1. Case Study #1: Angry Birds

2. “The largest mobile app
success the world has seen so
far.”
“One of the great runaway
hits of 2010.”
“One of the most
mainstream games out right
now.”

5.  The story goes that a designer working for
the Rovio company saw the Pixar animation
For the Birds and doodled some ideas on the
back of an envelope during a lunch-time
meeting.
 At the time Rovio were close to bankruptcy,
but they decided to take a chance on this
iPhone app idea and developed Angry Birds.

7.  First released December 2009
 Original version downloaded over 12 million
times
 All versions downloaded over 2 billion times
 Feature film due 2016, (but has been
delayed several times)
 Originally designed as an iPhone app, but
since rewritten in Android and Symbian
versions – now available for consoles and PCs
 The highest downloaded “freemium” game
of all time

8.  A pricing strategy by which a product or
service (typically a digital offering such as
software, media, games or web services) is
provided free of charge, but money (a
premium) is charged for advanced features,
functionality or virtual goods.

9.  Easy to learn and pick up – quick play
 Addictive gameplay – engagement / endless
interesting levels / achievement
 Comical style of design yet high production
values
 Quality sound and music design
 Low price of initial app.
 Regular updates / versions to keep concept
fresh

11.  Players use a slingshot to fire birds at pigs
who are stationed on or within various
structures.
 The idea is to destroy all of the pigs and
buildings on the playing field within a limited
number of attempts.
 As players advance through the game levels,
new types of bird become available, some
with special abilities which can be activated
by the player.

12.  Seasons – originally Hallowe’en and
then “holiday” versions
 Rio – tie-in for animated film
 Space
 Star Wars and Star Wars II
 Friends
 Go! – kart racing
 Bad Piggies – spin-off, but so far not
hugely successful.

16.  What makes for user engagement, is adding
more detail at just the right time.
 Angry Birds’ simple interaction model is easy
to learn because it allows the user to quickly
develop knowledge about how to play the
game, strategy and scoring processes.

17. The Company

18. Finland!

24. Here’s the money!