It’s almost the end for the first angry Birds, or almost. Relaunched in early 2022 in a classic version devoid of microtransactions, the first opus will leave the Google Play Store very soon.
This paid version of the game would have had too great an impact on the other titles in Rovio’s catalog.
Rovio Classics: Angry Birds catapulted out of the Play Store
Difficult for anyone looking for a little game to keep busy on their smartphone to have missed out onangry Birds. Launched in 2009 by Rovio, the game consists of sending birds of various kinds and with different powers to destroy the fortresses held by infamous pigs. The principle is simple, touch-based, and well thought out enough to avoid frustration while encouraging players to spend a little money.
Dozens of spin-off games were released in the following years. In 2019, Rovio pulled the first game from the App and Play Store before bringing it back in 2022 as Rovio Classics: Angry Birds. Sold for 1.19 euros, the title has obviously had an impact on other Rovio games, leading to the very recent decision to remove it from the Google store on February 23.
” We did a profitability analysis of Rovio Classics: Angry Birds, and due to its impact on our portfolio, we decided that [le jeu] will be removed from the Google Play Store on Thursday, February 23. Additionally, it will be renamed Red’s First Flight on the App Store pending further review. […] We understand this is sad news for the fans and the team that worked hard to make Rovio Classics: Angry Birds a reality. […] “, can we read in the press release.
It is still possible to purchase and download the game until this date, then continue to play it if it has not been uninstalled. The other titles angry Birds remain available and do not seem threatened in the short term.
A transmedia franchise
The success ofangry Birds over the years has been such that the games have been accompanied by a series, a film, theme parks, toys, or even books and comics. In 2012, Rovio announced that the franchise had been downloaded more than 500 million times, which did not prevent the company from seeing its turnover collapse at the end of 2014. A third of the workforce had been laid off a few months later.
After this restructuring, Rovio was floated on the Finnish Stock Exchange to finance its projects and continues to operate today. Despite the difficulties, the brand angry Birds remains attractive. In January, we learned that Playtika, heavyweight in poker and casino simulations on smartphones, made an offer for the license of 9.05 dollars per share. This is a second offer, since a first proposal, at $8.50 per share, was rejected in November 2022.
Source : GSMArena
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