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Plants vs. Zombies 2 shambles its way to Android devices worldwide
After brief test runs in Australia and New Zealand, EA and PopCap have released Plants vs. Zombies 2 for Android users worldwide. The new version is virtually identical to the iOS game released this summer, letting players fend off the undead hordes on both phones and tablets. The biggest change (apart from the platform) is a switch from Apple's Game Center to Google Play Game Services for tracking achievements and leaderboards. As before, PvZ2 is free to download -- gamers only pay if they want a fast track to victory. If you're eager to plant some Bonk Choy on your Galaxy Note, you can grab the Android port through the source link. [Thanks, Scott]
Plants vs Zombies 2 opens with 16 million downloads, 'Far Future' update planned
EA's Gamescom press conference in Cologne, Germany yielded interesting stats about Plants vs Zombies 2's opening week, in which the game was downloaded over 16 million times. Chief Operating Officer Peter Moore revealed that 11.4 billion suns have been collected in the game, and over 2 billion zombie waves have been fought with over 4 billion rooted plants. In total, Plants vs Zombies 2 players have sunk 15,071,541,100 hours into the game. EA's Tony Leamer also took the stage to note that the first major content update for the free-to-play game is on the way, called Far Future. No other details on the update's launch was provided.
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 launches worldwide on iOS, offers true free-to-play gaming
If you didn't get early access to Plants vs. Zombies 2 on iOS, now's your chance to play -- PopCap's backyard defense game has just launched worldwide on the App Store. The time travel-themed sequel significantly expands on the original with new plants, new zombies, between-round maps and touch-controlled power-ups. We've tried the game, and it's a welcome refinement of a mostly familiar experience. For some, though, the big change in PvZ2 may be its sheer accessibility. This is a genuinely free-to-play title -- you can see virtually everything it has to offer without paying a dime. In-app purchases are largely restricted to perks, such as coin packs. The developer doesn't yet have a schedule for PvZ2 releases on other platforms, but those who have at least one iOS device can engage in herbal warfare at the source link.
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."
