Ten million downloads in ten days.  No matter what kind of online business you’re running, whether you’re offering software, music, or apps (just to name a few potential downloadable formats), this statement is bound to have you jumping for joy.  And that’s exactly what game-maker Rovio was probably doing after launching the latest edition of their Angry Birds game just a few short days ago.  The newest iteration of the game that inspires bird-a-pulting mayhem involves a team-up with the 20^th Century Fox film Rio, an upcoming animated feature about – you guessed it – birds.  And this match made in heaven could mean good things not only for Rovio, which has an IPO in the works, but also for the latest movie from Blue Sky Studios, the creators of Ice Age.  Here’s what you need to know about Angry Birds Rio.

If you have never played Angry Birds (available on many mobile platforms, such as iOS, Mac, and Android), then you should probably just crawl back under your rock and return to blissful ignorance.  This game is appealing and frustrating in equal measure; but whether you love it or hate it, you cannot deny that it is unfailingly addictive.  Once you pick up an iPhone and start launching those scowling birds at structures made of wood and glass with the murderous intent of crushing pig-heads, it’s all over.  You simply can’t put it down, no matter how many times you have to repeat a level in order to get the perfect trajectory and earn all three stars.

And then there’s Rio, coming to theaters April 15^th.  It is a movie about a blue macaw, aptly named Blu, who goes to the bustling Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro to woo what might be the only other remaining member of his breed, a beautiful female macaw named Jewel.  Along the way, he and his lady make a few colorful friends, stumble upon some black-market bird dealers, and fall in love.  Of course, only certain aspects of the movie match up with the game.  For example, the game (which covers 60 levels and two episodes, with episodic updates slated for release throughout the year) will include challenges that have players attacking the cockatoo, Nigel, who acts as a “collector” for the poachers, as well as freeing caged birds.  Pursuing macaw love?  Not really featured in the game.

Of course, it almost wouldn’t matter what Rovio put in their game, as long as it consisted of plenty of new levels for users to attack with their angry-bird menagerie.  And while A.B. Rio may be nothing more than a thinly veiled advertising campaign for the latest animated feature from 20^th Century Fox, it is a well-conceived plan that takes advantage of the current pop-culture zeitgeist surrounding this gaming phenomenon.   It almost makes you believe the execs over there know what they’re doing.  In any case, 10 million downloads don’t lie.  If you haven’t yet snatched up the latest iteration of the A.B. franchise for your smart phone, pick up your mobile and get it now.

Jamie Danielson is a writer for Jamaica Coffee where you can purchase and learn about coffee from the Blue Mountains.

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