Angry Birds has become a big phenomenon in mobile over the years, especially with tie-ins with popular brands like Star Wars and Transformers. What players may not realize, though, is that it’s not just popular on our shores – it’s making a huge impact worldwide.
Ibtimes has reported that Rovio’s hit game has seen over half a billion downloads in China, an unprecedented record considering China’s usual tastes in free-to-play games. Now Rovio has decided to improve its business in that country, not only promising to open nine Angry Birds-oriented theme parks by 2018, but also teaming up with a Chinese developer to give the game a more regional taste.
The company has partnered with Beijing Kunlun to work its own magic on the Angry Birds franchise, hoping to make it more “market friendly” to Chinese game players – even though it appears that the game has no problem being accepted as it is. “China is an extremely important market for us and we’re consntatnly looking for ways to provide innovative fan experiences by bridging the digital with the physical,” said Pekka Rantala, chief commercial officer at Rovio Entertainment, back when the theme parks were announced.
“Through this partnership, we not only achieve that, but we set a strong foot in one of the world’s fastest growing theme park markets with a key player in the industry,” Pekka continued. “We are delighted at the prospect of bringing Angry Birds closer to our fans in China, in spaces where all members of the family can engage.”
The country is considered a “massively important market” to Rovio, as the “mobile games industry is growing at a very significant pace.”
In regards to the localization efforts, Rantala added, “Angry Birds has been downloaded close to half a billion times in China. Forming a strategic partnership with Kunlun is an important step that helps Rovio establish an even stronger presence in China’s game market with localized content.”
This could help the company prosper again, especially after laying off over 100 employees back in December.
Regionalizing the game is certainly a big deal, as Rovio is the type of company that can easily adapt Angry Birds to fit with any given theme or franchise. Along with Transformers and Star Wars, the company has proven that new ideas work with the series, including the artistic Angry Birds Stella and the kart-racing game Angry Birds Go!
