We all know how popular Angry Birds is, but it’s always fun to put a number to the ridiculousness. The Angry Birds franchise (the original, Seasons, Rio, and Space combined) has just passed a whopping 1 billion downloads. (Official Rovio statement.) To put this incredible number into context, let’s include a few notes. First, Apple announced in March that the iOS AppStore just passed 25 billion downloads. Angry Birds is a single app (well technically four apps, but still). Also, we posted on 2 November that Angry Birds reached half-a-billion downloads and included some mind-boggling statistics in that post. But this also means that, in the past 189 days, the franchise was downloaded more than 2.6 million times per day! Hats-off to Rovio on their incredible feat.
But, that’s not all.
At the end of the video Rovio teases a new game that is not Angry Birds. Bird Leader checking in now. I noticed that this “new game” looks eerily similar one of my kids other favorite games, “Casey’s Contraptions”. I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure it’s not Cut the Rope or something brand new like others are speculating. Well, I guess it could be brand new game play. If this turns out to be true it’s actually kind of funny because I contacted the developers of Casey’s Contraptions about a year ago to tell them how much my kids like their awesome game (and that they should promote it on ABN). Again, I may be wrong (I wasn’t — see the update below), but above is a side by side comparison, so you can decide for yourself. The image on the left is a screenshot from the Apple App Store and the one on the right is a screenshot taken from the video above.
Updates!
May 11th, 2012
We now know the official name of the new game will be Amazing Alex. The website is AmazingAlex.com and you can also follow them on Twitter and Facebook.
May 10th, 2012
Rovio has confirmed that it has purchased Casey’s Contraptions! It has been removed from the AppStore while Rovio redesigns and revamps the app, though exactly what they plan on doing remains a mystery. The initial relaunch window is this summer on iOS and Android, then “extending to further platforms rapidly after that”.
For those not familiar, Casey’s Contraptions actually has some really neat game play and functionality. It is a child-friendly app that uses a lot of Rube Goldberg machines, demonstrating the concept of chain reactions for youngsters. It also has an awesome level builder, where you can design and share your own levels. You can also download levels (for free) that other people have created and shared. For a long time we’ve wish this existed in Angry Birds. Well, now they own a game that has this baked in. Does this mean we’ll soon have the ability to create and share our own Angry Birds levels? I for one think so… eventually.
http://rov.io/1billioncomp
good evening fellow flingers
the above link is to the 1 billion comp and all you have to do is post …. #oneofthe billion…. amazing achievement , amazing competition and amazing prize
good luck guys :)
( sorry if this has been posted b4 but couldnt find anything on here)
That link goes to rov.io, before I click on it, is it a Rovio site, or something else?
Yep, it’s Rovio’s site, just the link from their twitter feed I’m guessing. It shortens the link so that it fits into the 140 character limit :)
Thanks Laurence, and thanks kinkykiwi for posting it!
oh gosh, i forgot that it is not best practice to click on a random link but it was on my facebook wall after i finished work n it was cool on my mac so i rushed here to make sure all my fellow flingers were aware of the comp….. and its would be so cool if a nest flinger won it :)
That’s Rovio’s custom shortcode (usually called a “dot-co”). As another few examples, there’s youtu.be and fb.me and angrybir.de.
Will the game still be $2.99? I’m not that kind of guy who likes paying for apps.
We can only guess at this point.
Will it only be out for iPad and Android Tablet like before, or do you think they will expand it to smaller devices?
Wow, a billion downloads!!!! Let’s see, last I heard there were nearly 7 billion people on this planet, so that would mean that AB has been downloaded, in one form or another, by approximately 14% of the global population.
Quite the feat, indeed.
Not necessarily, most AB players have all four apps, and some have all four on more than one platform. But still an impressive number. :)
@Oobgular Rovio did not give us that many details. So we don’t know yet.
i hope rovio does’nt forget about angry birds
Not happening, considering a billion downloads of the game(s).
Looks pretty cool, I’m getting it when it comes out! I wonder when Utopia is coming out to Angry Birds Space, it’s taking pretty long. Well, I hope that means either this game, or MORE LEVELS! :D
Well, it seems like Rovio did indeed bought Casey’s Contraption. Yippee!
http://www.148apps.com/news/confirmed-rovios-postangry-birds-game-caseys-contraptions/
Good find! I found a link myself:
http://toucharcade.com/2012/05/10/rovio-confirms-that-it-has-acquired-caseys-contraptions/
The main post was updated yesterday ;)
Wow, am I blind or what :P
The new game is called “Amazing Alex”,check the web,or just google it.
http://www.intomobile.com/2012/05/11/rovio-angry-birds-company-release-new-game-called-amazing-alex-2-months/
Nice spotting! :)
Anyone expect some Angry Birds cameos?
http://alex-teaser.appspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/amazingalex
http://twitter.com/amazingalex
Nice find @MightyEagle.
What a cute character! I’m sure my girls will love new game. I haven’t heard for Casey’s contraptions before, but it sounds like nice gafmfun and teasing enough.
Seriosly.Angry Birds Seasons is over.I don’t want to think that way but eather it is taking some very long time to make an update or it is over.
It’s not over, as I have told you many times.
@hristaki032 Well,we could expect an update for summer,or for the olympics,or shall I say it “The Olympigs”,LOL :D
I know you have told me many times slim but a seasons update has never taken so long to come out.Are Rovio out of ideas?
How about between Easter Eggs and Summer Pignic and Moon Featival? Consistently around 2 months.
“May 5th, 2012
We know know the official name of the new game will be Amazing Alex”
:)
Thanks, fixed that and a few others.
Why May 4 and May 5? Shouldn’t it be May 10 and May 11?
Blast. I’ll get that.
Now we gotta make an Amazing Alex fan website. But I doubt this game will get any better than Angry Birds. I think Amazing Alex will just be a mess up. Maybe it doesn’t need a fan site
Maybe it can be here as well, and this website could be about all Rovio games. I doubt it, though: Angry Birds is the more popular series!
At the very least we will create walkthroughs and will post them somewhere. Maybe here, maybe not. :)
Okay Guys !!! The big question : Is !!! When is going to be the release ….!!! I am very anxious . So the release will be on ROVIO ; or just on Amasing Alex!!! WhAt do all of you think…!!!
The release date is yet not known and further announcements will be made on the Rovio or Amazing Alex website.
I’ve played Casey’s Contraptions (not only for kids), and actually, it’s great. I don’t like what Rovio did to the character (old one was better) and the name isn’t great either… Amazing Alex? Seems more like a circus. In Casey’s Contraptions, Casey was only really the “host” of the game and not too “amazing.” Don’t like the graphic change of the parts either, but all my opinion.
@birdleader, if the game really is great, maybe a separate tab for walkthroughs? “Extras?”
We have some ideas.
There is a description here why its now called AMAZING Alex
http://www.macrumors.com/2012/05/11/amazing-alex-is-rovios-angry-birds-followup/
So is ‘Amazing Alex’ going to be a bit same as ‘Caseys Contraptions’ or totally something different? Glad that Rovio is undertaking the project.
Same concept, different graphics. At least, that’s what I think…
i found the orange angry bird at toys r us today!!!!
Amazing Alex!!! Excited…
Why is it Amazing Alex? Should not it be Amazing Casey?
They changed his name to Alex. I know, I liked the name Casey better. I hope to see hidden angry birds stuff in this game.
Alex sounds more global. Casey is way too much American…at least that’s what I think.
@amslimfordy Don’t know if this survey has been posted anywhere. Rovio are collecting information regarding Angry Birds levels, but mainly facebook. :)
@laurence Not sure if you read the end of the url but it said “This is your personal answering link. Do not share!”
Yeah – I saw that, but I’ve answered it. Also, slim OK’d it, so I guess it’s fine! Couldn’t find any other way of sharing it, which seems a bit strange really, if they want responses. If someone else can find a better link, the I’m sure that can be uploaded instead.
If you can find the original link, I’ll replace it.
I can’t seem to find any ‘share link’ option. The only way I can find of accessing the survey is via the ABF game (top banner) :)
I REALLY wish that this game could be used to make levels for Angry Birds… I’ve been dreaming about it for so long!
Amazing Alex is unlikely to have anything to do with Angry Birds.
that game is available for pc or no?
We don’t know what the plan is.
I hope Amazing Alex will meet up to my expectations…
That’s a threshold that no other game will ever beat.