The game with no storyline and no goals was all about aiming and shooting (with a slingshot) and proceeding to the next level. Developed by Finnish video game developer Rovio Entertainment in 2009 Angry Birds was one of the early games designed when touchscreen gadgets were introduced.
Announcing the news in a statement on Twitter, Rovio Entertainment said that due to the game’s impact on their wider games portfolio, they have decided that Rovio Classics: Angry Birds will be unlisted from the Google Play Store on February 23. “Additionally, the game will be renamed to Red’s First Flight in the App Store pending further review. Rovio Classics: Angry Birds will remain playable on devices on which the game has been downloaded, even after it has been unlisted,” added the statement.
M Vanajakshi, a lawyer, says Angry Birds was the first video game she got addicted to. According to her, it was fascinating to see so much action and colour on an Android phone. “At the court, when we waited for our matter to go up, this kept me occupied. A crossword or sudoku is not simple or easy to play anywhere but Angry Birds was. It was all about aim and shoot like the point-and-shoot cameras we had back then.”
But this is not the first time Rovio has announced such news.
In June 2021 when Rovio took the games out of circulation without any notice, it created quite a buzz amongst followers. Rovio Entertainment in ‘A letter to our fans’ mentioned that the games were taken off to update the technology. In the letter, they pointed out: “Many of these games were built using an older technology which didn’t allow us to keep them up to our standards. We can’t just leave them there and not update them, as games need to comply with all sorts of platform requirements. Ten years in game years is like 100 in human years – that’s how quickly the industry advances.”
Another fan of Angry Birds, Madhumita Baruah, a teacher says, “I loved the visuals. Took me back to Duck Tales and Daffy the Duck (cartoon shows on television from the Doordarshan days).”
Sixty-nine-year-old Dr A Kumar Prasad, cosmetic surgeon based in Coimbatore, has been playing the game since it was launched. He says it helped him clear his mind before and after surgery. He adds, “Incidentally it was my colleague and friend from the psychiatry department who suggested I play Angry Birds to calm the brain. It is the simplest game to keep you on your toes… , rather, fingertips.”
Until last year, he played the game with his granddaughter who would mostly suggest the change of hats and dresses of the birds. “With the points I accumulated over the years, we could do it and have a good time. I changed my phone last year and didn’t download the game. I have good memories about Angry Birds.”
