SEGA has announced its plans to acquire the mobile developer, Rovio, in a whopping $775 million deal. That’s €706 million, or £625 million, over in Europe.
]]>Sega might be acquiring Angry Birds developer Rovio for a surprisingly large sum of $1 billion, closing the deal as early as next week.
]]>Rovio has announced Angry Birds have come to Minecraft via a new adventure DLC.
]]>The Angry Birds Movie 2 is, apparently, actually pretty good - but not a lot of people went to see it on opening weekend.
]]>Rovio Entertainment and US rock band Imagine Dragons have joined together to fight paediatric cancer in a new in-game event, Angry Birds x Imagine Dragons, in Angry Birds Match from now until September 25, 2018.
]]>Rovio, the developer and publisher of everything Angry Birds, has lost half of its market value after a lower-than-expected profits forecast.
]]>This article first appeared on USgamer, a partner publication of VG247. Some content, such as this article, has been migrated to VG247 for posterity after USgamer's closure - but it has not been edited or further vetted by the VG247 team.
]]>The Angry Birds Movie might not be absolute utter stinking heaving writhing puking undead bollocks - or then again, it might be. Who knows?
]]>Finnish mobile giant Rovio has completed its announced job cuts.
]]>A teaser video for the Angry Birds film has been released, and you can watch it below.
]]>Rovio Entertainment has announced another round of layoffs bringing the total number to 370 within a year.
]]>The Angry Birds train cannot be stopped.
]]>Gaming is one of YouTube's most lucrative categories, but the top-watched videos are not what we were expecting.
]]>Angry Birds developer Rovio saw a massive drop-off in profits over the past financial year. Has the mobile games bubble burst?
]]>Angry Birds: Transformers is a thing, and Rovio's first artwork has been revealed for all to see.
]]>Angry Birds Star Wars 2: Rise of the Clones is a new free update that's available on iOS now. Thanks Rovio.
]]>Boomlagoon, the Helsinki-based game development studio founded by former Angry Birds creators, has raised $3.6 million in funding which will aid the studio in the development of mobile titles.
]]>Angry Birds studio Rovio has posted its earnings report for financial year 12/13, flagging a 2.5% increase in revenue year-on-year. However, CFO Herkko Soininen called 2013 a "foundation-building year" that will allow the firm space to expand and grow moving forward.
]]>Angry Birds Epic has been announced by Rovio after teasing the game last week. The game is turn-based RPG with a crafting system which allows players to create armor, weapons and potions from items earned in-game or through microtransactions. The game will be soft-launched in Australia and Canada this week on iOS, after which it will release worldwide on Android, iOS and Windows Phone 8. Via Kotaku.
]]>Rovio is teasing a new Angry Birds game with a medieval theme, according to a really short video posted on YouTube.
]]>Angry Birds developer Rovio has teased a major announcement related to the phenomenally popular franchise.
]]>Rovio's Angry Birds was just one of several applications named under scrutiny by NSA and GCHQ surveillance, but the developer has denied any involvement in the alleged data capture.
]]>Angry Birds is reportedly among a new wave of apps eligible for data capture by America's National Security Agency and Britain's Government Communications Headquarters.
]]>Angry Birds has achieved a whopping 2 billion downloads in the four years since it captured the casual market, Rovio has revealed.
]]>Angry Birds developer Rovio has around 800 staff, but less than half of them are working on games. That's the claim of executive vice president of games Jami Laes, who has commented on the company's expansion into entertainment.
]]>This article first appeared on USgamer, a partner publication of VG247. Some content, such as this article, has been migrated to VG247 for posterity after USgamer's closure - but it has not been edited or further vetted by the VG247 team.
]]>Angry Birds: Star Wars has been rated by the ESRB for PS4 and Xbox One in North America, via Joystiq. The listing follows the game being mentioned for the consoles on the Gamefly website back in August. Barazil's ratings board, Classificacao Indicativa, listed the title for both systems back in the summer as well. Until it's announced, you can always pick the game up on 3DS, PC, PS3, Vita, Wii U and Xbox 360 next week on October 29. Angry Birds Star Wars 2 is available on PC and mobile.
]]>Former Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello said during his talk at the Gaming Insiders Summit that game brands need to be consistent like Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto, and FIFA but brands also need to innovate and it can be done without the need for adding Star Wars skins or stuffed toys like Rovio did with Angry Birds - in his opinion.
]]>In other Angry Birds news, Rovio Entertainment, has announced that the Angry Birds Trilogy will be released on PS Vita through the PlayStation Store tomorrow in Europe for €39.99/£34.99. The trilogy includes Angry Birds, Angry Birds Seasons and Angry Birds Rio with over 700 levels and new features, like making your own Angry Birds tunes. Check out the PS Blog for more information.
]]>Angry Birds Star Wars has a new multiplayer trailer and screens available for you to gawk at below. We've only posted the Wii U boxart because they all look the same, barring the logos of course. The game will be made available October 29th for 3DS PS3, Vita, Xbox 360, Wii and Wii U.
]]>Angry Birds fans rejoice: its developer has released Rovio Account globally on Android and iOS devices. Creating a Rovio Account allows you to sync progress between devices, that way if you are playing on your Android phone, you can continue playing on your iPad without losing any stars, levels, or extra powers you may have purchased. At present, the cloud-based system is only available through the original Angry Birds and The Croods, but other titles from the firm are planned for inclusion soon. More through the link.
]]>To celebrate the fifth birthday of its App Store, Apple has disclosed a list of its best-selling iOS game and app releases to date. There are no prizes for guessing which game currently rules the roost. Apple is also giving away a selection free games from today.
]]>Writer of America's adaptation of The Office Jon Vitti has signed on to pen the Angry Birds movie adaptation, currently slated for a July 1, 2016 theatrical release. Producer Catherine Winder has also joined the team.
]]>Not content with an animated TV series, Rovio has signed a deal with Sony Pictures to bring Angry Birds to the silver screen.
]]>Rovio has announced Rovio Account, which allows users store your game progress and continue playing games on another device. This will allow you to continue playing on your tablet once you get home from the office and have put your mobile away. It also works for homes with multiple users on one device. So far, the new feature is available in The Croods game globally, and in the classic Angry Birds game on iOS in Finland and Poland. Rovio Account will gradually be introduced into more areas in the future along with new features.
]]>As the App Store heads towards the magical 50 billion download figure, Apple has released a list of the top 50 apps of all time - both paid and free.
]]>Rovio has released its financial report for 2012, which showed a revenue increase of 101% to €152.2 million ($195.1 million), compared to €75.6 million ($96.8 million) year-over-year. Net profit came in at €55.5 million ($71.1 million) compared to €35.4 million ($45.4 million) year-over-year. The firm's Angry Birds franchise, as of December 2012, had hit 1 billion downloads and MAU across all platforms were 263 million. The total number of Rovio game downloads had hit over 1.7 billion, and studio now employs 518 people, up from 224 reported in 2011. Thanks, Gamespot.
]]>The Angry Birds cartoon series will debut next month, Rovio has announced. Starting on March 16, each week, a new episode featuring the latest adventures of the birds and the piggies will debut online through the official website. Bookmark it now if you're interested. A teaser video is below.
]]>Activision and Rovio have announced that the Angry Birds Trilogy has sold over one million units worldwide. The firms jointly released the Anger Management DLC recently, which features 130 extra puzzles from content such as Wreck the Halls and Birdday Party. The trilogy was released in September 2012 for 3DS, PS3 with Move support, and Xbox 360 with Kinect integration. It will release for Wii and Wii U sometime this year.
]]>A series of animated cartoons based on Angry Birds will become available in northern spring. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Rovio's Mikael Hed couldn't give details of where and how the shorts will be accessible, noting that distribution will be somewhat unusual. Angry Birds is a full-fledged phenomenon and has spawned a huge range of licensed tie-ins ranging from plushies to soft drinks. The animated shorts have been in the works for quite some time now.
]]>Rovio has announced that games in the Angry Birds franchise were downloaded 8 million times on Christmas Day, and 30 million times during the week of December 22-29.
]]>Three of the core members of Rovio during its rise to success with Angry Birds have secured funding for their newly-launched studio, Boomlagoon. VentureBeat reports Antti Stén built Rovio's cloud infrastructure; Ilkka Halila was Rovio's lead programmer; and Tuomas Erikoinen designed Angry Birds' graphics, so the new team represents a significant slice of talent. There's no word yet on what Boomlagoon will produce beyond "world-class games” and "a massive business franchise with a compelling pipeline of upcoming titles”.
]]>Bad Piggies is now available in stores for PC, Focus Multimedia has announced. Bad Piggies has players creating "ultimate machines" to get the Pigs safely to the eggs they love to chomp on so much. Bad Piggies PC will run you £9.99. A video is below.
]]>Angry Birds Star Wars PC will be in UK stores during November, Focus Multimedia has announced.
]]>Angry Birds and Star Wars are not two things which seem related, but Rovio is teasing something, something, something Dark Side with this teaser shot posted by Joystiq. Also, an Angry Birds Tumblr page has popped up showing an animated version of said screenshots. Could it be a Star Wars themed level for Angry Birds Space? On the Tumblr page, it says to head to Times Square, New York on October 8 at 10am EST - or head to Toys R Us at 8am EST. Maybe it's a toy, then. At this point, only Rovio knows for sure.
]]>Angry Birds sequel Bad Piggies is getting a boxed retail edition, published by Focus Entertainment. The publisher has just revealed pricing and release details, as well as bonus goodies bundled with the game.
]]>Bad Piggies, the latest Rovio effort, is due next week, and has players building vehicles to guide the Angry Birds' porcine foes through a series of obstacles.
]]>Rovio has announced Bad Piggies, a sequel to Angry Birds, will arrive on iOS, Android, and Mac, Rovio has announced.
]]>Angry Birds is everywhere, and now the feathered vigilantes are infiltrating the NFL. The Philadelphia Eagles team are getting their own version of Angry Birds on their Facebook page, together with a football-themed level and new unit type.
]]>Green Day and Rovio have teamed up to promote the band's upcoming new albums through the medium of Angry Birds Friends. The trio appear as pigs, and you can hear some songs. This is gaming in 2012. Check it out on Facebook or just head through the break to see a trailer smartly summarising the whole experience so you don't have to have it.
]]>Rovio continues to take over the world. The Angry Birds developer has kicked off Gamescom by announcing a new studio and general manager.
]]>Angry Birds is the craze that will not stop, and Rovio's licensed plush toys will net the studio and the toy manufacturer Commonwealth Toy & Novelty Co around $400 million in 2012 alone.
]]>Activision has released a set of screenshots for the Housemarque-developed Angry Birds Trilogy. Have a look below. Angry Birds Trilogy will be available in Q4 on Kinect for Xbox 360, PlayStation3 with Move capability and Nintendo 3DS. The collection will include Angry Birds, Angry Birds Seasons and Angry Birds Rio. The game will run you $39.99 on consoles and $29.99 on 3DS.
]]>Rovio has announced the Angry Birds Trilogy Activision teased during E3 will is being revamped for HDTV's for Ps3 and Xbox 360, the firm's EVP of game Petri Järvilehto has said. It is also coming to 3DS. "You can think of the game as the ultimate collector’s edition," he told IGN. "There are new cinematics, extras and other entertaining content. In addition all of the existing material has been uprezzed and re-treated for the high-resolution and big screen." The collection will include Angry Birds, Angry Birds Seasons and Angry Birds Rio on one disc or 3DS cartridge. It will also support Kinect. Mobe, and StreetPass for each respective system. Expect it to land around the holidays.
]]>Rovio's Teemu Huuhtanen has said while coverage of casual games is important, most titles benefit the most from word of mouth and consumers don't need or use reviews when choosing what to buy.
]]>Rovio CEO Mikael Hed has said the firm is considering moving its headquarters from Finland to Dublin in order to take advantage of Ireland's 12.5% tax rate. Speaking with the Irish Times, Hed said the tax rate is a plus in the country's favor, as Finland's current rate is 24%. Currently, the firm employs a staff of 400 in Finland, and Hed said an Irish studio could also end up manufacturing Angry Birds, and other titles the firm is working on. and other new games they have created. "We are considering [Ireland,] said Hed. "It is something that we need to look at. For now we have stayed in Finland. But it is on top of our minds.”
]]>At Activision's E3 2012 booth, the publisher is reportedly showing a teaser reel with one of Rovio's Angry Birds. IGN queried this odd little inclusion and was asked to "Wait until you see it on consoles in HD". An announcement is expected in the next few weks.
]]>Rovio has announced Angry Birds Space has been downloaded over 100 million times in the 76 days its been available. Back in May, the firm revealed in its financial reports the series has a whole had been downloaded over 1 billion times.
]]>A Latvian company has been fined £50,000 for putting fake versions of Angry Birds, Assassin's Creed and Cut the Rope onto the Android Market.
]]>Rovio has announced Angry Birds on Facebook has left beta. Angry Birds Friends now includes a tournament mode, new weekly levels, and more ways to earn power-ups. Weekly tournaments last from Monday to Sunday allowing folks to compete with friends on four different levels. The best overall score will earn a gold trophy, with silver and bronze for second and third place in four new levels every week, available exclusively in tournament mode. Players can also earn power-ups through tournament mode, and earn three power-ups bundles for a gold trophy, two for silver, and one for bronze. Players also get a power-up for each tournament level they play, and one for participating in the tournament. Go hit it up now.
]]>Rovio announced in its latest financial report that its Angry Birds franchise has been downloaded 1 billion times.
]]>Rovio has recorded revenue of €75.4 million euros for FY2011, 30% of which came from licensing and merchandising The company's employee count grew from 28 to 224 in the period. Profit stood at €48 million. The latest Angry Birds release, Space, has been downloaded more than 50 million times.
]]>The Mayans were right: the apocalypse is nigh.
]]>Rovio has detailed the long-promised Angry Birds animated series.
]]>Angry Birds Space debuted yesterday, and automatically hit the number one position on the App Store, knocking the super, fun Draw Something off its cushy perch. The latest pig beat 'em up landed on iOS, PC, and Android.
]]>A PC demo of Angry Birds Space is now available through GamersHell if you would like to get the game a try before you buy it. It's out today for iOS, Android and PC.
]]>Rovio has transitioned from casual games developer to a full blown cultural force, and doesn't intend to stop.
]]>Rovio's plans for porting Angry Birds Space are just as ambitious as they were with the original, Rovio's chief marketing Peter Vesterbacka has said the firm would like to see Angry Birds Space "on all the screens," but due to limited resources, it focused on Android, iOS, Mac and PC for launch with other platforms coming "shortly after."
]]>You've seen the video, you've seen the teasers, and you've heard about the gameplay. All that's really left are some screenshots. We're happy to oblige you. Game's out March 22.
]]>Rovio has announced Angry Birds Space will launch with 60 levels, six new characters and superpowers, and gameplay features based on a zero-gravity setting.
]]>Apple has provided a list of apps for iPhone and iPad which have been downloaded the most for specific regions, and the most prominent offerings on the list are games with Angry Birds the top of the pops.
]]>Rovio's intention with Angry Birds is to make it a "long-lasting brand," CEO Peter Vesterbacka has said.
]]>Angry Birds creator Rovio wants to treat its end users as human beings, not infinite cash cows.
]]>Rovio has released a second teaser for Angry Birds in Space, which releases on March 22. An official announcement on the game is expected on March 8.
]]>Reminding us that EA has at least a tiny finger in the Angry Birds pie is news of the publisher's placement on a list of the most successful apps of all time.
]]>Rovio has announced Angry Birds Space and has said it will be “the biggest game launch since the original Angry Birds.”
]]>Catapult distressed avians at greedy porcine thieves on your social network. Assuming you can't hide your smartphone and Facebook isn't banned in your workplace, this may have made your day and ruined a vital report about plumbing supplies. You can post high scores to your news feeds to irritate your less-skilled friends, and soother their tempers by gifting them with power-ups for their own record attempts: Sling Scope, King Sling, Super Seeds and Birdquake.
]]>A source close to The Verge has provided a supposed list of the first games which will populate the Windows Store in the Windows 8 Consumer Preview build.
]]>VG247 tours Finland's games companies to find discs dead, investment capital flowing like champagne and mobile development everywhere. Patrick Garratt reports.
]]>"We’re talking with Sony games now. We are really trying to take it in areas that haven’t been done before and have stayed out of the marketplace because the ideas simply weren’t exciting enough. So while the gaming world is waiting for the KISS games that are going to explode, we’re busy taking the brand to places where no band has gone before. We’re talking with Angry Birds, KISS and Angry Birds, which will become a deal. It’s just endless what we can do, but we only do things when it’s right. Just because there are games, and just because there’s this or that out there, unless the deal is right and unless the content is exciting to our fans, we don’t do it." - Gene Simmons on extending the KISS brand to video games and Angry Birds. Thanks, IndustryGamers.
]]>Angry Birds developer Rovio's boss feels that piracy isn't always bad for business and can actually help in building an entertainment brand.
]]>Rovio has announced Angry Birds is heading to Facebook in time for Valentine's Day, and to celebrate, the firm will be hosting a launch event in Jakarta, Indonesia. The game will contain full-screen capabilities, leaderboards, higher quality animations, new power-ups you can earn or purchase for $0.99 such as earthquakes and bigger, better birds. The firm told Penn Olson that 40% of users were more interested in buying the power-ups, compared to 3 to 4% in other games. Thanks, Gamasutra.
]]>Rovio CEO Peter Vesterbacka has confirmed the company has no plans to have a public offering this year on either the New York or Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
]]>Rovio has announced that 6.5 million people downloaded Angry Birds to their smartphones on Christmas Day, double the number of phone activations estimated to have occurred over the holidays. “We’re really excited to have such a massive number of new people get acquainted with Angry Birds over the holidays — we have exciting new releases lined up for 2012, and can’t wait to introduce them to the public,” Rovio’s Ville Heijari told AllThingsD. The figure represents all three versions of the game: Angry Birds, Angry Birds Seasons and Angry Birds Rio, in both paid and free downloads. The number of downloads for the game is up over Christmas 2010, when 2 million people acquired the game on both iOS and Android devices. Thanks, Joystiq.
]]>"I like to compare it to a sport, in the beginning it's an activity, like golf was an activity, then it became a sport. I think once people have played it more than 20 or 25 years you can say it's here to stay, it's a sport, it's no longer a fad. Angry Birds is cute and everybody plays it for a while but they get burned out and move on and they will play another game. But Tetris is like Happy Birthday, it keeps on going. Everybody else has games that come and go, they make the hit parade, but these are all temporary. You have to work really hard to get your unknown game to be #1, but when we re-released Tetris it became #1 even though we didn't do any marketing. We have an unfair advantage, I gotta say. I'd rather have the goose that lays the golden egg." - Tetris Company's manager Henk Rogers to IndustryGamers.
]]>Rovio's very popular Angry Birds will turn two years old on December 11, and the firm is celebrating with a Happy Birthday update which unlocks all episodes and adds an extra 15 levels.
]]>Australian band, Hey Geronimo, has recreated several popular iOS games for its latest music video. Taking in the likes of Fruit Ninja, Cut the Rope, Flight Control and, of course, those ubiquitous Angry Birds, it's cute, it's goofy, and it's through the break.
]]>MCV's reporting this morning that Angry Birds will make its enviable jump to retail from November 25 on PC for £10.20 in the UK, Ireland, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Focus Multimedia will be handling pub duties. After the release of the original this month, Angry Birds Seasons will release before Christmas, with Angry Birds Rio coming next year.
]]>Rovio has announced that Angry Birds has been downloaded 500 million times since its release on December 11, 2009. "It's more than any game ever before," said the firm's marketing boss Peter Vesterbacka, who added that the firm's next goal is to reach 1 billion downloads. Earlier this year, Rovio raised $42 million from venture capital firms, and has expanded the franchise into toys as well as baby and pet products. Via Reuters.
]]>Rovio US GM Andrew Stalbow has said at Web 2.0 that Angry Birds has been downloaded 400 million times, with more stats also provided at his Web 2.0 talk in San Francisco. The gane, across its multiple releases over multiple platforms, sees 30 million daily active users with 300 million minutes played every day, which translates into 109.5 billion minutes per year or 1.825 billion hours.
]]>Rovio CEO Peter Vesterbacka has hinted the company may go for an IPO within the next year, but says it current valuation of $1.2 billion is lower than it sees it should be.
]]>Time again for another round of the small stuff.
]]>A handy infographic helps explain why you just can't stop flinging enraged avians at increasingly pitiful pigs.
]]>A sombre shorts today.
]]>Rovio Entertainment is in talks for new funding which would put the firm's value at $1.2 billion, according to a Bloomberg reports. Citing “two people with knowledge of the discussions," Bloomberg states Rovio is considering an investment from an as of yet unnamed entertainment firm. The funding would help the firm with its Angry Birds movie, currently at the idea stage, and extra fund to open offices outside of its home-base of Finland. In March, Rovio raised $42 million from an investment fund controlled by Skype founder Niklas Zennstrom. Thanks, Forbes.
]]>VentureBeat's reporting that Rovio has partnered with Madhouse to help bring Angry Birds to China. The ad network will help push the mobile marketing campaign for the game in the country. Since its 2009 launch, Angry Birds has seen 12 million units sold from the App Store.
]]>A report by market intelligence firm Parks Associates has said a huge rise in mobile gaming has taken place since 2007.
]]>Angry Birds creator Rovio has said it plans to be the biggest entertainment brand in the world in two years.
]]>Rovio has said different companies have offered to purchase the firm and its Angry Birds IP, but no "really relevant discussions" on the matter have taken place at the firm as of yet.
]]>Rovio's about to take part in another round of funding, according to suggestions made by the company. Head of global brand advertising Wibe Wagemans apparently "raised his hand" when asked at GamesBeat what companies were raising money. "We’re in fast growth mode, so we’re always on the lookout for good money," he said. "We’re always interested."
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