Even if you don’t think of yourself as a gamer, you probably know Angry Birds, the whimsical mobile game that was a huge hit for its developer, Rovio. And now, the original “pay-to-own” version of the game is leaving app stores so Rovio can focus on the much more profitable “free-to-play” games in the Angry Birds franchise. Tech expert Omar Gallaga says Angry Birds has been a huge moneymaker, but it’s now much more lucrative to sell in-game items than to charge for the game itself.
Highlights from this segment:
– What started as a simple game – inspired by a 2009 swine flu epidemic – became a franchise, with many games, toys, movies and TV shows.
– Developer Rovio has made more than $500 million from Angry Birds, but the old paid app now cuts into the developer’s revenue from free-to-play versions.
– Rovio isn’t alone. Free-to-play, a model that relies on players spending money for powerups, gems or other in-game goods, dominates the mobile gaming world.
