Gaming - News
RIP Angry Birds
By CODY D. CAMPBELL
The original “Angry Birds” was first released over 13 years ago, and there have been several sequels and spinoffs since, including two movies and merchandise featuring the heavily eyebrowed avian critters. However, Rovio announced that it will be removing “Rovio Classics: Angry Birds” from the Google Play store on February 23, 2023, while it will be renaming it “Red's First Flight” in the App Store.
Rovio tweeted that it’s taking “Angry Birds” down “due to the game's negative impact on [Rovio's] wider gaming portfolio.” While this vague explanation doesn't address how it has negatively impacted the studio's other games, some have speculated that negative reviews of the game are harming Rovio's image, despite its score of 4.7/5 in the Google Play store.
The prevailing theory for Rovio’s decision is that the “Angry Birds” remake may be so popular that it's drawing prospective players away from Rovio's newer games that contain significantly more microtransactions. This has led many fans to conclude that Rovio's decision to remove the game is anti-consumer and will drive away many of the people who once loved the franchise.
