UPDATE: Apple is denying the substance of the comments made by Gibeau.

A company spokesperson described Giant Bomb's story as "not true" and said no money was exchanged.

When these deals are made in the games industry, it's often a co-marketing deal, not a briefcase full of cash. It's possible Gibeau meant this but chose his words poorly. When asked whether Apple and EA had brokered an agreement regarding iOS exclusivity, the company would not disclose any details on its relationships.

Giant Bomb stands by the original quoting of Gibeau's comments.

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Except in China, Plants vs Zombies 2 has only launched on iOS, and there is a very good reason for it: Apple reportedly paid for it.

This detail was revealed during an internal town hall meeting held earlier today for publisher Electronic Arts.

“Apple gave us a truckload of money to delay the Android version [of Plants vs Zombies 2],” said Frank Gibeau, head of EA Labels.

Giant Bomb confirmed the quote with several sources who watched the presentation today.

It is unclear what a “truckload of money” means, and we have no further details on the apparent agreement between Apple and EA. Apple has not yet responded to my requests for comment.

"We can't comment on internal meetings," said a PopCap representative.

What it does indicate, however, is that Apple is acting more like a traditional video game platform holder than we might have previously speculated. Such deals are common in the hypercompetitive games industry.

What would drive Apple to strike such a deal with EA? Plants vs. Zombies 2 has launched on Android in China, and it’s outselling the iPhone version of the game six-to-one in that market, according to comments from Gibeau. He also told the crowd the Android version should be released everywhere else in a month or so, which would jive with EA’s previous “fall 2013” comments.

Plants vs Zombies 2 has been an enormous success for developer PopCap Games and EA, having been downloaded more than 25 million times already. The game has been lauded for being a worthy sequel, albeit not without intense scrutiny for switching to a free-to-play model.

Not surprised. PvZ is a huge franchise.

How much do you think a truckload is? Are we talking millions?

We hear microsoft and now sony as well doing it openly.

not a surprised

I'm sure it was the "Best Deal".

Was it like...a Pickup truck? Or a real truck?

We need details here! Do your journalistic duty!

What would drive Apple to strike such a deal with EA?

$$$

I just assumed everyone assumed this.

It was a dumptruck.

Oh wow. I didn't expect Apple to be doing that. I guess they understand the value of their App Store and how it's always the place that the big apps hit first. Interesting.

Not surprising at all. Fair play to Apple.

Not sure how this is news considering it happens almost every day in the gaming industry.

So, this is just like every other day in the gaming industry, right?
Sorry I'm not a good enough actor like everyone else here to even act surprised at this :P

I hope it was more than they could possibly make back on the deal. Glad I've never bought an Apple anything, we have an ipad2 because the wife got one for nursing school for free.

Fuck apple, and fuck EA too. I'm glad this new title was F2P. It was shit compared to the first one and I didn't buy a goddamn thing to complete the game. Missed a $20 sale right here, bitches!

i just hope apple didnt pay them to delay updates to the android version like with the first PvZ. Im not saying Apple paid them to do that to the first PvZ, just that EA took like a year to update the Android version after they updated the iOS version.

Also, WOW, something on giantbomb about mobile that doesnt completely dismiss Android as a platform.

It's news because Apple did it. Otherwise, I'm with you.

Though I had some fun with the original game on my iPod Touch, I really went all out when I got it on Vita. Great system for the game. Hoping PvZ 2 gets on Vita one day, and I also hope that means I can avoid this free-to-play crap.

Oh man, it's great seeing everyone's reaction of, "This happens all the time - it's not news". When that exact sentiment has been addressed in the article.

Jeff Green was later seen smoking cigars while bathing in champagne.

Fuck Microsoft tho.. w-wait.. Apple?

@patrickklepek I think it was 16 million in the first week, 25M in two weeks. http://blog.popcap.com/2013/08/30/plants-vs-zombies-2-big-numbers/

EA is in the business of taking large sums of money for timed exclusives, news at 11.

Hot scoopz.

Tomorrow's headlines: Jeff Green seen aboard a private jet made of gold. "I'm fucking Jeff Green and I'm in a fucking jet made of gold, because VIDEO GAMES!"

I really hope they drove in a truck full of money.

"What would drive Apple to strike such a deal with EA? Plants vs. Zombies 2 has launched on Android in China, and it’s outselling the iPhone version of the game six-to-one in that market"

But...but...I thought no one bought software on Android, especially in China where everyone supposedly pirates everything. At least, that's what the tech press constantly says and the tech press is always based in astutely researched facts!

surprised apple even cared to do that.

Thanks. :)

I wonder if we'll ever find out how much. Would equally love to know just how much Microsoft is (so obviously) paying for Peggle 2 and PvZ: Garden Warfare timed exclusivity too. It's so weird that Popcap has somehow become a bargaining chip for EA to shape the console war and yet here we are.

Someone should pay me for not putting out a game.

@arrested_developer: Are you sure he wasn't smoking cigars, laughing, and burning a portion of that truckload of money on a BBQ grill?

It's the lack of PC version that really annoyed me. Although I wouldn't want to get it on Origin instead of Steam as I would likely have to.

Wow. I'm surprised Apple actually did this. I always thought they didn't give a shit about games. I guess that's changed since Steve Jobs is no longer in charge.

Why would anyone pirate a free to play game?

Beautiful.

Fantastic.

I find it weirder that it's not that weird. Popcap just seem to have that "that" - that "just looks good, just feels good" style to their games.

What a bunch of arseholes.

SO.................HOW SHOULD I........................FEEL???????

Doesn't make sense. How many people are going to buy an Apple product for just this game? Does anyone buy ipads or iphones for just the games? Seems like a waste.

Principle? i guess? :p

FYI:1 Truck Load roughly equates to 2.5 Shit Tonnes.

Seems like this move might be more about Apple's campaign of trying to get a leg up Asian made devices sold in the West (Samsung), rather than just trying to secure IPs for the heck of it.

I'm surprised at this, as I had thought that apple felt secure enough that they had no need for exclusives. What's next? Games published by "Apple Studios"?

Apple has not been known to pay for exclusivity on iOS. That's why this is news.

@blipp18: the original was no better at being updated on iOS either. It took months for the retina graphics update to come out after the iPhone 4 was released (like 4-6 months I think) and it still hasn't been updated to fit the entire screen on the four inch screen devices. Updates were very few and far between on all platforms.

Money hats!

I was wondering when Apple would be handing them out for games.

Dude nobody reads the articles anymore, it's all about the pictures! :P

It is unclear what a “truckload of money” means,

i am going to go out on a limb here and say it probably means "a lot of money"