This is how Angry Birds took the world by storm and made Rovio a household name. Angry Birds wrote its own success, not only in revenue and popularity but also in advancement and becoming an all-time favorite game worldwide.
In this reading, we will read about Angry Bird’s success in the gaming landscape and increasing Rovio’s revenue by more than 300%.
In December 2009, Rovio Entertainment, a small Finnish gaming company, released a game that would forever change the landscape of mobile gaming. Angry Birds, an addictive and physics-based puzzle game, debuted on the App Store. Players instantly fell in love with the game’s unique premise: flinging furious birds through the air to demolish the fortresses of the green pig antagonists seems enjoyable to everyone.
So, Let’s dive into it and find a success story!
Angry Birds: A phenomenon of Unprecedented success
Angry Birds and its sequel, Angry Birds 2, developed by Rovio, have emerged as highly addictive and widely popular mobile games, boasting an impressive track record.
The statistics surrounding Angry Birds’ growth are nothing short of astounding. With over 50 million downloads and 200 million minutes of gameplay each day, it has captivated the attention of millions of players worldwide. Its sequel, Angry Birds 2, has also experienced immense success, further solidifying Rovio’s position in the mobile gaming industry.
In terms of revenue, Rovio Entertainment has been rapidly growing since its release. Such figures demonstrate the Angry Birds series’ widespread popularity and financial success.
According to AppMagic (first spotted by Mobilegamer.biz), Angry Birds has made $500.8 million from in-app purchases since its July 2015 launch.
The scale of the game’s popularity is evidenced by the impressive download numbers reported by Rovio. With over 3.7 billion downloads across their titles, it is clear that Angry Birds has resonated with a vast global audience, cementing its status as one of the most significant phenomena in the mobile gaming realm.
Navigating Challenges and Expanding Horizons
The journey of Angry Birds began with a proposal from Jaakko Liasalo, a designer at Rovio Entertainment. Liasalo pitched the idea of a game featuring grumpy birds, capturing the development team’s attention. Intrigued by the concept, Rovio embarked on the creation of Angry Birds, bringing these feisty avian characters to life. Little did they know that this proposal would ignite a global phenomenon and shape the future of mobile gaming.
While Angry Birds eventually achieved remarkable success, it encountered its fair share of challenges along the way. Initially, it was designed for the App Store, and the game faced a slow start. However, everything changed when it unexpectedly soared to the top spot on the UK and US App Store charts, captivating audiences worldwide.
Expanding beyond the App Store posed a significant challenge for Rovio. Venturing into the Android market proved especially demanding due to the vast array of devices and operating systems. Nonetheless, Rovio persevered, determined to bring Angry Birds to a wider audience.
Later, Rovio teamed up with Chillingo, a subsidiary of EA, to make the game even better. Chillingo added exciting features like pinch-to-zoom, visible trajectory lines, and acrobatic somersaults for the birds. These enhancements gave the game its final polish and made it even more enjoyable for player.
Expanding Beyond Gaming: From Entertainment to Education
Rovio’s team did not intentionally create a special marketing strategy to achieve the massive success of Angry Birds. Their main focus was on the game’s development, and it was through their dedicated efforts and adherence to rigorous practices, they hit the right timing and achieved remarkable success.
Word of mouth played a significant role in the game’s meteoric rise, spreading like wildfire and captivating both gamers and non-gamers alike. The game’s intuitive gameplay, complemented by its endearing characters and catchy sound effects, quickly turned Angry Birds into a viral sensation.
Rovio’s success was further fueled by their commitment to regularly updating and expanding the game. They introduced new bird characters, challenging levels, and adversaries promptly, keeping the game fresh and satisfying the growing appetite of their enthusiastic fan base. Recognizing the brand’s potential, Rovio expanded Angry Birds into various mediums, including merchandise, animations, and theme parks, which played well in their growing graphs.
As a result of its widespread popularity, Angry Birds swiftly made its way onto multiple platforms, spanning PC, gaming consoles, and social media networks. Its universal appeal transcended cultural and generational boundaries, captivating individuals of all ages and backgrounds. The iconic red, yellow, and bomb birds became household names, bringing immense joy and entertainment to millions worldwide.
Well, Rovio Entertainment didn’t stop in gaming, and it gave a new way to market their character and fill the community gap through the entertainment industry and extended far beyond the realm of gaming. Leveraging their success, they partnered with major film studios to create a full-length animated feature film, which was released in 2016. The Angry Birds Movie further expanded the brand’s reach, garnering critical acclaim and immense commercial success.
After coming out with merchandise, theme parks, and animated film, the Angry Birds team also continued to soar and ventured into educational games, partnering with educators to develop curriculum-based games that infused learning with fun. Angry Birds became a valuable tool for teaching science, math, and problem-solving skills to children globally.
Wrapping up:
The success story of Angry Birds is not just about financial achievements but also about the journey of a dedicated team who turned a simple idea into a global sensation. Rovio Entertainment’s commitment to quality, creativity and the unwavering support of their passionate fan base propelled Angry Birds to unparalleled heights.
Recently, Sega acquired Rovio’s entertainment for 1 billion dollars; you can read it here.
