Wii U a "natural match" for Angry Birds

By Robert Purchese Published 14 July, 2011

Rovio "not going to ignore Kinect, Move".

Rovio has told Eurogamer it is "looking at every console" as a potential nest for Angry Birds, despite having criticised Xbox Live, Nintendo and even console gaming in the past.

Rovio's vice president of franchise development Ville Heijari's sweeping "every console" statement entails Wii U, 3DS and PlayStation Vita as well as PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

"We really haven't looked into the Wii U specifically yet - we haven't announced anything for Nintendo consoles yet. But if you look at the control methods, if you look at the Wii U, I mean that's a really, really natural match, so obviously we're very interested in developing there as well," remarked Heijari to Eurogamer.

"If you look at the Wii U, I mean that's a really, really natural match."

Ville Heijari

"[The 3DS is] a really really interesting platform," he added. "Many people doomed it outright as it being somehow gimmicky, but obviously the same thing as with the Wii U: if you look at the 3DS, Angry Birds games would make a perfect match there."

Heijari explained how consoles present a wonderful opportunity to flesh Angry Birds out far beyond a simple Android/iPhone game.

"We're looking at consoles and seeing how we can bring the current gameplay, the basic slingshot offering, into a really compelling and engaging title for the current consoles," he said.

"There's a good opportunity there to do a lot in terms of adding a lot of polish to the graphics and still you get high resolution, you get better frame-rates, you can really do physics-intensive stuff. You can still do the same sort of slingshot game and keep it really engaging and interesting and make it fresh again. And then doing different stuff with 3D graphics and looking at building completely different experiences with more storytelling and that kind of thing.

"We're looking at all the consoles," he stated. "We haven't announced any particular titles for any console, but we are looking at every console at the moment."

Xbox 360 has been resurgent through wildly successful peripheral Kinect. PlayStation 3 has also had success with PlayStation Move. But despite Angry Birds' casual audience similarities to those two peripherals, it's the core console audience Heijari wants to peck at first.

"That wouldn't be the core focus," he said of Kinect and Move. "The core focus would be on getting the best experience out there.

"The opportunity is there to do so much more. You have all the horsepower. I'd hate to say better experience, but visually more compelling."

Ville Heijari, VP franchise development, Rovio

"If you look at the Kienct sales figures they're completely off the charts, and obviously you can't ignore that, and that will, I'd hazard a guess, make the gameplay experience more engaging. The same with PlayStation Move. But still we're looking at making the best possible game for just the traditional control methods and that core audience there. [We're] definitely not going to ignore Kinect and PlayStation Move either.

"The opportunity is there to do so much more," Heijari added. "You have all the horsepower. I'd hate to say better experience, but visually more compelling."

Ville Heijari said Rovio's recently acquired animation studio Kombo could be put to work producing the added visual flair.

Angry Birds erupted due to a low and, in some cases, non-existent price point on Android and iOS devices. On console, given the added development time, Rovio will aim at a download price akin to something like Trials HD - an example I used that Heijari agreed with. Rovio also has an eye to offering Angry Birds in a box on console. But that would require adding an awful lot of content to justify the price.

Of a Vita version of Angry Birds, he said: "Of course - anything new that comes round, especially from people like Sony, is always interesting to us. So Vita is there as well; looking into it, seeing what we can do there."

Angry Birds has flown rapidly to 250 million downloads and become one of the most recognisable gaming brands today. Such success has meant Rovio values itself above even the massive $1.3 billion figure that EA will spend acquiring casual gaming giant PopCap.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (39) Latest comment 11 months ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Shikasama #1 11 months ago

    Hear the roar of console and PC gamers not giving a shit.

    It is annoying how many column inches Rovio get whenever they say something. Less talking, more time learning level design.

  • Psychotext #2 11 months ago

    Jesus Christ, no-one cares.

    Make some different games, come back, and then we'll talk.

  • Ikaros_O #3 11 months ago

    Rovio come a cross as arrogant after once successful casual game. It really does piss me off, they talk like they're industry legends.

  • Bikram #4 11 months ago

    Angry Birds is the same Crush the Castle copy artillery game or they released something else called the same? Because I just don't get why it has become the second coming of Jesus.

  • tomjoadsghost #5 11 months ago

    Do angry birds have the same eyebrows in japan or have they had them plucked the way that crash bandicoot did?

    once i know the answer to that question my sense of closure with rovio will be complete.

  • Doctor_What #6 11 months ago

    In related news, Team17 have announced the shock move of converting Worms to the Wii U.

    Well, if they haven't yet then I'm sure they will do soon.

  • frunk #7 11 months ago

    If it is more than free I don't anticipate many sales.

    You see - throwaway little titles like this suit the bus queue, toilet break, etc

    On the sofa I like my game to... you know... be a game, rather than largely random fling fest.

  • oupe #8 11 months ago

    Can't wait!

    /sarcasm

  • Daeltaja #9 11 months ago

    I echo the above sentiments, wouldn't it be better for Rovio to release a new IP than flap their gums at every given opportunity?

  • miiiguel #10 11 months ago

    So, they just need more platforms to their *only* game.

  • Ducklord #11 11 months ago

    For the love of god make something else already!

  • geeza2020 #12 11 months ago

    the above article in a nutshell:

    Rovio - "We're looking into putting Angry Birds on every single platform available"


    zzzzzzzzzzzz

  • el_pollo_diablo #13 11 months ago

    Yeah, and whilst we're at it, Criterion why don't you stop only making driving games you one trick po..... oh.

    JOKE

  • Coughthulu #14 11 months ago

    I think the rest of you commenters don't understand.

    In the future, there will be birds. Nothing but *Angry* Birds.

    Every console, PC, mobile phone and PDA will only need one game! It's *that* good. It never gets old, it never feels stale, there will be daily reskining, so that it stays fresh forever. Rovio will win the Noble Peace Prize for bringing all religious factions, opposing governments and London hoody gangs together in appreciation for their world-changing game. Once BirdBook(tm) is set up, players all over the world will be able to chat together and leave 'Tweets' (hmm, they might have to sue Twitter first) for each other! Eventually their worth, which as we all know, is *way* North of PopCap (so North, they may as well be in the arctic circle), will become so great that they'll effectively own the economies of every major country (except China, who of course will be owned by the creators of Chastised Chicks (which most definitely isn't a reverse engineered version of Angry Birds).

    However, in the near future, you'll be able to use Kinect to throw the birds. You'll be able to use Move to trace out the arc of the bird that will be angrily thrown! The WiiU screen will allow a friend to place pigs on the screen to battle your Angry Birds.

    In the future, there will be birds. Nothing but *Angry* Birds. If you want a picture of the future, imagine a bird stamping on a pigs face - forever.

    ...

    Or, y'know, by the end of the year they'll have actually maxed out their sales, realised nobody else is going to buy it and say 'Oh bugger, what now?'.

  • jetsetwillie #15 11 months ago

    isnt it amazing how many people post in threads for games they don't care about. you guys are so weird

  • roz123 #16 11 months ago

    The Wii already has Boom Blox

  • SEVQA #17 11 months ago

    "If you look at the Kienct sales figures they're completely off the charts, and obviously you can't ignore that,"

    Oh yes we can!

  • Mr.Spo #18 11 months ago

    If Nintendo can convince quality App Store and smart phone developers to make the jump to Wii U/3DS, they may be onto something. If smart phones have very little compelling content of their own game-wise, it undermines their position as gaming platforms and solidifies 3DS/Wii U's position as gaming platform with a wide variety of content. It shouldn't just be about courting established publishers--Nintendo should be courting the best of the bunch that have burst through on smart phones and tablets, especially when 3DS and Wii U are a great match for so many smart phone control schemes.

  • Feanor #19 11 months ago

    They act like Angry Birds will remain popular forever the way pog makers did the 90s.

  • molekiller #20 11 months ago

    Angry what?

  • Centrifugal #21 11 months ago

    My god. If this rampant porting carries on eventually I'll be able to play Angry Birds on my lightbulb.
    Edited by Centrifugal at 14/07/11 @ 16:18

  • meanmrmustard #22 11 months ago

    Or you could buy a copy of boom blox and play a better older and yet somewhat familiar game instead

  • miseryguts #23 11 months ago

    Oh Dear..

  • jonfon #24 11 months ago

    @Centrifugal "My god. If this rampant porting carries on eventually I'll be able to play Angry Birds inside my lightbulb."

    You live in a lightbulb?

    Also : Rampant Porting. Tee hee hee.

  • Ignatius_Cheese #25 11 months ago

    How about, you know, making something *new*!?

    Talking about flogging a dead horse... Blahblahblah we're worth more than Popcap with one IP!! blahblahblah...

  • robbiejc85 #26 11 months ago

    Except that it's not - the DS (cirica 2003) touch screen is an ancient throw-back that can't even come close to matching the accuracy or feedback of the now ubiquitous multi-touch screens that literally track your momentum. PS Vita would be a better fit for sure, unless they translated the basic gameplay to the fairly impressive gyro-stuff the Wii controller has going on...

  • paulf #27 11 months ago

    good luck in selling that for £40 a pop, but live happy in the knowledge that your value is north of popcap

  • TonyHarrison #28 11 months ago

    "Consoles are dying... wait... what do you mean we can make ten times as much money by releasing this cash cow on consoles? Erm... yes... what was I saying... Ahhh... We're going to release on every platform!"

  • Wyrm #29 11 months ago

    Angry Birds is a perfect mobile game, not a perfect home console game.

  • Syrette #30 11 months ago

    Never played it but I'm guessing this Angry Birds title is the pinnacle of gaming given how much the developers go on about it.
    Edited by Syrette at 14/07/11 @ 22:40

  • MaxiSleep #31 11 months ago

    Atari 2600 is a natural match for angry birds

  • natureboy #32 11 months ago

    I don't think an angry birds game will be flying off the shops though

  • seahorse #33 11 months ago

    Agree with sine of the earlier posts. Rovio basically sucks dogballs!!!

  • JamieR #34 11 months ago

    this dick taken his head out of his ass to say somthing again

  • Quak #35 11 months ago

    I saw the title in my RSS feed and have come here without reading the article at all just to say this:

    WHO GIVES A FLYING FUCK ABOUT ANGRY BIRDS?!?! FUCK OFF!!!!!!

    That is all.

  • man.the.king #36 11 months ago

    @Ducklord

    "For the love of god make something else already! "

    They daren't, as AB is the only thing they know. Well, that, and spouting off.

  • orangpelupa #37 11 months ago

    @Robbie

    eh? O_o

    Resistive screen is "more accurate" than capacitive screen...
    - allow pixel accurate "clicking"
    - allow pressure detectino in that pixel accurate "clickking"
    - and able to use cheap plastic as pen.

    try "play" COLORS for nintendo DS. Good drawing app that use the features of resistive screen.

  • MakeYourself #38 11 months ago

    @Coughthulu - hats off to you sir, that has quite literally made my day!

  • crashholly #39 11 months ago

    Your post mentioned here: http://www.themortonreport.com/entertain... Cheers.