Angry Birds Dev Fights Back against Nintendo

The war of words between Nintendo and Rovio Mobile continues, and there seems to be no end in sight. Granted, Nintendo’s war is more against mobile gaming in general than any particular developer, but Rovio has continuously supported the platform. This time, the Angry Birds developer took a shot at the pricing of Nintendo titles, calling them “$49 pieces of plastic.”

In an interview with MCV, Rovio boss Peter Vesterbacka stated that he appreciated Nintendo’s concern because it meant that Rovio and Angry Birds were succeeding in posing a threat to the gaming industry. “It’s interesting to see people like Nintendo saying smartphones are destroying the games industry,” Vesterback said. “Of course, if I was trying to sell $49 pieces of plastic to people then yes, I’d be worried too. But I think it’s a good sign that people are concerned–because from my point of view, we’re doing something right.”

Nintendo reps such as Satoru Iwata, Hideki Konno, and Reggie Fils-Aime have stressed that they’re not worried about mobile gaming–they just feel that it is having a negative impact on the industry. Vesterbacka, however, obviously refuses to believe that Nintendo isn’t worried. It’s impossible to know how Nintendo really feels about the matter, but one thing’s certain: The folks over at the Big N don’t appreciate mobile games all that much.

This little debacle really needs to end. Both sides cater to a specific type of person, and in some cases, they offer a game for everyone. Mobile gaming offers quick and easy titles for people on the go, while Nintendo offers deeper gaming experiences on the Wii, DS, and now the 3DS. For a long time now Nintendo has focused on innovation, be it motion controls, touch screen controls, or stereoscopic 3D visuals without the use of glasses. Rovio, however, is intent on providing individuals with smaller games, offering people who are often away from home or just don’t fancy bigger console games something to enjoy.

Quite frankly, I can’t wait until the cease fire between the two companies.