It's not Plants vs. Zombies 2, but it's something

What is this? Plants vs. Zombies... on Facebook? That's not the Plants vs. Zombies 2 I was promised. PopCap Games announced yesterday the launch of a limited beta for a new Facebook game named Plants vs. Zombies Adventures. Details on the game are scarce, though Adventures will clearly be much more of a standard tower defense game than the original title. Also, "social features" that Facebook is famous for.

Luckily, there's also news for us Plants vs. Zombies fans more excited about the sequel than a Facebook spin-off. Plants vs. Zombies 2 is now planned for release in "early summer" on PC. Hopefully that means we'll be playing the new title within three or four months.

Curt Bererton, PopCap’s San Francisco Studio Head, describes what exactly Plants vs. Zombies Adventures is all about:

"Plants vs. Zombies Adventures is a highly accessible, zombie-zapping adaptation of the original game designed specifically for Facebook. The game not only offers up exclusive new plants and zombies along with old favorites, it features all-new forms of zombie combat that will open PvZ to a whole new world. We like to think we’re creating a brand new twist on the classic Plants vs. Zombies that is the most social, shareable and expansive Plants vs. Zombies experience ever."

Plants vs. Zombies Adventures is what PopCap Games calls the first of "several adaptations" of the original title to be announced over the next year. Rather foreboding, isn't it? If I had a lineup of Plants vs. Zombies spin-off games to announce, I doubt I'd start with the Facebook game. Of course, this is PopCap we're talking about. They've always shown a high standard of quality, but is this the same PopCap that released Plants vs. Zombies in 2009?

Check out the Plants vs. Zombies Adventures Facebook page for more information and look forward to its full release in coming months. More so, look forward to Plants vs. Zombies 2 in early summer.