The original Angry Birds is set for a major overhaul, with the original mobile game mega-hit set to be culled from the Google Play Store and renamed on the iOS App Store.
Series developer Rovio has taken to Twitter to make the following announcement about the game that put it on the map:
Essentially, the original game will be unlisted from the Google Play Store from Thursday, February 23 (that’s tomorrow), meaning that Android gamers will no longer be able to purchase it.
You iPhone and iPad owners are the lucky ones, because you’ll still be able to purchase the original game – albeit under the new name of Red’s First Flight, and under the proviso that it’s “pending review”.
The game will remain playable on all devices that have downloaded it previously.
The reason behind this radical overhaul is that the original Angry Birds is apparently adversely impacting Rovio’s “wider games portfolio”. Why this is the case isn’t clarified, but we have to assume that it has something to do with the game’s old school up-front payment.
Angry Birds can be yours for just £0.89 on Android and £0.99 on iOS. That runs counter to the free-to-download, IAP-filled structure of the later additions to the series.
Many an average casual player looking to play Angry Birds will simply (and understandably) download the game called Angry Birds, bypassing the more monetisable sequels. Rovio encourages its customers to continue playing these “live” versions of the game.
As to why Rovio isn’t simply renaming the Android version in line with its iOS plans, we couldn’t say. Historically, however, iOS users are far more willing to splash out an up front fee on games and apps than their Android counterparts. There’s evidently still money to be made here using the old approach.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.