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Top Selling iPhone App Flying High On 1-Year Anniversary

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) - People around the world were expected to flock to celebrations Saturday in honor of the one year anniversary of Angry Birds, Apple's top selling app in 2010.

KCBS' Margie Shafer Reports:

Some 12 million consumers purchased the 99-cent version of the Angry Birds app. Another 30 million downloaded the free version.

"It's almost a pop cultural phenomenon, which we haven't seen in the world of mobile apps before," Macworld editor Jason Snell.

For those who aren't familiar with the game, "angry birds" dish out revenge on the green pigs who stole the birds' eggs.

"And then on top of that they've got the nice graphics and the recognizable characters," added Snell. "And some game play that really works well on these touch screen mobile devices that we have, iPhones and iPads."

"Usually it's hardcore gamers who do things like replay levels until they get them perfect, but regular people are doing it. My kids play angry birds too," said Snell. "It's sort of soothing and challenging but not so challenging that you get too frustrated and give up."

Snell likened the Angry Birds sensation to the popularity of Pac-Man, suggesting there could be other marketing opportunities for the birds.

"If you become a hit app, especially on Apple Store right now which is where you see the most paid apps, it can become a huge moneymaker," he said. "People love that round, red bird and they'll be able buy one and put it under the Christmas tree."

Saturday, Angry Bird fans planned to honor the one year anniversary of the game. Some even dubbed it "Angry Birds Day."

The game was developed by a Finnish company, Rovio.

(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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