Angry Birds is featured in the April 2011 issue of Wired magazine (UK). This is a great article that contains some fascinating insights about Angry Birds, Rovio, Angry Birds Rio, and the future of the franchise. Below are some excerpts from the article, but if you’re a fan I highly recommend you check out the full article.
First, some stats, which are mind-blowing:
- Every day, users spend 200 million minutes — 16 years every hour — playing the Angry Birds.
- Three trillion pigs have been popped.
- It is or has been the number-one paid app on iTunes in 68 countries
- Angry Birds is the best-selling paid app of all time
- It went straight to the top of the new Mac App Store in January, selling 150,000 copies in its first week.
- 20 million paid downloads for the iPhone and iPod Touch
- 20 million ad-supported downloads on Android
- Sixty thousand Angry Birds soft toys have been sold.
- In total, the “brand” has taken more than $69,000,000
- Angry Birds cost about $100,000 to make
- Angry Birds was Rovio’s 52nd title.
Could this be our first glimpse at a new bird?
They incorporated levels designed by fans and discussed their ideas for new birds (among the suggestions: a phoenix bird that ignites the structure).
The Bad Piggy Bank is coming to Facebook, in addition to Android
“You can expect to see Bad Piggy Bank online as part of Facebook,” says Vesterbacka. “It’s bigger than just Android.”
Angry Birds Rio has no pigs!
Wired played three of the levels in progress and found it to be business as usual. But the pigs are gone (replaced by hanging monkeys), the physics have been tweaked and new objects added, such as bouncy palm trees and working motors. Instead of popping pigs, you free captured rare birds from cages by bombarding them with your own flock — more or less the plot of the film.
So what’s next?
First up is Facebook.
After that?
Rovio plans to create new games featuring Angry Birds characters (Vesterbacka says driving and sports games are a definite possibility), the first coming out before Christmas this year. At the same time, the original Angry Birds will hit the Wii, Xbox 360 and PS3. There are plans for a TV series, says Mikael, and a movie — although nothing has been signed.
Thanks to @ladycrumb in the forum for pointing out this article to us.
“David Cameron and Justin Bieber say they are fans. So do Paul Gascoigne and Salman Rushdie.”
0.o WTF ?
HAHA. Salman Rushdie. The man does have good taste!
I told my son they were replacing the pigs with monkeys (in Rio) and he said, “no monkeys mommy! PIGS!” I can see him getting very upset when he opens one the Rio levels and there are no pigs to pop. Am I reading this wrong?
Nope, That’s how I’m reading it as well. Could be interesting!
Be careful Rovio. Don’t milk the Angry Bird series too much. You don’t want to end up like Guitar Hero…
They are definitely going to milk the ever-loving CRAP out of this. a tv series and movie are pretty much unecessary
[quote]◦In total, the “brand” has taken more than $69,000,000
◦Angry Birds cost about $100,000 to make..[/quote]
As long as its free, I’m fine with it ;-)
My family and I would LOVE a cartoon and a movie! I am even thinking about making my easter egg hunt Angry Birds themed. I am going to buy a bunch of golden eggs and have the kids search for them. I just haven’t figured out how to bring the pigs into the fun… any ideas?
Maybe a Nice Pig from the Rovio Store and Get the biggest egg You got And Plop him in
That’s a bit dirty, don’t you think? But cool idea, this is.