iPhone smash 'Angry Birds' takes flight on Android

Casual game developer Rovio Mobile introduced Angry Birds Lite Beta, a free edition of its blockbuster iPhone application optimized for smartphones running Google's Android mobile OS. "Please note that this will be the beta version of the application, which is still undergoing final testing before official release," writes Rovio Mobile VP of public relations Ville Heijari on the firm's blog. "Angry Birds Lite Beta is presented on an 'as is' basis, and we cannot guarantee its functionality on every Android device." The Android release follows about nine months after Rovio first launched Angry Birds via Apple's App Store--the title is also available for download from Nokia's Ovi Store and the Palm App Catalog.

Angry Birds consistently ranks among the App Store's top-selling paid applications, reportedly generating 6.5 million downloads at 99 cents each--the puzzle game, which brings to life the epic battle between a flock of vengeful birds and the green pigs who stole their eggs, boasts 180 gameplay levels, leaderboards, achievements and social media integration. Last month, Rovio told Variety it plans to extend the title to the BlackBerry smartphone platform as well as handheld gaming devices like Nintendo's DS and Sony's PSP Go. The company also is pitching an Angry Birds animated film to Hollywood producers.

For more on Angry Birds for Android:
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