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Everyone knows Angry Birds is a runaway success, you need only check how often the name gets dropped around the blogosphere to see that. Aside from actual hardware and Android updates such as Gingerbread, it is arguable that Rovio and their Angry Birds franchise is the most talked about mobile software out there. With a total of 30 million players across all platforms, Android’s 5 million downloads might seem small, but when “Mighty Eagle” Peter Vesterbacka says those downloads of the ad-supported game will generate Rovio about $1 million per month by year’s end there is no question about the smaller userbase compared to iPhone’s 12 million paid downloads.
In the below video, Vesterbacka talks with the Google AdMob team about the success of Angry Birds. He notes the 80 percent retention rate (users who keep the app), and the collective play of over 65 million minutes per day from users across platforms. That’s huge. Angry Birds is huge, and it doesn’t show any signs of slowing up.
[via TechCrunch]
We should really just click on the adds sometimes guys, help all the devs out, i mean we often get things for free.
Help them out? Some people refer to devs as if they are poor, starving, and homeless. They’re making a killing, while I’m scraping to get by. I’m not wasting my time with pointless ads. I don’t see how they makevso much from ads. People hate them, and I doubt people are purchasing the advertised products.
Yeah, I am an iPhone dev, just because its easier and im only 15, so I needed something as easy as possible. Any dev gets off pretty well, I made a “Pet Rock” app and made a few grand off it. We like it when you click ad’s, but its fine if you dont. Thats why we make them free, if we wanted more money, we would charge.
It is hard to believe people actually click on those ads. If I ever do, it is by accident and I just back out.
I wouldn’t be surpirse to find out if most of the $ in the market come from games? Demand generates supply .. like he said “in the end it’s just business as usual” :(
I’m happy these guys made it. On the other hand it’s very said to see this “runaway success” is actually BRAINLESS TIME WASTER that does nothing else other than help to promote ignorance and idiocracy. No wonder most don’t care if U.S. education system rating to be #49 on the list of 50? or how someone like George Bush can become a president .. NOOO games and TV! Freedom to stay DUMB!
Don’t agree? try to compare constitution app download vs. Angry birds :) did you try to find geography tutor? Spanish? music theory? any other fairly basic info required for everyday life? ex. home repair wiki (with diagrams for everyday Joe) etc.. and that’s just me pulling ideas our of my drunk ass at 2am.
grrrrrrr … just venting :)
Does clicking on the add generate money for the devs or do you have to buy the item for the dev to get a cut?
I cant click on them since im rooted with an adblocker.
I hate the placement of the ads in the upper right since the upgrade. I would buy an ad free version if they had it. Please Rovio, move the ads back to the original place in the bottom right.
@tim242: By you train of thought… if I have less money then you, then I should be able to take your work without paying.. since, relatively speaking “you have it well off and I barely make ends meet.”
Psh! LOL@Ad Revenue. This is why Ad-Free is so great!
I say good for devs making money on ads. This is 1 mill a month on current users of android too. This will be motivation for developers to make more high quality apps!
Please, don’t start “click my ads” campaigns. Junk clicks are as worthless as anything else. They many artificially generate revenue for a few for a short period, but it reduces the effectiveness of advertising and advertisers will just pay less till there’s no market in advertising. This is basically what happened at the end of the dotcom bubble (which I was involved in). If the ad is of interest to you, by all means, click and read what they have to offer. But don’t just click in the belief you’ll help the author out. As in the long run you won’t be.
Is anyone even aware that most of the phones that first downloaded the game can’t even playing it after the last update. These so called great devs can’t or won’t address the issue. They can claim as many as they want but I bet more than half has had to unistall or can’t play it.
@whap
“I say good for devs making money on ads. This is 1 mill a month on current users of android too. This will be motivation for developers to make more high quality apps!”
This is why I don’t run apps with ads removed when I can easily remove them. Help them make money so we can get more quality apps and more developers to Android.
They’re making a million per month, and you think they need so much more help. Sounds like Republican point of view. Let’s help the rich, and strain the poor. If it is a good app, they make money, be it from purchase or ad revenue. They don’t need or deserve these “help the dev” campaigns. Seems almost cult-like.
Oh, and these devs are selling your personal info to advertisers, without consent, or disclosure.
if you dont want the ads to appear in AB, put your phone in airplane mode before you start the game. ad free :)
if you hate ads go buy a fricken iphone. be glad most apps on android is free, and if you don’t like how much developers make go buy a fricken motorola razr.
I don’t know why people love to complain about the devs making money off ads. They deserve it for putting out such a great game and not charging you for it! Instead why not be grateful your not being charged for 90% of the apps you download the way Apple charges their customers. How do you think blogs and every other website online survive? ADS! (Let alone tv, newspaper, magazines, and countless other media) Its sad the way this younger generation feels they deserve everything for free, and than whine because a particular person/company is making millions. You want to make that kind of money, come up with an idea or product of your own. Its easier to do nothing and complain though right? /rant/
I couldn’t care less how much money they make. The point is, give us a choice to pay, rather than be forced to look at ads. I certainly don’t need sermans trying to convince me to click on ads. Bottom line, they’re making millions, and we have to deal with ads in an app, which drains battery even quicker. If they want to make money from me, it will be from the purchase of the app, not clicking on the damn annoying ads that drain my battery and get in the way of playing the damn game. /end rant
I agree Tim…I think a paid adfree version WOULD be nice but develepors know that way more people are going to download their app if its free, therefore putting more $ in their pocket by using them. Theres actually a ton of apps on the Market that dont offer paid/ad free versions. Personally they don’t bother me but I’ve got a 4″ screen so maybe that helps. Try putting your cell in airplane mode the ads won’t show up then.
Just a sidenote…there’s a free app called “Ad free android” that’ll block them all, the only catch is you have to be rooted.
Let’s also not promote blocking ads. If everyone blocked ads, every app would be paid. I know some will block ads, but lets not start a “block ads” campaign either. People, didn’t we learn anything from the dotcom bubble? Just keep stuff like “click ads to support the programmer” and “block ads” stuff to yourself. You’re not helping anyone in the long run by doing either.
Yeah, we’re stuck with annoying ads that get in the way and defeat the purpose. They’re stuck with millions of dollars. That’an exorbitant amount. The least they could do is offer paid and free. They are being greedy. I say don’t click, and block the damn things.
@tim242 not to start an fire war but you are speaking out of both sides of your mouth, you say “straining the poor” then give me a fee based program…sounds, like some of the programs are giving apps to people who other wise can’t afford additional software for their phones. Oh and I pretty much always vote republican….
I think they should just get rid of the Free version and have only Paid version. That way people won’t complain.
They should offer both. Did you not read all of my comments?
tim242, you brought it on yourself bringing up “Republican point of view” and the help the rich, screw the poor bs. If you have a great idea, take a risk to develop it, work your butt off, and make money, good on you. Everyone has the opportunity to do the same thing. The difference between a lot of people (and businesses) that fail and succeed is the part about working your butt off. Just because someone has it “well off” as you say, and you are trying to “make ends meet” doesn’t mean you are entitled to some of the other guy’s stuff. You have no idea what they had to go through in order to become “well off”.
That is a ton of cash, but at the end of the day WE are the ones that give it to them. Same thing with music stars and celebrities. If we weren’t willing to consume so much media, none of these people would be rich. Pretty much anyone who is complaining is jealous they THEY don’t have this same thing going for them.
By the way… someone is making money just because you loaded this page…
Again, I have no problem with them making money. I’m just saying that they should give me an option to not have to deal with ads. I’ll pay for the app, but will not click on ads, especially those that are in the way of my enjoyment of the app.
Who gives a crap how much Rovio is making off the game. How about the phandroid writers get their heads out of Rovio’s a$$es.
If you don’t like ads, simply don’t use the program. You have the option, the option to not use the program. While the designer has the option to do whatever they want when designing the game as well. Vote with your downloads.
Actually, I have two other options. One is to not click the ads. But, my choice is adfree. Works great : )
Clicking on ads may have little to do with it, they may be making money from just the impressions. Blocking ads is the suck-ass way to go. Don’t you realize you’re destroying the market by doing it? Imagine for example if everyone blocked all commercials on TV. Sounds great, till there’s no more OTA TV and your cable bill triples. Those who block ads love sausage.
TV ads (commercials) aren’t blocking my viewing. I actually like those. Now, if they covered up my shows, I’d have a problem.
Rovio is clueless. They placed the ads so they block gameplay. When you do that, you deserve to have your ads blocked.
Don’t they get a certain amount of money just from the ads being displayed, even if no-one clicks them?