Here’s a major win for Amazon’s upcoming Appstore for Android: Rovio, the company behind the blockbuster “Angry Birds” game franchise, announced this morning that Amazon will be the exclusive Android channel for introducing the upcoming sequel “Angry Birds Rio,” meaning that the game won’t be available in the Android Market, at least not initially.
“The Android platform has seen phenomenal growth, and it’s great that new avenues for app distribution are opening up,” said Mikael Hed, CEO of Rovio, in the announcement. “The openness of the Android platform works for the benefit of consumers and developers alike. It has been delightful to team up with Amazon to bring the Angry Birds franchise to this great new application marketplace.”
Fortune’s Seth Weintraub says the decision should “serve as a wake up call for Google’s Android Market.”
The new game, a tie-in to a Hollywood movie called Rio, is scheduled for release this month.
Angry Birds Rio will be available separately for Apple iOS devices.
