Angry Birds maker soars into lawsuit with Lodsys over patent violation

Golly, what have the Angry Birds crashed their impervious beaks into now? Oh ... really? That's a bummer. The Telegraph reports that Rovio, the Finnish developer of the infamous Angry Birds games, is facing a patent violation lawsuit from Lodsys. The Texan company alleges that Rovio has violated a patent filed by Lodsys regarding how players purchase levels from within the game.

According to the Telegraph, the control of this alleged in-app payment system has limited several European game developers from launching stateside, but not Rovio. The developer sells millions daily on everything from purchases of the game to Angry Birds plush dolls.

So, it's understandable why a company with such a patent would want to probe that a bit. In fact, the Telegraph reports that the lawsuit has scared lots of European mobile game developers from the US App Store.

Angry Birds Valentine's Edition images leak, can't contain the cute

Angry Birds Cloud Ship
We all knew that a Valentine's Day Edition of Angry Birds was in transit, but this is our first glimpse at what the game will look like, thanks to All Things Digital. It won't take longer than a few seconds to notice the hefty amount of cute that Rovio has packed into the version of the game. ATD predicts this version will launch next week in the Apple App Store and Android Marketplace as an update to the Angry Birds Seasons game that's out right now.

Angry Birds Valentines home page
The gameplay will likely remain unchanged, so what we're dealing with is essentially a palette swap. However, some new winged pig enemies seem to make an appearance as well as some new shapes to deal with like glass hearts and cloud tree houses. There are also new items to collect, heart-shaped candies, in replace of golden eggs.

Fans might soon begin to complain that not much has changed in three versions of the game (and one on the way). And they're absolutely right. But isn't it the bite-sized, challenging and engaging gameplay along with adorably angry avian noises that we've come to love? Rovio called, it says thank you in advance for the $.99.

Cloud Treehouse

Heart Glass

[Via and Image Credit: Mashable]

Check out the rest of our Valentine's Day coverage right here.

Clarins looks to beautify Facebook with Spa Life, its first social game

Is it only a matter time now before mom pants get their own Facebook game? Clarins, a well-known French brand of beauty products, recently released its own Facebook game, Spa Life. The game doesn't stray far away from games like Cafe World or Restaurant City, but applies the same principles to managing a spa rather than an eatery. Developed by Freshplanet, Spa Life has players managing an influx of customers looking for everything from a "mani-pedi" to facials and more.

Of course, just like its inspirations, players can decorate, upgrade and add new services to their spa. But players can only do this if they serve their terribly impatient customers in time to make the most cash from them. And in true Facebook game fashion, players can always buy their way out of waiting for the next upgrade with Facebook Credits.

According to Mashable, Clarins's North American CEO Jonathan Zrihen saw Facebook as a golden opportunity to reach its audience. And considering we all know by now that the average Facebook gamer is a middle-aged mother, he's probably right on the money. "I knew about the craziness of Zynga games, but I didn't realize the demographic was so much in line with the demographics of our products," Zrihen told Mashable. "I was also impressed by the level of engagement these games create."

Yes, this is yet another branded game, though it's odd that players aren't inundated with the brand until much later in the game. Another interesting nod is that Spa Life attempts to use your friends' names as customers to add more social awareness to the game. Building off of that, you'll need plenty more friends to run your various services, just like you need them to staff buildings in CityVille.
Spa Life in action
Branded games are exploding on Facebook. In fact, studios like Ecko|Code are focusing all of their efforts on creating games for brands such as Showtime shows like Weeds and Dexter. Facebook game developers like Zynga and Playdom have integrated brands into their games for awhile through promotions, it's only recently that they've begun to build games around a single brand.

For instance, it looks as if Adventure World will become Zynga's first game to completely embrace a brand. In October, the game will become "Adventure World: An Indiana Jones Game" with the help of Lucasfilm. Sure, original games will continue to release, but I wouldn't be surprised if we see less of them moving forward.

Click here to Play Spa Life on Facebook Now >

Are you a Clarins fan--enough to check out this Facebook game? What do you think of branded games on Facebook and the fact that they're growing? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment