Angry Bird Addicts Topple Half-Billion Download Mark

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Credit: Susanti Chandra
Credit: Susanti Chandra

Are you being taunted by the sneering pigs? Does the Bluebird of Happiness never seem to come your way? Then you -like I – are an Angry Bird addict and responsible for the infuriating entertainment becoming the world’s most popular game, topping half a billion downloads.

Just how deep is the addiction to flinging birds to destroy the homes of pigs, apes and other snide animals? Massive, says Rovio, the evil geniuses behind what has become an Angry Bird Empire. As of now, fans have played 200,000 years of Angry Birds at an average of 300 million minutes each day. Some 400 billion birds have been sacrificed in the name of obtaining more than 44 billion stars.

“This is a fantastic landmark achievement for us, and we’re extremely delighted to see such an incredible amount of people enjoying our games,” says Mikeal Hed, Rovio CEO. But it’s not so much enjoyment as addiction, Mike. I’ve flung through all the titles – Angry Birds, Angry Birds Seasons and Angry Birds Rio – to the point where my wife sends me out of the room when she hears the hypnotic background music.

And if you are reading this while wearing your Angry Birds t-shirt, you are just the tip of Rovio’s very lucrative merchandizing bonanza – everyone wants a piece of the Birds. Along with being on the iPad, iPhone and Mac, the games have made it to the PC and even Nokia. The company has sold more than 10 million Angry Birds toys – just in case you don’t have a plush red bird for you office.

You can’t even escape Angry Birds on television. The company’s new Helsinki-based animation studio is churning out cartoons. And if you had any time for reading, drop Steven King for a real killer: Angry Birds in print. All that’s left is an Angry Birds theme park. If one ever materializes, sign me up.

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