IT was announced on Twitter that the original Angry Birds will be delisted from the Google Play Store.
The game was originally released in 2009, and was an immediate hit with mobile gaming fans.
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Angry Birds is a physics-based puzzle game that has since launched an empire of games, films and merchandise.
Developer Rovio remastered the original game and released it onto the mobile store fronts as Rovio Classics: Angry Birds.
However, after today (Thursday, February 23, 2023) the game will no longer be available for purchase from the Google Play Store.
It is still available via the App Store, but under the new name Red’s First Flight.
Angry Birds is being removed from the store “due to the game’s impact on our wider games portfolio”, Rovio says.
The company does not explain the reason for removal beyond this vague statement.
However, there is a theory as to why the company would want to remove such a popular game.
Rovio Classics: Angry Birds is available for a one-time cost of £1 ($1).
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Most of the other mobile games Rovio sells are based on the original Angry Birds, and contain in-app purchases.
Games featuring microtransactions usually have far larger profit margins than those that rely on one-time sales.
This is because players continue to spend money on the game which they play for large amounts of time.
By having a low-cost version of Angry Birds available, it is likely to cause players to spend less on microtransactions in Rovio’s other games.
If you have previously purchased Rovio Classics: Angry Birds, you’ll be able to continue to enjoy the game.
In a statement, the company wrote: “We have reviewed the business case of Rovio Classics: Angry Birds, and due to the game’s impact on our wider games portfolio, we have decided that Rovio Classics: Angry Birds will be unlisted from the Google Play Store on Thursday, February 23.
“Additionally, the game will be renamed to Red’s First Flight in the App Store pending further review.
“Rovio Classics: Angry Bird will remain playable on devices on which the game has been downloaded, even after it has been unlisted”.
Written by Georgina Young on behalf of GLHF.
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