Rovio’s Angry Birds… the New Super Mario?

Published Thu, Aug 30th, 2012   Wall Street Daily Research

 

Angry Birds has certainly put Finnish firm, Rovio, on the map since the company launched the game in 2009.

Back in May 2011, people were racking up 200 million minutes per day on the game.

Now, Angry Birds boasts over 200 million active users a month. Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) named it the most popular paid app ever. And Rovio’s net worth has reached an astounding $9 billion.

Of course, not all of this dough came from a game that allows you shoot pigs with birds from a slingshot.

Rovio also generates revenue from merchandise sales. The company has already signed a merchandise deal with Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT). And it has plans to open a branded store in China.

Now Rovio has opened an Angry Birds-themed activity park in the UK – the first one to open outside of Finland.

The question is, can we expect Rovio’s popularity to climb? Chris Jones, Managing Director of theme park maker, Lappset Playworld, certainly thinks so.

“They’re spending most of their profitability on the brand and making it into a full marketing entertainment message. And they’re moving into education, into schools and books – and they’re also developing games outside the Angry Birds theme. So I think – like the Super Mario and Thomas the Tank Engine – Angry Birds will be here to stay.”