Rovio "betting everything" on Angry Birds

By Fred Dutton Published 20 July, 2011

Wants to be first brand with a billion fans.

Angry Birds developer Rovio is betting all its chips on its phenomenally successful smartphone series, according to CEO Peter Vesterbacka.

Speaking at the Casual Connect conference in Seattle, as reported by Gamasutra, Vesterbacka explained that the Finnish developer was unlikely to replicate the game's success with a future title so intended to put all its weight behind Angry Birds.

"Game makers buy into their own bulls***," he said. "You think you can make hit after hit. We know how hard it is to do that, so we are betting everything on Angry Birds."

Elsewhere in the talk, Vesterbacka announced that Rovio's aim was for Angry Birds to become "the first entertainment brand with a billion fans," estimating that goal could be reached in "two or three years." AS of last month, the game has been downloaded 250 million times.

VP of franchise development Ville Heijari told Eurogamer earlier this week that Rovio hoped to spin the franchise off into multiple movies.

The merchandising empire is also expanding beyond plush toys and T-shirts, with a cookbook titled Bad Piggies Secret Egg Recipes also in the works.

Picture of Fred.

About Fred Dutton

Fred Dutton is Eurogamer's US news editor, based in Washington DC.

Read more articles from Fred by visiting the Fred Dutton archive page.

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Comments (50) Latest comment 7 months ago

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  • darkmorgado #1 7 months ago

    "Game makers buy into their own bulls***," he said. "You think you can make hit after hit. We know how hard it is to do that, so we are betting everything on Angry Birds."

    Yep, putting all your eggs in one basket is a foolproof business strategy!

  • riceNpea #2 7 months ago

    they're betting the house on black.

    please be red.

  • Ikaros_O #3 7 months ago

    Oh god I hope you guys fail and lose it all

  • captain_Carl #4 7 months ago

    Never heard of brand fatigue then?

  • FuzzyDuck #5 7 months ago

    Jeez, it was a fun 10 minute diversion, not the second coming.

  • Dave #6 7 months ago

    These guys are seriously on cloud nine... Good for them, but I hope they see far in advance that Angry Birds is not here to stay and that people can switch to something new in a heartbeat.

  • JorgeLuisBorges #7 7 months ago

    Not every game has to be as successful as angry birds to be both successful and creatively satisfying - look at popcap.

    All this proves to me is that they are not game developers or creatives, they are just out to make as much money as possible.

  • TomDent93 #8 7 months ago

    Oh Jesus.

    Everything about them pisses me off.

    They think they're gonna get 750 MILLION downloads within 2-3 years? Umm.

    I'm going to go calm down now.
    Edited by 1 at 20/07/11 @ 23:56

  • Dizzy #9 7 months ago

    Famous last words....

  • kinth #10 7 months ago

    "Game makers buy into their own bulls***," he said. "You think you can make hit after hit. We know how hard it is to do that, so we are betting everything on Angry Birds."

    I'm sorry, werent these guys saying they were better than popcap the other day ? ie buying into their own bullshit.

    popcap has made hit after hit, some of the higest rated casual games in the world, that's a good developer.

    Rovio got lucky and don't even dare take the risk of making anything other than angry birds spinoff 2 billion and 1.
    instead they spout their own brand of bullshit and act like they are the kings of gaming.

    Minecraft was made by one guy and made him a millionaire, even he's not stupid enough to put all his eggs in one basket and has already got a team together working on another game.

    Am i the only person who doesn't like angry birds?
    it gets really boring after the first few levels for me once you have all the birds there is nothing new in the game and no reason to keep playing.

  • Britesparc Verified Creative, ITV #11 7 months ago

    Plants Vs Zombies is better.

  • Jon1292 #12 7 months ago

    You know, Activision should buy out these twats. They'd fit right in.

  • WinterSnowblind #13 7 months ago

    Do these guys actually think that developers like Rockstar would be where they are today if they simply kept release the original Grand Theft Auto?

    They've done well with Angry Birds and good for them.. but it's a fad that appeals to people who want a time waster while waiting on a bus. It's not a lasting brand and it won't be around by this time next year. I find it hilarious that the developers think they're the number one authority on gaming after developing one title that was a hit with casual gamers.

  • Tanners #14 7 months ago

    Guys please stop buying this 4 year old mediocre flash game, especially from Rovio.

    Edit: spelling.
    Edited by 2 at 21/07/11 @ 01:17

  • Snake_2011 #15 7 months ago

    a lot of these iphone style gaming outfits seem to think they no what gaming is all about they have no clue.

  • man.the.king #16 7 months ago

    Translation: There is only one thing I have done that has been successful, so I'm going to be an ostrich and pretend that this state of affairs is going to last forever.

  • Bluetooth #17 7 months ago

    I played this game for a few minutes whilst having a shit.

    I spent the rest of the time smelling my own aroma.

  • Pastici #18 7 months ago

    250million downloads? I've downloaded it a few times only to get bored after 5 mins, do they want Fans or Downloads?

  • talhamid #19 7 months ago

    Hey guys, just because Rovio seems to have lost touch with reality, don't diss Angry Birds in return. I for one, am completely addicted to it. Getting three stars in all levels and the golden eggs, add a whole new dimension to the gameplay. And no, it's not a fad - just look the sites and videos on YouTube containing tutorials to clear various levels. And they keep adding new ones. Contrary to most here, I believe AB will be here next year, and I will still be clamoring for more levels.

    That said, Rovio seems to lack the confidence to develop another good game. They are masking it with their belief that AB will continue to run the company for them. It won't. As AB is a mobile game, it can lose out to any other game in a hearbeat, as many said in the comments. THe fact that it hasn't yet is more a testament to the fact that nobody has been able to come up with a better casual game with so much replay value. That's just luck.

  • StolenGlory #20 7 months ago

    So... that's it?

    You guys are only making and supporting... one IP?

    Ha. Haha. Hahaha. HAHAHAHA. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

    And also: "Game makers buy into their own bulls***,"

    Isn't that EXACTLY what you're doing by completely buying into and supporting just a single IP? You couldn't ask for a more perfect textbook definition of 'Resting on your laurels'.
    Edited by 1 at 21/07/11 @ 09:39

  • KDR_11k #21 7 months ago

    All I can say is "riding the bubble".

  • SteelPriest #22 7 months ago

    That spambot just produced better content that rovio ever has^

  • BaggyAnt #23 7 months ago

    Two words for Rovio - Guitar Hero

  • Collymilad #24 7 months ago

    Rovio are shit and so is angry birds.

  • Shinetop #25 7 months ago

    I wonder what the guys who made Crush the Castle think of all this.

  • Labatyd #26 7 months ago

    Wow. After reading these comments I think I've had an idea for a game too, going to call it Angry Nerds.

  • albertofustinoni #27 7 months ago

    Dear Rovio

    Please die

    Signed: gamers.

  • 3william56 #28 7 months ago

    Is this the same Rovio who endlessly pontificates upon how they revolutionised the industry, will kill consoles and the like?
    Vanilla Ice had more longevity. Anyone who's looked at the latest offerings (since the admittedly decent Rio) will smell a whole lot of running out of ideas. The latest mine levels are atrocious.

    Don't let the door hit you in the arse on the way out... it's the one marked "MySpace".

  • nuanimal #29 7 months ago

    All companies - doesn't matter what industry you're in - will have one their products do well for them. That's fine, and don't lose sight of that.

    But all companies need to invest in other products. The new poducts might not be a global success, but as long as they are profitable - then the business should be alright. It would be naive of Rovio to think Angry Birds will be a profit generator indefinitely.

  • carlitoswagon #30 7 months ago

    Don't understand the hype, at all. This ipad/iphone generation have a lot to answer for.

  • Seoh #31 7 months ago

    even my wife has stopped playing angry birds now

  • GamesConnoisseur #32 7 months ago

    It was diverting fun, but expect us to follow your brand for more than just a few minutes of our lives? Maybe, only if I get amnesia and forgotten already played through a few levels.

    As with different themes, puzzles, it's all still basically the same, flick a bird at the stuff.

    Not a great formula for putting all birds' eggs in one basket!

  • sega #33 7 months ago

    They could have another hit if they produced something fun and marketed it accordingly - such as "from the makers of Angry Birds" and, in their release after "by Rovio, makers of Angry Birds and That Other Game" and eventually just the name "Rovio" will be enough to get people's interest.

    Of course, they don't seem that smart. It's not like they've created Sonic or Mario - they've made a bird flicking game and that only has so much appeal in the long term. I'm not sure what their point is - are they saying they don't have the confidence to produce another hit or that another hit is impossible? They have the potential to become the Nintendo of the download market but looks like they'll end up being the Atari.

  • Rev.StuartCampbell #34 7 months ago

    "Speaking at the Casual Connect conference in Seattle, as reported by Gamasutra, Vesterbacka explained that the Finnish developer was unlikely to replicate the game's success with a future title so intended to put all its weight behind Angry Birds."

    But, but... what about the Magic Equation?

    http://wo sblog.podgamer.com/2010/12/26/a...

  • psychokitten #35 7 months ago

    I really wish EG wouldn't report on Rovio so much. It's probably only helping their misplaced arrogance.

    And yeah, dumb strategy is dumb.

  • Stranded87 #36 7 months ago

    I don't even understand how Angry Birds is as popular as it is, as others have said it's basically a mediocre flash game. And i'm not one of the detractors of smart phone gaming, there are some genuinely good games available for phones, but Angry Birds isn't one of them.

  • IronGiant #37 7 months ago

    I bought the game for 59p and yes it's a decent little time waster, I'll continue to get the free updates but will stop if they start charging for extra levels. I've zero interest in anything else related to it.

  • Daeltaja #38 7 months ago

    I downloaded the game, but don't count me as a fan. If those billion fans you're harping on about are simply people that have downloaded Angry Birds (Including free or trial, which accounts for the vast majority) then I actually feel sorry for you and your companies future.

    With Rovio, they seem to be all about shouting the loudest, throwing around crazy figures and generally way-overestimating themselves as a creative entity. They're sticking with Angry Birds, because they have no idea how to create another IP that might achieve a fraction of the success as Angry Birds. They got lucky, simple as. They got featured on the App store. They'd have failed it were not for that.

    I have nothing but respect for them in that respect. They made a game, and it sold a shit load. It's how they're conducting themselves now though that puts me off. Anyway, putting all your eggs in one basket is poor business accumen.

  • spongebob #39 7 months ago

    I could see this happening if Rovio had silently concentrated on broadening the brand with other types of games, maybe something with a singular hero, and then after publishing these to great reviews had started doing also other media and merchandising.

    Having said that, it is possible that although the core gamers have had enough long time ago, the casual crowd and especially kids will stay interested with the brand and characters. They just need to come up with some new Angry Birds game concept soon or there is no one left by the time they are ready to release their movies and tv shows.

    But one thing is certain. Rovio has to make their people stop talking so much crap to the media. So far only the people who follow games publications know how crazy the Rovio execs are, but eventually it will trickle down.

  • GreyBeard #40 7 months ago

    This says a lot about the state of the iOS market - even THE big winner doesn't fancy their chances at repeating their success.

  • Nanocrystal #41 7 months ago

    So... they're putting all their eggs in one basket? Have they learnt nothing from THEIR OWN GAME?

  • AdamAsunder #42 7 months ago

    Stuff like this just goes to show how out of touch I am with what is popular. I get excruciatingly bored after just two levels but others like some of my friends and my brother can't get enough of it.

    Maybe if it actually had a physics engine it would be worth a damn.

  • paulf #43 7 months ago

    I wonder how many people would actually count themselves as a fan of angry birds?

    631,763 people who like it on facebook but thats obviously a long way off a billion

    [link url=http://www .facebook.com/pages/Angry-Birds/
    ]http://www .facebook.com/pages/Angry-Birds/
    [/link]

    as others have said just because you download it doesn't mean you are a fan

    What worries me though the most though is they seem to think Angry Birds is a brand to compare to Mario, this delusion will lead to their downfall

  • Subdominator #44 7 months ago

    @carlitoswagon: Sometimes there is more media hype than real one. I remember Second Life being one of the most hyped online games, yet only few people ever played it. It's all about marketing. Rovio is obviously doing pretty good just shouting at everyone that they are the future. Everything they do is just to attract investors, then they'll let the company die and live a happy life. All the talk about Disney 2.0, 1 billion fans, multiple planned movies, tv series, being worth more than Popcap, being more successful than Call of Duty is just there for one reason and one reason only: To scam people. When they announced the 42 million dollar investment they said it was to create a new IP. Now they say they want to do nothing but Angry Birds? Sounds to me like that 42 million investment never happened. The fact alone that they are looking for investors shows that they can't have quite the success with Angry Birds that they pretend to have. If you create a successful IP and a profitable enterprise - Would you want to share your profits?

    According to them Angry Birds cost 100k to make and has since found in excess of 12 million buyers. That's nearly 12 million dollar pure profit right there. If you have that kind of money you don't rely on investors, you can fund yourself with ease. If they expect to reach 1 billion downloads then they expect to make another 36 million in the next months just with Angry Birds. So why do they need investors? Because they know things aren't so well. But the louder you are in the press, the more attention you get and the more money people will give you.

  • presh #45 7 months ago

    @subdominator:

    Rovio actually claim to have made $50 million from Angry Birds to date, so it makes the investment even more strange!

    It is the Crazy Frog of the iPhone era. People will realise at some point that other games exist.

  • Bravestinsane #46 7 months ago

    250 million downloads doesn't mean 250million fans...

    i downloaded all 3 on android, Angry Birds, Angry Birds Season, and Angry Birds Rio...

    Im not a fan, i wouldn't pay for them i only downloaded them because they were free, im not a casual gamer so i vary rarely download games on my phone, the only reason i have games on my phone is for something to do while im having a shit.....

    That's what your games are to me Rovio, games to pass my time while im having a shit... nothing more nothing less...

    So that's 249,999,997 fans you "apparently" have.

  • Tonne #47 7 months ago

    im not gonna lie the game is higly addictive its the new tetris,
    but come on how many updates and addons can you think of,
    its giving the sims a run for there money

  • Tonne #48 7 months ago

    im not gonna lie the game is higly addictive its the new tetris,
    but come on how many updates and addons can you think of,
    its giving the sims a run for there money

  • Subdominator #49 7 months ago

    Bejeweled is the new Tetris. Or maybe Peggle. But for sure not Angry Birds.

  • Shagsmith #50 7 months ago

    Read that as, "We got lucky with Angry Birds, we're developers in the loosest sense of the word, couldn't develop a new idea to save our lives, so we're sticking with that".