Rovio launches Angry Birds Free, independent of Chillingo

Though for many players there's an indelible link between Angry Birds and Chillingo, the now EA-owned publisher only retains rights for the original title on iOS and PSP.

As Rovio proved on Android, the developer is keen to foster the success for the franchise all on its own a focus that's behind the launch of Angry Birds Free on the App Store, free of Chillingo's Clickgamer branding.

Free for all

Playing out as an alternative demo to Clickgamer's Angry Birds Lite, which is still available, the Rovio branded Angry Birds Free sports 12 new levels, as well as a link to the full release on the App Store.

It also has in-game banner adverts.

Another sign of the title's independence is the lack of Chillingo's Crystal network, Rovio opting to employ Game Center alone, instead.

Its release follows the launch of Angry Birds Seasons back in October - a take on the franchise also published by Rovio alone, again pointing towards a future free of thirdparty influence.