“It’s about time.” That’s the tagline for Plants vs. Zombies 2, the latest offering from PopCap Games that will take the beloved franchise through various stops along the course of history to allow ancient flora to wage war against olden shambling armies of the undead.

If you’re like me, then the news that PvZ2 actually released today likely came as something of a shock. As we get ready for the upcoming holiday shopping season, plow through one AAA title after another and gorge on the various summer sales, it became easy to forget that one of the biggest mobile releases of the year was right here on our doorstep. A lack of steady updates and media didn’t help the matter, either. But it’s here, it’s free, and it’s more of that zombie-blasting goodness you’ve grown to know and love.

Initially available exclusively for iOS, Plants vs. Zombies 2 is now available through iTunes for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. As I was saying, the newest game in the series offers a theme centered on time travel, giving players the chance to visit several historical eras to square off against brand new zombies from various time periods.

And, yeah, the game itself is free to play. But for those of you gaming on other platforms, not to worry. PopCap has confirmed that PvZ2 will be making its way to other platforms in the coming months. If it’s anything like its predecessor, that means there’s a pretty good chance you’ll see it on just about every type of mobile device and gaming platform within the next year.

The Plants vs. Zombies has certainly taken off over the past couple of years with the original game spawning a Facebook spinoff, clothes and toys, an awesome-looking next-gen action game (announced at the 2013 E3 press event), and DLC for other games like a table in Zen Pinball 2 and extra content in The Sims 3. In short, the series has sunk its roots in pretty deep, and it looks like PvZ2 is just the latest in what will likely be a long and storied history.

Speaking of history, that’s what this latest offering is all about. PvZ2 was designed to be an “ever-expanding universe that will offer regular updates,” according to a statement from PopCap, which means fans can expect new worlds, plants, zombies and challenges. The vast majority of the game can be played at no charge (including every zombie and access to every world), but you’ll also be able to drop a few real-world dollars on various upgrades and other in-game items. I wouldn’t be surprised if future updates come with a small charge, too, but that’s only speculation.

PvZ2 also boasts a bunch of new gameplay enhancements, including new drops that strengthen your plants, as well as gesture-based power ups that let you demolish zombies with the swipe of a finger. You can also expect three worlds, 60 levels, side missions, mini-games and challenge zones aplenty.

So, yeah, maybe stop reading, check out this trailer and get to downloading?

Plants Vs. Zombies 2 will not be arriving within a month as planned. Today PopCap Games announced that they were pushing the game back to an unspecified date.

PvZ2 was previously scheduled for a July 18th launch. Before that, PopCap promised a late spring launch. Today's tweet continued the trend:

PopCap apologized for the delay in a follow-up tweet. They added that they want to make sure that the game "lives up to fans' expectations." In other words, they need more polish time. The studio reiterated in subsequent tweets that they're committed to releasing the game this summer.

In Plants vs. Zombies 2, players must hold the line against waves of zombie invaders. Their only defense is an assortment of plants, each with distinct abilities. In the sequel, players will access to new plants, such as the Bonk Choy, as well as new power-ups. Unlike the first game, the action isn't centered around a backyard. Instead, players will travel to ancient Egypt, the Wild West and pirate-filled seas among other places. They'll encounter new types of zombies in the process.

The game, interestingly enough, will be free-to-play. It's funded entirely through optional micro-transactions. Players can stop by Crazy Dave's in-game shop to purchase upgrades, new plants and more for real-world money. The change in business model is part of a larger EA strategy to include microtransactions in more of its future games.

Plants vs. Zombies 2 will be exclusively available on iOS devices at launch. However, if the first game was any indication, PvZ2 will ultimately spread to Android, handhelds, and consoles.

The wait between Plants Vs. Zombies and its sequel will be much longer than the wait between PvZ2 and the third entry in the series. Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare, a third-person shooter/tower defense game announced at E3, will be debuting in spring 2014 on consoles and PC.

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E3 is literally just around the weekend corner and times are getting tough. With just three days to go any and every publisher worth some salt is throwing out their official E3 line-up, and coming late to the party (but certainly not missing it) is everyone's favorite two-time running worst company in America, Electronic Arts.

The line-up for EA at E3 is kept pretty simple and the company dolled out a simple list considering that the PR was probably too tired to write out an extensive description for each game. So here's the list:

EA SPORTS UFC

FIFA 14

Madden NFL 25

NBA LIVE 14

Need for Speed Rivals

Battlefield 4

Plants Vs Zombies 2

Fightback

EA's Ultima Forever

EA will be presenting these games at E3 on June 10th at 1pm PST/4pm EST. In addition to this, you will be able to test out games, get a first-hand look at them or check out upcoming features at EA's E3 booth #1601 in the south hall.

During their E3 presentation Electronic Arts will also be giving gamers the very first look at Battlefield 4's multiplayer component. The company will also be showing off exclusives for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.

Unfortunately, EA has no games to show or share for Nintendo's Wii U. The one pro-consumer console this generation is getting no love from the big publisher and it's because of the whole Origin fallout last year. Essentially Nintendo is the only confirmed console that doesn't support online, offline, disc-based or digital rights management to restrict you from accessing your games. By now, we all know what Microsoft's policies are and we have an idea of what Sony's policies are.

You can learn more by visiting the official EA E3 website.

As PopCap Games promised last month, Plants Vs. Zombies 2 will be launching in July. Today, they provided a specific release date and also confirmed the launch platforms.

Plants Vs. Zombies 2 will hit iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch on July 18th. Those are the only platforms receiving the game on that date. However, PopCap will almost certainly port PvZ2 to other platforms as well in time. The first PvZ is currently available through PC, Mac, Vita, DS, consoles and multiple mobile carriers.

In the first Plants Vs. Zombies, players had to defend their home from a zombie invasion. They did so using a diverse set of plants, each with their own distinct abilities. Using a finite amount of sunlight energy, players frantically arranged their defensive lines while the zombies marched toward their home.

PvZ2 builds upon that formula with new levels, plants and zombies. Ancient Egypt and a pirate ship are two of the levels seen in the screenshots. New touch-screen power-ups will allow players to interact with the zombie invaders directly.

All of the game's levels are entirely free to play. However, an in-game shop run by Crazy Dave will offer players upgrades and other items for real-world money. In PvZ, these upgrades could also be earned solely through gameplay, though at a much slower rate.

PvZ2 will be shown off to press at E3 next week so expect additional details on the game during that show.

Plants Vs. Zombies 2 won't be out in "late spring" as originally planned. A teaser trailer from PopCap Games promises that the tower defense game will arrive in July instead.

In Plants Vs. Zombies, players' last line of defense against the zombie apocalypse is their garden. They must strategically place plants with different special abilities to fight back the undead horde. Players will have to adapt to different environment conditions (nighttime, storms) as well as new types of zombies.

PvZ2 should keep that formula mostly intact. PopCap hasn't provided many specifics, though. When they announced the game last summer, they said it would contain "new features, settings and situations."

PopCap hasn't announced platforms for the sequel yet. The original is available on mobile devices, PC, Mac, Vita, DS, Xbox 360 and PS3. Presumably the platforms for PvZ2 will be just as diverse.

It's a struggle as old as time itself: Plants vs. Zombies. And that epic battle of epicness is set to begin a whole new chapter next year, as PopCap Games has announced a late spring 2013 launch of Plants vs. Zombies 2.

Sadly, that's the extent of the information coming out of PopCap so far. That isn't surprising considering that the game's expected release date is nearly a year from now. That sort of timeframe smacks of initial development only just now getting underway.

Given the ginormous sales figures for the original Plants vs. Zombies, there's a pretty good chance that everyone reading this has already played the game. If you are one of the few who has managed to pass it by, however, all you need to know is that it's a strategy game that blends cutsey humor and lovely art in a struggle that pits your growing flower garden (each plant with its own special ability, of course) against slowly shambling hordes of undead monsters. Your job is to destroy them before they trample you. Makes perfect sense, yes?

While little else is known about the sequel, PopCap has announced that Plants vs. Zombies 2 will “include a bevy of new features, settings and situations.” What those new bits of shiny goodness could be is anyone's guess, though we're guessing it's going to have a strong focus on agriculture battling the undead.

If your interest is officially piqued and you'd like to see what all the fuss is about, you can actually play the original Plants vs. Zombies by going to the official website. After that, your wait for “late spring 2013” can officially begin.

A sequel to Plants vs. Zombies may be revealed soon. PopCap Games is teasing an announcement for the series.

Several gaming publications like PC Gamer received a "Save the Date" from PopCap today. It's an image of a zombie clutching a sign that says "August 2, 2010." The initials "S.F." are written in the corner next to a drawing of a bridge. Maybe they're planning a press event in San Francisco on that day?

PvZ is a tower defense game in which the player uses different species of plants to repel undead invaders. It has appeared on the PC, Mac, iPhone, and iPad.