Rovio Takes Away the Bird from Fans

This Week in Business is a weekly column that summarizes key statistics and quotes from recent stories, adding a touch of opinion to shed light on various trends. Rovio removed the original Angry Birds mobile app from the market in 2019 and took down several old games from app stores without warning, upsetting long-time fans. Two years later, the company acknowledged the move was not well-received and promised to make amends in an open letter to fans. However, just a month after that letter, Rovio was prioritizing its 'all about the fans' approach even more, with the head of brand strategy stating that engaging with the community is crucial. Despite initial efforts to back up these statements, Rovio struggled to maintain its commitment in the long term. The company had released Angry Birds Reloaded, an ad-free and microtransaction-free version, exclusively on Apple Arcade, and later launched Rovio Classics: Angry Birds, a $0.99 remake of the original game without microtransactions or ads. Although the game was well-received, Rovio decided to delist it from Android and rename it on iOS, suggesting that the microtransaction-free remake was too popular and impacting the company's wider games portfolio. This move raises concerns about Rovio's business model and its ability to compete with its own premium game. The decision to delist the game may send a message to devoted fans that the company does not care about their preferences, particularly high spenders who want games without aggressive monetization.