Sega Sammy
Sega Sammy has finalized its acquisition of Rovio, the developer behind the Angry Birds franchise, for USD 776 million. The deal was announced in April, but required some regulatory approvals. Sega hopes to boost its presence in the mobile gaming market with Rovio’s expertise and assets.
Rovio has more than just Angry Birds under its belt. The company also produces the puzzle game Sugar Blast and the mystery game Small Town Murders. These may not be as popular as Angry Birds, but they give Sega access to a well-established platform for developing, publishing, and marketing mobile games. This will help Sega leverage its own IPs, such as Sonic, Samba de Amigo, Persona, Football Manager, and many others. Sega also has a rich library of classic games that could be ported to mobile devices.
Sega will likely continue to produce more Angry Birds games, as the brand still has a strong fan base and media presence. There are Angry Birds movies, TV shows, and even a themed restaurant in New York City. Perhaps Sega will also create some crossover games with its own characters, such as Sonic and Knuckles. That's something we'll have to keep an eye out for.