February 21, 2012February 21, 2012

Plants vs Zombies for PS Vita Shambles to PSN Today

Hello again, PlayStation.Blog fans! I know it’s been over a year since we last spoke, and I am sorry about that. I’ve just been really busy and haven’t had time to write, and I swear I have not been cheating on you with the Xbox blog or anything.

Anyway, now that the awkwardness is out of the way and we’re friends again, I am here to tell you that I have another exciting announcement for you! Plants Vs Zombies is coming to your brand-spankin’ new PS Vita today! Yay! If you have never played our action-puzzler — that pits a horde of horticultural heroes against a mob of fetid, undead, brain-eating zombies – there is no better time than now. The PS Vita version is darn near the most perfect version of Plants Vs Zombies yet, taking advantage of the handheld console’s touchscreen and internal motion sensors. And if you have played it before, well, why not play it again? Think of it as training for the real zombie apocalypse, which, not to be too much of a bummer here, could be coming any day now. Why be one of the unfortunate ones who end up in some undead guy’s brain sandwich? Do the responsible thing and prepare now with our game! Your loved ones will thank you later.

If you want to know what you’re actually getting in this version, which I guess is a reasonable enough question, I can tell you that the PS Vita version includes all of these positively wonderful features:

The complete, classic 50-level adventure game
The Zen Garden
20 mini-games
18 puzzle games
10 survival games
43 Trophies, including one Platinum trophy
The Zombatar zombie-creation tool
Online leaderboards

All for a paltry $14.99! That’s less than you’d pay at the movie theater for the latest rom-com movie and a bag of popcorn, and you’ll feel less bad afterward! Or, heck, if you must see the new rom-com movie, you can bring the PS Vita with you and then boot up Plants Vs Zombies once you realize the mistake you made! Either way, it seems like you should get the game, if you ask me.

So download Plants Vs Zombies from the PlayStation Network today! Do it for humanity! And the plants! And for those of us at PopCap who have kids going to college! Don’t make us beg! Because we will if we have to! Enjoy the game! Bye!

Comments are closed.

142 Comments

24 Author Replies

Chase167
February 21, 2012 at 11:02 am PST

will there be any trophies for this version?????
- Jake Smith
  February 21, 2012 at 11:57 am PST
  
  Yes, we’ve added a whole bunch of trophies to the PS Vita version — 40+ trophies. There’s even a PLATINUM trophy out there just looking to be claimed!
Chase167
February 21, 2012 at 11:03 am PST

my bad theres trophies yeeeeeeeeeeeeeah
Mastatheorm
February 21, 2012 at 11:06 am PST

Any chance the ps3 version will receive an upgrade to bring it in line with the vita one!
Specifically trophy and feature wise :)
- Jake Smith
  February 21, 2012 at 12:04 pm PST
  
  That’s something we’ll definitely keep in mind going forward.
xlKoRnlxPS
February 21, 2012 at 11:07 am PST

Like @Mastatheorm said.. any chance we can get a discount or receive it for free if we paid for the PSN game on the PS3? Seems silly to buy it at 14.99 twice -_-‘
rcastudios
February 21, 2012 at 11:08 am PST

I would love to have played this on the PS Vita for the first time but I have already played it on the iPhone and PS3, so this won’t be a purchase for me. Why don’t they release a new experience? The game is very easy to create so lets see a whole new adventure mode!
- Jeff Green
  February 21, 2012 at 12:54 pm PST
  
  Well, it’s not THAT easy to create, believe me. But don’t worry. New stuff will be here EVENTUALLY. We just move very, very slowly at PopCap. There’s lots of good Netflix streaming on all the time, so it’s hard to stay focused!
terionus
February 21, 2012 at 11:09 am PST

Was about to post the same thing @xlKoRnlxPS said.

Do we get the PS Vita version free if we already have the PS3 version?
- Jake Smith
  February 21, 2012 at 12:10 pm PST
  
  Hi Terionus – No, I’m sorry to report that’s not the case here.
BadFlounder
February 21, 2012 at 11:09 am PST

This, Sony, is why the Vita pricing strategy is suspect….I can play this game on an iPad for $6.99 or $1.99 even as the game is usually on sale. It’s .99 to 2.99 on iPhone. Charging more for full games like Uncharted at least makes some sense but even that game should be 1/2 what it’s currently priced at. But games like PvZ are outrageously priced at $15.
Kasen23
February 21, 2012 at 11:09 am PST

Yeah I was wondering the same thing I have already paid for this on the PS3 and don’t see myself spending another 15$ for basically the same game.
PSN_Tokeio
February 21, 2012 at 11:09 am PST

OMG curse you. This will be my 9th PvZ purchase and clearly the BEST ONE YET. PLATINUM! Thank you PopCap, thank you, thank you, thank youuuuuuuuuuuu!
Crotin
February 21, 2012 at 11:10 am PST

Wow a platinum for the Vita version… *throws money at computer screen*
- Jake Smith
  February 21, 2012 at 11:59 am PST
  
  We knew that PLATINUM trophy would cater towards a certain group of trophy hunters :)
head20
February 21, 2012 at 11:11 am PST

would get it but i already have it on my ps3 this need to be free for those who own it on the ps3
Macrocephalus
February 21, 2012 at 11:13 am PST

Here’s the thing. I already bought this for the Mac, for $20, for my iPhone, for either $3 or $5 (I don’t remember which — it was a long time ago) and for my PS3, for $15. That’s maybe $40 I’ve already spent on the same game on three different platforms. Another $15 is just too darn much, especially given that the iPad version only costs $7.

If folks who bought it on the PS3 got some sort of discount, that’d be different, but as it stands? I really love the game (obviously) but no way.
Mastatheorm
February 21, 2012 at 11:15 am PST

heh I hear you all, have the iphone and ps3 disc version (am a sucker for a disc and case :P). Great game!

Again hope we get an update for ps3 too. Also it tends to lag alot on ps3… is that fixed for the vita one?
DazeOfWar
February 21, 2012 at 11:15 am PST

Just wondering what features does PvZ use that Vita offers.
Kchow23
February 21, 2012 at 11:15 am PST

If I bought the PS3 version.. would I have to pay for it again for the PS Vita?
Still_Dreaming_
February 21, 2012 at 11:15 am PST

I’m very happy to see trophy support for this, especially with a platinum.
DazeOfWar
February 21, 2012 at 11:16 am PST

Sorry let me rephrase that. In what ways does it use the touchscreen and motion features?
saintaqua
February 21, 2012 at 11:16 am PST

XBox Blog just called. You left your jacket there. Two timer.

Alas, I’ll probably get this again.
Wish you’d cut us some slack and make it $7 though.
Those trophies just make it too tempting to pass up though.
It’s like you bringing me irresistible chocolates after cheating with you know who.
Curtisio
February 21, 2012 at 11:18 am PST

I don’t think I want this game because I have it on my PS3 and DS (PS3 is far better, of course, and was free). I beat both versions and can see getting it again.

I would like to ask if you are planning to make any of the other PopCap games?
- Jake Smith
  February 21, 2012 at 12:00 pm PST
  
  Any particular games you have in mind?
ROLO_ONFIRE
February 21, 2012 at 11:18 am PST

I love this game on my iphone but I payed $3 for that version, I won’t buy the same game again for $15, maybe if it was $10 AND was compatible with both PSVITA and PS3 I’d rebuy it cause it’s a great game
bakerarmy
February 21, 2012 at 11:18 am PST

Way to much for this game……It was given away free to plus users.

I dont need a fix that bad.

—————————————————Questions off Topic——————————————————————What up with the 3G? I got a First Edition Bundle, no mention of a month free? Just that a PSN game after 30 days of Activation. So what up with that?

Where is the UMvC DLC? The games said Jill and all the costumes are available, but they are no where to be found.
webzpinner
February 21, 2012 at 11:20 am PST

WAH WAH WAH! OMG! WAH! I bought Tetris on NES, SNES, my laptop computer, my android phone, my gameboy, my gameboy color, Virtual Boy, my PS3, and now there might be Tetris on PSV, so I demand this latest version for FREE, coz I bought it on other platforms!

Spoiled brats!
icy1007
February 21, 2012 at 11:20 am PST

I already own the PS3 version. Do I really need to pay $15 again to play it on Vita?
icy1007
February 21, 2012 at 11:23 am PST

For anyone talking about the iOS version of PvZ: The PS3 version is vastly superior in almost all ways. The iOS version is a watered down port to fit onto Apple’s plague of a mobile device.
Joe-TFW
February 21, 2012 at 11:24 am PST

If I ever bought a Vita, could I justify buying this a 7th time (iPod, iPad, PC, PC GOTY, 360, PS3)? I dunno. But if any game could tempt me, this might be it. Even my near 60 year old father loves this game. Glad that just about every system has a version available.

Now how about a true follow-up to this amazing game? You hear us PopCap? We want something NEW with this game. Then we can (happily) buy that on 7 different systems. :)
- Jeff Green
  February 21, 2012 at 1:29 pm PST
  
  We hear you. :)
whatisdelicious
February 21, 2012 at 11:25 am PST

Is there cross-platform save data sharing? I can’t remember if there’s online co-op (pretty sure) but is there cross-platform online play?

Basically, are you at least taking advantage of the Vita’s features before charging $15 for the same game again, or are you just charging $15 for the same game again?
webzpinner
February 21, 2012 at 11:28 am PST

Seriously! No one says you HAVE to have it on Vita. IF you are a fan of the game, THEN you buy it on the Vita. IF the iPad or Android versions are good enough for you, then STICK WITH THE VERSIONS YOU BOUGHT. Now, SOME of the people on this glorious planet of ours don’t have smartphones, 6 different tablets, 9 game systems, 15 computers, 2 macbook pros, and might be buying PVZ for the first time. It’s THEIR prerogative to decide whether $15 is too much to spend. That’s the interesting thing about this capitalist society we live in…. people offer a product, and if it fills a need at a price deemed appropriate, people buy it.

I’ve got Angry Birds on my PC, two smart phones, Roku, and PS3… will I buy it on PSV? possibly, if it includes the Space upgrade. Why? It’s fun, and I don’t always want to drain my phone to play when I’m on the go. Same thing with PvZ. Some people may find it nice to have on a portable game system. Big whup. If you don’t like the price, wait for a sale. Happens a few times a year. If it still is too expensive, don’t buy it.
billyok
February 21, 2012 at 11:38 am PST

Good lord, what a bunch of children in the comments.

No, you don’t get free copies of every PS3 game you own that comes to Vita. Yes, that’s fair. No one gives you a free Xbox game if you own it on PS3, so why should it be different here? The world can’t work for free to serve the whims of self-entitled kids with too many toys.

If you already own it on the PS3 and feel like you’re being ripped off for having to buy it again, here’s the good news: You don’t have to buy it again! Yeah, freedom!

More on topic: Sounds like the ultimate PvZ edition. Kudos to the ladies and gentlemen at PopCap.
TUSTIN1
February 21, 2012 at 11:43 am PST

Just stop buying this crap, then they’ll stop porting it and maybe come out with something new.

They’ll be more than happy to port every PS3 PSN game to the Vita if people are stupid enough to keep buying them.
spideyal
February 21, 2012 at 11:44 am PST

Seeing as I already bought this game on PS3, Steam, and App Store (iPad/iPhone), I think I may need to pass this one up. I’ve already re-bought this game enough (and it only costed a few bucks on Steam during a sale). Which is very unfortunate since this game IS amazing (which is why I bought it 3 times lol), and I would have loved to have it on my Vita.

Maybe if it gets a half off, or Steam-style, discount I’ll think about picking it up for the Vita. Otherwise, I have no reason to at the moment.

As for everyone else (if you don’t already own it); go buy it now! You won’t regret it.
Tw1zTiD-MaFiA21
February 21, 2012 at 11:51 am PST

Any chance this will get a retail release?
- Jake Smith
  February 21, 2012 at 4:02 pm PST
  
  At this time there’s no plans to create a retail version of Plants vs. Zombies PS Vita. Sorry!
angibri2000
February 21, 2012 at 11:52 am PST

Love you Sony but you won’t get my money for this one. Already bought the PS3 version and without at least some sort of discount I much rather get Escape Plan. Love the game and would love to have it on my Vita but I don’t see myself paying twice for the same game. Plus got myself a handful at the moment with UGA, Rayman, Marvel vs. capcom, wipeout 2048, and lumines. Btw Vita rocks!!! ;)
adolson
February 21, 2012 at 11:54 am PST

I was gonna wait for a sale, but then I saw it had lots of trophies. Bought it last night. :P
- Jake Smith
  February 21, 2012 at 4:03 pm PST
  
  Good idea :) I’m eagerly waiting for PS Vita to arrive tomorrow so I can finally start earning those trophies!
iTofuMan
February 21, 2012 at 11:58 am PST

I’m going to agree with others on this. Considering that they havent stated it on here its safe to assume we need to pay another 14.99 even if we bought it on the ps3. One would think that since the Vita main feature is Cross-Platform a lot of devs would take advantage of that, but i guess thats not the case here.

Still not saying PvsZ is a bad game, but seriously why exactly would i be paying again for a game i have played countless times on ps3/pc/ipod/ipad/ds? I mean unless this has a feature that isnt on the other platform there really isnt a point in buying this.
kilburni86
February 21, 2012 at 11:59 am PST

$15 is absolutely insane. This experience is available on most smartphones for less than a third of that price. Without any notable new features (i.e. new levels), this barely deserves the negative comment…it should just be shrugged off!

For $15 I could go buy Super Stardust Delta + Exp. Pack, Escape Plan, Hustle Kings, or probably MotorStorm RC (albeit unconfirmed since SCEA seems to dislike the title for some reason, not announcing a price or release date…). Please, PSN members, speak with your wallets on this one…don’t let a lazy developer pull the wool over your eyes!
dragonmagician
February 21, 2012 at 12:00 pm PST

Wow, $15???

And I though the PlayBook version was expensive at $5. Anyways, I already bought it for PS3 (and iOS and PC), so I can’t justify another purchase, no matter how great the trophy list looks. So, unless it goes on sale for $5, or free for PS+, I will not be playing this version.
NeoRaidenX
February 21, 2012 at 12:01 pm PST

Wow, people are stupid… and greedy. No you won’t be getting this for free, if you already have the PS3 version. Are you guys high? You agreed to pay $15 or however much you paid for it for a version to play on PS3. You don’t automatically get every version of the game on any platform. It’s almost as stupid as saying I should get a PC version of a game for free if I bought Xbox360 game(emphasis on: almost as stupid). If you want to buy it AGAIN for $15, that’s completely up to you. Is it worth it? Probably not for the most of you, so don’t buy it, just don’t feel entitled to a free a copy of it. Now if they want to give a small discount for people who already own it on PS3, that’s there prerogative. Don’t hold your breath though.

I, for one, am very intrigued as I’ve never have played it. Was waiting for a sale to purchase on PS3, but I might just get the Vita version. The platinum trophy just sweetens the deal.
FireGuy13
February 21, 2012 at 12:04 pm PST

Well, this is definitely on my list of games to get tonight when the store updates. It’s just too stinkin addictive, lol.

An off topic question for you though, Mr. PopCap. Any idea when we will see an update for Bejeweled 3 so my trophies will sync? I would really love to see those count towards my list, and it has been a problem for months now. On that note, how about Bejewled 3 for Vita? That would be super awesome!!
Viewtiful_Josh
February 21, 2012 at 12:09 pm PST

Yes… give OUR college money so that YA’LL kids can have college money.

Brilliant!

Anyway, I think I’m going to pick this game up (with my digital hand), it is a lot of fun and I can feel that platinum trophy laughing at me right now.
iTofuMan
February 21, 2012 at 12:11 pm PST

@ NeoRaidenX

Like i said in my post you do realize one of the feature of the Vita is Cross-Platform right? as in there are some games/dlc that if bought for the ps3 version gives you a Vita copy for free. Hustle Kings, Ultimate Vs Capcom 3, etc all have this already. So yes it would be nice to get a game we paid for, for the vita since we bought it on the ps3 because of one of the feature for the Vita is cross-platform.

Not trying to sound rude, but your whole “since i bought it on pc mean i should get it free on xbox” makes no sense. since the xbox and pc are two different things and are in no way connected to each other. whereas Vita and ps3 are actually connected to one another.
rjejr
February 21, 2012 at 12:11 pm PST

Know what’s funny. all the people complaining they already bought this game for $15 and they won’t buy it again for another $15. The funny part is. all these people WOULD be complaining if the Vita version came out at only $10 b/c they had to pay $15 for their PS3 version. You know you would be complaining that somebody got something cheaper than you.
Don’t buy it for $15 if you don’t want it. Should a company charge less for something for you when there are lots of people willing to pay a higher price? Many Vita owners will pay $15 for this.
I hope you whiners don’t own a Wii. The PS3/PSN constantly has sales on almost all their stuff, PS+ lets you play a ton of games for $3 and change per month. The Vita version of PvZ you know will be $7.50 for some zombie themed Halloween sale in 8 months. I think in 5 years 1 Wiiware or VC game has been on sale on the Wii. Whine whine whine whine whine whine whine
BTW, I own this on the PC – way back when you got to play as Michael Jackson – the DS, the PS3 and my iPod Touch. And someday I’ll get it on the Vita (when the Vita’s $149 and has a 4gig memory card in the box, possibly this coming Black Friday judging by Japanese unit sales).
JTStarkiller
February 21, 2012 at 12:15 pm PST

I don’t expect to get this game for free. I don’t. A discounted price for those that have spent $15 on the PSN version would be really nice though. That said, what I do feel like needs to be in the game is cross-platform game saves. That doesn’t seem like too much to ask. I will definitely be buying this tonight on the PSN store to have it ready for my Vita arriving tomorrow.
hush404
February 21, 2012 at 12:23 pm PST

I’ve already got PvZ on my PS3, PC and Android phone… so $15 for a vita version doesn’t exactly fly with me right now. If it ever goes on sale I may consider it as I love the game.
marlyt
February 21, 2012 at 12:23 pm PST

Dear Mr Green
please bring Peggle to vita. It’s such a genius but simple game. The old adage of simple to play, hard to master was made up in direct conjunction to Peggle. I swear, look it up! I’d get PvsZ but this past week has been a beast on the bank account so I have to wait a week, so to curb my weeping if you wanted to send me a free download of the game that would certainly help. I loves me some Pop Cap Games. Cheers.

Ps free game smack was a funny haha.
gema11981
February 21, 2012 at 12:32 pm PST

Zomg pop cap you guys rule ! Hey how bout bringing bejeweled and blitz over on the vita I can only imagine how wonderful this could be :) please ! Oh btw the vita is awesome , I’m not a huge gamer but I haven’t been able to put this thing down ! :) sorry for rambling on lol I pay top dollar for bejeweled and blitz on vita ;)
FORMIK
February 21, 2012 at 12:32 pm PST

@webzpinner, well said.

@ Jake Smith, how will Plants vs Zombies take advantage of the Vita’s capabilities? You said it will use the touchscreen and motion sensors. How so?

Thanks for the update!
- Jake Smith
  February 21, 2012 at 5:11 pm PST
  
  Hi FORMIK – Yes, PvZ make use of the front touchscreen and the gyroscope. Essentially, you have the option to play the game with the standard controller (directional pads, analog stick, buttons, etc) or you can play the game by simply using the front touch interface. It should be fairly intuitive once you get in there and start playing.
  
  As for the gyroscope/SIXAXIS Motion Sensor support, this is mainly used for collecting Suns and Coins. If you ever get to a point where there’s a lot of Coins or Suns on the screen all you need to do is quickly tilt the PS Vita and they’ll be auto-collected. It sounds like a fairly minor feature, but once you get it there and play you’ll love having in Plants vs. Zombies. It works really well without making the game unbalanced.
NeoRaidenX
February 21, 2012 at 12:34 pm PST

@iTofuMan

Okay, I think this is the problem. Many people are confused what “Cross-Platform play” is. If I understand this correctly, it simply means you can play against others(online) who are on a different platform(PS3 vs PSV). It however does not mean being able to take PS3 games on the go playing right where your left off. This entirely a whole different feature. It certainly doesn’t mean you get free PSV games you own for PS3 so you can try out these features.
I think it was a mistake that SCEA decided to do a PROMOTION that gives out free copies of Hustle Kings (PSV) for purchases of the PS3 version. It gave people the wrong idea right from the start, that led them to believe this would be the case for all PS3/PSN games. Game developers would NEVER be interested in making PSV versions of their games, if they have to give them out for free.

As for the PC/X360 comment. Notice I said, ALMOST AS STUPID, twice in fact. With that said however, I fail to see why them(PS3 & PSV) being “connected” and free game are even remotely connected.
FORMIK
February 21, 2012 at 12:37 pm PST

Also, I think some people need to understand the difference between cross-platform play and a promotion where you are given a game for purchasing another.

This game, for example, could carry over leaderboards in an update so you are vying for high scores between your friends on the Vita and PS3. That would be an example of cross-platform play. Or, you could pause the game on the PS3 and resume it on the Vita . *(both are also suggestions for a future Vita/PS3 update!)

Cross-platform play does not mean you getting two for the price of one. The few games offering this are doing so in order to get people introduced to the concept of cross-platform play, and should not be a set rule for every game released on both systems.
Brapp347
February 21, 2012 at 12:39 pm PST

If you guys put out peggle, I would buy that in an instant. Also, I’d like to see a return of insanaquarium. Like, where did that disappear to?
- Jeff Green
  February 21, 2012 at 12:57 pm PST
  
  Insaniquarium is one of my faves, for sure. You know it was made by the same guy, right? This is the game George Fan designed before PvZ. I’ve been lobbying forever for us to do another version of this, but no one listens to me because I’m old and stupid and don’t contribute anything except stuff like posts on the Playstation Blog.
FORMIK
February 21, 2012 at 12:41 pm PST

@NeoRaidenX,

There is a Vita commercial showing someone stop a PS3 baseball game and resume it on their Vita, talking about cross-platform play. I think it’s anything that carries over between the two systems.

Not to stray too far from the topic of this game, though, but it seems this will become a topic of confusion for some.