By Kieron Gillen on July 29th, 2010 at 9:30 pm.
That was quick. Following on from yesterday’s news that the Dancing Zombie is being removed from Plants Vs Zombies due to the legal wroth of the Jackson family, the muddy-funsters at PC Gamer reveal the new dancing zombie, which basically looks like I did when I had hair and went to the perpetually-70s-stuck nightclubs in Stafford. And let’s celebrate this momentous event with an entirely gratuitous linking to Zombina & The Skeletones…
29/07/2010 at 21:36 Spaceman-Spiff says:
Maybe now they will alter his Thriller video too.
29/07/2010 at 21:36 geldonyetich says:
Honestly? Aside from the obtuseness of the Thriller reference gone: an improvement.
30/07/2010 at 04:31 qrter says:
Really? It’s awfully generic. Like the MJ one much more.
29/07/2010 at 21:43 Nick says:
hmm, I like that song, thanks Kieron.
29/07/2010 at 21:46 DrWaffles says:
Disco Stu?
30/07/2010 at 02:20 El_MUERkO says:
my thoughts exactly
30/07/2010 at 11:03 torchedEARTH says:
Is that fish (un)dead in the shoe?
31/07/2010 at 10:59 sbs says:
Yep.
29/07/2010 at 21:52 DazzeL says:
No one would of bothered blogging or posting about this is the Jackson family hadn’t forced Popcap to change. Surely there’s now more attention than ever to, what I’m sure they consider, tasteless Zombie MJ gags.
29/07/2010 at 21:53 Alexander Norris says:
I actually preferred the lounge part of the song to the second half.
30/07/2010 at 03:00 HawkesOfSavileRow says:
Quite, the second was just a poor mans cramps.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJvchUhJl4A
29/07/2010 at 21:54 Ginger Yellow says:
I wonder how long before Fox send PopCap a cease and desist.
29/07/2010 at 21:59 Navagon says:
For depicting their target audience?
29/07/2010 at 22:05 DJ Phantoon says:
Because Fox thinks it owns the past?
29/07/2010 at 23:01 Antsy says:
I don’t believe Rupert Murdoch owns exclusive rights to the 70′s, yet.
30/07/2010 at 03:07 HawkesOfSavileRow says:
/whoosh
30/07/2010 at 10:18 Rinox says:
I don’t believe MJ’s family owns the rights on zombies in red jumpsuits either…
29/07/2010 at 21:56 Fister Roboto says:
Disco Stu likes disco zombies!
29/07/2010 at 21:59 zak canard says:
That looks just like me, but with slightly more hair and a questionable taste in clothing. Awesome shoes tho. Can I now sue Popcap for using my likeness without consent?
29/07/2010 at 22:06 DJ Phantoon says:
Your skin is green?
29/07/2010 at 22:22 zak canard says:
Most of the time it’s actually a pastey grey colour, it all depends on how good the previous night was.
29/07/2010 at 22:01 Nick says:
Disco is dead I guess.
30/07/2010 at 00:08 Koozer says:
HAR!
30/07/2010 at 09:35 Matthew says:
Disco is NOT dead, disco is LIFE!
/ Izzard
29/07/2010 at 22:06 stahlwerk says:
I really dig the MSPainted interpretation of the thought process that went into the transformation. Or are these DANCE MOVES?
29/07/2010 at 22:36 Jimbo says:
That’s what that is? I thought it was a CDC.
29/07/2010 at 22:22 ReV_VAdAUL says:
Let us hope John Travolta doesn’t die any time soon.
29/07/2010 at 22:26 Risingson says:
But I still don’t get it. What’s wrong with putting a character of Michael Jackson who happens to be death? What’s not funny about it? What’s not ‘respectful’?
29/07/2010 at 23:53 Sonic Goo says:
Not paying loads of money for it is not respectful. ;)
29/07/2010 at 22:27 Oneironaut says:
I like the new shoes. I used to have a fish.
02/08/2010 at 15:26 matte_k says:
The fish in the shoes is a reference to “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka”, I think. Flyguy had a pair that broke open :)
29/07/2010 at 22:30 Roadrunnerr says:
If only it was mod friendly… Or better yet, keep the go into the folder where it’s installed and somehow replace the crappy new elton john dancing zombie with the cool michael jackson one?
Surely it’s a sign of respect to include him in a video game? Also the entire point of a dancing zombie is a reference to thriller, until Elton John dresses up as a zombie and does a cool music video, I WILL BE PERMANENTLY DISPLEASED.
29/07/2010 at 23:18 nemryn says:
If you’re on Steam, you can go into the Properties and prevent PvZ from being auto-updated.
30/07/2010 at 00:09 Koozer says:
I did that the second I read the last bit of news on this.
29/07/2010 at 22:32 Fuu says:
I wonder if Elton John has a similar legal wroth…
29/07/2010 at 22:37 Skusey says:
While the new guy is far better, there was something funny about zombie MJ moonwalking at a walnut. Even funnier after he died, although I’m not too surprised this is happening. At least I have my memories.
29/07/2010 at 22:45 Vinraith says:
I still see no reason to patch, I’ll keep my MJ zombie thanks.
29/07/2010 at 22:54 ShowMeTheMonkey says:
I always forget you’re from Stafford. Unfortunately I am from Cannock….
You sir make me proud that I’m from the Midlands, well….. Excluding Garry…
29/07/2010 at 22:57 Jesus says:
Zombina on my RPS, well I’ll be damned :D
29/07/2010 at 23:11 Tyler says:
“He cut me up in a special way.”
So brilliant. Can I suggest mentioning the actual song starts at 0:40 for the first watch? I bet a lot of folks are tl;dwing before the intro is over.
29/07/2010 at 23:21 Frozenbyte says:
But how were they forced to do the change? Isn’t parody protected by law in USA?
29/07/2010 at 23:52 DigitalSignalX says:
Parody, yes. Using a likeness in a for-profit business; no.
That said, I hardly call it a likeness. By those terms, anyone with an afro and red and black leathers is infringing on the MJ estate … I suspect PvZ just submitted to avoid a costly lawsuit that in all probability they would win, but it’s easier to change some artwork then spend two years in litigation.
30/07/2010 at 00:05 Vinraith says:
They weren’t forced, they just complied to avoid a court battle over it.
30/07/2010 at 12:56 Clovis says:
Not only do they get to skip out on a court case, but they’ve also been getting some free publicity. Once when the story broke, and now again with the new zombie. And that’s a pretty funny new zombie. I’m sure it’ll catch a few people’s eye.
And then eat it.
29/07/2010 at 23:27 Cpt. Sqweky says:
It is, but that doesn’t stop people from suing.
30/07/2010 at 00:05 littlewilly91 says:
I went Stafford uni for 2 terms and as much as the intense concentration of nerds at the Stafford Campus made for incidences of obscure gaming humour in public places that was at once beautiful and putrid, it was a really depressing place.
Anyway, It’s not stuck in the 70s anymore, it’s embracing Drum & Bass and the BNP with upsetting fervor.
30/07/2010 at 09:16 Kieron Gillen says:
Yeah. Don’t I know it. :(
EDIT: Er… for the BNP. Not the D&B.
KG
30/07/2010 at 11:45 FluffyPanda says:
I did my degree at the Stafford campus. Turned down an offer from Nottingham Uni to do so….
The single most depressing thing about Stafford when I was there was the 6:1 ratio of male to female students.
No wonder people there go a little crazy.
30/07/2010 at 00:13 Freud says:
They have to fight a legal war on two fronts when Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors gets a lawyer.
30/07/2010 at 00:48 Iain says:
THE NEW ZOMBIE HAS A GOLDFISH IN ITS SHOES.
Suddenly I’m conflicted as to whether I should update or not. If the fish is animated and swims about as the zombie walks, I’m updating…
30/07/2010 at 01:11 The Snee says:
It’s not that depressing. Pretty nice in places.
I wish I could find the 70′s nightclubs though, it’s all lady gaga and awful rnb in most places.
30/07/2010 at 01:21 WiPa says:
I love the fish in it’s shoe.
30/07/2010 at 03:02 HawkesOfSavileRow says:
i demand a disco-biscuit upgrade.
30/07/2010 at 03:22 Mario Figueiredo says:
I’ll affectionately call it Michael from this day on.
30/07/2010 at 03:26 Feanix says:
I live in Stafford now! In the UK! Not one of those knock off USA Staffords. Stafford CLASSIC. We have a university here with a pretty awesome gaming course. :D
The nightclubs are still AWFUL.
30/07/2010 at 03:27 TheTingler says:
Now that’s done the Jackson Estate will go after Back To The Future Part III and that troublesome Marty McFly/Clint Eastwood.
30/07/2010 at 03:47 garin says:
Nice, he has the shoes from I’m Gonna Git You, Sucka.
30/07/2010 at 08:45 Dawngreeter says:
Zombina and the Skeletones!!!
I knew you were occasionally cool, Kieron.
30/07/2010 at 11:21 GenuineEntropy says:
Meanwhile, at pop-caps offices:
“Someone get hold of Vechey, Fiete or Kapalka, we’ve got Elton Johns manager circa-1978 on the phone and he’s talking litigation…”
30/07/2010 at 11:58 Tei says:
This is a very dishonest thing to do. A artist forcing another artist to change his art?
I think our civilization failed.
That there are laws that restrict creativity this way (giving support to the claim), make me sad. The original michael jackson is better.
30/07/2010 at 12:07 Tom Francis says:
Aw, we don’t get a link? But we have an adorable statement from the disco zombie!
I think I still have Zombina’s Braindead on my L4D playlist thanks to you.
PS. PvS?
30/07/2010 at 12:28 Kieron Gillen says:
Oh, God. I thought I included it but didn’t. You can see where it was meant to be though. Adding now.
KG
30/07/2010 at 12:14 Jaz says:
It’s worth stressing that PopCap didn’t actually cave to any serious legal pressure or whatever. They probably didn’t want to piss off MJ’s estate and felt like coming up with a new zombie.
30/07/2010 at 12:31 Tori says:
“New PvS Zombie” ? What does that ‘S’ in the title stand for?
30/07/2010 at 14:46 Mungrul says:
Ooo, cheers for the Zombina link Kieron; I’d never heard of them before, and it’s just the kind of thing I’m looking for at the moment :)
In return, I heartily recommend Alice Donut’s album, Mule :)
30/07/2010 at 15:30 Chris says:
Dunno about anyone else, but the transition from old to new would have been completely lost on me if it wasn’t for that arrow joining the to images together.
Thank you RockPaperShotgun, thank you.
30/07/2010 at 16:36 David says:
Its rather silly that they only cracked down on it after he died, considering the game has been out for at least 2 or 3 years now.
30/07/2010 at 17:25 Unaco says:
I spy with my little eye an “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka” reference. Are the Wayans brothers still alive to sue?
26/10/2010 at 02:51 Notsew says:
This was the straw that broke the economy to you?! All I have to say about that is pay more attention to the world sometime. Lulz.
Also at least PvZ didn’t disrespect MJ by making him raise naked child zombies for which he then raped while trying to eat your brains. I mean, if they are complaining about likeness, we might as well go as far as possible and then change it before the legal battle just to get back at the MJ Estate. Agreed?