When Popcap announced that Plants vs Zombies 2 would be delayed, millions of gamers around the world were upset that the sequel to the popular tower defense game would not be available for the start of summer. However, iPhone and iPad users in two select countries will be able to play the game starting Tuesday, in an attempt to make sure the game is up to par and working properly in time for the U.S. release in a few weeks.
Australia and New Zealand will get the first crack at Plants vs Zombies 2: It' s About Time, and senior producer for the game Allen Murray told IGN that this limited release will serve as a good test of how the game will function, as the game has a variety of special features in place to make it unique:
"Plants vs Zombies' veneer is simple and silly, but there is an extremely complex system of software in place that supports it...We looked at some of the core systems - back-end systems, and realized we needed to make changes. We aren't really [using this time] to change things that are player-facing...We're using this time to work on things like how we handle accounts. Family play is important to us. In Plants vs Zombies 2 multiple accounts can progress through the game independently on a single device. Premium-purchased Plants and other items are shared between accounts. We take advantage of cross-device cloud saves, a shared wallet system, we stream in new game worlds to keep the initial download small... we're using this time to stabilize these systems."
Murray also detailed how the game, which will be free, will not force players to buy unlockables to complete the game, but rather will have premium enhancements for the game that are optional:
"We want to build up a relationship with players - build their trust. There's no friend pestering, no paying for new levels. and no energy meter. Certain levels are locked behind 'Key Gates' and 'Star Gates'. You can earn enough keys through play to unlock all the levels in the game, but if you're impatient you can bypass these gates with a purchase. Finally, a small number of plants and upgrades are premium-only - six plants, and four upgrades."
It sounds like Popcap is doing all the right things to make Plants vs Zombies 2 an even bigger hit than the original.