SEGA recently announced that it has agreed to acquire Rovio Entertainment, the developer of Angry Birds.
This information was announced by SEGA Sammy through their website. If you’re interested in the state of the video game industry, you can check out our other articles here.
SEGA Acquires Rovio Entertainment
SEGA has announced that it plans to buy Rovio Entertainment for 776.2 million USD through SEGA Europe. The amount is less than the 1 billion USD that The Wall Street Journal estimated last week.
According to SEGA, this acquisition will enable the global expansion of its consumer business through the boost that Rovio Entertainment will give to its mobile gaming capabilities.
This is a friendly acquisition, as the board of directors at Rovio has approved and expressed its support for the offer.
The acquisition is expected to close in the second quarter of fiscal year 2023/2024 and is subject to the completion of reviews under applicable antitrust laws and other customary conditions.
The Company strongly believes that it is imperative to continue investing in its game development and operational capabilities, to further strengthen its position in the fast-growing global and mobile gaming market which led to the acquisition of Rovio.
Through this acquisition, the company aims to take Rovio’s directly operated mobile game development capabilities and its expertise in mobile game operations, to accelerate the development of mobile-compatible and multi-platform versions of SEGA’s existing game IP, thereby strengthening and further accelerating the global expansion of SEGA’s game portfolio.
SEGA Sammy
Below are the official statements of SEGA CEO Sammy and Rovio Entertainment:
Among the rapidly growing global game markets, the mobile game market has very high potential and it is SEGA’s long-term goal to accelerate its expansion in this area.
I feel blessed to be able to announce this transaction with Rovio, the company that owns Angry Birds, which is loved around the world and is home to many skilled employees who support the industry-leading mobile game development and operations capabilities.
Historically, as represented by the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, SEGA has released a large number of video game titles across multiple gaming platforms. I am confident that, through the combination of the brands, characters, fan bases, and corporate culture and functionality of both companies, significant synergies will be created in the future.
Haruki Satomi, President and Group CEO, Representative Director of SEGA Sammy Holdings
I grew up playing Sonic the Hedgehog, mesmerized by its sophisticated design. Then, when I played Angry Birds for the first time, I knew that gaming had evolved into a truly mainstream phenomenon, with the power to shape modern culture.
Joining Rovio is an honor and I’m proud to see Angry Birds continue to grow, along with the launch of new games, series and movies. Lesser known but equally impressive is our industry-leading proprietary technology platform, Beacon, which has 20 years of expertise and enables close-knit teams to develop world-class GaaS products.
Our mission is to “Create Excitement” and we are excited about the idea of using our expertise and tools to bring even more excitement to our players, enhancing and expanding the dynamic Rovio and SEGA IP.
Red and Sonic the Hedgehog: two globally recognized and iconic characters created by two highly complementary companies, with a worldwide reach that spans mobile, PC/console, and beyond. Combining the strengths of Rovio and SEGA presents a very exciting future.
Alexandre Pelletier-Normand, CEO of Rovio Entertainment
