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‘Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville’ is available today
The latest game in the long running Plants vs. Zombies series has arrived for PS4, Xbox and PC. Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville is a third-person shooter, but it's cartoony enough for older children; EA calls it "our biggest and most accessible shooter ever." Players can compete in head-to-head multiplayer matches and explore new areas solo or in split-screen and online co-op modes.
'Plants vs. Zombies 3' is on the way and you can test it now
Six years after Plants vs. Zombies 2 staggered into the world, the next entry in the series is on the way. PopCap Games is hard at work on Plants vs. Zombies 3, and it's already offering you the chance to pit flora against undead fauna once again.
EA adds a new battle mode to four-year-old ‘Plants vs Zombies 2’
Plants vs. Zombies 2: It's About Time was pretty highly anticipated when it came out in 2013. The title got a couple expansions early on, but we really haven't heard much about the lane-based castle defense game since then. Now, however, it looks like publisher EA and developer PopCap have a completely new high-score comparing player-vs-player system called Battlez mode. If nothing else, this might give us all a reason to hop back into the four-year-old title and try something a little new.
'Bejeweled' co-creator has a new studio devoted to 'social' VR
What do you do after co-founding a studio responsible for myriad massive successes? From Bejeweled, to Peggle, to the massively popular Plants vs. Zombies, former PopCap Games co-founder John Vechey left a wake of breakthrough gaming franchises. After 15 years, he took a brief break. And now, five months after his amicable departure from the studio, Vechey's taking his hit-making talent to a new medium: virtual reality. Today he announced Pluto VR, an augmented-and-virtual reality studio named after our solar system's most (loved) distant planet-like mass.
Deals with Gold: PopCap puzzlers
This week's Deals with Gold features discounts on a handful of PopCap-developed games for Xbox Live Gold subscribers. Xbox One owners can pick up third-person shooter Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare at 66 percent off ($13.59) as well as Peggle 2 at 60 percent off ($4.79). Garden Warfare is just $10.19 this week on Xbox 360 as well. Other Xbox 360 games are half-off this week, such as the original Peggle ($4.99) and its Peggle Nights expansion ($2.49) as well as Bejeweled 3 and Plants vs. Zombies ($7.49 each). Lastly, players can download both Zuma and Feeding Frenzy ($2.49 each) as well as their sequels Zuma's Revenge and Feeding Frenzy 2 ($4.99 each). The deals are good through Monday, December 15. [Image: PopCap Games]
Free-to-play Peggle Blast bounces to iOS, Android
EA and PopCap have unleashed a new version of pachinko-inspired puzzler Peggle on iOS and Android platforms this week as a free download. Revealed back in September, Peggle Blast introduces a cast of new Peggle Masters, giving players access to a new collection of peg-busting superpowers and special abilities. Peggle Blast is free-to-play with paid perks, including point boosts, extra balls, and area-clearing bombs. PopCap fans can also expect to see cameos and crossovers from familiar franchises, as some levels feature elements cribbed from past hits like Bejeweled and Plants vs. Zombies. [Video: EA / PopCap]
PvZ: Garden Warfare's Legends of the Lawn update drops tomorrow
A sizable update for PopCap's team-based shooter Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare launches on September 30 across all available platforms, publisher Electronic Arts announced today. The new "Legends of the Lawn" update introduces over 200 new customization items and seven character variants, including Golf Star, Centurion, Paleontologist, Chomp Thing, Alien Flower, Jade Cactus or Sanitation Expert. Also featured is the new "Taco Bandits" gameplay mode, a Capture the Flag variant that challenges the Zombies team to steal away delicious tacos from the defending Plants. Mmm, tacos. Legends of the Lawn will be available as a free download starting tomorrow for the Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PS3, and PC platforms. [Video: Electronic Arts]
Nab a free copy of Bejeweled 3 on Origin
Bejeweled 3 is the latest entry in Origin's On the House program, meaning the normally $5 tile-matching puzzler is free for Windows PC and Mac until October 28. As with the other On the House freebies, once you claim the game, it's yours to keep. PopCap's super-successful series may be in its teens, but it's only seen five releases to date, including two spinoffs. Bejeweled 3 added four new modes to the mix which you unlock as you play through, but as Joystiq's Richard Mitchell put it in his 2011 XBLA in Brief video, "Why are you still watching this? It's Bejeweled. It's the same game it's been for a decade, except it's prettier and it's got more stuff." [Image: EA]
PopCap co-founder Vechey leaves, PopCap working on 'all-new' Peggle
PopCap co-founder John Vechey is leaving his role as CEO at the Plants vs. Zombies 2 developer. In a departing message shared by EA, Vechey notes that his leave follows a sabbatical, which allowed him to "step back and appreciate what I have in life, and what the future has in store." Although Vechey's plans for the immediate future focus on working with non-profit environmental news group Grist, PopCap is assuredly still focused on games: EA followed Vechey's post by mentioning "an all-new Peggle" among the studio's upcoming projects, as well as "global opportunities for PopCap brands like PvZ." Vechey's role as CEO began eight months ago, when he left his role as VP of development and strategy and, as was then described by his LinkedIn profile, "spearheading/helping new initiatives." Vechey was the only original founder left at PopCap after fellow co-founder Jason Kapalka moved to a consultant's role on January 8, 2013. [Image: EA]
Peggle 2 pinballs, pachinkos to PS4
Peggle 2 is bouncing down to PS4 on October 14, PopCap Games announced today. The PS4 version includes classic and Xbox One version Peggle Masters. Peggle 2 hit Xbox One at launch and the Xbox 360 in May, though in 2013 we learned that the game was bound for "as many platforms as possible," and a Korean rating for a PS4 version popped up that year. Surprise or not, Peggle 2 PS4 players can rejoice today (and again in October). [Images: PopCap]
Chester Cheetah stars in Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare DLC
You can't keep Chester Cheetah away from video games. The Cheetos mascot starred in a pair of 16-bit platformers in the '90s, then was MIA for several years before resurfacing in Just Dance 4 in 2012. He appears when you least expect him; his enemies know all too well that he is both too cool to fool and dangerously cheesy. And now he's back. Again. Starting this week, players can summon the irrepressible snack food peddler in Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare, outfitting in-game troop types with new Chester Cheetah-themed character skins. DLC codes are included in specially-marked Cheetos packages, giving players access to the Dr. Chester and Chester Chomper skins for the Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PS4, or PC versions of Garden Warfare. [Video: Electronic Arts]
Plants vs. Zombies 2 goes medieval on your grass
Plants vs. Zombies 2 is bringing the pain with the Dark Ages Part 1 expansion, available now. The update features a brand new, medieval world of zombie-infested levels, plus the Sun-shroom, Puff-shroom, Hypno-shroom and Sun Bean plants. The new undead offerings include a Knight Zombie and Jester Zombie. Plants vs. Zombies 2 has been downloaded more than 200 million times across Android and iOS – it's free-to-play, which makes having a green (rotting) thumb easier than ever. [Images: EA]
Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare crops up on PC
As promised, PopCap's formerly Xbox exclusive, third-person shooter Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare is now available on PC. According to publisher EA, the PC incarnation of Garden Warfare boasts a new co-operative and multiplayer map dubbed "Jewel Junction," alongside the numerous free updates issued to the console version of the game since it first debuted in February. These include eight additional playable characters, "over 200" customization items and a handful of additional maps which pit hordes of malevolent undead against cheerily militant produce. Despite its outlandish premise, Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare is a surprisingly compelling, entertaining shooter. Our review awarded the game 4 of 5 stars, while stating that Garden Warfare "oozes charm" and simultaneously "adopts and lampoons established shooter ideas." If your interest is piqued, you can buy Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare via Origin in either Standard or Digital Deluxe Editions. [Image: EA]
Plants vs. Zombies brings the turf war to K'NEX
K'NEX is making a line of Plants vs. Zombies toy sets, ranging from adorable mystery figurines to large battlegrounds. The following Plants vs. Zombies K'NEX sets are available now: Mystery Figure Bags, a Pirate Ship set, Wall-nut Bowling set, Cone Mech set, Football Mech set, Wild West Skirmish set, Jetpack Zombie Attack set and Pirate Seas Plank Walk set. The Pirate Seas set is the most expensive at $50, while the Mystery Figure Bags are $4 each, and the rest fill in the gaps. Now it's possible not only to play Plants vs. Zombies in your living room, but all over your living room. [Image: K'NEX]
Bjorn to make you happy: Peggle free on Origin
Thanks guys, that was amazing, thanks so much. I'd say I was speechless, but I've one more thing to announce... PEGGLE! FREE! Yeah! (cue music) Yeah! (ow my spine and dignity) No really, PopCap's ball-dropper is free right now for PC and Mac on Origin, and it's staying free until August 5. So what are you waiting for? Get cracking, Tyrone!
Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare potted to PlayStation [update: in August]
PopCap's knack for creating "casual" games that hypnotize people into serious, never-blinking patterns of play is most recently seen in Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare. Following a well-received debut on Xbox plantforms, the developer's playful blend of third-person shooting and botanical tower defense is headed to PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 this summer.
Peggle 2 pegs it to Xbox 360, available now
A million magic spheres, painted blue and orange. Multi-million dollars, almost overnight. That's what Popcap and EA will be hoping for with Peggle 2 on Xbox 360, as the formerly Xbox One-only game is out now for $12 in North America, and £10/10 euros in Europe. Peggle 2 notched a respectable three and a half stars in our Xbox One review. While Joystiq's Richard Mitchell enjoyed all the main levels, he came away feeling a bit let-down. "Again though, for many players, all Peggle 2 ever needed to be was 'more Peggle' and, in that respect, it succeeds," Richard concluded. "The improved production value is evident, with adorably animated masters and their ridiculously exuberant final score celebrations stealing the show. I wish the same amount of effort had gone into expanding the core game's mechanical variety, though I suspect we'll see that down the road via DLC." [Image: Comedy Central]
Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare digs its roots into PC June 24
Plants Vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare, the third-person multiplayer shooter from the green-thumbed developers at PopCap, will arrive on PC on June 24. The game launched on Xbox One and Xbox 360 in February and received additional downloadable content packs since, such as Zomboss Down and Garden Variety. Those pieces of DLC will be included with the PC version at launch. Garden Warfare features both competitive and cooperative multiplayer modes like Team Vanquish and Garden Ops, spinning off the traditional strategy game by putting the Plants Vs. Zombies characters on a battlefield, each with unique traits and abilities. Our review of the game was generally positive, noting the balance between its charms and technical flaws. While the game didn't include microtransactions at launch, EA and PopCap plan to begin rolling paid content into the game starting this week. The digital deluxe PC version of the game, available for pre-order on Origin right now, includes two booster packs and 80,000 in-game coins. PopCap suffered layoffs in March following Garden Warfare's launch and a "necessary" restructure for the developer. [Image: Electronic Arts]
Microtransactions march toward PvZ: Garden Warfare
Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare's in-game currency is earned through regular play and can be spent on upgrade packs, which unlock extra content for players populating the game's warzones. However, those that have tired from the grind will soon have the option many mobile games offer: spend real-world money to save some time on earning coins. EA's recent post revealed plans to implement the microtransaction format into Garden Warfare "starting next week." The post only mentions being able to purchase coins however, so it seems you still won't be able to directly spend on specific pieces of content. There's no mention of rewards for microtransaction enthusiasts though, so players that ignore the option won't miss out on any game-changing unlocks. The option to buy pretend money with real money follows February's confirmation from PopCap's Brian Lindley that microtransactions wouldn't be in Garden Warfare at launch. At the time, Lindley added that PopCap would be using in-game metrics to decide where to take Garden Warfare after its initial weeks on the battlefield. [Image: EA]
Peggle 2 Windy fairy DLC gives a flying flock
Peggle 2 received a new master via downloadable content today named Windy, a spritely fairy that brings with her a special "Fairy Flock" power. Windy transforms blue pegs in the game into the score-boosting purple pegs and "simple shots" into ones that are bound to earn players additional chances. The Windy's Master Pack DLC includes 10 new levels, 10 trials, three costumes, three achievements and 30 objectives, all for $1.99. PopCap launched the game on Xbox One in December, adding local multiplayer dueling in March. Xbox 360 owners will get a turn with Peggle 2 when it arrives on Microsoft's so-last-gen platform on May 7. [Image: EA Games]
