Setting the App Standard

More than any other game, Angry Birds is responsible for the public perception that app designer is one of the hottest jobs on the planet right now. Videogames were always creeping towards the status of Hollywood blockbusters, but with budgets to match. Angry Birds — despite the harsh and difficult reality of its birth — looks simple to the outside observer. In part it’s the deceptive accessibility of this game design that has inspired so many others to give the App Store a shot. It’s also elevated the games programmer to a status of social acceptability that has historically escaped them. We have the exploding birds to thank.

Angry Birds seems like a romantic story of easy success, but it’s not.