There’s probably no need to remind you that Angry Birds has over 40 million monthly active users. Or that Finland-based Rovio just closed a $42 million round with Accel Partners and Atomico to develop internationally and launch the game on PC and video game consoles. The game that inspired Loic Le Meur’s costume at LeWeb has generated over 2 million just through selling plush toys.
But what if you’re just plain old tired of Angry Birds? What if you’re looking for the opposite of the game that’s been a raging success? Well, if that just so happens to be the case, you can take your anger out on those no-good birds with What a Stupid Pigeon. Developed by French companies Antvoice and Adictiz, the game lets you drop-kick pigeons as far as you can. Users naturally gain points for distance and – unlike Angry Birds – for avoiding obstacles. And while this game is currently only available on Facebook, I can see kicking pigeons being a wildly popular activity on a touch screen.
The English version of What a Stupid Pigeon currently counts some 106K users and the French version counts roughly twice as many. Antvoice currently has developed 22 different Facebook applications – the most popular being the Mood Weather Report with 2.1 million users in 4 languages. To make a quick comparison, French social gaming success Kobojo’s hit game Goobox counts only 200K more users. The majority of the applications published by Antvoice are available in 4 languages and the French market represents 30% of the total user base.
Like many social games, Antvoice’s business model is based primarily on the sale of virtual goods. For games like What a Stupid Pigeon, users can buy accessories and objects used to “battle” their friends. The company currently generates 80% of its revenue through the sale of virtual goods, processed via Allopass’s micropayment solution. Regardless of whether or not you decide to make an in-app purchase, don’t hesitate to get even with those Angry Birds and kick some lame, virtual pigeons.
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