Last updated on January 19, 2011
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Angry Birds (Rovio’s Site), the extremely popular (and quite fun) physics / artillery / puzzle game, is only available in ad-supported format on Android. Initially I didn’t mind this, as the ads started out as simple banners taking up a small portion of the top of the screen. Within the past few days (perhaps after an update?) there are now video ads present in the game. One plays on game launch and then another will play every few levels.
While the video ads can be skipped I find the idea of them terribly irritating. They play sound even if the game itself has been muted and eat up bandwidth. I’d much rather pay for the game than have to see this crap in order to play, so I’ve uninstalled it.
UPDATE: Rovio has responded to the note that I send about this, and apparantly starting some time in 2001 it will be possible to pay to circumvent the ads in Angry Birds.
That’s really poor. The iPad version costs a few quid and contains zero adverts.
Interrupting your game with bandwidth eating video ads just seems wrong.
Make sure you tell them this.
James: I just emailed the following to both contact@rovio.com and matthew.wilson@rovio.com. It’ll be interesting to see how they respond:
I’ve heard that Rovio is making a TON more money off the continual revenue stream of the ad based Android game then off the pay version of the iPhone game, so it’s doubtful that they’ll be changing their strategy. A lot of what I’ve heard points toward pay apps being viable on the iPhone (as the users don’t balk at paying for apps) but paid apps are less successful with Android users, so many companies are heading down the in-app advertising path.
It’s becoming another one of those decision points between Android and IOS, would you rather pay for apps, or have free ad-supported apps?
I hope that it’s following an update. I was really getting into the version that I have on my Android Phone, and I’d hate for a “mandatory update” to be forced upon me because that will wind up sucking the joy out of playing. I’d deinstall it as I’d have to use my data allowance to watch video adverts, and I’d rather use that listening to the radio on iPlayer or lectures on YouTube whilst I work.
Well, my copy didn’t enforce an upgrade and I don’t think anything has changed as my version is still serving the small banners before and after a level.
I’ve recently experienced something much more incidious than sound from videos while the game is muted: These quite annoying vidoes will play with sound while the DEVICE ITSELF is MUTED!!! How am I supposed to be respectful of those around me when their #$@%&@$$# ads over ride my device sound settings?
Imagine you finally get your sick, fussing and crying infant child to sleep and decide to unwind with “Angry Birds: Space”. Making certain the device is muted I started playing. Imagine my surprise when the ad started playing loudly! Imagine my consternation when the lightly sleeping child immediately woke up crying all over again! The same thing happened the next day when her mom, who is also ill, was *trying* to take a much needed nap. Again, DEVICE MUTED! an ad played loudly waking her up.
giess what? I uninstalled All my Rovio games. They will NEVER get a penny from me nor will they be able to count me as an ad viewer for their sales/marketing statistics to sell more ads!!!