In the massive PopCap layoffs, it seems the Plants vs. Zombies creator, George Fan, was caught in the crossfire. This news comes a day after PopCap's announcement of Plants vs. Zombies 2, a sequel guaranteed to be a major hit on a plethora of platforms, like its predecessor. Popcap laid off a large amount of their employees with an intent to hire up to the original amount they started with by the end of 2012.
This should come as a surprise to the gaming community, simply because Fan has made PopCap so much money. Plants vs. Zombies has been the most profitable franchise in the developer/publisher's repertoire, so it's just poor form to let go of someone so integral as Fan.
Although Fan was supposedly not involved with Plants vs. Zombies 2, this is still something of a shock. After creating such a fantastic intellectual property, Fan should be considered an asset to PopCap. His involvement in PvZ2 would be invaluable.
The gaming community should keep an eye on Fan, and look forward to where he ends up. With that amount of talent, it's inevitable that he will land on his feet.
Via 1UP
