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Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare Zomboss Down DLC drops today
PopCap's Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare takes to the Wild West today with the launch of "Zomboss Down," a free DLC pack that introduces a batch of new multiplayer content on the Xbox One and Xbox 360. Zomboss Down adds eight new playable characters to Garden Warfare's roster and a new Western-themed map, complete with an Ennio Morricone-inspired soundtrack. Zomboss Down follows up on last month's Garden Variety DLC, which added the "Gnome Bomb" gameplay mode and new character customization options. [Video: PopCap]
PopCap working to squash Plants Vs Zombies: Garden Warfare DLC bugs [Update]
Last week's debut of the Garden Variety DLC for PopCap's Plants Vs Zombies: Garden Warfare brought mixed reactions. Players appreciated that the addition is available free of charge, but they were less than pleased with the bugs that have been causing the third-person shooter to crash on consoles. Since initial bug reports began streaming in, PopCap's tech staff has been working to alleviate the problems. Last Friday, the developer released a patch that should have cleared up any issues with the Xbox One version of the DLC, though the Xbox 360 game remains partially hobbled. PopCap creative director Justin Wiebe has been fielding reports on Twitter. Though Wiebe has yet to offer a specific timeline for when the Xbox 360 bugs will be squashed, his most recent tweet on the topic offers players hope. "We have a potential fix submitted for testing," Wiebe wrote. "If the tests go well X360 should be back to norm soon. Fingers crossed!" We've contacted PopCap and publisher EA for further information on the status of the DLC. We'll report back as soon as we hear anything. Update: EA has offered a reply to our inquiry which you can find below the break. [Image: EA]
Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare expands with free 'Garden Variety' DLC
PopCap's whimsical third-person shooter Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare will pick up a host of new abilities and a new gameplay mode later this week thanks to the freshly-announced "Garden Variety" downloadable content pack. The highlight of the pack is the new "Gnome Bomb" game mode, which centers on an explosive garden gnome statue. Both the plants and their undead counterparts will attempt to be the first team to reach this ornamental explosive, and once a team has captured the device they must make their way to one of three bomb points where the gnome will detonate. Additionally, the DLC includes three new ability upgrades for each character class, a new map, new types of zombies and "hundreds" of new character customization options. The Garden Variety DLC pack is slated to become available on March 18 for both the Xbox 360 and Xbox One versions of Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare. Regardless of platform, the addition will be available for free. [Image: EA]
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Joystiq Weekly: Titanfall review, BAFTA Awards, NPD data and more
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. Titanfall is one of those games that's fun even if you're not playing it. Watching a group of friends suffer the fallout from a crumbling strategy plan is easy to laugh about, especially as the final pilot from their crew gets run over by a Titan. It seems that, despite a few hiccups on Xbox Live's side of things, fans have also been able to enjoy a relatively smooth launch. An online-oriented experience that doesn't stumble its way into functionality? We know, it's crazy. We've got a review of both the game and the online experience, but if giant robots aren't really your thing, we've got our take on Dark Souls 2, Towerfall: Ascension and Yoshi's New Island, too. This week also brought us fresh NPD data, a Costume Quest 2 reveal and more, all of which is neatly compiled for you after the break in the Joystiq Weekly. [Image: Respawn]
PopCap hit with layoffs after recent studio split
Plants vs Zombies and Peggle developer PopCap suffered layoffs today, EA confirmed. The news follows a reorganization at the studio in late February, which saw the developer split into a two teams, one geared towards mobile games and the other for console releases. PopCap CEO David Roberts also stepped down and was replaced by co-founder John Vechey in January. "The changes we made today at PopCap were painful and we're sorry to lose some of our friends and colleagues," EA wrote in an email to Joystiq. "But it was also necessary in order to stay on course with our future plans for mobile games, live services, and new IP. PopCap is a studio that made its name building great games that the world can fall in love with, and that's what we'll continue to do." PopCap's latest game is Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare, which was good enough to earn a four-star review from Joystiq. The number of employees affected by the layoffs is unknown at this time. [Image: PopCap]
Humble Weekly Sale spotlights PopCap with Peggle, Plants vs. Zombies
This week's Humble Weekly Sale focuses on casual games developer extraordinaire PopCap Games, serving up downloadable copies of Peggle, Plants vs. Zombies, and other favorites plucked from the studio's back catalog. Buyers who pay at least $1 for the bundle will receive Steam and Origin copies of PopCap's pachinko-puzzler hybrid Peggle, match-three gem-buster Bejeweled 3, word-stringing puzzle game Bookworm, hidden-object adventure Escape Rosecliff Island, and sealife evolution sim Feeding Frenzy Deluxe. Chip in more than $6 and you'll also get the Game of the Year Edition of PopCap's tower defense strategy game Plants vs. Zombies, DLC expansion Peggle Nights, and color-matching puzzler Zuma's Revenge. PopCap owner Electronic Arts is donating all bundle proceeds to The V Foundation for Cancer Research and the Melanoma Research Alliance. [Image: Humble Bundle / PopCap]
Peggle 2 cascades onto Xbox 360 in May, Xbox One gets local duelling
The Xbox 360 joins the Peggle 2 party on May 7, when PopCap's mix of pachinko, unicorns, and classical music tumbles onto systems in North America and Europe. There's no word on a price, but the game is tagged at $12 on Xbox One. The news comes on the same day PopCap launched a new Duel Mode for the Xbox One version, allowing two players to fight locally for the right to call themselves a true Peggle Master - duels were previously limited to online matches. EA confirmed Duel Mode is coming to the Xbox 360 port, too. EA limited today's announcement to the Xbox 360, but PopCap hasn't been shy about its desire to bring the pinballing sequel to "as many platforms as possible." A South Korean rating from last year suggests one of those platforms is the PS4. [Image: EA]
Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare review: Give peas a chance
There are some well-established rules when it comes to making a successful online shooter – character progression, unlockables, and a stable multiplayer component are all big pluses – but converting a cartoony tower defense game into an online frag fest isn't exactly a common starting point. But that's exactly how Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare was born, and somewhere within the smoke of an exploding Chili Bean Bomb, a layer of purple goop from a Chomper preparing to consume its next victim, and the toxic haze of a Zombie Stink Cloud, the relentless charm of the franchise has managed to fuse brilliantly with an unlikely genre.
PopCap vets team up in Fixer Studios, fixing up Spellbinder spiritual successor
Three former PopCap developers formed a new mobile gaming studio "inspired by the game-jam spirit," Fixer Studios. At its core, the studio consists of its three founders: Avery Alix, Eric Olson and Christopher Langmuir. The developer's first game is Sinister Dexter for iOS and Android, a spiritual successor to the 1977 pen-and-paper game Spellbinder. While the studio is being formally announced now, both Alix and Olson's LinkedIn profiles indicate that it was first founded in June 2013. The "collaborative cloud" studio includes a rotating roster of 30 industry veterans. Fixer Studios opted for a "dynamic staffing system to manage production," according to its website. Team members will join up and drop out based on their "availability, interest and expertise," forcing team leads to delegate tasks and "mission critical activities" as needed to keep development on track. [Image: Fixer Studios]
No microtransactions in PvZ: Garden Warfare at launch
Unlike the free-to-play, mobile lawn defense simulator, Plants vs. Zombies 2, microtransactions aren't planned for the launch of Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare. In an interview with GameSpot, PopCap producer Brian Lindley stated that Garden Warfare won't have microtransactions "at launch," but noted that PopCap will watch in-game metrics and fan reaction to determine where to take the game next. We can only guess as to what those plans may be, but hopefully they aren't comparable to the temporary "test" of charging to spawn new lawnmowers in PvZ2, as reported by GameSpot. [Image: EA]
Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare live-action trailer brings the weird
What happens when the weird-ness of Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare crosses into the real world? Weird-ness. That's okay though, because when the game is about plants fighting off hordes of the undead, it's best to just accept the weird and roll with it. [Image: EA]
Peggle 2 receives PEGI rating for Xbox 360
Peggle 2 has received a PEGI rating of 3 for Xbox 360, alongside a release date of February 12, 2014 – today. Peggle 2 hit Xbox One on December 9 in the US and Europe, and it's yet to be officially announced for other platforms, though it was previously rated for Xbox 360 and PS4 in South Korea. Slow your roll on that PEGI release date, though. Some of PEGI's purported release dates represent the day those games launched in Europe (Grand Theft Auto 5), while others are incorrect (Call of Duty: Ghosts and Battlefiled 4 next-gen, Peggle 2 on Xbox One). Still, another rating for Peggle 2 on Xbox 360 is a good sign for non-Xbox One puzzle fiends.
Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare split-screen mode exclusive to Xbox One
Plants Vs Zombies: Garden Warfare producer Brian Lindley details the upcoming squad-based shooter's split-screen mode in the newly-launched video above, revealing that local cooperative play is exclusive to the Xbox One version of the game. In Garden Warfare's co-op mode, players team up to defend a garden from an endless horde of invading zombies. Players can choose among multiple playable classes, giving them a wide variety of ability combinations and strategic options on the battlefield. The Xbox One version of Garden Warfare also boasts an exclusive Boss mode, which allows a third player to distribute power-ups during gameplay via Kinect or SmartGlass. Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare is due to hit the Xbox 360 and Xbox One in February.
Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare equips undead with dolphin guns
The cartoon exaggeration of the original Plants vs. Zombies enhanced the inherent silliness of PopCap's beloved strategy game. Here is latest tease for the full-on 3D shooter spinoff, wherein a zombie militia erupts from the hideously carved mouth of a mountain to lay waste to a village of aggressive plants using what look like beach toys. Fingers crossed that the series' jump to a new dimension doesn't suggest a future Plants vs. Zombies game that's photorealistic. It would be terrifying.
Plants vs. Zombies delayed, sprouting a week later
Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare needs a little more time in the earth before it's ready. Electronic Arts will now launch the quirky third-person multiplayer shooter on February 25 and 27 in North America and Europe, respectively. That's a one week delay for the friendly $40 pea shooter. Above you'll also find a developer diary featuring four-player co-op gameplay. Fight together or be shredded as another ingredient in a tossed salad alone.
Criterion co-founders leave EA to form new studio
Vice president Alex Ward and studio director Fiona Sperry have both left Criterion Games, a development house best known for the Burnout series of arcade-style racing games. "Alex Ward and Fiona Sperry have decided to leave EA," a spokesperson for the publisher told Polygon. "We appreciate their many contributions through the years and wish them well in their future endeavours." These departures come less than four months after Criterion was hit by downsizing, an EA decision that moved many Criterion employees to UK-based Need for Speed: Rivals developer Ghost Games. Following this forced exodus, Criterion was reportedly down to "about 20" employees, though EA claims that the developer remains hard at work on a new, as yet unannounced project aimed at next-generation consoles. "The incredibly creative and talented team at Criterion are hard at work on a new project for next-gen consoles as new IP continues to be a major priority across EA," the publisher stated. Following his announcement, Ward took to Twitter, saying, "The news breaks. Along with @FionaSperry I have left @CriterionGames. Welcome to the REAL #tothefuture." In a later tweet Ward explains that he and Sperry plan to create a new development studio, though further details on their plans have yet to appear. This marks the second time in as many days that we've received word of a shakeup at one of EA's development studios. Only yesterday we learned that PopCap Games CEO David Roberts would be departing the company, and that John Vechey, the sole PopCap founder remaining at the studio's Seattle headquarters, would assume the role. Edit: The original version of the above article included a sentence stating that Matt Webster is a senior vice president at EA, when in fact he is only leading the development of Criterion's next project. We apologize for any confusion.
Report: PopCap CEO stepping down, co-founder Vechey to take over
PopCap Games CEO David Roberts is stepping down after almost nine years with the company and will be replaced by co-founder John Vechey. The shift in management will take effect on January 8, Venturebeat reports. "PopCap's mission right now is to create the greatest mobile game studio in the world, and we're going to do that by only making games that are beloved by players," Vechey told Venturebeat. "We're focusing on our foundation in 2014 – talent, process, and most importantly, great products, around that mission." Presumably Roberts will retire from the gaming industry, though he has yet to announce any plans for beyond January 8. Vechey's current role is VP of development and strategy, where he has worked internally on "spearheading/helping new initiatives" for years now. He also moonlights as Chief Hype Man, starring in the best Pokemon/Peggle 2 mash-up gif of 2013. Popcap Games was founded in 2000 by John Vechey, Brian Fiete and Jason Kapalka. On January 8, Kapalka will transition into a consultant's role, leaving Vechey as the only remaining Popcap co-founder at the Seattle studio. EA acquired Popcap in 2011 for a hefty $750 million. [Image credit]
Peggle 2 proposal is the most uplifting thing you'll see today
Rob and Shireen are both big Peggle fans. During the development of Peggle 2, Rob wrote in to PopCap for a little help with proposing to his girlfriend – and the studio obliged. PopCap came up with a special testing day scenario: Rob would tell Shireen he wrote this essay into PopCap telling them how she's their biggest fan and the company would fly the two out to San Francisco to test an early build of the game and provide feedback. The early build, comprised of five levels, would culminate in a final level where Rob would ask Shireen to marry him. Now, we don't want to ruin the ending for you, but maybe grab a tissue before you hit the play button above, okay?
PvZ Garden Warfare digs up 'Gardens & Graveyards' mode
Described as a mix of Battlefield 4's Rush and Conquest mode (you have our attention, especially if the servers work), Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare showed off its "Gardens & Graveyards" mode in a new gameplay video today.
Piñatas, UI tweaks among changes in new Plants Vs Zombies 2 update
Devouring all those brains must have instilled some growing intelligence in PopCap's undead horde, as the free-to-play Plants Vs Zombies 2 has been updated with a number of clever fixes and additions. Most notable are the game's user interface changes. The PvZ2 map has been redesigned to make it easier for players to read, while in that same vein PopCap has introduced a number of smaller tweaks that should make it easier for players to "know how much you've done, where you're going, and what loot you'll get along the way." In the realm of the truly new, PopCap has introduced a fast-forward button that speeds both planting times and the advancing zombie hordes. Likewise, the studio has also introduced new "Piñata Party" stages which offer big prizes, though this positive is counterbalanced by an ominous warning that this update has somehow made it more likely for players to encounter the gigantic, ultra-tough Gargantuar zombies during normal gameplay. If you haven't already been introduced to the life-draining, productivity-smashing joys of Plants Vs Zombies, now is a great time to do so. You can find free-to-play iterations of Plants Vs Zombies 2 on both iTunes and Google Play, and while both are supported by microtransactions, it's entirely possible to play the game from start to finish without ever spending a dime.
