back to article EA takes Angry Birds publisher under its wing

Electronic Arts has purchased Angry Birds publisher Chillingo, thus buying up a significant part of the mobile gaming industry. Reuters puts the price of Chillingo just shy of $20m, though neither company is prepared to provide details. As well as Angry Birds, which was developed by Rovio, Chillingo owns the distribution …

COMMENTS

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Paris Hilton

    Publisher?

    Why would an iPhone developer like Rovio need a publisher? I thought Apple's App Store would remove the need for one. Or have I missed something?

    1. Julian Lawton

      Why Publishers?

      This is the error a lot of people make - i.e. that the App Store, or direct music/ebook sales - mean that there is no room for publishers / labels / etc.

      The mistake is to think their role was something to do with manufacturing and distributing goods, when in reality most of it is sales and marketing - and that counts a lot in a store with 200,000 apps.

      The publisher behind Angry Birds have proven they can - yes, it's a good product, but there are plenty more good games that have flopper, because the developers didn't know how to sell, and didn't see the need to employ someone who does.

      I make rather than sell software myself, and like most people resent the fact that salesmen make far more than the people who do the real work - but there's no getting away from the fact that someone has to do the sales job.

      That said - I hate EA as much as everyone else here. They'd never have picked up or commissioned an Angry Birds in the first place (their mobile efforts so far being ports of console titles rather than original titles).

    2. foo_bar_baz
      Jobs Horns

      "iPhone developer"

      Yes, you missed the fact that there are other mobile gaming platforms aside from iOS.

      Angry Birds is available for Symbian, Maemo, webOS, Android etc. and Rovio make games for other platforms like *gasp* Flash.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Oh dear

    EA have a terrible record of buying innovative games companies and ruining them.

  3. semprance
    Joke

    Awesome!

    I always hoped Rovio would get the opportunity to make 40 sub-quality sequels to Angry Birds.

    I'm particularly looking forward to EA introducing a crappy plastic controller for the series. A crappy rubber slingshot that connects via USB maybe?

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Dead Vulture

    Angry Birds still owned by Rovio

    Ugh. Angry Birds IP is still owned and developed by Rovio in Finland. Nothing has changed. The published bought by EA only publishes the iOS version. All others are self published!

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Welcome

    EA Back Catalogue on Phones?

    Well I for one would welcome some old classics on my mobile, especially now the screen res is suitable for direct ports of oldies like sim city or xcom UFO!

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Re: Publisher?

    Of course they need a publisher like EA.

    How else will they reduce the quality of their new games, release loads of sequels with virtually no new content while increasing the cost and number of bugs?

  7. Citizen Kaned

    bad move...

    initial cash up front then rushed, bugged products there after. thats EA's style

  8. Velv
    Go

    Angry Birds port to other platforms ???

    I'm thinking Wii here :)

    Possibly standing behind the catapult, and using the controller and nunchuck to pull back and set the launch angle and strength ?

  9. semprance

    Erm...

    "Ugh. Angry Birds IP is still owned and developed by Rovio in Finland. Nothing has changed. The published bought by EA only publishes the iOS version. All others are self published!"

    No offence, but it's pretty naive to assume that EA will let Rovio run free with such a desirable IP.

    It'll start with strict release timetables and end with day-one patches...

  10. Lottie

    New slogan?

    EA GAMES.... It's in the phone!

  11. Steve Smith 5

    Can just see it now

    An endless line of Angry Birds 11, 12, 13......... with a soundtrack of whatever one album wonder indie band the NME are championing this week.

    Oh, and not forgetting, Angry Birds Euro 2012...Angry Birds World Cup 2014 etc etc etc....

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