News
3 CommentsApple reveals top 50 apps of all time, counting down to 50 billion downloads
By Alexa Ray Corriea on May 03, 2013 05.03.13
Nearly 50 billion apps have been download from Apple's App Store, the company announced today. To commemorate the approaching milestone, Apple revealed the 25 most downloaded apps in both the paid and free categories. Topping the paid apps list is the original Angry Birds, followed by Halfbrick Studios' Fruit Ninja, Lima Sky's Doodle Jump, Cut the Rope and Angry Birds Seasons. Words With Friends sits at number eight, while Angry Birds Space is tenth and PopCap's Plants vs. Zombies is number 12. Angry Birds Star Wars also makes the list at number 18, and Minecraft Pocket Edition takes the twenty-third spot. Facebook sits at number one on the free apps list, followed directly by Pandora Radio, Instagram, YouTube, Skype and Words With Friends Free. Twitter's application is eighth with T...
News
0 CommentsAngry Birds creator reveals revenue growth of 101 percent during 2012
By Emily Gera on Apr 04, 2013 04.04.13
Angry Birds creator Rovio Entertainment announced today its 2012 financial results, revealing revenue growth of 101 percent during the full year. Sales of games and consumer products resulted in €152.2 million (or nearly $195 million), roughly double compared to revenue of €75.6 million earned in 2011. Earnings prior to interest and taxes were up 64 percent from 2011, amounting in €76.8 million, with net profit after tax hitting €55.5 million — a growth from 2011's €35.4 million. This follows the launch of a number of successful games for the company. In 2012, Rovio released Angry Birds Space, Amazing Alex, Bad Piggies and Angry Birds Star Wars. The result was more than 1 billion downloads in May 2012, with roughly 263 million active monthly users across all platforms....
News
1 CommentAngry Birds games downloaded 8 million times on Christmas, says Rovio
By Samit Sarkar on Jan 03, 2013 01.03.13
Rovio's Angry Birds games racked up more than 8 million downloads on Christmas Day, according to an infographic released by the Finnish studio today. According to data from mobile app analytics company Flurry, Dec. 25 saw approximately 17.4 million new Android and iOS phones and tablets, and Rovio said its download numbers meant an Angry Birds game was downloaded on every other new device. Angry Birds' momentum continued throughout the week including Christmas — according to Rovio, the series' games were downloaded 30 million times from Dec. 22 to Dec. 29. Rovio did not provide a specific game-by-game breakdown. The newest addition to the Angry Birds family is Angry Birds Star Wars, which launched in November on a wide variety of devices; it has maintained its position at the top of...
News
5 CommentsApp Store names its 'Best of 2012' games for iPhone and iPad
By Michael McWhertor on Dec 13, 2012 12.13.12
Apple has selected what it calls the year's best releases for iOS, naming platformer Rayman Jungle Run and puzzle game The Room the best iPhone and iPad games of 2012, respectively. Multiplayer word game Letterpress for iPhone and space adventure Waking Mars for iPad were named as game of the year runners-up, with the editors at the App Store highlighting other key 2012 releases in various categories. The App Store also gives a shout out to some iOS "Hidden Games" from 2012, including Nihilumbra, The Sandbox, Triple Town, Sir Benfro's Brilliant Balloon Games, Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective and Wizorb for iPhone and Eufloria HD, Gasketball and Incoboto for iPad. The Best of 2012 list names iOS titles like The Walking Dead, The World Ends With You: Solo Remix and Bastion as "Showpiece...
Editorial
3 CommentsPiggy-backing: How Star Wars and other films are being adapted into successful games
By Chris Plante on Nov 08, 2012 11.08.12
This week, Finnish mobile game developer Rovio released Angry Birds Star Wars. The collaboration with film studio LucasArts has already skyrocketed to the top the iTunes App Store, like every Angry Birds app, collecting cash and publicity for both properties. What makes a cross-branded game like this unusual is that Angry Birds Star Wars is more focused on being a good game than a one-to-one adaptation. In the past, film studios wanting a video game adaptation, would partner with a developer to release a game, which would usually be required to meet a tight deadlines, and to recreate what audiences loved about the source material. Angry Birds Star Wars is like a hallucination. With Angry Birds Star Wars, Rovio foremost delivers what fans consider an Angry Birds-experience, using...
Review
30 CommentsAngry Birds Star Wars review: Great shot, kid
By Chris Plante on Nov 08, 2012 11.08.12
Environments are a surreal amalgamation of the two universes, bordering on ironic pop art. The wood, glass and steel building blocks of the previous games are constructed to resemble Tatooine Landspeeders and moisture farms. The vines of Dagobah become suspension bridges, and the towers of the Death Star become barricades, protecting Stormtrooper pigs. The end result is more Spaceballs than Star Wars, a mish-mash of trippy visuals and in-jokes. Bonus levels ... let the player play as R2D2 and C-3PO-birds. Speaking of in-jokes, the compulsory inclusion of fan-service calls to mind Disney's recently released Wreck-It Ralph, the computer-animated film about a rogue arcade villain, which was clearly made by people who love video games. This app is the inverse, a game clearly made...
News
23 CommentsGameStop Kids pop-up stores coming this holiday season
By Samit Sarkar on Oct 26, 2012 10.26.12
GameStop Kids pop-up stores will be installed around the country for holiday shopping guidance, GameStop announced today. The stores are designed to help parents pick video games and toys for their children, by collecting some of the most popular kid-friendly brands in one place. GameStop Kids locations will feature merchandise for properties such as Star Wars and Lego, and games like Skylanders, Angry Birds and Minecraft. Items include a Minecraft Creeper head ($19.99) and a 5-inch Angry Birds Star Wars plush ($14.99). The first GameStop Kids store opens today at the Grapevine Mills Mall in Grapevine, Texas, the home of GameStop's headquarters, and the company will open approximately 80 locations in total across 28 states. Look here to see if one will be available near you. If not,...
