PopCap Games, maker of some of the world's most popular video games, today announced that the iPhone and iPod touch adaptation of its award-winning game Plants vs. Zombies sold more than 300,000 units in its first nine days of availability, setting a new record for App Store launches. Plants vs. Zombies shot to number one in the units sold and "top grossing" App Store charts within 24 hours of its launch and remained there until yesterday. At a retail price point of US$2.99, Plants vs. Zombies for iPhone/touch has already grossed more than US$1 million.
PopCap also revealed that its flagship Bejeweled 2 is now the first paid app to reach 3 million units on the App Store. Bejeweled 2 has consistently been in the top 10 of the App Store's Top Grossing list. With the success of Plants vs. Zombies, PopCap now boasts 3 games (including Bejeweled and Peggle) that have reached #1 on the App Store among a crowded field of more than 150,000 apps. The company's other iPhone games, Bookworm and Chuzzle, are consistently in the top 100 on the App Store.
Originally launched on the PC and Mac in May of 2009 to universal critical acclaim, Plants vs. Zombies has been expertly adapted for iPhone and iPod touch. Consumers who have purchased the iPhone adaptation agree, with more than 95% giving the game five out of five stars in the App Store's rating system – making it the highest-rated product in the App Store. Plants vs. Zombies is proving to be a global phenomenon on the App Store, reaching the #1 position on the sales charts in more than 20 countries worldwide including Canada, China, Russia, Australia, Germany, Denmark, Ireland, and Norway. Within one day of the game's launch, it joined Bejeweled 2 as one of the top five highest-grossing iPhone apps of the week.
"Plants vs. Zombies is our latest major franchise to make the jump to iPhone, and from the early customer and critical feedback it appears to be a great adaptation of the game," said Andrew Stein, director of mobile business development at PopCap. "There's always a concern when bringing a computer game to a mobile, pocket-sized device that something will get lost in the process, but in this case the overwhelming consensus is that Plants vs. Zombies is even more fun on the smaller touch screen!"