levels, plants, zombies and new ways to play will be released on an ongoing basis. Leveraging the touch interface of Apple's popular mobile devices, Plants vs. Zombies 2 includes all-new touch-screen power-ups that enable players to "break the fourth wall" and interact with zombies directly, as well as via plant defenses. Also returning for the sequel is Crazy Dave, the addled neighbor who serves as a guide for players and shopkeeper for special plant upgrades and other tools and weapons. New touch-screen power-ups, plant food that supercharges plants, and novel new game mechanics that both help and hinder players' efforts to thwart the zombie hordes will enthrall existing fans and new players alike. Free to download, Plants vs. Zombies 2 will expand and extend the classic gameplay of the original and provide players with dozens of all-new levels, plants and zombies across multiple worlds at no cost. While the vast majority of the game will be entirely free to play (players can face every zombie and access every level in every world at no cost), Plants vs. Zombies 2 players will also be able to purchase upgrades and other in-game items. "It's about time!" said Allen Murray, Senior Producer for Plants vs. Zombies 2. "We're confident that players will see the love and attention we've put into this game. We've created wild new ways to experience the plants and zombies you know and love as well as packing the game with tons of completely new content, and we're still hard at work coming up with even more cool stuff that will keep Plants vs. Zombies 2 fresh and evolving in the months and years following launch."
Evilot takes Plants vs. Zombies to Triple Town
This is Portabliss, a column about downloadable games that can be played on the go. Plants vs. Zombies has long been one of the most popular titles on the App Store (or any platform it's been released on, really), but PopCap has only recently revealed a sequel set to arrive in another month or so. In all that time, then, it's not surprising that game developers have "borrowed" PopCap's casual tower defense formula, where you build up units in lanes to defend against an oncoming horde. Samurai Bloodshow is one of the best pretenders to the throne, and there are other games like Legendary Wars that took PopCap's premise and ran far with it. Evilot also belongs in the second category. It's a recently released iPad game that has a very clear resemblance to the longtime battle of flowers against the undead, in that enemy troops come in by lanes from the right, and you need to build up units to defend treasure on the left. But while Plants vs. Zombies uses a straightforward currency system to build up its units, Evilot borrows a core mechanic from another great iOS title: Triple Town.
Plants vs. Zombies 2 sprouts this July
Plants vs. Zombies 2 will finally launch in July, according to PopCap Games. "Yay! I can finally say it! PvZ 2: It's About Time is coming in July!" PvZ Community Marketing Manager Stephanie Bayer announced on Twitter this morning. PopCap Games announced the sequel last year with a "first half of 2013" release window, so we guess this counts as a mini delay. Hey, PvZ zombies are the slow kind.
Daily iPhone App: Bookworm Heroes takes Popcap's wordfinding classic social
The big deal with Popcap's latest big entry into the App Store, Bookworm Heroes, is that it's social. It's a version of the company's popular wordfinding game given a social twist, so that you can play against your friends, neighbors, or just random people online. But here's the thing I most don't like about Bookworm Heroes: It's social. Yes, the thing that might most appeal to you about this one is the thing that makes it least appealing. Bookworm Heroes isn't a bad game. If you love the Bookworm series (the first version of the game has been on the App Store for a while), Heroes shows off the same polish and excellent gameplay that the other titles offer. But Heroes is only social, which means that to play, you've got to wait for your opponent to pass a turn back. And if you don't have anyone else interested in playing (like me), you have to stick with random opponents, which just weren't very successful for me -- either I forgot about their games and ended up forfeiting, or they forfeited the game for me. At any rate, Bookworm Heroes is excellent -- if you have friends to play with (or kids interested in playing with you). It's available as a free download right now. As for me personally, I'm looking forward to an iOS port of Bookworm Adventures. I'd much rather play a full game against the computer than a half a game against someone else across the Internet.
All PopCap games half-off this weekend
To celebrate the Chinese New Year, PopCap put every game in its library on sale through Tuesday, February 12. All downloadable PC games are 50 percent off though the developer's store, including Plants vs. Zombies, Peggle and Bejeweled 3.The sale could certainly fund PopCap's "AAA console title" ambitions, but the savings are passed on to you, the player. That extra money equates to a lot of burritos, or in this weekend's case, egg rolls.
Plants vs. Zombies iOS update adds Last Stand Endless Mode
Plants vs. Zombies for iOS received some fresh fertilizer today, with an update adding new levels and a new mode. The free update for the iPhone and iPad version of the game includes five new levels, the "Last Stand Endless Mode" and three new achievements.Actually, it turns out the five new levels are inside the Last Stand Endless Mode. The new variant gives a limited amount of sun in a twist on the classic Endless Mode. This is the second content update to PvZ on iOS this year, which received several new game modes in April.
Zen Studios' Plants vs. Zombies pinball table lets in sunshine next week
Zen Studios' first mystery pinball table based on a PopCap franchise will be Plants vs. Zombies. The table, playable at PAX this weekend, features your favorite flora and undead continuing their epic battle with the assistance of giant silver balls.The Plants vs. Zombies pinball table will be available on September 4 and 5 in North America and Europe, respectively, as a cross buy add-on for Zen Pinball 2 on PS3 and Vita. The table flips on in XBLA's Pinball FX2 on September 5. The table is $2.99 through the PlayStation Network, 240 Microsoft Points ($3) on Xbox 360.Asked for a review of the table, Crazy Dave expounded, "Wabby-wibby woooo. Whaaaa! Wanna watta win."
Report: PopCap hit with international layoffs [Update]
EA laid off employees of its PopCap studios in Dublin, Shanghai and Seattle, Duke Nukem creator George Broussard tweeted today, following an earlier message saying layoffs were "imminent" at PopCap. PopCap Dublin was shut down, Shanghai was "shrunk" and Seattle let go 50 people, according to Broussard.PopCap may have been quietly firing people for months, VG24/7 reported.EA acquired PopCap in August 2011 for $750 million, in the hopes it would "accelerate our drive towards a $1 billion digital business," EA CEO John Riccitiello said. Yesterday PopCap announced Plants vs. Zombies 2, which is expected to launch in late spring 2013.We have reached out to EA and PopCap for more information.Update 2: PopCap co-founder John Vechey has released a statement on today's layoffs, stating 50 people were let go today in North America."We've been able to invest in creative new games like Peggle and Plants vs. Zombies because we had a high profit business. That business is challenged, and if we don't adapt, we won't be able to invest in new IP," Vechey wrote. "That sounds harsh – but if we don't stay in business, no more plants, zombies, jewels, frogs or worms."Update: Former PopCap employees are taking to Twitter, confirming a round of layoffs in Seattle that affects game directors and producers alike.
Plants vs Zombies 2 coming next year
PopCap has made an announcement that will be music to the ears of flower-planting undead fighters everywhere: Plants vs. Zombies is getting a sequel, due in spring 2013. Unfortunately, no details have been announced yet; PopCap says that the game will have "new features, settings, and situations" but that's about it. That's probably not a problem, however, as fans will probably be happy with any new PvZ content they can play. Another thing that hasn't been announced yet is platforms. Traditionally, PopCap has launched its titles on PC first then, as it did with Plants vs Zombies, release them on other platforms such as iOS and gaming consoles. But Plants vs. Zombies has been a huge hit on mobile. PopCap, as part of EA, has also been increasingly focusing on mobile as a way to sell its mass-market casual games. So hopefully it won't be long before we see this title on iOS -- with luck it might be on release day.
Plants vs. Zombies 2 shambles in 'late spring' 2013
PopCap Games announced a sequel to Plants vs. Zombies this morning, with the casually epic battle of flora vs undead returning next year. The game is expected to see the sun in the "first half of 2013," with a narrower window of "late spring" also mentioned.As one would expect from a sequel, it will include new "features, settings, and situations," but there are no specific details at this time.PopCap has been in heavy promotion of its PvZ franchise lately, with the Talking Zombatar expected later this year. Hitting the cross-promotion button, Zen Studios is expected to reveal a pinball table this weekend featuring a PopCap franchise. Doesn't take braaaaains to figure out what it'll likely be.
Zen Pinball 2 on PS3/Vita, PopCap table this September
Zen Studios will pull back and launch Zen Pinball 2 for PlayStation 3 and Vita on September 4 through the PlayStation Network. The Zen Pinball 2 platform will support cross-platform play on PlayStation devices, meaning any Zen Pinball 2 table purchase will be playable on PS3 and Vita at no extra charge. Zen Pinball 2 will have 26 tables available at release (with free demos) and is a free update to Zen Pinball and Marvel Pinball.Zen also announced today that its PopCap-branded table will pop up September 4 and 5 on PlayStation systems and Xbox 360, respectively. The company still hasn't revealed whether the table will be based on Plants vs. Zombies, Peggle or Bejeweled, but it plans to do that at PAX Prime, which takes place August 31 through September 2 in Seattle, Washington.
Zen Studios' first PopCap pinball table coming 'end of summer'
Zen Studios passively announced a few months back it was working on some PopCap-branded pinball tables, and now the company tells us the first one will be available by "end of summer." The company didn't reveal any branded table specifics, but looking at PopCap's highest-profile games, we'd venture to guess: Plants vs. Zombies, Peggle or Bejeweled.Despite working on new intellectual properties like CastleStorm and KickBeat, the Hungarian developer knows where its bread is buttered and plans to support Zen Pinball and Pinball FX 2 into the future.
