Ten years ago today, the first Angry Birds game was released on the App Store. The game that started it all would morph into an entertainment juggernaut, spawning two animated films and billions of licensed products sold.
Angry Birds is an early example of mobile gaming’s appeal to a broad audience. Its instantly fun gameplay became a model for future casual games. Ten years and 4.5 billion downloads later, the franchise shows no sign of slowing down.
Rovio celebrated the milestone early with an in-game event in Angry Birds 2, encouraging players to pop as many pigs as possible. The goal was to pop 10 billion pigs in exchange for a $100,000 donation to UNICEF’s Education in Emergencies fund. It 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!” Rovio says. “We would like to thank all of the players for bringing their anger to a great cause.”
In addition to the limited-time Angry Birds 2 event, Rovio says that the birds are also appearing today in PUBG Mobile for Android and iOS as part of a new in-game update. Players can access crossover items, enjoy a themed mini-game, and win rewards by completing missions in an Angry Birds Adventure event.
Finally, in other birthday news, the K-Swiss Angry Birds 10th-anniversary sneakers are out today. The limited-edition run features two designs. They are available in child and youth sizes.
We doubt that this is the last that we will hear from the birds. The second movie – which just came out in August – has already grossed over $150 million globally on a budget of $65 million. It’s quite possible that the brand will be around for another ten years.
