The 
Angry Birds are back – and this time, they’re in orbit.
Tag Archives: angry birds
‘Angry Birds Space’ tops 50 million downloads
In 
space, no one can hear you scream…unless you’ve got feathers.
Angry Birds Space continues to shatter records for the popular iPhone series. The latest adventures of the peeved parakeets has been downloaded 50 million times in just 35 days, making it the fastest-selling game in the series — and one of the the fastest-selling mobile games of all time.
Angry Birds Space tops 10 million downloads in three days
The 
Angry Birds have a pretty good reason to be happy this week.
Rovio’s juggernaut game franchise is showing absolutely no signs of waning popularity, with the developer tweeting that the most recent release, Angry Birds Space, has racked up 10 million downloads in less than three days.
Critics: ‘Angry Birds Space’ is a blast
Today’s 
launch of Angry Birds Space isn’t just the rollout of the fourth game in the wildly popular pig-smashing series. It’s a multimedia event.
NASA is celebrating alongside Angry Birds creator Rovio. Wal-Mart is selling a bazillion bits of Angry Birds merchandise. MTV is using the game to help fight online bullying. And in Seattle, they’re turning the Space Needle into a 300-foot tall slingshot. Seriously.
But all that sizzle means nothing without the steak. Is Angry Birds Space worth buying? Or is it just more of the same from a franchise that has, at this point, been emulated (or downright copied) by dozens of other app makers?
Angry Birds hit the playground
A word of 
warning to pig farmers in Finland: Keep away from playgrounds.
After invading the worlds of apparel, stuffed animals and board games, Angry Birds are now adding playground equipment to their repertoire. Two Finnish towns — Rovaniemi and Espoo — will get the first products next year, with worldwide distribution planned at a later date.
Zynga, Rovio And The IPO Issue
You don’t have 
to be a wizard of Wall Street to know the market sucks these days. While the Dow Jones Industrial average is slightly higher than it was at the start of the year, persistent fears of a double-dip recession – or worse – are preventing both individual and institutional investors from jumping into the market with any gusto.
That’s starting to affect the valuations of companies with looming public offerings, including a high profile one in the gaming world. And it should be a lesson to other game companies thinking about an IPO.
App Review: Monster Island
Borrowing heavily from 
Angry Birds and Fragger, Monster Island adds an extra layer of cartoon absurdity as characters try to blow up other monsters. There’s no story to the game, per se, but it’s very well animated. And despite taking some trial and error to master, it’s not overly complicated and very welcoming. The problem with the game is it’s derivative and doesn’t really advance the genre. And the coins you work so hard to collect don’t have a lot of use, except for buying unlocks for levels or cheats — something you likely don’t need if you’re able to amass coins. (You can also unlock other monsters to play as, but that’s nothing that affects gameplay.)
It’s a fun diversion and will keep you busy for quite a while, but won’t prove to be an all-time great.
Opinion: Rovio $1.2B Valuation Push Ruffles Some Feathers
[Is Rovio’s Angry Birds 
really more valuable than Grand Theft Auto? Gamasutra editor-at-large Chris Morris argues that Rovio’s recent push for a $1.2 billion valuation is “somewhat ridiculous.”]
The absurdities of today’s venture capital market – and of investors hoping to ride those coattails to wealth – are multiplying at a staggering rate.
And the reported recent push by Angry Birds developer Rovio to seek funds that would value the company at $1.2 billion could indicate the bubble that has been building for some time in the tech space is reaching a dangerous size.
Google+ launches games section, takes on Facebook
The social war between 
Facebook and Google just got a lot more fun.
Google+, the search giant’s fast-rising social network, has added games to its offerings, encroaching on the most profitable and popular part of Facebook’s empire. And it’s boasting some big titles, too.
App Review: Hungry Chicks
If you’ve grown wary of any 
game that hints at “birds” in the title, you’re hardly to blame, but Hungry Chicks isn’t a knock-off of Angry Birds. It’s actually a fun, though ultimately forgettable, bite-sized gaming diversion. The game, tailored for the iPhone and iPod Touch, is more complex and challenging than it seems at first glance, adding a second bird to the mix after a few levels, which forces players to collect the right number of worms for their specific nests. The controls are a bit odd and take some getting used to, but work well enough. And avoiding the obstacles can be a fun brain-teaser. It’s not a game you’ll find yourself raving about, but it’s one you may find yourself playing to pass the time — and since it’s cheap, it’s a safe investment.
Chris Morris: Journalist 