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Plants vs. Zombies goes free on iOS this week
For the first time in the game's history on iOS, Plants vs. Zombies has dropped to the low price of completely free. On either the iPhone or in HD on the iPad, you can grab the full-featured app for free through the rest of this week.Statistically, given how many copies of the game have sold already, you probably already own it on at least one of your gaming devices, but just in case that list doesn't include iOS just yet, there you go. And now that PvZ has finally and truly achieved total platform domination, PopCap can start it on the sequel; It's due out sometime this spring.
Plants vs. Zombies for iPhone and iPad now free as Apple's App of the Week
In case you're one of the handful of people who hasn't played PopCap's fantastic tower defense-style game Plants vs. Zombies since its release in 2012, we've got some good news for you. The game has gone free today on iPhone and iPad as the App Store's latest App of the Week. Both versions will remain until the next App of the Week pick is named on February 28. Even if you've played PvZ on other platforms, the iOS versions are definitely worth checking out for their excellent touch-based gameplay and unique content. Plus, you can bone up on your zombie-thwarting skills in preparation for Plants vs. Zombies 2, which is scheduled to hit sometime this year. We only ask that you don't hold us accountable when you realize a week has passed and you've forgotten to eat and bathe. PvZ is the kind of game that'll do that to you.
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.
Hit List Q&A: Matthew Lee Johnston
In the "Hit List" from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, the video game industry's top talents describe their current gaming addictions, their most anticipated releases and more. This week: Matthew Lee Johnston. Matthew Lee Johnston is an eighteen-year veteran of the video game industry and in that time has contributed to over 50 shipped titles. His first project was Microsoft Golf 2.0, and his most recent was Plants Vs. Zombies 2.At the 2013 D.I.C.E. Summit today, Matt will be moderating a panel titled, "Secret Sauce: Disruption on the Mobile Frontier." Joining him on the panel will be Halfbrick CMO Phil Larsen (Fruit Ninja, Jetpack Joyride), Spry Fox CEO David Edery (Triple Town) and Backflip Studios CEO Julian Farrior (Dragonvale). This is a session where outspoken and independent developers, who have innovated in the mobile market, tell the big guys how they snuck up behind them and grabbed their earnings last year. We'll get behind-the-scenes access to the designs, principles, and methods that allowed these studios to disrupt the entire balance of the traditional video game marketplace in less than two years by dominating the mobile space with some great entertainment.
Limited Origin for Mac alpha client launches, includes free copy of Bookworm
EA has announced an alpha version of the Origin client for Mac is available for testing to a limited number of users in the US and UK. Origin for Mac will eventually evolve, offering a similar experience for Mac users as already seen on PC. In its current form, however, the Mac client does not include the ability to stream gameplay directly to Twitch or purchase software. According to the Origin FAQ, those features will be added soon.Origin for Mac requires OS X 10.6.8 or newer, with an Intel Core Duo 2 processor or better.As a reward for those willing to test the client, EA is giving away a copy of Popcap's Bookworm to all downloaders, so log in and download it while you can. Spaces are limited.
EA launches Origin for Mac alpha, includes free Bookworm
Electronic Arts announced today that it's bringing its Origin service to Mac, and that an alpha version of it is now available for download. According to EA, the alpha is being opened up to "a few thousand" users in North America and Europe. You can get the client from the Origin web store's demos page. Since this is an early release meant for tire-kicking, the actual Origin Store isn't yet available from within the app. Those who download the alpha, however, will be gifted with a free copy of PopCap's word-forming puzzle game Bookworm in the My Games library. It will remain there after the final release of the Origin client goes live. Responding to questions about today's release, EA remarked that it hopes the existence of an Origin client for Mac will serve as a motivation for more of the company's games to appear on the platform. That being the case, which ones would you like to see that aren't already announced?
PopCap Dublin shuts down
PopCap closed its Dublin office this morning, former PopCap Mobile Associate Producer JP Vaughan confirmed the closure, later tweeting that the studio had "30 days to prepare" for the news. Last month, a round of layoffs at PopCap's Seattle offices saw 50 employees lose their jobs, with reports of jobs at the Irish office being under threat.A source with knowledge of the situation tells Joystiq the closure occurred following a meeting which took place at 11AM UK time. Our source confirms the company's official line that 96 people have been affected in total by the layoffs, which began last month, with the closure of the Irish studio today merely completing the consultation period. The consultation period is a concept under Irish law where if there is a particular amount of layoffs, employees must receive 30 days notice."Europe remains a critical market for PopCap and we will continue to grow our presence through centralized services operated from our North American offices and through the extensive European EA network," PopCap informed Joystiq in a prepared statement.The news follows the creation of 300 jobs at EA's Customer Service Center in Galway, Ireland. PopCap is an EA subsidiary. No sense in EA doubling up on tax havens.
Free Plants vs. Zombies at ... your dentist's office
Video games are statistically proven* to cause violence, anger, depression, heartbreak, pestilence, dry rashes, higher taxes, climate change, traffic jams, thunderstorms, crying babies, Jersey Shore, the shortage of oil, dry rot, wedgies, and Lindsay Lohan.One thing they don't cause is tooth decay. What better way to celebrate that than giving kids copies of Plants vs. Zombies instead of candy on Halloween? That's exactly what the American Dental Association is doing with the "Stop Zombie Mouth" campaign. PopCap is giving away a ton of PC and Mac copies of the tooth-friendly game for adults to give this Halloween, all in the name of fun, zombies, and promoting oral health awareness. (Just don't eat any candy while you're clicking away.)Parents can pick up free coupons redeemable for a PC or Mac copy by visiting the Stop Zombie Mouth website, or by visiting their local participating ADA dentist. There are also trading cards and other themed items for kids to get their werewolf mitts on this Halloween.*nooooo they're nooooot
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.
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.
Plants vs. Zombies spawns 'Talking Zombatar' app
Plants vs. Zombies? More like Pants vs. Zombies, because ... you can buy new pants ... for a zombie ... in this new app. Sorry.The latest PvZ release isn't a pseudo-tower defense game. Instead, it's "PvZ Presents: Talking Zombatar," an iOS/Android toy that lets you interact with an undead '80s pop singer pet Zombie. You can take photos and videos with your zombie, "hear him repeat your words in Zombie-ish," and – of course – buy new clothing items and full outfits using either in-game or real money.It's coming out "later this year" along with a port of the Facebook game, Solitaire Blitz. Both are free-to-play.
EA, Wooga pulling games from Google Plus
PopCap and Wooga-developed games will disappear from Google's social media platform, Google+. Wooga shut down Monster World prior to May 1, issuing their own "goodbye" to Google+. Electronic Arts will remove Bejeweled Blitz from the service on Monday in order to "redeploy our resources to other adaptations of Bejeweled," a PopCap spokesman told All Things D.A Wooga customer care representative said the company "decided to remove certain games from Google+ because we have a much larger following on Facebook and they are active users." Wooga will remove Bubble Island and Diamond Dash from Google+ on July 1.PopCap's spokesman added that "Google is a valuable gaming partner for PopCap and EA, and we'll continue to develop for Google platforms."
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.
XBLM discounts PopCap games this week, Borderlands and Red Dead next
If Mad Riders and the two Sega Vintage Collections coming to XBLA this week don't fill absolutely all of your time, you can occupy every spare second with discounted PopCap games. From today through June 4, PopCap games on XBLA are half off, including Plants vs. Zombies, Peggle, Zumba, Bejeweled 3, and more.Next week, Borderlands DLC will be half off, as will the Red Dead Redemption Undead Nightmare Collection and, why not, Sega Bass Fishing. We know there must be someone who has time to play games next week, but we don't want to hear about it.
Plants vs. Zombies iOS receives hefty update
PopCap has released updates to the iPad and iPhone versions of Plants vs. Zombies, bringing it more in line with its non-mobile counterparts. The iPad version sees the bulk of the updates, adding several new game modes, mini-games, achievements and leaderboards. Specifically, it adds the Zen Garden, Vasebreaker Endless and I, Zombie modes, along with the Slot Machine mini-game. An optional mini-game pack including Zombiquarium, Portal Combat and Beghouled Twist can also be unlocked with in-game currency (earned either through gameplay or, you guessed it, in-app purchase).The iPhone and iPod Touch version, meanwhile, receives only the Vasebreaker mode, additional achievements and leaderboards. The update is available now. Whether or not you have any free time available, well, that's something else entirely.
Plants vs. Zombies updated with new mode
We haven't heard very much from PopCap on iOS lately. There was the Zuma's Revenge launch a little while ago, and before that was just the Bejeweled shakeup last year. So it's good to see the company is still working on the platform. The latest evidence of this is a surprise update for Plants vs. Zombies, out now, which brings a few shiny new features. The biggest new feature is an endless version of the Vasebreaker minigame, where you attack vases around the lawn, hoping that there are plants in them rather than the walking undead. There are nine levels of the new mode, and the highest levels must be unlocked with coins, either by earning them or in-app purchase. There are also new achievements, and the iPad version has finally gotten the Zen Garden update, as well as four new PopCap-themed minigames: Slot Machine, Zombiquarium, Portal Combat, and Beghouled Twist. I believe these originally debuted on the Steam version of the game, but they're now on iPad as well. These updates, for the iPhone and the HD version, are free to download, and available right away. PopCap's an excellent developer, and it's good to see it's still behind their past iOS releases.
Zuma's Revenge headed to XBLA this summer with new modes
After more than six years, one of the Xbox 360's first XBLA games, Zuma, is finally getting a sequel. Well, to be more accurate, Zuma's Revenge came out in 2009, but PopCap is finally bringing the puzzler to Xbox Live Arcade this summer. The sequel will bring with it several new additions exclusive to XBLA, including a Boss Rush mode, weekly challenges and "an all-new player progression system via Spirit Animal companions." The game is slated to arrive on XBLA this summer for 800 MS Points ($10), with a retail edition coming to North America at a later date.If you've somehow avoided Zuma's particular brand of PopCap addiction, the game tasks players with quickly destroying an ever advancing snake of colored balls by -- you guessed it -- matching up three or more balls of the same color. You've been warned.
Plants vs. Zombies looks just as fun on the Vita
Different menus? Nope, same options as always, same touchscreen choices as iOS. Wall-nuts and peashooters? Still there. Zombie handwriting and spelling? Still really, really poor. %Gallery-145036%
Plants vs. Zombies iPhone receives holiday update, 'I, Zombie' mode
Plants vs. Zombies for iPhone has received an update for the holidays, featuring festive cheer, minor user improvements and the "I, Zombie" mode. The new mode allows you to take on the role of the invading zombies -- a feature previously implemented in the PC, Mac, XBLA and DS versions of the game. The update also includes GameCenter leaderboard support for the first time, and adds four new achievements and "Bronze, Silver and Gold Mystery Sprouts." Now, go and clear the zombies so Santa can have a clear LZ!
