LAS VEGAS – The popular mobile app game Angry Birds has been launched for Windows 7 and XP devices on Intel’s AppUp centre for netbook computers.
The move is eerily prescient in that it cuts in front of Apple bringing popular apps to Mac laptop devices. It will be interesting to see today what devices and platforms Intel has in store for this impending battle.
It is also perhaps a renewal of vows for the ‘Wintel’ marriage – the collaboration between Microsoft and Intel during the 1990s that pretty much drove the desktop PC revolution – at a time when smartphones and tablet devices threaten the old empire.
The Angry Birds game has become an iPhone classic and across all platforms that host it – including the Android and Symbian platforms – more than 50 million downloads have been made, 12 million on Apple’s Apps Store alone.
Developed by Rovio Mobile and published by Chillingo and Clickgamer Media, the highly addictive game sees angry birds launched to attack a castle guarded by evil pigs (surely that’s a euphemism for something?).
More from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas:
A statement of intent by Intel?
The move by Intel’s Apps Up team is a statement of intent – firstly that it sees life in the Atom-powered netbook space and secondly that the Windows platform has no intention of yielding ground to Apple in the impending market for desktop apps.
Angry Birds for Windows 7/XP is currently available on the Intel AppUp centre at a promotional price of US$4.99.
The version marks the first time Angry Birds will be released and available for netbooks and laptops.
“It’s the same, fun app consumers know and love, but now for much bigger screens,” Intel said last night.
“Angry Birds will be instantly available on all versions of the Intel AppUp centre, including those distributed by Best Buy, Best Buy Canada, Future Shop, Dixons, Walmart, Asus, Croma, HSN, New Egg and TigerDirect.”
