PC/Mac versions may be on the way out.

Perhaps there’s a workaround. It looks like Genymotion can run Android versions of AB games on a PC or Mac for free and, unlike Bluestacks, with a working webcam for scanning in Telepods. I haven’t tested this myself (I don’t have a webcam or Telepods) but if anyone feels like tinkering for an hour or two…

• Install Genymotion on a Mac/ PC: http://www.genymotion.com/
• Connect to the Google Play Store. Click here for instructions.
• Install AB games (If you can connect to the Play store to install stuff, you can probably also connect to the Play Store to purchase power-ups, gems and whatever else Rovio is selling.)
• Test if the Angry Birds games run well. Can you steer in AB Go!, can you load Telepods, etc.

If all of this works, it should also be possible to copy/ paste any progress from your mobile device into the Genymotion environment.

@kelani, I have discussed the issue of PC versions for future titles with Rovio before and my findings were pretty much as you concluded.

There’s a huge problem with piracy on the PC platform, as well as easy availability of cheats and hacks that make it a poor platform. Lack of in-app revenue aside, the presence of communities who indiscriminately destroy any chance of fair play (case in point – Bad Piggies Road Hogs) have caused the Developers to look kindly towards the more controlled gameplay experiences featured in the newly released titles.

The issue of multiplayer and desire for fair play, of course, plays a big part in games like GO.

As much as I would love to have GO on the PC as a cartoon Need for Speed parody, I don’t think this is much of an issue to me, as an avid PC gamer and (old time) mod developer as there are a great multitude of other immersive, physics-heavy games available for the PC. And it would be difficult for Rovio to shift development priority from casual, fun games to the kind of seriously epic big-budget PC games we take for granted these days.

Also, high performance tablets (or even older iPads and Gtabs on the resale market) are easily available these days for a much smaller investment than a few years ago, and arguably, for the casual gamer, high end mobile apps like the latest 3D Rovio titles are more enjoyable than dealing with established PC gaming trends and issues (such as being put down as a “noob” immediately after joining a game, forum or community).

We are civilized animals, and warmly welcome “noobs” on Piggy Island in the interest of mutual goodwill and peace amongst various animal species, except pigs :)

I did put in some heavy feedback regarding the PC being a really nice platform for content development in Bad Piggies like non competitive sandbox games, and I can do a lot of stuff using a PC that I would loathe to contend with using greasy fingers on a small screen. So I hope we’ll have a small niche market for “serious” PC games that can sell themselves in the long run without need for in-app revenue.

But in the meantime I’ll just launch random junk into orbit in Kerbal Space Program whist playing Angry Birds Stella on a tablet waiting for the next staging event. Best of both worlds! :)

@kelani, with ref. to my extensive discussions regarding pork and bacon matters over the last two years – there are issues with game design and coding that interfere with fixing the issues the communities have pointed out.

And also on the PC debate – it seems each release platform has its own fair share of challenges that need to be surmounted before each update / game is ready for mass proliferation, so there is some logic there in shortening the supply lines to better support the quality mobile gaming market.

All in all I don’t think it hurts anyone – hi end tablets are becoming easier to find and much more affordable than just a couple years ago, and Android 4.4 even has video recording capability (requiring Android SDK usage, but nevertheless functional) for the benefit of content producers.

I just have one bit of curiosity though – There are a number of very good tablets out there in the market now running Windows 8.1. There’s the MS Surface Pro series which is great, plus a number of tablets that come with Win 8.1 installed instead of Android. The lack of a PC port of the latest Rovio titles, IMO, is a sad thing as these Win 8.1 “tablets” are, for a lack of a better term… awesome. Who doesn’t like being able to install PC apps on a tablet? Pity there’s no GO and Transformers to go along.

Knowing how corporate marketing think tanks work, I wouldn’t be surprised if Rovio has some trick up their sleeve to make sure they don’t lose out.

It’s easy for us to criticize but we don’t have access to the latest publisher/developer priorities. Once they’re able to sort out their goals and get over the usual lead time to implementing new directives, the developers of Angry Birds can move fast and deliver many pleasant surprises indeed. (As evident in the surprise launch of Bad Piggies 2 years ago, and the current blitz with Stella & Transformers).

What we can’t rely on is consistency though – To date there is still no idea if there is a Pig Game sequel (squeal!?) or not so hence some discussion to repurpose Pigineering to broaden its scope and make up our own pig content, as I’m doing with the Stella reviews.

Thanks for the update, Mixx. That is so sad! Would love to send them an email just to express my displeasure, not that they care, but maybe just to get it off my chest. Guess it also wouldn’t do any good to get a petition going to them to change their minds.

In the meantime, any idea of other PC games?

Barbbjb

@kelani Ok, I’ll bite, what is/are Bluestacks?

@kelani—Thanks, darn I was hoping that was a new fabulous game. Oh well.

Bluestacks being an emulator will require a decently specced PC to run the more demanding games. I can run Bad Piggies on an old-ish laptop, but not even confident at running Angry Birds GO. Also it takes some time for new games to be made available for Bluestacks.

Thanks @kelani and @amslimfordy for following up on this. It does keep a very slim hope alive.