Angry Birds tweets: RovioMobile has "submitted an update to Palm" 38
While the iOS and Android-using Angry Birds addicts await the promised Christmas edition of the poultry vs. porker game, we in the webOS world are beginning to feel a bit left out. We didn't get the Halloween edition, and we haven't yet seen any of the new levels either. Given that Rovio Mobile did (handily) win $110,000 in the recent PDK Hot Apps competition, we were hoping for a little more love from our Finnish friends. We know the webOS user base is smaller than those of the other OSes, but we're certainly tremendously energetic and loyal!
It does, though, appear that webOS will soon be seeing something new from Peter "Mighty Eagle" Vesterbacka and his colleagues at Rovio. After a flurry of tweets to Rovio Mobile from webOS users on November 28th, the company responded to one that it has "submitted update that brings exact same levels as for iOS, just waiting for Palm to fix issue re Pre." It gave a similar answer to other tweeters, as well as saying that it was "[n]ot sure about the seasonal stuff yet."
Whatever the "issue re Pre" that is keeping the update from the App Catalog, we hope that Palm and Rovio can work it out quickly. Meanwhile, we look forward to future releases of this and other games, and a broadened webOS platform that will encourage more developers to write for or port to our devices.
Source: Rovio Mobile on Twitter
38 Comments
I certainly hope they update it. This app is the most expensive on webos, yet its the worst! What gives?
So what exactly did their last update have a few weeks ago?
And this is not even the most expensive app on webos. It's a $1.99. What is that, a coffee at starbucks? It has nothing on the $9.99 apps, such as Sims 3, Need for Speed Undercover, etc.
I'm guessing the most expensive Angry Birds between webOS, iOS, Android, etc.
Oh, I see. Although I still wouldn't call $1.99 expensive. Perhaps the least cheap?
They took the $110,000 and updated iOS and Android :)
Heh, google gave them a bigger check than that just to put the app in market.
...which made the app free
good one.
oh and don't forget they made it free on Android
Always thought that google made it free as a counter for webos getting it before they did. Rovio is getting paid by google for the app to stimulate their platform trust me.
I need the update to keep myself occupied during the holidays. Anyone else finished the game earning all the Gold Eggs?
yep, I have 3 stars on all levels, all golden eggs, stars on all golden eggs. I got the 3 stars on all levels on my own, but did have to google to find out how to star the golden egg soundboards (and having done so, I can honestly say I would have never figured them out on my own).
Highly doubt its true but here is a thought, are the other platforms giving "incentives" to the developers to favor their way for things like app release and update to stimulate first dibbs on the app and all updates? Hey Miscrosoft and Intel were caught doing in the past so just saying this will come out in the future since there is moblie platform war out there.
I certainly wouldn't put it past Microsoft doing it on Win7 phone. Let's be honest here, Win7 is a brand new platform, there's no telling how many people will ditch Android and iPhone for Win7, yet they somehow have 1000 apps already?
Although hearing that Google might have paid Rovio to get Angry Birds on Android for free is news to me.
The sad part is that Palm was very public about giving incentives to get apps, Rovio got $100K for Angry Birds, and we're the last ones getting updates.
They really don't need to offer incentives to get developers to leave Palm, they just deliver a bigger user base. It really is that simple.
As a developer you have to go where the users are.
Going to where the users are really doesn't explain how Win7 can launch with 1000 apps...
I think that one is answered by the number of .Net developers there are and how easy it is for them to develop for WP7. If you've done Silverlight, you can develop for that phone very easily.
Don't get me wrong, I don't doubt that Microsoft gave incentives to existing app development houses to bring their stuff to WP7. I just don't think it was to get them away from Palm. It was to get them away from iOS and Android...
Plus the internal "contest" and free phones Microsoft gave their developers to build apps.
We have heard that HP did something like this, but where's the beef?
First, and foremost, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a manufacturer, carrier, or anyone else providing incentives to develop, port, or who knows - even NOT to develop or port an application on a platform. It is not bribery, we pay "incentives" anytime we make a purchase.
However, if it is true, and Palm wants to whine about it, then Palm went about it all wrong. They did not provide incentives through the Hot Apps competition. They said (basically) "if you develop/port an app we will pay prize money to the apps that have the highest number of downloads". That is uniquely different than saying "we will pay you $10,000 for every new app you develop, and $5,000 for every app you port to webOS".
Who knows? Since this is all pure speculation on any of our parts, maybe Palm did try to provide incentives and the developers just said "Nah, no thanks. Come back to us when you have 10% market share and then we will consider it."
Here is another idea and most likely true, could the delay of the update be due to the uncerntanty of exactly when webos 2.0 will be out? Why do double work for 1.4.5 for just 2.0 to come behind your back and have to rewrite the app with same content?? The flaw with making the 2.0 sdk soo exclusive.
I thought their app was 100% C++ PDK, not having anything to do with the SDK. AFAIK, the PDK is not changing, so a PDK app that works now will still work on 2.0.
If the import was so easy as they claimed then why couldn't they also import the Halloween edition? or even more levels?
My friends on the iPhone keep mentioning getting a giant red bird. I have no idea what they are talking about because we don't even get the giant red birds.
I feel left out :( (hold me)
While you can't use Big Brother bird yet, you can "hear" it.
Use Internalz to browse to /media/cryptofs/apps/usr/palm/applications/com.rovio.angrybirds/data/audio/sfx
You'll see a bunch of bigbrother_*.wav files.
The Halloween game was designed exclusively for iOS and is not planned to be ported to any other system.
wrong i have it now on my HTC EVO Angry Birds Seasons comes with Xmas and Halloween
The Halloween game was designed exclusively for iOS and is not planned to be ported to any other system.
Why cry about the $110K given to Rovio as part of the Hot Apps competition? The competition was to develop an app for webOS and if it was successful they would be paid the prize money.
Rovio did, it was, and they were paid. I don't think it said anything about having to continue to develop the app for the platform.
Angry Birds has a whopping 46,075 downloads for the paid version on webOS. That is chump change for Rovio when compared to the ad supported version that is on Android. I am sure they are making 10 times that with the Android ads. Google doesn't release numbers for downloads (that I know of), but AppBrain says it is greater than 250,000 (a minimum of 6 times that of webOS).
To me this just shows how small the webOS user base really is. Unless that user base expands exponentially expect the same to continue (and articles on P|C to continue with the "where's the love for webOS" theme).
I went to t-mobile, Verizon, and Sprint yesterday because my gf is looking for a new phone/service.
They are all pushing Android. They each had at least 4 android devices to offer. (She went with an android device on sprint)
T-mobile had no idea what webos is and when i showed them my phone they were like "Palm is still around?" I got pissed and showed him how webos is better than android. Except Android is offered on more and better hardware choices.
... we need appealing hardware.
Verizon is still pushing Android? What did they get iPhone/iPad for if they're gonna be pushing Android?
They didn't get the iphone yet. They aren't going to turn people away and say "come back when we have the iphone."
Even if they do get the iPhone (and everything I have seen says it is not a done deal) why in the world would they abandon Android? No way will they do that.
If they get the iPhone, when a customer walks in the door that says they are looking for a smartphone, they will be able to say "we have a choice of two wonderful platforms to choose from" (that's just me putting my salesman hat on, not that I necessarily think either is a "wonderful" platform).
your way off. The Angry birds game for Android was released only about 50 days ago, and 7 million downloads in such a short span of time is a hallmark in itself. The revelation came to light through the game-maker
Yep, doesn't surprise me that I was off. I never saw anything with actual numbers, just saw that AppBrain says "Downloads: >250,000".
Hmm, if it were me, I wonder which one I would focus on. The one with 148,000 downloads (102,000 free and 46,000 paid) or the one with 7 million downloads? Tough choice....not.
I'm very torn between wanting the new levels for Angry Birds vs. knowing that I have a lot of work to do this week. All Angry Birds and no work makes johnsonx42 a poor boy.
Maybe this is the reason for the hold up?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMltvlqEM54
Hilarious clip... This game is great!
I have to agree, that amount of money for an application that was simply a cut and paste from another platform seems kind of hefty. Especially with palm and being as limited as it is, the users as well as the company are looking for products that exemplify the phone. Typically productivity apps in business or daily users applications would win developer prizes. This really shows how weak the development has been overall. It very close to seeming as if Palm allowed itself to be taken advantage over. The closest application to being resourceful is the BillmyTime application as it integrates a few of the palms features. Though once you use it you realize how much could be done with simple developed.
Again, I must repeat either developers from other companies must start developing from other Operating Systems or Palm needs to simply their development programs or add any needed tools that would make it usable. What I have noticed is the applications must be developed a specific way that limited their features and take large amounts of time to complete without significant advantage.
Integration typically comes towards the end of development and very few applications are anywhere near reaching this stage, though it heavily needed on the users end as many other operating systems have reached this level.
Many of the application are also non-proportionally developed, while I enjoy small text the combination of the screen size as well as the small text make's it difficult in many formats as well as larger fonts offset viewing again. Literally a 8.## font may be need across the entire OS and most applications with congruent ratios. This would be to why a 3.3 inch screen was hoped for without enlarge the phones with. Obvious these small amounts add both length and width and become major gains for viewing.
My choice for best game developed would be sparkle (a better name of be chosen) I believe there is the new one conk also). Though there could be more to it there is more to it then angry birds. Neat graphics (color-blend) good background music and overall entertaining. Angry Birds was mostly to annoy in humorous way.
lastly, the point to this is if people can win the enticement to develop quality applications without actually developing for Palm WebOS, the user and the company do not benefit.
I just was informed Pixi-dust placed third overall. Now how can anyone justify giving over 100k to application such as that. It is literally an emulator. I commented, prior to knowing this, about how impractical it was and the lack of use for the application short of being applied as an emulation on other applications. The glowing stars in the free game of glow-hockey are more appealing. Again, Why did all of the Palm's developer contest money go to games that weren't necessarily developed for Palm? This will discourage development on a difficult platform. Why would someone develop integrated applications on WebOS with limited users and a contest that falls for cheap developing tricks on applications that are nearly pointless and show zero function of the phone and the operating system?
The TED application is heavily developed I would suggest developers getting informed on how to develop on the WebOS in such away. Hopefully some people can work together to form News applications using the same developer format/tools.
The more I find out.. This is truly embarrassing for a company at this point. This could be why their administration has been removed. It is hard to say, but Palm is becoming an example (to this point) of a company that has to be regulated as a child with a diseased father, his idea(the company) and a trust fund that he doesn't know what to do with. It becomes everyone else's responsibility to run the company based on keeping it alive and making sure not too many people get hurt in the mean time.
I may end up having to get rid of Palm. I have always been a stickler for you are what you purchase and the companies action remind me much to much of Americas problem. Good ideas, part of the product and a ton of people trying to have their way on a platform that doesn't work in such away. Its rather intentional at this point and its mostly to personify a specific kind of person. All I can say it must be a person disguised as Rockefeller who actually dislikes America. We will have to give HP a chance, though.