Angry Birds Space becomes the first Xbox Windows Phone 8 game this week

By Paul Acevedo
last updated

With the news that Windows Phone 8 devices will officially launch this Friday, November 9th, it probably wouldn’t hurt for Microsoft to have a WP8 game available for users to purchase. It just so happens that this week’s Xbox Live release will require Windows Phone 8. Not only that, but it’s a pretty popular title: Angry Birds Space from Rovio Entertainment.

Lost in space

Angry Birds Space’s path to Windows Phone has been an interesting one. Just a few days before Rovio launched the game on iOS and Android, they basically declined to announce a Windows Phone version when asked.  This led to widespread speculation that Rovio was snubbing poor little Windows Phone 7. Sensing the bad press afoot, the developer officially announced a WP7 port on the iOS version’s launch day.

Fast-forward to October 27 and Angry Birds Space launched on Microsoft’s new PC and tablet OS, Windows 8. Code is highly portable between Windows 8 and WP8, hence Rovio chose to pass on Windows Phone 7, despite their previous announcement. Let’s hope WP8 also makes publishing updates easier, considering the original WP7 Angry Birds lagged behind every other version with only one meager upgrade to its name.

Break in your Lumias and 8Xes

Angry Birds Sp iOS

iOS version

While several Angry Birds titles that came out between the original and Space never made it to Windows Phone, Space is the first true sequel, making it worth the wait. Since the 150 included levels now take place in space, gravity no longer affects birds. They now fly in a straight line instead of downward. Some stages will have moons and other objects with their own gravity though, altering the dynamics of their puzzles. Two new bird types round out the list of improvements.

Angry Birds Space will cost 99 cents when it launches on Wednesday. Remember, you’ll need a Windows Phone 8 handset in order to play it. There will not be a Windows Phone 7 Xbox release this week.

Update: We were slightly misinformed about this week's release. WP7 does in fact get a release, Cut the Rope, for 99 cents.

Paul Acevedo
Paul Acevedo

Paul Acevedo is the Games Editor at Windows Central. A lifelong gamer, he has written about videogames for over 15 years and reviewed over 350 games for our site. Follow him on Twitter @PaulRAcevedo. Don’t hate. Appreciate!

74 Comments
  • Tired with Angry Birds seriously
  • Absolutely, same s#!t different colour.
  • I'm not excited for it either, but anything that helps the WP ecosystem I'm happy with.
  • I'm with you on this. I'm tired of it too. But if it helps shut the haters, then so be it. One app at a time.
  • I am more excited about cut the rope.
  • I might get it for achievements.
  • It's easier to port games to WP8 and the Adreno 205 on WP7 is very weak. WP7 users should get used to it.
  • I don't get why people are so hung up on that game. She Wp7 came out Android users were bashing WP because we did not have angry birds. I played it and the other versions but it's all the same I don't get it.
  • Then screw the birds and get Cut The Rope on XBL for WP7 for only $1.
  • Checking off the boxes.
     
  • Nice 99 cent sweet deal!
  • Happy for those who were waiting on this, but I never understood the mania behind angry birds.
  • It is meant for people who's mobile devices are boring and cannot do much. So they end up playing Angry Birds to kill time.
  • WP7 User lose!!!!
  • Well, not looking good for WP7, already being left out.
  • Its just 1 game. There is obviously going to be games and apps that are exclusive. But wp7 won't get dropped by majority of developers. Remember we are there to make money so dropping wp7 support this early on just doesn't make sense for general developers.
  • If that were the case _and_ it would be so easy, you'd think Rovio would have just coded this for Space, especially since the other games are available for WP7.
     
    But no, this is either to push adoption of WP8, or a harbinger of what's going to happen to WP7 users.  I'm not sure which is worse.
  • I'm pretty sure that most cross-platform games will be WP8-only from now on. It is just a common sense for developers - instead of spending months rewriting game in C# and obsolete XNA they are much more likely to go for easier option of C++ and DirectX.
  • #switchtononfragmentedos
  • This is exactly what I thought would happen. I wonder if there will ever be a windows phone 7 Xbox release again. Early adopters got shafted hard.
  • I think the same thing.
  • sooner or later we are all going to switch to wp8
  • Sooner or later we'll all switch ... Not necessarily to WP8 though. I don't know if I could if I get screwed over hard enough as a WP7 customer.
  • early adopters are at the end of their 24month cycle. And therefore have not been "shafted", hard or otherwise. Late comers who new all along that there was a possibility that WP8 would not be backwards compatible, have to take some responsibility themselves.
    And no, I have 6mths left on my contract.
  • like, seriously?  Angry Birds was so, like, two years ago.  OH EM GEE!
    You guys are haters.  Angry Birds  is the bomb dot com.
  • I'm glad I don't really care for angry birds..
  • Oh no.
  • Angry birds space is pretty cool actually
  • I love Angry Birds, though sometimes it just seems like my birds are midley disgruntled...oh, WP8 only...Well F you, you Mismanored Fowl!
  • Sweet picky it up Wednesday!!
  • I'm not excited for it,because I don't like this game
  • Sell that WP7 quickly while resale values are still good.
  • http://www.wpcentral.com/nokia-reveals-upcoming-exclusive-apps-and-games... So the exclusivity fell through then?
  • Someone can confirm to me that on the middle of the year Nokia formed a partnership with Rovio to bring ALL the Angry Birds games to all the Lumias??? Honestly, I don't trust in Microsoft and Nokia anymore. Not only because this, but for all the things that is happening... Can someone answer me why launch new phones with WP7.x , like the Lumia 510 and others that will come, if no one new, like games and apps, will be released to they??? To me, MS and Nokia, are playing jokes with their consumers...
  • I agree with you
  • Why are you upset? It's great that Angry Birds is available to all W8 OEM's. It makes W8 stronger. Exclusive crap is bad for the ecosystem.
  • Amen!
  • Because the people that buy devices like the Luimia 510 (in developing countries) dont really care about apps.
  • You're wrong. People that buy this want at least the games that their friends are playing in other platforms, like Angry Birds. And they want Instagram too. I know because a live in a developing country. My friends doesn't buy a windows phone because that. Either the first Angry Birds isn't available for tango devices yet!!!
  • I thought this game was going for $4.99?? Well, if it's only 99 cents, I may download it for my Lumia 810 I'm getting next week.
  • Boo! Not that I like AB Space, had it on my iPhone and never really played it, but does this mean AB Star Wars is only going to be on WP8? Yeah, I plan to get a 920 but not till March :(
  • Yes, Angry Birds Star Wars will amost certainly be a WP8 title.
  • boy this would be great if i could actually buy a WP8 device
  • The end of vaporware on WP! Yay!
  • Now we need to stop getting stiffed on tv adds that say on Apple Store & Google Play... I hate when they do that, as if there's no other platforms out there...
  • ok this is bye bye wp for me.....
  • Huh? WP gets Angry Birds and that causes you to leave? I fail to understand how that makes a lick of sense.
  • Wp8 gets new game. Wp7 gets nothing. It doesn't matter what game it is. The main reason i switched to wp was the xbox live games and seeing how wp7 gets pushed aside is something i really hates. Make sense now?
  • Then get wp8 and stop complaining. Make sense?
  • :D yes everyone can afford that. Running to nearest store...
  • It makes perfect sense. His platform of choice is being end-of-lifed by Microsoft just months after it was being promoted to new buyers as "the end of the smartphone beta test".
    Sure, the phone will continue to work, but pretending that new apps don't matter is ignoring every complaint about WP7 since it was released.
    I understand why Microsoft choose to screw it's consumers. It was probably the right choice for them. But if I was one of those consumers I would probably give up on the WP promise and go to something established.
  • Angry Birds Star Wars... will likely be my first game on WP8. I am not a birds fan, but a HUGE SW fan. WP8 needs titles like this to shine. And with the changes MS have done to ALL of their OS's, I think we will be getting ALL of the great apps/games that those other OS's do. Finally... it's been a long enough wait.
  • What about the star wars sequel? When is that going to come out? -_-
  • Both angry birds space an cut the rope are out now on wp8
  • Cut The Rope is a WP7 game actually ;-)
  • Yeeey:) love this game:)
  • Ok so I just paid 4€ for Angry Birds Space on my Surface. Despite the shared kernel and ecosystem, I'm probably going to have to spend an extra euro to get it on WP8. Microsoft would be wise in allowing some form of shared purchasing. After all, most changes from W8 to WP8 are a handful of lines of code.
  • Even if they'd allow it - most developers would not use it. All Rovio games have separate versions for phones and tablets you have to buy separately.
  • Yeah but it still suck balls that you have to purchace the app twice... I mean it is the same app, and the money paying from it is from the same wallt lol. I like that I could use the apps on my Gnex and Iconia a500... that said I still ordered a Lumia 920 :-D
  • It's not really the same app - it is a different build with different sizes of graphics, it had to be tested separately, etc.
  • " All Rovio games have separate versions for phones and tablets you have to buy separately."
     
    Not on Android, no.  
  • But that's the reason why Android tablets are crap. They run the mobile apps, just streched to fit an higher resolution screen, without any optimizations for the bigger screen.
  • I love Angry Birds.
  • I've bought this for Windows 8, will I need to rebuy for Windows Phone 8?
  • Yes.
  • Groan, I guessed it would be so, but with the tight intergration between W8 and WRT, I hoped maybe it would be the same with WP8
  • Why only for WP8...?
    I was hoping that this title will be for WP7 too at least... There's no plan for a WP7 release?
    Ok, the WP8 version it's a great thing but they promised us in June that a version for WP7 was on its way....
    Today as been released Cut the rope for WP7...  A little positive thing...
  • At least let's hope that the WP8 games will always be up to date with new levels and stuff! When i log in to buy cut the rope (Region:Greece) the game simply disapears :(
  • Actually we received cut the rope for wp7 today
  • Is cut the rope available for all WP7.5 devices or is it a nokia exclusive??
    I own an HTC Radar so please let me know! :)
  • We received cut the rope today! :D but no trial :S
  • It's worth the price, don't need a trial.
  • cut the rope is fun. Good buy. What about star wars? Next week? Not that I care. Don't have wp8
  • Meh. Still no Xbox Live for a lot of markets like the Philippines. -_-