Angry Birds Case Study

Angry Birds is a third party puzzle game which was developed by Rovio Mobile. The game was first released on the Apple App Store, which encouraged the company to make versions for Nokia and Android phones too. As of March 2011, 100 million copies have been sold across all platforms. Rovio is currently developing a Facebook version of Angry Birds.

Marketing:
Angry Birds is well suited to the iPhone market, it has short gameplay sessions, a storyline which appeals to a wide audience, and a simple concept which becomes addictive. App sales come mostly from viral marketing (word of mouth), so Angry Birds was successful because it appealed to almost everyone. Also Rovio have continually updated the game, and released new versions which keep users playing. This keeps the game in the top 25 apps on the App Store, which is a form of promotion.

Angry Birds Rio has been released to promote the new movie Rio Birds, this is an example of synergy. Although this version has a new setting and storyline, the concept hasn't changed it's just rebranded. The game will also feature the updates like the original. In the first 10 days of the app being released it sold 10 million copies, which proves the popularity and power of the Angry Bird brand.

This game has relied on viral and internet marketing to become successful. Rovio have created Facebook, Twitter pages for fans of the game to follow. On Twitter game players and developers can discuss the game and any problems/issues. Facebook has extra content available if you 'Like' the page, there are some videos, photo stills, links for download etc. We also found there was lots of merchandise such as t-shirts, cakes and toys which are make by fans of the game.

Production:
The idea for the game came from some cartoon images of wingless angry-looking birds. Rovio decided to design a game around this and soon found that the birds needed an enemy. Swine flu was in the news at the time and was the inspiration for the pigs. The mechanics of the game were inspired by medieval slingshots (right). A similar game Crush the Castle, had similar mechanics. Initially the game cost €100,000 to produce (about £80,000).

A Facebook version of Angry Birds has been in production for over a year, and is expected to begin testing this month. The game will take advantage of Facebook facilities to create new features.

Distribution:
Mobile gaming has become very important so easy access to the game is crucial for success. Angry Birds is available on mobile devices stores such as the Apple App Store and Android Market. The price is low at just 59p, this encourages users to buy the game and updates that follow.

Consumption:
Customers are using Angry Birds on their mobile devices/smart phones. The game is designed so that users can play short levels/sessions and can easily return. The concept/mechanics of the game are also very simple which means that it is easy to play on-the-go. The use of a touchscreen also simplifies the game for all users as anyone can use a touchscreen, it's easily to understand and use.

The game motivates consumers because as you complete levels new sections of the games are unlocked, and new versions of the game are continually released. There are also ratings and game scores for each of the levels which encourages consumers to keep playing the game so they can get more points.