Rovio's Angry Birds Space Coming To Windows Phone, Says CEO

* Rovio dismisses reports it has ignored WP

* Says working on Angry Birds Space for WP, launch date not set

HELSINKI, March 23 (Reuters) - Rovio is working on getting its new Angry Birds Space game to Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 platform (WP7), its chief executive said on Friday, putting Nokia and other Windows phones more on a par with the iPhone.

"We are working towards getting Angry Birds Space to WP7," Rovio Chief Executive Mikael Hed told Reuters, dismissing earlier media reports that the top gaming firm was dumping the platform.

Hed, however, said the launch date was not set.

Rovio's games are topping sales charts on all key platforms and reports that the gaming company was shying away from the Windows Phone was seen as a major blow to Nokia's strategy to shift to use it in all its smartphones.

After Hed's comments to Reuters, Nokia shares were 0.6 percent higher at 3.97 euros by 1516 GMT.

"We are working closely together with Nokia to bring our games to their platforms," Hed said. "Our mutual goal is to bring the best possible experience to our fans, including all fans using Windows Phone devices."

The Finnish start-up behind the world's most downloaded mobile game has been valued at up to $9 billion little more than two years after it first launched Angry Birds for Apple's iPhone.

The game has been downloaded more than 700 million times, and is the fastest-growing game on Facebook.

Comments

[farleft1917]

10:43 AM on 03/26/2012

Angry Birds determines if a customer buys a Windows smart phone?

[lurkinman]

09:45 AM on 03/26/2012

This should make the dozens of people that own a Windows Phone very happy.

[anthonytaurus]

03:13 AM on 03/26/2012

Angry Birds sucks. Where's Wormz? Now that's a fun game.

[Pectin]

11:52 AM on 03/25/2012

"'Angry Birds Space' Isn't Avoiding Microsoft's Windows Phone"

No, but people are.

[Ryan DeJonghe]

09:32 AM on 03/26/2012

I picked up a Windows Phone and LOVE it. This is after having an iPhone and my wife having a Droid. The phone runs fast, is stable, and gets me what I fast and easy.

[MichaelAKD]

01:16 PM on 03/24/2012

last week stories based on research done on apps that use the most battery power, energy vampires another way to put it, came out in mass. they all focused on the single biggest culprit to battery drain, free apps with ads. all those apps that you get for "free", well like the old saying goes nothing in life is free, couldn't be more true in this instance be it apps for phones or tablets. the "free" apps suck your battery dry like having two or three paid apps running at the same time. why? because they are constantly hitting up the server, switching and pulling adds and that is what consumes all that extra power. phones/tablets that had all "free" apps went dark 2-3 hours sooner than those loaded with paid apps. last but not least, the worst of the worst, angry birds space. rovio says they are aware of it and have stated they are trying to reduce the "free" versions power needs, regardless after reading that i went ahead and removed the free version and paid the two bucks to get the version that won't drain my battery dry after a few hours. so fre apps aren't so free, they cost in the long run. just add up all the extra power you need over the course of a year for example for the ads and we really weren't saving much if anything, free apps suck, energy that is.

[Turukano]

08:08 AM on 03/24/2012

I address you tonight not as the President of the United States, not as the leader of a country, but as a citizen of humanity. We are faced with the very gravest of challenges. The Bible calls this day "Armageddon"-the end of all things. And yet, for the first time in the history of the planet, a species has the technology to prevent its own extinction. All of you praying with us need to know that everything that can be done to prevent this disaster is being called into service. The human thirst for excellence, knowledge, every step up the ladder of science, every adventurous reach into space, all of our combined modern technologies and imaginations, even the wars that we've fought have provided us the tools to wage this terrible battle. Through all the chaos that is our history, through all of the wrong and the discord, through all of the pain and suffering, through all of our times, there is one thing that has nourished our souls, and elevated our species above its origins, and that is our courage. The dreams of an entire planet are focused tonight on those fourteen brave souls traveling into the heavens. And may we all, citizens the world over, see these events through. God speed, and good luck to you.

[eilish]

07:08 PM on 03/23/2012

I confess, I need a 12 step plan - one that gets 3 stars.