Angry Birds Celebrates 10th Anniversary Today!
3 min read
Ten years ago today, the first Angry Birds game was released on the App Store, introducing the world to the flock that would be ever-present on app stores and grow to an entertainment brand spawning two animated films and billions of licensed products sold.
Angry Birds emerged from the mobile game industry as an early example of the medium’s mass adoption, its instantly fun gameplay becoming a model for the kinds of experiences players would take to on the emerging mobile platform. Now, ten years and 4.5 billion downloads later, the Birds are showing no signs of slowing down!
Some quick facts:
- Iconic mobile game and entertainment brand Angry Birds turns 10 today!
- Over 4.5 billion downloads of Angry Birds mobile games to date and counting…
- First mobile game (the original Angry Birds) to reach 1 billion downloads.
- Most remote location on Earth where Angry Birds games have been downloaded: Antarctica, with a whopping NINE downloads to date.
- First mobile game to be played in space.
- Over 1.8 billion Angry Birds consumer products sold.
Through the years, the Birds have kept their impassioned resolve, developing a reputation for using their trademark anger for good. Whether it’s championing causes like fighting climate change, protecting threatened species, helping disabled gamers play, or helping families cope with pediatric cancer, the Angry Birds have lent their anger to good causes whenever possible.
With that in mind, last month the “Bring the Anger” anniversary celebrations were unveiled as a fleet of anger-powered scooters (“Rage Riders“) were deployed to content creators around the world, allowing influencers to share the message of transforming anger into something useful. Following this was an event in New York’s Times Square featuring a vending machine that only accepts anger as payment: The Venting Machine. With the help of WWE superstar The Big Show, passersby were able to deposit their rage into the machine and earn fun prizes in the process.
To take the celebration to the Angry Birds games, an in-game event in Angry Birds 2 called on players to show their support by popping as many pigs as they could. The goal was to pop ten billion pigs, and at the conclusion of the event, a donation of $100k would be made to UNICEF’s Education in Emergencies fund, which supports education for children in conflict zones and other emergencies across the globe. We are happy to announce today that Angry Birds 2 players have smashed that goal! We would like to thank all of the players for bringing their anger to a great cause.
“Angry Birds has grown into a phenomenon that has reached beyond anyone’s expectations,” said Kati Levoranta, Rovio CEO. “The Bring the Anger campaign is the perfect extension of the commitment to good causes that Angry Birds has shown over the years. Not only as an example of the Birds’ good works, but an example that the players are truly the ones responsible for the Angry Birds’ success. It is the fans that have gotten Angry Birds to this point, and we will spend the next years continuing to create the kinds of amazing game and entertainment experiences fans have come to expect.”
Finally, in other Angry Birds birthday news, key partner announcements dropping today include the official release of K-Swiss x Angry Birds limited-edition footwear, with two colorways inspired by the game’s most beloved characters. Meanwhile, the birds are also appearing today in PUBG MOBILE (iOS/Android) as part of a new in-game update just released. Players can access Angry Birds crossover items, enjoy a themed mini-game and win rewards by completing missions in an Angry Birds Adventure event.
