If you’re one of the millions of people addicted to Angry Birds, Amazon.com is hoping that need will drive you to Amazon’s Android Appstore: Amazon and Angry Birds maker Rovio have just announced that Angry Birds Rio will launch on the Android platform exclusively in the Amazon Appstore. Angry Birds fans will also be able to buy ad-free versions of Angry Birds and Angry Birds Seasons from the Amazon Appstore.
“Amazon is thrilled to work with a leading developer like Rovio in offering our customers Angry Birds Rio for Android exclusively in the Amazon Appstore,” said Aaron Rubenson, category leader for Amazon Appstore. “We think Angry Birds Rio is sure to be an instant customer favorite.”
Angry Birds Rio is a new variation in the Angry Birds franchise that ties in with the upcoming Twentieth Century Fox animated film Rio. In the game, Rovio’s original Angry Birds are kidnapped and taken to the magic city of Rio, were they eventually break loose and try to save Jewel and Blu, the macaw stars of the Rio movie. The game will feature 60 levels, with additional content to come via app updates.
The Rio movie is due to launch April 15.
Although games that tie in with movies historically don’t sell very well, the Angry Birds Rio launch marks something of a coup for Amazon, which is trying to position the Amazon Appstore as an alternative to Google’s own Android Market. The problem, of course, is while access to the Android Market is built into essentially every Android device, users who want to browse the Amazon Appstore have to deliberately seek it out. A high-profile title like Angry Birds Rio may motivate a new batch of customers to check out Amazon’s Android offerings…especially since Google’s own Android Market has been used as a means to distribute malware to unsuspecting Android users.
