Angry Birds: Bird Island was revealed on December 16th with a short video showing Red, the franchise’s mascot, diving into the metaverse through his PC monitor and entering the game.
Described as a ‘fantasy role-playing game set in the world of Angry Birds’, the game enables players to explore a brightly-coloured tropical island, complete tasks and raise their own Hatchlings. They can choose to control their favourite Angry Bird, use their regular Roblox avatar, or even make a new Angry Birds-themed avatar using Roblox’s extensive customization tools.
The game’s title bears a similarity to Angry Birds Islands, a short-lived village creation game developed by NHN Studio 629 in 2017. It also resembles Angry Birds Island, a similarly cancelled puzzle game developed by Mybo from 2018. The new game is likely to be much larger in scope, however, benefiting from Roblox’s enormous user base and the interactivity between players that the platform encourages.
Red enters the Roblox metaverse
With over 48 million active daily users reported last summer, Roblox has been able to accelerate its brand partnerships in 2021. It has offered experiences for the likes of Nike, Gucci and Warner Bros, as well as performances from artists such as Lil Nas X and Zara Larsson.
It is particularly popular with younger players – 67% of its users under the age of 16 – making it a logical match for properties like Angry Birds which appeal to children and young teenagers. Unlike many other gaming and social media platforms, there is no minimum age requirement to sign up for Roblox, although parents and guardians can use the platform’s account controls to pre-vet and limit content.
Angry Birds first appeared on mobile in 2009, and quickly became a household name. It became the biggest-selling mobile freemium game of all time. This success has since been followed with over 20 sequels and spin-offs, as well as two animated film adaptations: The Angry Birds Movie in 2015, and its sequel in 2019. Last summer, Rovio announced it would be returning the original game to mobile platforms in the near future. Rovio spoke at the most recent Beyond Games online conference.
Roz Tuplin is a gaming, arts and tech writer and copy editor. She also works in business development at Games London. You'll spot her in the MCV 30 Under 30, GamesIndustry.biz 100 Future Talent and 100 Influential Women In Games.
