Angry-bird maker Rovio has shown that it’s more than a one-trick pony with the release today of Amazing Alex, a physics game that perhaps draws on the original trajectory physics of those annoyed Birds. This time, the game centers around whiz kid Alex and his creations, where players set up objects to bounce, pop, ricochet, bash, and crash into each other and thus create a device to move around 100 or so levels. The other thing Rovio hopes it will create is a new games franchise and an additional justification for its potential $9 billion IPO next year. Oh yes.
Amazing Alex is available on iPhone, iPad and Android and will also come to PCs, Macs and Windows Phones. Fans will also be able to create and upload their own levels.
The move confirms CEO Mikael’s statement earlier this year they they would start releasing non-Angry Birds titles.
Angry Birds has been downloaded over a billion times, leading Rovio to expand into toys, board games, playground sets and various other products. An animated movie is also in the works.
In 2011 Rovio reported profits of $48 million before tax, up from $10 million in 2010.
There’s an irony in that if Rovio goes public for $9 billion it could end up being bigger than Nokia’s valuation, which is plummeting right now. Once again, as we’ve point out before, the apps and the games are now often outshining the devices they are played on.