According to reports, the makers of 'Angry Birds,' Rovio Entertainment, is reportedly close to getting sold to the Japanese gaming giant Sega Sammy Holdings. The deal, which is likely to close soon, might be close to the tune of $1 billion.
In 2014, 'Angry Birds' got all the hype from gamers - much like the recent success of 'Among Us' amid the COVID-19 pandemic. But similar to the latter's fate, its popularity declined in the past years.
But despite that, it seems that Sega, the firm that brought us the iconic Sonic franchise, is set to spend a billion to take over the 'Angry Birds' maker.
'Angry Bird' Maker Rovio Might Soon Be Sold to Sega
According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, which cites anonymous sources close to the matter, Sega is nearly closing its deal to purchase the company that brought us 'Angry Birds.' Rovio Entertainment might soon be under the Japanese conglomerate if everything goes well.
The Verge notes that 'Angry Birds' first saw the light of day in 2009. Yet, its popularity among mobile gamers peaked sometime in 2014. But since then, the gaming franchise has struggled to regain its foothold in mainstream gaming. The news outlet highlights that Rovio started losing money, forcing the gaming firm to let go of some of its employees later.
But Rovio did not back down easily. The gaming firm created a movie adaptation of the mobile game, aptly titled 'The Angry Birds Movie.' It certainly was a huge success on the big screen, taking the seventh spot in the ranking of the highest-grossing movies of video games.
A few years later, the gaming firm debuted its sequel in 2019. However, it failed to replicate the box office success of the first movie.
Sega-Rovio Deal Likely to Conclude Next Week
The sources of The Wall Street Journal disclosed that Sega might potentially seal the deal between the Japanese gaming behemoth and the 'Angry Birds' maker early next week. However, do take this with a grain of salt. Rovio and Sega have yet to confirm nor deny the recent report.
Notably, Sega has taken over other gaming firms in the past. IGN notes that the Japanese conglomerate previously bought companies like Two Point Studios, the developer of 'Two Point Campus' and Person, which brought us 'Atlus.'
As per Tech Times, Rovio recently attempted to promote its newer 'Angry Birds' offering, such as 'Angry Birds Friends' and 'Angry Bird 2.' To do so, the gaming firm delisted the game's original version from the Google Play Store.
On the other hand, the classic version on the Apple App Store changed its name to 'Red's First Flight,' giving iPhone users a chance to download the game still.
