On Twitter, users were upset about Rovio’s new decision.
Angry Birds, created in 2009, has been a huge success in Finland. MEIRI UTTI/KL
On Thursday, Rovio will remove the Classics: Angry Birds mobile game from the Google Play Store. Those who have already downloaded the game will continue to play it, but new users cannot download it anymore. The company informs about it in a press release.
According to the company, the reason is the game’s effects on the company’s game selection. For those who have already downloaded the game, it will remain playable in the future.
Was too popular
In practice, the purpose is probably to direct players instead of the original Angry Birds to newer versions, which are more profitable for it. The original game costs 1.19 euros and it is a one-time payment. The game also has no ads or micropayments.
Rovio has not explained why the game is kept in the App Store under the new name Red’s First Flight, because it will be completely removed from the Play Store.
The game to be deleted is a spring 2022 re-released version of the original Angry Birds. The original version was published in 2009.
– We understand that this is sad news for many fans, as well as for the team that has worked hard to make Rovio Classics: Angry Birds a reality, Rovio says on social media.
Rovio encourages new players to try other Angry Birds games. These include Angry Birds 2, Angry Birds Friends and Angry Birds Journey. Everything is free to download, but the games contain micropayments.
If you don’t see the post, view it from here.
“Big disappointment”
On Twitter, users did not welcome the news of the change. Some have commented that the company clearly wants more profit and does not think about the interests of the users.
– A big disappointment. I understand that Rovio needs to make profits to survive. I could pay like $20 for the original version of Angry Birds that lets me play without ads and other interruptions. Maybe this could be a compromise? Charge more for the old version, one user says.
– You are probably the first company to terminate someone because it is too successful. I could say that you once made history, but you probably also erased it, another user complains.
In 2021, Rovio made an operating profit of no less than 43.7 million euros. MEIRI UTTI/KL
Rovio’s turnover in 2021 was EUR 286.2 million and profit was EUR 43.7 million. Rovio said at the beginning of February that it would start discussions about purchase offers for the company’s shares.
For example, the Israeli Playtika presented a purchase offer of almost 700 million in January.