Angry Birds Begins

Mobile game Angry Birds debuted on the App Store on 11th December, 2009. The quirky and fun cartoonish characters and addictive gameplay found fans - but it took Apple featuring the app as their ‘Game of the Week’ in early 2010 for the Finnish creation to become a cultural juggernaut, catapulting mobile gaming into the mainstream. Angry Birds wasn’t just a game; it was a masterclass in universal appeal. Rovio cracked the code of "four-quadrant gaming," targeting men, women, kids, and adults alike. Its intuitive drag-and-release mechanics suited the touchscreen revolution, making it accessible to non-gamers, and, by 2011, Angry Birds had evolved into a full-blown multimedia empire, spawning toys, cartoons, and a movie. Though sceptics doubted its longevity, the 2016 "Angry Birds" movie grossed $352 million, proving the franchise's unexpected staying power. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain what a roast turkey had to do with the Angry Birds phenomenon; consider how the game ushered in a rush for downloadable updates and an ever-closer developer-player relationship; and come to blows as to whether future generations of kids will recognise the characters as they do Mickey Mouse now… Further Reading: • ‘Ten Years at the Top - An in-depth chronicle of Angry Birds' history’ (Pocket Gamer, 2019): https://www.pocketgamer.com/angry-birds/ten-years-at-the-top-an-in-depth-chronicle-of-angr/ • ‘In depth: How Rovio made Angry Birds a winner (and what's next)’ (Wired, 2011): https://www.wired.com/story/how-rovio-made-angry-birds-a-winner/ • ‘Angry Birds In-game Trailer’ (Rovio, 2009): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNNzRyd1xz0 Love the show? Support us!  Join  🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode each SUNDAY…  … Plus, get weekly bonus bits, and unlock over 100 bits of extra content.  Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show ❤️ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices