About the future of PVZ

A Current Situation
As an IP owned by EA and PopCap, PVZ's current situation is not optimistic, and it does not meet the expectations of players. The future of this IP is even dark and gloomy. Many people look at it, although they still love it, but it is dying. Many excellent employees were fired for various reasons; PVZ's poor income has shattered EA's dream of this series, so EA intends to throw caution to the wind and squeeze every last penny out of PVZ's remaining time. Then what?
PVZ would be completely dead.
PVZ has accompanied generations of people through the glorious and indifferent 15 years, and does EA really want to give up on it? Does EA really want to destroy it? The answer is no.
B Potential
Has the potential of PV2 series really run out as EA expected? Someone has made nearly $10,000 by selling PVZ fan-made modifications. As we all know, fan-made PVZ modifications are not intended for commercial gain. However, some of these modifications are deeply loved by players. If this cannot prove the potential of PVZ, what can? It is worth noting that PVZ's popularity is due to the efforts of players, and these PVZ modifications have kept the IP vibrant and ever-popular in the player community. Other types of games are hard to achieve this. EA should have recognized and utilized PVZ as a "jack-of-all-trades" asset, but it's a shame they didn't.

C On PVZ3
PVZ3 has been in open beta since mid-January 2024, and this sequel to the tower defense game has been in development since 2016, but 8 years have passed and it's not even as good as PVZ2! I've already expressed my thoughts on PV23, so I won't go into detail here. The time spent making PVZ3 could have made 1-2 Battlefield games, but it's not looking good. Players don't know what has happened at PopCap in the past 8 years, and they haven't heard any news about PVZ3 until now, when we have community managers. These community managers are serious and responsible, and they pass on player suggestions to the PVZ team. Some of them are fans of the series, and they are deeply concerned about the future of this IP. But all they can do is submit feedback, that's it. Now PVZ3 has over 300 levels, while PVZ2 only has 314 levels. The level quality in PVZ3 is not as good as in PVZ2, and even worse than the original PVZ. The number of plant and zombie types, and map types is very limited. Selling Chilly Pepper, Jalapeno, and Cherry Bomb, Blowers as items in PVZ3 seems pointless to me. PVZ is a casual strategy game. Compared to match-3 games with an element of luck, doing this will only lead to failure. As a fan of PVZ, what does it mean to clear every level? I have no reason to buy those cheats! They are not even as good as the Power Ups in PVZ 2. Some levels are impossible to pass without them.
Typically, a disappointing and unfun game is rarely played. Just because PVZ3 is on the App Store's top list does not mean it is successful! That's because PVZ relies on its fans! They love it, then hate it, and don't want to see it become what it is now. EA and PopCap, please think about this.
D The Future of Garden Warfare
There is a file name called GW3 in BFN, in a sense, BFN used to be GW3. However, BFN was updated for only a year and then stopped, and PopCap announced that the startup had failed. BFN borrowed from OW in some sense, canceling the mutations and making it less playable than GW2. Players kept sending messages on X saying that we need a new GW, but there was no response. I think that since EA has been pursuing the mobile market for years, but FIFA:Mobile and APEX:Mobile are Tencent's agents, and EA's own internal development is only PVZ2 and PVZH (I'm not sure, it might be like this), PVZ as EA's own mobile game IP, PVZ2 won the TGX Best Mobile Game award in 2013, which can be said to have development potential in the mobile game field. Previous PVZ:RPG project was cancelled, whether it was because EA feared it wouldn't make money or something else, we don't know.

I believe that PVZ:GW Mobile has great market potential, potential, and advantages. Now NetEase has obtained the MARVEL copyright and is making a MARVEL game similar to OW. If EA is willing to provide PopCap resources, from a certain angle, it will become a strong competitor in the mobile game market. As a derivative work of the PVZ series, character variation is one of its highlights. In addition, the victory or defeat in the GW series will not bring players a sense of great frustration. On the contrary, PVZ:GW is fun and relaxing. If there is a relaxing FPS game during leisure or work time, then it must be GW. In this competitive era, people are anxious and overworked. Playing a game can be frustrating, (there is an analogy, some games feel like working in prison and not playing feels uncomfortable). But GW won't. Cute plants and zombies are fighting all over the place, in fact, it can be said that GW is the most interesting shooting game in the whole universe. In addition, the asymmetry between the two sides in GW is also a highlight of this IP. One side is plants, the other side is zombies; rather than both sides being plants or zombies. In the mobile gaming scene, portability and convenience are key factors that attract players. With the advent of mobile games like PVZ:GW, players no longer have to worry about being tied down to a specific location or device. The cartoonish art style of PVZ:GW means that it can appeal to a wider audience, rather than a smaller niche. From young to adults, PVZ is a household name, and if gamers who struggle to find time to play can own GW:Mobile, it would be a huge success. The cartoonish art style can also make it easier to render effects on mobile devices. The realistic style of Battlefield:Mobile is more straightforward, without the need to worry about issues like high-end phones not being able to run the game in COD:WarZone.

E Other
The current opportunities and profitable ventures lie with EA, PopCap, and the sale of skins, plants, zombie characters, and Season Passes. These are the ways that EA and Tencent are equally skilled at. Instead of so-called bad in-game items. For example, in GW Mobile, some variant plants can be placed in a pool for players to draw, or victory cups, or even music packs can be added. The music of the PVZ series is also a highlight, whether it was composed by Laura or Peter, or the current arrangement, different tones can make people relaxed, excited, or feel the same emotions. Music conveys emotions. If EA wants a game that can bring both profits and good reputation, then GW:Mobile is what EA wants; if EA really puts some effort into PVZ, then PVZ will definitely give EA more than what it is showing now. This May 5th marks the 15th anniversary of PVZ, and I don't want this to be its last birthday, or even its deathday. I hope that EA management will read this article, and I hope that the EA Community Manager will convey my message to them.

Community members, if you agree with the points made in this article, please sign a petition with me to request EA to make GW:Mobile. Provide me with XP. Send this article to EA, PopCap management, and anywhere else they might see it. I will also post this article in various places, so please don't delete it.

If EA has requests for how many petitioners or other requirements for GW: Mobile, please let the community know. The community will do what it can

I look forward to waking up one day and seeing PopCap announce: "We are making PVZ:GW Mobile now. Available soon."

To the PVZ.EA team

Yours,
Yuanzifeng007
(PS: Neon Mixture Tour's music is really great，expecially Don't you love how we love together)