Angry Birds dev "will not use Chillingo again"
Rovio confirms iPhone hit not part of EA buyout, and disputes need for publishers
Rovio Mobile, developer of Angry Birds, has clarified that new EA acquisition Chillingo holds no rights to the iPhone hit.
EA confirmed it was to buy Chillingo last night, with unconfirmed estimates putting the deal at $20 million.
Despite confusion amongst some media outlets, the takeover does not include any Rovio properties. Chillingo's role in Angry Birds was purely to provide publishing and distribution support for the catapult game's initial iPhone and iPad releases.
Rovio self-published the recent Android and Nokia ports of the 6.5 million-selling game, and claims it sees no need for third-party assistance in future.
"We will not use Chillingo again," Rovio boss Peter Vesterbacka told TechCrunch."You don't need publishers," he argued.
The company also spent last night correcting media reports that it was part of the EA deal via Twitter.
Rovio is self-publishing iOS follow-up Angry Birds Hallowe'en, which launched yesterday.
EA's interest in Chillingo appears to focus on its knack for spotting promising iOS games (such as Angry Birds and current App Store chart-topper Cut The Rope), and the Crystal mobile multiplayer and community tech featured in all its titles.