Rovio, developers of the Angry Birds juggernaut, today announced that their latest in the series, Angry Birds Rio, has already hit 10 million downloads in just 10 days.

That’s 10 million app installs including both free and paid across all platforms. Likely the majority of these are free installs from the new Amazon Android App Store but that’s still an impressive feat.

If you haven’t tried Angry Birds Rio yet, give it a try. And grab a bag of Angry Birds Pork Rinds to go with it — they are delicious!

FREE!

Angry Birds Rio

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2011-03-22 :: Category: Games

FREE!

Angry Birds Rio HD

iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2011-03-22 :: Category: Games

Update: Angry Birds Rio for iPhone and iPad is now live! Get the download links below.

Drum roll please… Stories have been running rampant across the internet that the eagerly anticipated sequel to Angry Birds, entitled Angry Birds Rio, should be going live tomorrow in the App Store.  These rumors were later confirmed by Rovio themselves via the official Angry Birds twitter account. So now the question becomes how long do you have to wait for your next hit of furious foul?

If you are looking to get an early jump on the GameCenter leaderboards you would think that a midnight download might be in order, but if you assumed that you would be gravely mistaken.  In all actuality, the App Store is usually updated at 11pm whatever your local time may be, hereby giving you an extra hour head start on the competition. I for one will be eagerly awaiting the launch from the comfort of my bed, then spending the remainder of the night not getting any sleep.

Weighing in at a healthy sixty stages, the next installment in the Angry Birds saga will take our favorite feathered protagonists south of the boarder, as they attempt to free birds that have been illegally held in captivity.  There is no word yet on whether the pig infestation of the current installment make a sneak appearance in Rio, but I just have a gut feeling that we haven’t seen the last of them.  The most recent trailer even featured a new boss mechanic that is bound to give players nothing but brain freezing fits.

Get ready to take aim at the opposition and plunk down a mere ninety-nine cents for your next taste of the sweet nectar known as Angry Birds.  I know that I plan to be excitedly waiting with bated breath for the witching hour to arrive.  If you are lucky enough to already be on the Tuesday side of the date line let us know what you think of the game in the comments.  We are all VERY curious!

FREE!

Angry Birds Rio

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2011-03-22 :: Category: Games

FREE!

Angry Birds Rio Free

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2011-03-22 :: Category: Games

FREE!

Angry Birds Rio HD

iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2011-03-22 :: Category: Games

FREE!

Angry Birds Rio HD Free

iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2011-03-22 :: Category: Games

Angry Birds Seasons has been updated for every major holiday since its release last year. Today we got word that St. Patrick’s Day will also see an update. Finally something to look forward to besides flat green beer, corned beef, and cabbage, right? Fans and new players alike can expect the update – with a bunch of new green themed, pig popping levels – to hit this week on Thursday March 10th. Take a look at the trailer below:

I wonder what the next holiday update for Angry Birds Seasons will be? Easter? Memorial Day? Your predictions are welcome, in the comments below.

$0.99

Angry Birds Seasons

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2010-10-21 :: Category: Games

Is there no where that Angry Birds can’t go? Recently Conan O’Brien played life sized Angry Birds with huge Angry Birds balloons and Ikea furniture. Check the video below for all the pig popping fun (after an annoying 30 second commercial). There’s really only one place to go from here – life size cake Angry Birds. I mean, right?

[ via Perez-Fox ]

This week, February 13-20, Apple launched subscription services for applications, meaning that developers must offer an in-app purchase option if they offer an outside-app purchase option, like a newspaper does through its website. For example, if Company A offers a monthly service charge of $10 for its articles, and it has an application on the App Store, it must now offer that same deal for the same price ($10) or less through its iOS application. Here’s the catch – that $10 is subject to Apple’s 30% commission policy.

“Apple feels as though they are providing lots of new users for these services and Apple wants to be compensated for that. That makes sense. They are providing a service and bringing users to these subscription services, they should be compensated” writes Jeff Scott, Founder of 148Apps. However, he warns that “in the end, it’s going to backfire and we the users are going to lose out” – outlining a number of possible scenarios, one of which is shifting the extra cost of paying commission onto the consumer. So that $10 service would need to rise to $13.33 (30% of $10, plus the original $10) in order for the developer to remain no better or no worse off. And that’s not good for consumers.

In other news, the all-time favourite Angry Birds has reached a new App Store peak: 250 non-consecutive days at the number one spot on the biggest application store the world has ever known. The iOS favourite was launched on December 11 2009 and, in less than six months after its conception, reached the number one spot in Apple’s App Store on April 27 2010. Bonnie Eisenman’s been hard at work, collaborating a myriad of data to produce a pictorial review of its massive success. You can see (and read) all about it right here.

$0.99

Angry Birds

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2009-12-11 :: Category: Games

In other news, this week 148Apps awarded NBA Jam Review 4.5 stars as well as the Editor’s Choice badge for its excellent gameplay and 5 star graphics. “EA has managed to perfectly recreate the NBA Jam experience on a device that was never designed to handle that volume of visual insanity” writes Blake Grundman. “Every dunk, jumpshot and alley-oop runs smoothly and flawlessly, once again raising the bar for gaming on the platform. There is really no amount of praise that can do this game enough justice. It is simply outstanding.”

$0.99

NBA JAM by EA SPORTS™

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2011-02-10 :: Category: Games

But there are many who just don’t find touch screen gaming an equal substitute. “When it comes to iOS gaming, the biggest complaint that continues to come up is the lack of physical controls. While veteran iOS gamers have gotten used to virtual controls, games still often suffer from not having actual physical buttons and joysticks to use” writes Carter Dotson, who goes on to outline a number of solution for hand-using gamers, such as the Fling, JOYSTICK-IT, iCade and iControlPad.

And to wrap up this week, we’ve brought back the much-loved Favorite 4 column. This week, Favorite 4 examines “the finest examples of established gaming franchises making appearances on iOS” – Street Fighter IV, Space Invaders Infinity Gene, NBA Jam and PAC-MAN. Episode 72 of The Portable Podcast is also available to download, featuring your host Carter Dotson and special guest Brett Nolan from AppAddict.

I’ll leave you this week with a glimpse into the future. It has Telltale Games written all over it.

Attention, ladies and gentlemen! We gather here today to celebrate a true App Store milestone: Angry Birds has sat at the #1 spot for a total of 250 nonconsecutive days. Angry Birds—a juggernaut of a game in which players sling the titular avians at the fortresses of the opposing pigs, has seen amazing success. Released on December 11th, 2009, Angry Birds has jealously guarded its perch at #1 with much success.

In honor of Angry Birds’ amazing success, we’ve decided to take some space to reflect on the game that has redefined App Store success.

The Dawn of an Era
Angry Birds launched on December 11th, 2009 to modest success and minor fanfare. The original game included sixty-three levels and a single world. The story was present from the beginning: the pigs steal the birds’ eggs, and the birds set out to get their revenge by destroying the pigs’ castles. (Fun fact: the green pigs were inspired by the then-current swine flu epidemic.) Originally, there were five kinds of birds; leaderboards and achievements had yet to be added. Rovio fiddled with the price a little (for about a week, the game cost $1.99) but the real changes were yet to come.

People liked the original Angry Birds. They laughed. But it wasn’t yet a phenomenon.

Reaching—and Taking—the Skies
The 1.2 update really started the fire. A few months after its original release, the 1.2 update brought forty more levels in two distinct new “worlds,” leaderboards, and more complex structures, such as (gasp) triangular shapes. Then in April, the 1.2.1 update added the usual slew of extra levels, “golden eggs,” and the new “boomerang” bird. Shortly afterward, armed with these improvements, the birds barreled their way to the top of the charts. I’d say that the rest was history, but that would be implying closure…and Angry Birds is still chugging away. The chart below graphs the rise of the Angry Birds era.

Angry Birds took the #1 spot for all paid apps on April 27th, 2010 and has rarely been knocked from its perch since. How has Angry Birds done so well? Well, that’s the multi-million-dollar question. Personally I think it’s simply that Rovio found a “sweet spot.” Angry Birds has the potential for great depth and complex tower structures, and yet it only takes a few pictures to demonstrate how to play the game. Each aspect is carefully crafted and balanced, with new ideas surfacing with regularity. The charismatic birds and pigs don’t hurt, either. But I think Angry Birds’ success is also a function of Rovio’s careful, relentless promotion of the game and willingness to experiment. Angry Birds Halloween grew into Angry Birds Seasons when Rovio saw an opportunity for a companion app, and they capitalized on the characters by creating plush toys and have supposedly been working on other merchandise. Most importantly of all, perhaps, is that Rovio simply hasn’t stood still.

Marching (er, Flying) Onward
After reaching #1, Rovio didn’t rest on its laurels. Instead, Rovio has pushed out oodles of Angry Birds-related developments, both in terms of traditional updates to the main app and more creative endeavors. We won’t go into too many details, but here’s a small sampling of Angry Birds developments since the app’s initial peak.

• On April 4th, Angry Birds has sells its millionth copy. Soon, the 1.3 update delivers more updates and a total of five million sales.
• In fall 2010, Angry Birds goes to its first new platforms. Among the first are Nokia phones through the Ovi store and webOS. Angry Birds eventually heads to PSP, iPad, Android Marketplace, Mac, and Windows.
• Angry Birds Halloween is released with themed levels as a separate app. It eventually becomes Angry Birds Seasons, a companion app to the main Angry Birds app.
• Angry Birds plushies: So many people clearly loved the birds that Rovio decided to create some tangible plushies. The toy birds and pigs started shipping in December and can now be bought from Rovio’s online store.
• In celebration of the game’s one-year anniversary, the “Ham ‘em High” update introduces new levels and the Mighty Eagle. The Mighty Eagle, a one-time in-app purchase, allows players to blaze through one uncompleted level per hour. It’s the first in-app purchase from Angry Birds.
• Angry Birds Rio is announced. A tie-in with Rio, an upcoming movie from the creators of Ice Age, Angry Birds Rio will be an all-new game set in the Rio universe.
• Super Bowl commercial: During the 2011 Super Bowl, Angry Birds made an appearance in a commercial for the upcoming movie Rio. The ad included a code that unlocks an extra level in the game.

Where to Now?
No app has come close to Angry Bird’s grasp on the #1 spot. For comparison, the second-place contender is not Doodle Jump or Pocket God, but the Moron Test, with a (relatively) measly 38 days at #1. Angry Birds has single-handedly redefined App Store success. Will anyone else ever be able able to replicate this feat?

But having achieved such great success, how can Angry Birds become even more awesome? The upcoming Angry Birds Rio is mostly a mystery, and I think it’s a great opportunity for Rovio to reconsider, improve upon, and maybe even reinvent parts of Angry Birds. It should certainly contain some great new ideas, given the developer’s track record. We’ll also be seeing Angry Birds on a lot more devices in the future, as Rovio has already announced plans to port their hyper-popular game to the Wii and Xbox 360.

Regardless of where Angry Birds heads, its current success is richly deserved. Angry Birds is a great game with an amazing amount of replay value and an incredibly funny, if silent, cast of characters. Congratulations to Rovio for 250 days at the top!

$0.99

Angry Birds

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2009-12-11 :: Category: Games

$0.99

Angry Birds Seasons

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2010-10-21 :: Category: Games

FREE!

Angry Birds Lite

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2010-02-13 :: Category: Games

FREE!

Angry Birds Free

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2011-01-05 :: Category: Games

FREE!

Angry Birds Seasons Free

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2011-01-05 :: Category: Games

Unlike buying tickets to SDCC, this podcast works!

On This Episode:

Who We Are:

Contact The Show: Email | Twitter

Music:

“Beatnes7 (Theme to The Portable Podcast)” by The Eternal – Download on iTunes here:

How to Listen:

Apps Mentioned in this Episode:

$0.99

NBA JAM by EA SPORTS™

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2011-02-10 :: Category: Games

$4.99

STREET FIGHTER IV

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2010-03-10 :: Category: Games

$0.99

Angry Birds

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2009-12-11 :: Category: Games

$0.99

Angry Birds Seasons

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2010-10-21 :: Category: Games

I don’t know if you are beginning to feel the same as me, but I am starting to wonder if the development team over a Rovio has something against sleeping.  Between a Super Bowl update to the first installment in the Angry Birds series and a Rio themed sequel on the way, you would think that they would have their hands full.  But with their third headline grabbing piece of news in as many weeks, there is more love coming to Angry Birds fans everywhere.

This time around, it is Angry Birds Seasons that is getting some love in the form of a Valentines Day themed update.  Though it is significantly smaller than the Christmas update that brought an additional twenty-five stages, on top of the initial Halloween offering of forty-five levels, these additional eighteen challenges are sure to continue to whet your whistle for more disgruntled fowl fun.

As always, these updates come to you at no charge, as long as you have purchased the base Angry Birds Seasons application.  Now this raises the next obvious question: what will be the next holiday that we get to explore through the eyes of these swine hating birdbrains?  I certainly don’t think we will be seeing a President’s Day update and Ash Wednesday may be a bit too morbid, not to mention non-secular.  If I were a betting man, I would be putting my money on a St. Patrick’s Day themed pack.  That said, drowning the pigs in steins of beer might be a tad culturally insensitive.

What do you think will be the next holiday celebrated in Angry Birds Seasons?  Now that I think aboutit , Mardi Gras seems just ripe for the picking – just remember you heard it here first. Let us know what you think in the comments.

$0.99

Angry Birds Seasons

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2010-10-21 :: Category: Games

We’ve got a new champion, Street Fighter IV!

By way of a price drop to $0.99, Capcom has taken over the much coveted number one overall app spot. Last I heard, this could mean $60,000 in sales per day or more. Angry Birds has fallen to number 2 currently. The first time in a while it’s been out of the top spot.

How long can Street Fighter IV hold on to the number one spot? What do you think, will Angry Birds attack and get it back? Will Tetris slide its way past both to number 1? We’ll keep an eye on it.

$4.99

STREET FIGHTER IV

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2010-03-10 :: Category: Games

With an Angry Birds sequel already announced, it seemed odd this week when another unexplained Angry Birds update hit the App Store.  There didn’t seem to be any specific rhyme or reason for this to happen, unless of course if you believed what TheHollywoodReporter had to say.  In a supposed foreshadowing of Rovio’s partnership with the upcoming film Rio, they were actually planning an interesting cross promotion of sorts, the likes of which both industries had never seen.

Rio promo will air during the fourth quarter of the showdown between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers, which airs on the Fox Broadcasting Network.

During the spot, viewers will be invited to find the frame with the code, which in turns directs them to a special level of Angry Birds, which has entered into a first-of-its kind partnership with Fox. The level will take Angry Birds players to a Rio sweepstakes.

Lucky for us, the internet is never at a loss for people with too much free time, much like the good folks over at AngryBirdsNest.  They managed to comb through the HD version of 20th Century Fox’s trailer and found the one frame that contained the code “13-12.”  You can see a freeze frame of the image at left, if you are so inclined.  But unfortunately, that is only half of the battle…

Along with the information of where the newly hidden egg is ever so slyly incognito, you must go through a very odd process in order to unlock this football shaped forbidden fruit.  Once again the internet has come to our aid and provided us with just the information we need, in the form of a youtube clip, detailing the entire odd process.

It is neat to see cross promotions like this getting love from the mainstream media, as well as the viral advertising market.  Honestly, I would have had no idea about this promotion had our own Carter Dotson not mentioned it to me on twitter during the game.  Regardless, this shows the tremendous strides that iOS gaming has made in public acceptance.  It will be exciting to see what the future holds for the industry.

Now get out there and take a kick at finding that golden football… you should have all the information that you need to split the sticks.

$0.99

Angry Birds

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2009-12-11 :: Category: Games

Have you finally managed to conquer all of the holiday goodness that was Angry Birds: Seasons?  If you are anything like me, you have been eagerly awaiting the next proper entry in the series since completing the last festivus themed stage on Christmas morning.  While the game was a present in and of itself, I have been left with a month long void, where everyone’s favorite bombadeering birds have been absent from my iPhone.  It has been a dark time, indeed.

This is why I was thrilled to hear official confirmation from Angry Birds developer Rovio, by way of IntoMobile, that a proper sequel to the original phenomenon is not only in the works, but tentatively (not to mention vaguely) scheduled to crash land onto the iOS platform sometime in March.  In another first for the series, the game will be simultaneously launching on not only iOS, but also Android and Symbian.  It is hard not to have mixed feeling about this, given that the franchise was birthed on our gaming platform of choice, but if it helps funding expansions our favorite gaming addiction, who are we to really complain?

Now THOSE are some angry birds!

Though it is encouraging to hear that the game will be getting a newly christened graphical upgrade, forty-five new stages with the promise for more via update, and several new wrinkles to the game mechanics, it was surprising to learn that the developers have pared up with 20th Century Fox to help complement the launch of their upcoming animated film, Rio.  Entitled the very original, Angry Birds Rio, the game will focus on melding the two worlds together in a way that will hopefully pass along little bit of Rovio’s secret sauce onto the cinematic release.

“In Angry Birds Rio, the original Angry Birds are kidnapped and taken to the magical city of Rio, where they eventually escape their captors and set out to to save their friends, Blu and Jewel – two rare macaws and the stars of the upcoming Fox motion picture, Rio.  Angry Birds Rio will pair the physics-based gameplay of the original game with unique twists based on the highly-anticipated film.” — VIA Rovio Mobile BlogPost

I can’t help but feel like this is a slight betrayal of some of Angry Bird’s early “indie cred”, but that said, anyone else in Rovio’s position would be insane to not try to even partially cash in on the goodwill associated with the brand.  If nothing else, the immense amount of free content patched into the original game has earned them a free pass in my eyes and honestly, even if I was offended, it wouldn’t stop me from gobbling this up the moment it becomes available.

We will leave you with a sneak peak of what we can all be looking forward to in March.  Please attempt to keep your gleeful squealing to a minimum.

Thinking back as far as I can remember, I can’t even begin to recall a time where Angry Birds were not dominating the top position on all of the App Store’s Top 25 Lists.  Regardless of whether you prefer the free or full version, it is safe to assume that is has graced the home page of virtually every iOS device in existence.  For this simple reason, the application has had a choke-hold on the lists seemingly forever.  Well, at least that was the case until last Thursday.

On that fateful day in January, a seemingly unknown app by the name of Bubble Ball rocketed to the top of the Free App List, bouncing Angry Birds Seasons Free from atop its lofty post.  For any developer this would be a feat of momentous significance, but it is even more impressive when you further examine Bubble Ball’s developer, Nay Games.  While big name studios have the budget to throw scores of experienced developers at one specific project, Nay Games is comprised of a mother/son duo, of which the lead designer and programmer isn’t even old enough to apply for a driver’s license.

At only fourteen years old, upstart programmer Robert Nay has managed to prove that as long as you have an original idea, you can become an overnight success as a developer on the iOS platform.  So, how many downloads does it take to top the Free Apps list?  How about 1.5 million downloads since the game launched on December 29th, and a staggering 400,000 on that special Thursday where the App Store stood still.

And don’t worry about the team over at Nay Games not seeing any profit from this Bubble Ball adventure, because Dean Takahashi of VentureBeat.com is reporting that they already have plans in the works for patching in monetized microtransactions soon.

This has to be one of the best “feel good” stories of the new year, so why not give Bubble Ball a download for yourself and see what all the hype is about?  1.5 million downloads can’t be wrong!

FREE!

Bubble Ball

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2010-12-29 :: Category: Games

Image Credit: Venture Beat

Rovio is giving you quite the Christmas present this week, as an update to Angry Birds HD has just been released. Among the new content is Game Center support, the mighty eagle who has come to bring vengeance against those filthy swine and a golden egg. Perhaps the most important update, though, is the inclusion of 15 brand new levels.

We haven’t tried out the new stages for ourselves yet but if previous levels in the game are any indication then they’re filled with tricky shots that will make you want to pull out your hair right up until the moment you finally take out the last pig. For those who are tired of the frustration Rovio has finally made the mythical mighty eagle available, a bird which can clear an entire level in a single shot. There’s a catch though, as you must pay real money in order to buy a can of sardines to activate the eagle, and each activation counts as a separate transaction. The good news is that if you manage to return to a level you used the eagle on and clear it via the standard compliment of birds you get your sardines back and can use them again later without having to pay for another can.

Right now the update is only available for the iPad version of the game, but we have every reason to believe that the iPhone update should become available before the App Store closes down shop for the holiday break. Just make sure to keep an eye on the updates section of your iPad or iPhone over the next few days and be sure to grab this update as soon as you can. Personally I plan on not telling my wife about this update until after Christmas, because once she finds out there are more Angry Birds levels and a way to pass the stages she can’t clear I’ll probably never get my iPad back.

$2.99

Angry Birds HD

iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2010-04-01 :: Category: Games

[via TiPb]

As if it weren’t hard enough to walk away from the adorable Om Nom and his insatiable desire for candy, we’ve just learned that Cut the Rope will have its hooks into us a bit longer as Chillingo prepares for the release of Cut the Rope: Holiday Edition. Tis the season to fall in love with the game all over again.

The new title will be a standalone game available free of charge and should show up in the App Store any day now. The game features 25 new stages as well as a new “Christmas Sock” mechanic. Apparently the magical stocking will allow you to teleport candy from one place to another, putting a whole new wrinkle in the experience. All of this will be bundled with new music and achievements, not to mention a generous helping of holiday cheer.

It’s nice to see high-profile games getting in on the holiday spirit, and it seems that games published under the Chillingo banner are leading the way. First we got Angry Birds Halloween, which has now morphed into Angry Birds Seasons and is providing a new level every day throughout the holidays. The only difference was that while that update went for $0.99, the new Cut the Rope content is free, which is an even sweeter deal.

More than current Cut the Rope owners, this promotion seems aimed at the folks who will be getting an iOS device for the holidays and are looking for fun new apps to add. If Chillingo can hook them with a free tinsel-strewn version of an already addictive game, then the odds are very high that those same consumers will go pick up the full version of the standard game practically immediately. It’s a smart strategy indeed, and one from which all us current Cut the Rope owners will also stand to benefit.

[via Joystiq]

As the year winds down and we look ahead to the next decade it’s time for all those wonderful end-of-year lists we all get so excited about. Today we have some exciting news, as Apple has detailed all the top paid and free apps for the iPhone and iPad, as well as the top grossing apps on each platform. Here’s the full rundown, for your edification.

Top 10 Paid iPhone Apps

1. Angry Birds
2. Doodle Jump
3. Skee-Ball
4. Bejeweled 2 + Blitz
5. Fruit Ninja
6. Cut the Rope
7. ALL-IN-1 GAMEBOX
8. The Moron Test
9. Plants vs. Zombies
10. Pocket God

Top 10 Free iPhone Apps

1. Facebook
2. Angry Birds Lite
3. Words With Friends Free
4. Skype
5. Tap Tap Revenge 3
6. The Weather Channel®
7. Paper Toss
8. Bing
9. ROCK BAND FREE
10. Talking Tom Cat

Top 10 Grossing iPhone Apps

1. MLB.com At Bat 2010
2. Angry Birds
3. Call of Duty: Zombies
4. Bejeweled 2 + Blitz
5. FriendCaller 3 Pro
6. Zombie Farm
7. TomTom U.S.A.
8. TETRIS®
9. Plants vs. Zombies
10. Doodle Jump

REad even MORE lists after the jump.

Continue reading Apple Lists 2010 Top Apps »

We all knew there would eventually be an Angry Birds sequel, the only questions were how long would it take and what would it look like? While we don’t have any new information about the former we may have learned a bit about the latter, as Rovio CEO Peter Vesterbacka provided us a hint on the direction the franchise may be taking. Vesterbacka stated that “We are not going to do a [traditional] sequel. We want to surprise people. No one has told the story from the pigs point of view.” Interesting. Would an “Angry Pigs” game consist of the same physics-based puzzle system wherein players try to snatch the birds’ eggs from their nests, or might Rovio be considering a complete spin-off of the franchise with entirely new gameplay.

For those more interested in the traditional Angry Birds experience Vesterbacka has also confirmed that the team is working on a multiplayer version of the game. “Multiplayer Angry Birds will be like old school Worms games”, he said. “Multiplayer is a priority, but we have not determined the best way for our players to experience it yet.” In our mind an Angry Birds multiplayer would consist of a game where two players go back and forth trying to knock down an opponent’s fortress while protecting their own. In addition to attack birds maybe the game would include some defensive birds as well which could shield your castle from damage. Who knows what the final version will look like though, we’ll just have to have faith in Rovio’s vision and see what they can come up with.

At any rate, one of the biggest franchises on iOS is inevitably going to get even bigger and we’re quite excited. All this on top of the fact that Angry Birds will soon be invading consoles, leaving no one safe from their addictive, physics-based gameplay. Anybody else suddenly have birds on the brain?

[via Pocket-Lint]

It seems people just can’t get enough of flinging birds at pigs, especially if those birds happen to be dressed up in Halloween costumes. Rovio has stated that the Halloween edition of Angry Birds has sold a million copies in just six days, one of the fastest trips to a million we’ve ever seen. The physics puzzle game is clearly far from dead on the iPhone.

“We’re delighted to see such fantastic reception for Angry Birds Halloween,” said Rovio CEO Mikael Hed. “We intend to continue creating more and more quality products and updates, and keep exceeding the expectations of our fans worldwide.”

Of course the massive success of Rovio’s first post-Chillingo offering raises an interesting question, did EA buyout the wrong company? Though Chillingo published Angry Birds, all ownership rights remained with Rovio in light of the EA sale, and therefore the developer retained all rights for future expansions, sequels and spinoffs. Even though EA spent $20 million on Chillingo the deal didn’t include the very game that made the publisher famous. The same is true for the recently released Cut the Rope, which, as far as we know, remains the property of ZeptoLab. Could it be that EA spent top dollar for an iPhone developer and then missed the forest for the trees? It would seem unlikely, but then again the world of developing and selling apps is still in its infancy, and no one truly understands the relationship between studios yet. Chillingo is undoubtedly working on titles of its own to publish under the EA banner, but can they live up to the successes set by earlier games?

In spite of all the drama surrounding EA and Chillingo we do want to congratulate Rovio on selling so many copies of Angry Birds Halloween so quickly. Truly one of the great success stories of the Wild West of app development.

[via CVG]

$0.99

Angry Birds Seasons

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2010-10-21 :: Category: Games

Just when you thought you couldn’t get any more Angry Birds comes the announcement that the super-successful app will be receiving an update in the form of 45 all-new Halloween themed levels. The update is expected to arrive any moment now, and will cost $.99 for the standard version or $1.99 for the HD edition.

“With Angry Birds Halloween, we wanted to provide our fans with a special treat,” said Mikael Hed, CEO of Rovio. “In addition to this new experience, we will also keep providing continuous free updates for Angry Birds.”

It’s interesting to note that this update is coming from Rovio and not Chillingo, especially in light of today’s purchase of Chillingo by EA. Rovio owns the rights to Angry Birds, so content updates such as this one or even a full-fledged sequel will come from Rovio and not Chillingo/EA. Just something to keep in mind going forward as we await the inevitable Angry Birds Christmas/Festivus/Kwanzaa/Hanukkah pack.

While you wait for the update to release please enjoy the gallery of new screenshots, which manage to be both spooky and adorable at the same time. It’s a lot like when you dress your dog up for Halloween, but with a lot less animal cruelty.

[via Kotaku]

Angry Birds developer Chillingo may cease to be an indie darling in the near future, as EA has bought the company. Reports put an the deal at $20 million cash, but the future of all the studio’s properties are still up in the air.

Chillingo was already a hot commodity after Angry Birds, but the massive success of the recently released Cut the Rope has truly turned the UK developer into a den of rock stars. While companies like Activision, Gameloft and even Intel were vying for the studio, EA was able to close the deal.

“By acquiring Chillingo, EA Mobile is increasing its market leadership on the Apple Platform as well as reaffirming its position as the world’s leading wireless entertainment publisher,” EA’s Holly Rockwood said in a statement.

It sounds like EA wants to keep Chillingo in the mobile space, but we can’t help but wonder if the studio will be asked to dabble in consoles and handhelds as well. EA has dabbled with physics games by publishing Boom Blox on the Wii, but the series has stalled and perhaps the company is looking for a new franchise to bring to non-Apple audiences. There’s also the distinct possibility EA could request a totally new IP from Chillingo, one which could be backed with a big budget and marketed across all platforms.

Where things may get tricky is in regards to ownership rights of games published under the Chillingo banner. Rovio created Angry Birds, while ZeptoLab made Cut the Rope, and, at least according to Rovio, the development studios still own those properties. A Rovio spokesperson says his company “controls the Angry Birds brand and any future products,” so at least that franchise may remain apart from this deal.

At any rate, let us be among the first to congratulate Chillingo and wish them the best of luck under the new ownership. They’ve already proven what talented, dedicated people can do when they put their minds to it so they deserve all the success and wealth they’ve earned. Well done guys, keep up the good work.

[via Mashable]

If you’ve yet to play Angry Birds, I’m willing to bet you’ve at least glimpsed its icon floating on the App Store’s charts. For good reason, too; it’s an addictive game. The basic formula is a bunch of angry birds, a slingshot, and the egg-stealing pigs and their castles. The goal of this little physics game is to demolish each and every one of the aforementioned castles—but does Angry Birds actually follow the rules of physics?

Apparently one of Wired’s writers, Rhet Allain, just couldn’t stop thinking about the posibilities:

But what about the physics? Do the birds have a constant vertical acceleration? Do they have constant horizontal velocity? Let’s find out, shall we? Oh, why would I do this? Why can’t I just play the dumb game and move on. That is not how I roll. I will analyze this, and you can’t stop me.

Long story short: he took one of the developer’s walkthrough videos and decided to analyze it using a program called Tracker Video Analysis. He used the program to determine path of the bird’s flight, and then used that data to graph the bird’s horizontal and vertical movement separately. (In projectile motion, you typically separate horizontal and vertical components.)

His discovery? Angry Birds considers only the force of gravity on the bird—once you fire the bird from the slingshot; the app doesn’t calculate air resistance or anything like that. And assuming that gravity in Angry Birds is equal to Earth’s gravity, the slingshot is five feet tall and the red bird is a little over two feet. Jeez…talk about a large bird!

The physics that Mr. Allain used actually felt quite familiar—since I essentially had to do the same thing in a physics lab last week. Bounce a golf ball, take a video, then measure its path with a computer and use projectile motion equations — he only difference was that we were trying to determine gravity, whereas he assumed gravity was -9.8 meters per second and instead tried to determine the size of different Angry Birds elements. Of course, the other difference between Angry Birds and my physics lab was that, you know, Angry Birds is artificial, and thus the equations that Wired derived worked a lot better than our sad attempts.

So, if you were desperately wondering—the Angry Birds slingshot is more than twice your height and the birds themselves are giant and vicious. Now I’d like to see him calculate the height of those pig castles.

[Via Wired]

$0.99

Angry Birds

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2009-12-11 :: Category: Games

The next time you hear of a cool app and jump straight on to the App Store to get it, make sure you know exactly what you’re looking for and check where it’s coming from.

That’s the advice of Marco Arment, developer of Instapaper for iPhone and iPad.

Writing on his personal blog, Marco notes the staggering number of applications playing on the name of successful apps or using similar keywords in order to con unwitting App Store customers into buying them.

Popular bird-launching game, Angry Birds, is one such successful application plagued by a host of pretenders that are found when searching the App Store for its title. Of the top ten search results, only four apps appear legitimate with the actual Angry Birds game and its Lite version making up two of these. Six of the top ten search results are made up of cheat apps and walkthroughs.

ESCAPP’s Angry Birds Cheats, for example, appears in the top five searches and uses a lookalike icon. At $0.99 (the same price as the full Angry Birds app) the application’s description reads “Wonderful and addictive cheats. Accept No Imitations”.

That should be no imitations other than the imitation of affiliation with an actual application and/or developer.

We’ve not downloaded Angry Birds Cheats, but with 432 one star reviews out of 487 and reviews entitled “Absolute Rubbish!!” and “Waste of time money and effort” we’re willing to gamble our reputation on this being a pretty poor app. Add to this that the developer, ESCAPP, doesn’t have a working website but a GoDaddy holding page instead, and the fraud is complete.

InTekOne, LLC is another app publisher working in a similar way but this time using a modified version of the Angry Birds icon for its Angry Birds Walkthrough app. Once again, its site does not appear when clicked in iTunes and it’s left up to the poor developer, who was presumably commissioned to create the app, to shoulder the blame.

Chillingo, the publisher of Angry Birds, is equally unhappy with these apps: “We are going to send a formal copyright infringement request to Apple about these apps soon,” said Joe Wee, Director of Chillingo.

Chillingo prefers to reward loyal gamers with hints and tips at no cost by providing walkthrough trailers on its Developers’ YouTube channels. That way, they get free, valid information directly from the source. Angry Birds’ developer Rovio provides official suggestions for Angry Birds here

So what can you do to avoid inadvertently downloading fake apps or “squatters” who use successful apps as a marketing tool? Unfortunately, not a lot. Of course, you’re free to contact Apple and let them know your thoughts and Marco Arment also lists ways developers can protect their intellectual property from such apps on his site here.

For the average consumer, however, it appears that vigilance is your only weapon. Find out the name of the developer, check their website and, most importantly, read the app’s reviews for consumer feedback before buying.

Neither ESCAPP nor InTekOne, LLC have responded to our contact regarding their applications at time of writing.

[ via Marco.org ]

Three games from relatively recent reviews have all received robust updates of late. Forgive me if these aren’t exactly “new,” but if you passed on these games in the past due to concerns about content, take note: now’s the time to try them again.

Angry Birds
Clickgamer’s Angry Birds won my heart with its quirky style and cheerful, bizarre art. One feature that was notably absent from the birds-in-a-slingshot game, however, was online high scores. The 1.2 update remedied that with Crystal integration, which brings leaderboards and achievements. It also included 42 new levels for an already-great game.

$0.99

Angry Birds

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2009-12-11 :: Category: Games