Pea-shooting plant fans rejoice: Plants vs. Zombies sequel coming in July

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While we don’t have many more details about the sequel to Plants vs. Zombies, PopCap did just release a new video on YouTube featuring several people from all ages begging the company to release Plants vs Zombies 2, including Microsoft’s “Major Nelson” Larry Hryb. “It’s about time,” the video states. PopCap also offered a more concrete release date of… Read More…

EA cuts staff, shuts down PopCap Vancouver office

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Electronic Arts slashed jobs at its Los Angeles and Montreal offices earlier this year, and next up on the chopping block appears to be Vancouver’s PopCap hub. EA, which owns Seattle-based PopCap, confirmed on Thursday that it was cutting its workforce, with several outlets reporting as much as 10 percent of employees laid off. The company wouldn’t specify which… Read More…

Build words, battle friends with PopCap’s new Bookworm Heroes

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After more than four months from its release in the Canadian App Store, PopCap’s Bookworm Heroes is now available globally for iOS devices. The turn-based game is an adaptation of the original word-forming puzzle Bookworm series, but the updated version now comes with multiplayer features on Facebook. The goal is to make the biggest words… Read More…

EA pulls plug on some Facebook games, doubles down on PopCap

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Electronic Arts today announced that it is retiring three of its popular Facebook games, including The Sims Social, SimCity Social and Pet Society. The online gaming news site Gamasutra calls the move a surprise, but notes that some developers are making a bigger push into mobile games versus browser-based games. “After millions of people initially logged in to… Read More…

Plants vs. Zombies coming to Facebook with Plants vs. Zombies Adventures

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No, the sequel to Plants vs. Zombies hasn’t arrived yet (it’s coming this summer). But in the meantime, PopCap is introducing an adaptation of the original game called Plants vs. Zombies Adventures and bringing it to Facebook. The Electronic Arts-owned studio today announced the new game, which the company is calling “a highly accessible, zombie-zapping… Read More…

PopCap Games’ Bejeweled executive producer departs

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PopCap Games is losing the executive producer of its Bejeweled franchise. Giordano “Gio” Contestabile is stepping down from the EA-owned property, news that comes just a few days after EA CEO John Riccitello announced his plans to resign. He worked at PopCap for six years. Contestabile has joined Tilting Point, an independent game publisher where All… Read More…

Real-life Bejeweled: Hasbro, PopCap bringing video games to the real world

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These days, it’s not surprising to see traditional board games like Monopoly and Scrabble move from the physical to the video game world. Going the other way around, however, is not so common, but that’s exactly what Hasbro and PopCap Games announced today. Seattle-based PopCap is teaming up with Hasbro to bring some of its most… Read More…

Valve acquires two-man, San Fran-based Star Filled Studios

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Bellevue-based Valve has acquired Star Filled Studios, a two-man development team founded by ex-PopCap and Blizzard employees Jeff Gates and Tod Semple. ValveTime picked up on this via Semple’s LinkedIn profile, which states that his “recent startup” was acquired by Valve and “we are opening a new office on the San Francisco peninsula.” But that… Read More…

Calling all zombologists: Plants vs. Zombies trading cards now available

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For those who just can’t get enough Plants vs. Zombies, today PopCap debuted new trading cards that will help fans become expert zombologists. The full retail box, priced at $79.20, comes with 60 total cards, including scratch-n-sniff, tattoo and sticker cards, as well as a press sheet. Also included is either a signature card or… Read More…

PopCap pulls plug on Dublin office, cutting 96 jobs

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PopCap Games is cutting back even further, announcing today that it closed its offices in Dublin, Ireland. Ninety-six employees are losing their jobs as a result of the closure, which should not come as a surprise. At the time of last month’s announcement, the maker of Plants vs. Zombies and Bejeweled said it was considering shutting down the Ireland… Read More…