To celebrate the release of the new animated feature-length comedy The Angry Birds Movie - a film based on the hugely popular and record-breaking app series Angry Birds - Guinness World Records has picked out ten of the best record achievements related to our furious feathered friends.
1. First app to sell movie rights
On May 15 2013, Rovio Entertainment (the company which created the app) entered into a marketing and distribution agreement with Sony Pictures Entertainment for The Angry Birds Movie. Released globally this week, Angry Birds is officially the first ever app to be turned into a film.
2. First mobile game series to reach 1 billion downloads
The app made its debut in 2009 and by 9 May 2012, Rovio announced its Angry Birds game series had racked up a staggering total of one billion downloads, making it the first mobile game franchise to cross the impressive milestone. The total included combined download stats for Angry Birds (December 2009), Angry Birds Seasons (October 2010), Angry Birds Rio (March 2011) and Angry Birds Space (March 2012).
3. Highest total score in Angry Birds (iOS)
The gamer “to mock a mockingbird” sat perched atop the Angry Birds iOS leaderboards on the AngryBirdsNest website, with a total score of 53,618,360 as of 19 June 2014. This tally includes top scores in all eight original episodes of Angry Birds.
4. Most watched Angry Birds YouTube video
With 110,195,650 views as of 17 March 2015, "Angry Birds & The Mighty Eagle" (uploaded by Finland's Rovio Entertainment on 10 September 2010) is the most watched Angry Birds video on YouTube. Rovio created the 1-minute 45-second animation to showcase its Mighty Eagle character, who made his Angry Birds debut in December 2010. This also makes it the most watched gaming app trailer to date.
By the 12 May 2016, the video had racked up an incredible 117,411,740 views.
5. Most theme parks based on a videogame
As of 22 February 2016, there were 11 official fun parks based on the feathery app stars Angry Birds. Two of them can be found in the UK, while China, Malaysia, Russia and Spain each have one. The rest can be found in Finland – home to Angry Birds creator Rovio – with the biggest located at the Särkänniemi Adventure Park.
6. Best-selling paid-for iPhone app
In May 2013, Apple published a list of the top 25 most purchased iPhone apps of all time. Flying high in the number one spot was Angry Birds (Rovio, 2009).
7. Largest game of Angry Birds
To welcome Finnish viewers to his show, and in a reference to the Finnish nationality of Angry Birds’ developer Rovio, the 3 March 2011 edition of the American talkshow hosted by Conan O’Brien featured a man-sized real-life version of Angry Birds in his studio set. The game was recreated by the show’s production staff and featured obstacles made from furniture, while inflatable balls were used to represent the game’s birds and pigs.
8. First official videogame merchandise shop
When Rovio opened its Angry Birds shop in Helsinki, Finland, in November 2011, it became the first shop to sell official merchandise from a single gaming franchise.
9. Highest total score in Angry Birds Space “Eggsteroids” (PC)
There are 14 bonus Eggsteroid levels in Angry Birds Space that can only be visited by finding Golden Eggsteroids within the main game. On 10 May 2013, Germany's Hendrik “Nintendo S.T.A.R.” Bunde set his final record of 77, 830 points on level E-08 to rack up a top total score of 1,092,235 for all Eggsteroid stages combined.
