20M downloads doesn’t necessarily make Angry Birds 2 a success

Developer Rovio has stormed back onto the mobile app stores with a new Angry Birds (our review) and a new business model, but that doesn’t guarantee it millions in revenue even as it racks up millions of downloads.

Angry Birds 2 isn’t a money-making machine like some other top mobile games that have a similar number of downloads, according to market-intelligence firm SuperData Research. Yes, gamers have already downloaded the free-to-play app more than 20 million times, and that’s a strong first step. But those downloads have not converted into a critical mass of player spending. It isn’t among the top grossing apps on iOS or Android, where some games make as much as $1 billion every year as part of the $30 billion mobile gaming market.