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Artist sues pet toy company over Angry Birds licensing profits
Seattle artist Juli Adams has filed suit against pet product manufacturer Hartz, alleging that the company denied her profits when it ditched her trademarked "Angry Birds" toy line in favor of licensed products based on Rovio's mobile hit Angry Birds. Adams' own "Angry Birds" lineup of catnip-filled toys predates Rovio's franchise, originally launching in partnership with Hartz in November 2006. As part of the agreement, Hartz received limited licensing rights, allowing it to sell the toys in pet stores while forbidding the licensing of Adams' intellectual property to third parties. Adams retained full intellectual property rights in the partnership. After the Angry Birds mobile game debuted in 2009, Hartz began distributing Rovio-licensed toys while its partnership with Adams was still in effect. Adams' representing attorney Anthony Shapiro claims that Hartz subsequently earned "tens, if not hundreds of millions of dollars from sales of the Angry Birds pet toys," without legal property rights to the trademark. The suit alleges that Hartz later informed Adams that she could no longer use the "Angry Birds" name due to a licensing conflict. While Rovio had trademarked the Angry Birds name for licensed children's toys, clothing and other products, it specifically excluded pet toys from its attempted trademarks, deferring to Hartz' trademark that it established in partnership with Adams. Hartz is the sole named defendant in Adams' case; Rovio is not targeted in the suit. Adams' complaint seeks "disgorgement of all of Hartz's ill-gotten gains, a reasonable royalty as owed to her under the Agreement, and an accounting, as well as a return of her Intellectual Property, including all associated trademarks and copyright registrations for 'Angry Birds' pet toys." [Image: Hartz / Adams / Rovio]
King, a $7 billion company, doesn't seem capable of creating an original game
There's been a lot of talk lately about a new "tech bubble" that we may or may not currently be in. This label applies to a lot of different things, from the booming smartphone and tablet market to health tech and smart home devices. But while I personally think the risk of a catastrophic tech crash is a bit overstated, there's one company that is most definitely riding high on borrowed time. That company is King, creators of Candy Crush Saga. Candy Crush Saga first debuted on Facebook way back in early 2012 before eventually making its way to app stores later that year. As everyone knows, the game is a huge hit, drawing huge revenue from its in-app purchases and rabid fan base. The success of the game eventually became a problem for King, which delayed its IPO late last year over fears from investors that King was a one-hit wonder. The thing about Candy Crush Saga is that it's not King's own invention, it's simply a tile matching game that draws heavily from games like Bejeweled, which had huge appeal as far back as 2001. This was in no doubt one of the things investors were worried about regarding King, and they still should be. Without doing much to prove it has a future making hit games, King eventually decided to file its IPO in March 2014 anyway, to the tune of over US$7 billion. That's a whole lot of cash for a company that has yet to demonstrate it is capable of creating a game without using other established titles as their base. And I don't just mean being inspired by another game or genre -- these days a truly never-before-seen game is a rarity -- but literally lifting just about every game mechanic from a different game that has no links to King whatsoever. Here are King's current App Store titles alongside the games that the company has lifted significantly from: In roughly the past two years, King has "adapted" some of the most popular puzzle games of the past 20 years and republished them as its own. That is quite simply an unsustainable business model. How unsustainable? Well rather than branch out a bit, King also has two other newer games currently available on the App Store, Farm Heroes Saga (another match-3 puzzler) and Bubble Witch 2 Saga (an updated version of its Peggle clone). And King's next big release? Candy Crush Soda Saga, which is exactly what you think it is. There are definitely some parallels to be drawn between King and Zynga, the once-master of casual games which has since fallen on hard times once the appeal of its wares wore off. The company behind Farmville launched its IPO in 2011 with an initial share price of $10. After hitting a price in the low $2 range, the stock now trades at around $3 per share and is in danger of losing its listing entirely. Like King, Zynga is a big fan of rehashing game concepts we've all played and enjoyed for years, but even with 17 current mobile games to its name, it still hasn't met even a fraction of the expectations that were set for it. Rovio, another big name in casual mobile games, has held off on any IPO chatter while adapting its hit Angry Birds franchise into a variety of genres from racing to role-playing. But even with high profile crossovers with other popular IPs like Star Wars, the company's 2013 profit was less than half of what it was in 2012. This is bad news for a $7 billion app company that has yet to prove it's capable of truly creating something gamers want from the ground up, rather than simply borrowing established ideas and giving them a new coat of paint. So if you're looking for a bubble pop, keep an eye on King, because it's riding on the biggest one in the land.
Angry Birds Transformers announced, less than meets the eye
Angry Birds studio Rovio announced more Angry Birds this morning with Angry Birds Transformers. No Angry Birds information was provided about this latest installment in the Angry Birds franchise, but it is sure to Angry Birds and roll out more details soon.
The TUAW Daily Update Podcast for June 12, 2014
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get some the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the player at the top of the page. The Daily Update has been moved to a new podcast host in the past few days. Current listeners should delete the old podcast subscription and subscribe to the new feed in the iTunes Store here.
Apple video shows off Tokyo Apple Store and more news for June 12, 2014
Apple has posted a nice, quick video promoting Tokyo's newest Apple Store. As ifoAppleStore points out, this video is unique in that it's the first to show a retail store being set up. Employees are show assembling the displays and filling the shelves with product. Rovio launches Angry Birds RPG "Angry Birds Epic." Just when you though the birds and pigs were fading from memory, they're back in an "epic" RPG. It features battles, weapon upgrades, treasure...all the stuff you'd expect from an RPG. Starbucks to roll out 100,000 wireless smartphone chargers. The company has teamed up with Duracell to install Powermats at locations across the country. The program has begun in select San Francisco and Boston locations, and those involved expect to expand significantly over the next year or so. Of course, you'll need a compatible case to use the charging stations. Apple expands European App store curation. Specifically, the productivity, photo & video, sport, music, lifestyle, health and travel categories now feature selections gathered by Apple's App Store editors.
Angry Birds Stella debuts in September, is familiar, pinker
The first screen of the Angry Birds Stella spin-off series doesn't reinvent the wheel, but simply gives it a touch-up. Clearly Rovio's looking to attract a certain audience with "feisty" new heroine Stella and her "fierce" friends when the first game hits in September. On the other hand, it's not like it's overflowing with tiny dogs in handbags. "The Stella story will engage and entertain everyone," said Rovio. "It's about courage, fun and daring to be you, with a spirit of female heroism and friendship. Each character is unique and powerful in their own way but together they cause even more mischief, take adventures to new heights and prove that true friends are there for each other through every battle." IRovio also adds the game will prove a challenge for even the "most hardened" Angry Birds players. There's no news yet on other Stella entries, but a new 13-episode cartoon series is confirmed for ToonsTV and other services in November. Also expect books, the Skylanders-like Telepods accessories, and miniature Stellas in handbags by the end of the year.
Angry Birds Star Wars 2 fights off an army of clones
There have been a lot of bird clones flapping about lately, but you can now put an end to their feathered tyranny in Angry Birds Star Wars 2. Rovio has announced a new update for the game, titled "Rise of the Clones," which adds 40 new levels across the planets of Coruscant and Kamino. Naturally, both are packed with droid-pigs and clone trooper birds. The update is available to download now on iOS, and will be heading to Android devices soon. Angry Birds Star Wars 2 is also available as a PC download, but Rovio did not mention when the shuttle carrying Rise of the Clones would arrive on that platform. Maybe they just need more time to get those deflector shields down? [Image: Rovio]
Is the Angry Birds era over?
From movies and gummy bears to toys and clothing, the folks at Rovio have successfully put the Angry Birds stamp on every type of product imaginable. Of course, the heart of the Angry Birds franchise was found in Rovio's ever growing selection of Angry Birds gaming titles that appeared on a multitude of different platforms. Indeed, the Angry Birds phenomenon at one point was so prevalent that there was sound speculation that Rovio itself might choose to go public. I myself fell prey to what can only be called an Angry Bird addiction many years ago. With new levels for existing games and entirely new themes to explore and conquer (i.e Angry Birds Space, Angry Birds Star Wars), there were no shortage of avenues for fans to get their Angry Bird fix in. Flash forward to 2014 and the landscape looks markedly different as Rovio's revenues have fallen drastically. Earlier this week, Rovio announced that its net profit in 2013 was more than 50% lower than its profit in 2012. Specifically, profits for the Finnish-based gaming company fell from $77 million down to $37 million. Which isn't to say that Rovio isn't trying to turn things around. The New York Times reported earlier this week: Late last year, Rovio launched its first effort at a freemium game, and has diversified its efforts in recent years into movies, animation and theme parks to reduce its reliance on online gaming. The company's business of licensing the Angry Birds brand for consumer products like candy dispensers and lunch boxes now generates almost 50 percent of Rovio's yearly revenue, according to the company's annual financial report. Indeed, Angry Birds, once a mainstay anywhere you might look on the App Store, is now nowhere to be found. With respect to the iPad, there are just two Angry Bird titles in the top 50 list of paid apps while no Angry Birds titles crack the top 50 for free apps. With respect to the iPhone, there are just two Angry Birds titles in the top 100 list of paid apps while no Angry Birds titles even make the top 150 for top grossing iPhone apps. So has the Angry Birds phenomenon peaked? In terms of actual iOS gameplay, it seems that the answer is a resounding yes. Fortune adds: So if the Angry Birds game is a laggard when it comes to making money, that leaves little for Rovio to do but develop compelling all-new game experiences, and as any game studio can attest, that's easier said than done. The company seems aware of the challenge it faces: "After three years of very strong growth, 2013 was a foundation-building year," chief financial officer Herkkop Soininen offered in a company statement this Monday. Rovio has released a number of non-Angry Birds titles (Amazing Alex, Tiny Thief), but again, none of these titles have come anywhere close to matching the phenomenon that was Angry Birds.
Angry Bird publisher profits halved as company plans for future
As Rovio plans for (or fights, depending on perspective) the future, the company's profits took a hit for the 2013 calendar year. The Angry Bird house's net profits were slashed in half to €26.9 million ($37.2M), but important to note here is that the company's sales remained stable at €156 million ($216M), a slight increase from the €152.2 million in 2012. Rovio CFO Herkko Soininen explained the profit reduction as part of the company's "foundation-building year," as it invested in new business areas like animation, video distribution, spinoffs... more spinoffs, and other things outside of selling Angry Bird games at $1 a pop. "Building on top of our games business, where we moved into free-to-play, Rovio set its foot strongly into the entertainment business. In 2013 we formed a world-class movie animation production team in Los Angeles that is already working on the first Angry Birds feature film, to be globally premiered in July 2016," said CEO Mikael Hed. Once upon a time the great and powerful Yogurt taught us that merchandising is "where the real money from the movie is made." Change movie to video game and you've got the Rovio business strategy pretty much figured out.
Angry Birds' epic tease hints at upcoming mobile RPG (no, really)
Last week's Angry Birds-related teaser video hints at an upcoming turn-based mobile role-playing game from series creator Rovio, Kotaku reports. Angry Birds Epic will feature an in-depth item-crafting component and a story-driven campaign when it hits the iOS App Store, Google Play, and the Windows Phone 8 storefront this year. An early version of Angry Birds Epic will arrive in the Canadian and Australian App Stores later this week, giving Rovio the opportunity to test game balance and online functionality prior to its worldwide release. [Image: Rovio]
Forging weapons upstages fowl flinging in the new Angry Birds Epic RPG
If you're a fan of flinging Angry Birds across the screen or racing them in go-carts on your favorite mobile device, Rovio's next installment looks to offer a new challenge. Angry Birds Epic is said to be a turn-based RPG with all the battle and armor building players can handle. Kotaku reports that making weapons, potions and other provisions with funds acquired during conquests or via in-app purchases will be a key part in the storyline. Details are scarce for now, but an in-progress version is said to hit iTunes in Australia and Canada this week with a global launch across iOS, Android and Windows Phone sometime in 2014.
Angry Birds goes medieval in mysterious 'epic' tease
The above video comes courtesy of Angry Birds creator Rovio, who unveiled the brief footage alongside the following description: "Perhaps the most Epic soft launch ever - whatever that means!?" It's unclear what exactly Rovio is teasing here, though fan site Angry Birds Nest offers a convincing argument in favor of a fantasy-themed Angry Birds entry based on clues found in a separate Rovio video from late last year. Among a handful of screenshots pulled from the earlier clip are depictions of birds new to the series, potential vehicles for racer Angry Birds Go, and, most notably given today's teaser, a silhouette that depicts familiar Angry Birds characters in stereotypical fantasy gear. There's a wizard with a pointy hat and robe, a fighter with sword and horned helmet and an archer who appears to prefer deformed marshmallows to deadly arrowheads. While all of this is circumstantial speculation, until Rovio decides to explain this new teaser we don't have much else to go on. Our attempts to pry more information from the publisher were unsuccessful, and in place of a useful explanation we have been instructed to "wait and see." [Image: Rovio]
Rovio announces Angry Birds Stella, starring a new leading lady-bird
Rovio's next spin-off for the Angry Birds franchise centers around a new heroine called Stella, who along with her pals leads a new wave of games, cartoons, and merchandise. The first entry in Stella's adventures is due in the fall, but what it'll comprise isn't clear. For its part, Rovio didn't offer many clues beyond a debut image starring the pink bird and her friends. The company's announcement blurb says, "Angry Birds Stella will open a door to a part of the Angry Birds universe you've never seen before! There will be plenty of fun and adventure, but the bunch of passionate pals will also have to deal with some serious issues in order to protect their friendship and the environment they live in. Luckily, Stella and her friends are good at finding creative solutions!" While Flappy Bird has been its own phenomenon in 2014, it's light as a feather compared to the 2 billion downloads racked up by Angry Birds games, or the 200 million people that play Angry Birds each month. It'll be interesting to see how many of those millions will flock to Stella's new adventures, whatever they prove to be. [Image: Rovio]
Angry Birds series pecks up 2 billion downloads
Rovio has let loose 2 billion copies of Angry Birds games since the series' launch in 2009 – that equals 28 percent of the world's population, for comparison's sake. Rovio CMO Peter Vesterbacka announced the number during London's Pocket Gamer Connects: "If you look at Rovio and what we've done over four years, there are now 2 billion copies of Angry Birds out there. I thought I was super-ambitious in 2010 when I said we'll make $100 million and everyone else thought I was crazy, but it's very important people thought I was insane for saying $100 million back then." Two hundred million people play Angry Birds each month, "the size of the Twitter audience," Vesterbacka said. Rovio reported 1.7 billion downloads in April 2013, and revenue of $195.6 million for the year. Vesterbacka noted that Rovio created 51 games before making Angry Birds, and now nine out of 10 people in both the US and China know the brand. An Angry Birds movie is due out in July 2016, produced and funded by Rovio alone. "We're not building Angry Birds for a hundred days but for a hundred years," he said. "Mario is a great role model for anyone in games, it's been built for almost 30 years now. Hello Kitty is 40 this year and Mickey Mouse was launched in 1928 as a black-and-white cartoon, and that company is now building theme parks based on the character on every continent. We launched an iPhone game in 2009 and now 45 percent of our business comes from physical products, including drinks." As for the competition: "Candy Crush's half a billion installs is a good start," Vesterbacka said.
Angry Birds Star Wars 2 is free on iOS for a limited time
Angry Birds Star Wars 2 X-winged its way to freedom this week, not from the pork side but from the shackles of its 99c tag. The sci-fly sequel is the App Store's free app of the week, meaning for a limited you can purchase it permanently at no cost - it's got to be worth a beak at that price, no? Okay, no more pun-ishment. Really, that was the last one. So, Angry Birds Star Wars 2 follows the original's formula, but with a bunch of new levels and characters, as well as the tactile addition of the Skylanders-like Telepod toys. If you don't fancy it on iOS, even for free, it's also on Android, PC, and Windows Phone 8. One place you won't find it or its predecessor in the near future is Facebook. This week, Rovio announced it's closing Angry Birds Star Wars on the social network in March 2014.
Report: Angry Birds Go! has $100 microtransaction in soft launch
Rovio's kart racing game, Angry Birds Go!, is heavy on microtransactions – including one in-game car that sells for $100, Pocket Gamer reports. The game is out in a soft launch in New Zealand, though it doesn't hit worldwide until December 11. Angry Birds Go! is free-to-play with a classic mix of in-game currency: gems and coins. Players grab coins in races and use them to upgrade a kart's specs. Upgrading a kart increases your CC ratings, and the higher CC rating, the more tracks you can play. Gems are the premium currency, used to get more coins. Players can also buy gems with real money. The standard cars can only be upgraded so far and the better cars cost real money, the site reports. The Big Bang Special Edition car costs $100 (though a picture on Pocket Gamer shows it costs $125). Buying the game's related real-life Hasbro toys, Telepods, can also unlock cars and game modes. This is all based on the soft launch of Angry Birds Go!, so prices and processes are subject to change.
North Korea launches targeted attack... on Angry Birds
North Korea's government-approved Samjiyon tablet is about as desirable as you'd guess, but there's something the sad little slate has that even the iPad doesn't: a built-in copy of Angry Birds Rio. As The Washington Post reports, Angry Birds creators Rovio Entertainment confirmed the existence of Angry Birds on North Korea's obnoxious Android tablet, and also confirmed that the game was outright stolen and used without the company's consent. The 7-inch tablet features a 1GHz CPU, a gig of RAM and 4GB of internal storage. That might not sound very impressive when compared to the iPad Air -- or even the iPad 2 -- but at least it comes with an e-book copy of Gone With The Wind and the worst of all the Angry Birds titles.
Angry Birds Star Wars kneels before next-gen in November
Angry Birds Star Wars is blasting to Xbox One and PS4 in November, Rovio has announced. It launches today for Xbox 360, PS3, Vita, Wii, Wii U and 3DS. The PS4 version of Angry Birds Star Wars uses the DualShock 4's touchpad, and it will support Move in singleplayer and local multiplayer modes. The Xbox One edition includes exclusive, new timed challenges and will work with Kinect. Angry Birds Star Wars 2 hit PC on October 24, the same day we noticed North American ESRB ratings for next-gen installments of the series. Before that, Angry Birds Star Wars Xbox One and PS4 versions were rated in Brazil, and GameFly listed it for next-gen consoles – yeah, we sensed this disturbance.
Xbox One and PlayStation 4 launch lineups bolstered by Angry Birds Star Wars
Forget Knack and Forza 5 and the first next-generation Battlefield game -- it's all about Angry Birds Star Wars next month when the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 launch. The game's headed to both consoles on their respective launch dates, November 22nd and 15th, for an undisclosed price (we're guessing $10 - $15). We'd also wager that it'll arrive digitally on both platforms, as stiff competition for the much-anticipated Peggle 2. The game is otherwise available on current-gen and handheld consoles, as well as the the Wii U, as of today. There's a trailer below for that version, and we expect to see video for that next-gen version fairly soon.
Angry Birds: Star Wars rated for next-gen by ESRB
Angry Birds: Star Wars is X-winging its way onto PS4 and Xbox One, at least according to multiple ratings. North American ratings board ESRB listed it for the next-gen systems this week, while in Brazil the game was classified for both systems back in July. To add further evidence, in August retailer GameFly listed the next-gen versions too. When approached on the ratings, an Activision rep told Joystiq the company wasn't able to comment. What we do know is Rovio's fusion of force and feathers is coming to Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U, and PC, and you can peck it up for those systems on October 29. Meanwhile, Angry Birds Star Wars 2 is available on PC as of today, if you'd prefer to play it on a computer far, far away from your mobiles.
