No Angry Birds For Windows Phone 7 In 2010
This may make you sad, but there is nearly no chance that Windows Phone 7 users will be able to enjoy some Angry Birds fun on their phones this year. — Despite previous rumors to the contrary, we have confirmed that indeed Windows Phone 7 will not get the app.
Context & Ripple Effects
This confirmation closes out an argument that started at launch: in October 2010 Rovio said Microsoft jumped the gun by listing Angry Birds among Windows Phone 7 titles, insisting it was 'not committed' to the platform. The Next Web now reports that after checking with the developer, no 2010 release is coming — the rumor is formally denied.
That leaves Microsoft's just-launched platform heading into its first holiday season without the single hottest game in mobile, while iOS and Android carry it — an early test of whether app catalogs alone can sink a well-funded new entrant.
First-order effects
- Windows Phone 7 buyers shopping this holiday season cannot get Angry Birds on any device, and Rovio's stated position remains non-committal rather than a scheduled port.
Second-order effects
- Microsoft is left recruiting substitute titles and developers to paper over the marquee-game gap at retail, where handsets are being compared directly against iPhone and Android lineups shelf by shelf.
Third-order effects
- If flagship third-party apps keep deciding launch-window credibility, new operating systems will need guaranteed day-one commitments from top studios before shipping — turning marquee app exclusivity into a structural gate on platform entry.
The trend: Smartphone platform competition is shifting from hardware specs to marquee third-party app availability as the deciding factor for new OS entrants.