Gaming Giant Sega Buys Angry Birds Creator Rovio Entertainment Oyj for $783 Million
22nd April 2023 | Hong Kong
Gaming giant Sega Corporation has announced to buy Angry Birds creator Rovio Entertainment Oyj (mobile game company headquartered in Finland) for $783 million (EUR 706 million). Rovio is a global mobile-first games company that creates, develops and publishes mobile games, which have been downloaded over 5 billion times. Rovio is best known for the global Angry Birds brand, which started as a popular mobile game in 2009, and has since evolved from games to various entertainment, animations and consumer products in brand licensing. Rovio has produced The Angry Birds Movie, and its sequel.
“ Gaming Giant Sega Buys Angry Birds Creator Rovio Entertainment Oyj for $783 Million “
Haruki Satomi, President and Group CEO, Representative Director of SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS: “Among the rapidly growing global gaming market, the mobile gaming market has especially high potential, and it has been SEGA’s long-term goal to accelerate its expansion in this field. I feel blessed to be able to announce such a transaction with Rovio, a company that owns “Angry Birds”, which is loved across the world, and home to many skilled employees that support the company’s industry leading mobile game development and operating capabilities. Historically, as represented by the “Sonic the Hedgehog” series, SEGA has released countless video game titles to various gaming platforms. I am confident that, through combination of both companies’ brands, characters, fanbase, as well as corporate culture and functionality, there will be significant synergies created going forward.”
Alexandre Pelletier-Normand, CEO of Rovio: “ I grew up playing Sonic the Hedgehog, captivated by its state-of-the-art design. Later, when I played Angry Birds for the first time, I knew that gaming had evolved into a true mainstream phenomenon, with the power to shape modern culture. Joining Rovio has been an honour and I am proud to have seen Angry Birds continue to grow, as we released new games, series and films. Less known but equally impressive is our industry-leading proprietary technology platform, Beacon, holding 20 years of expertise, allowing tight-knit teams to develop world-class GaaS products. Our mission is to ‘Craft Joy’ and we are thrilled at the idea of using our expertise and tools to bring even more joy to our players, enhancing and expanding Rovio’s and SEGA’s vibrant IPs. Red and Sonic the Hedgehog: two globally recognized and iconic characters made by two remarkably complementary companies, with a worldwide reach that spans mobile, PC/console, and beyond. Combining the strengths of Rovio and SEGA presents an incredibly exciting future.”
Gaming Giant Sega Buys Angry Birds Creator Rovio Entertainment Oyj for $783 Million
About the Offeror and Sega Corporation
Sega Europe is a UK private limited company, domiciled in the United Kingdom with its registered address at 27 Great West Rd, Brentford TW8 9BW, Middlesex, United Kingdom, that is directly and wholly owned by Sega Corporation. Sega Europe is the European distribution arm of Sega Corporation, a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment. Headquartered in Brentford, London, Sega Europe wholly owns some leading development studios, including Sports Interactive and Creative Assembly, the creators of Football Manager and Total War, respectively. Sega Corporation engages in the planning, development, sales, and operation of consoles, PCs, and mobile games, as well as arcade equipment. Sega Corporation also plans, develops and provides products based on characters, in the form of digital services and prizes, by utilizing expertise gained from the video game business. In the console, PC, and mobile game business, Sega Corporation develops content through its various studios in Japan and overseas and distributes them worldwide through its many marketing bases around the globe. In the arcade products business, Sega Corporation has developed many ground-breaking products that symbolized each era with innovation and creativity, such as prize machines, and medal games, in addition to various different arcade games. In order to strengthen global development capabilities, Sega Corporation has historically acquired numerous development studios, from the UK-based Creative Assembly in 2005, to the Japan-based ATLUS. CO., LTD. (formerly, Index Corporation) in 2013, and the acquired studios have all greatly expanded in scale while also releasing many new titles across the globe.
About Rovio
Rovio is a public limited liability company incorporated and existing under the laws of Finland with its shares admitted to trading on the official list of Nasdaq Helsinki. Rovio is a global mobile-first games company that creates, develops and publishes mobile games, which have been downloaded over 5 billion times. Rovio is best known for the global Angry Birds brand, which started as a popular mobile game in 2009, and has since evolved from games to various entertainment, animations and consumer products in brand licensing. Rovio has produced The Angry Birds Movie, and its sequel. The Company offers multiple mobile games and has eight game studios – one in Espoo (Finland), one in Stockholm (Sweden), one in Copenhagen (Denmark), one in Barcelona (Spain), two in Montreal and one in Toronto (Canada). The studios also include a subsidiary in Izmir (Turkey) called Ruby Oyun ve Yazılım Danışmanlık Sanayi Ticaret Anonim Şirketi, which was acquired in 2021. Most of the employees are based in Finland where Rovio is headquartered.
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