Sega officially acquires Angry Birds studio Rovio

Over the weekend, it was claimed that Sega was in the midst of acquiring Rovio, the company best known for producing the Angry Birds games. Now, Sega has officially confirmed the deal, marking a rare major acquisition for the publisher. 

Sega has acquired several studios in the past, but these acquisitions are rare for the company. Now, Sega is adding Rovio to its roster, a mobile-focused studio with live-service expertise, something that Sega is keenly looking to take advantage of.

The deal, which is worth around £625 million, will see Sega and Rovio joining forces. Under its wing, Sega wants to use Rovio to boost its mobile game operations and its live-service offerings. Sega believes it can use Rovio to “accelerate the development of mobile-compatible and multi-platform-supported versions of Sega's existing IP”. With that in mind, while Angry Birds is well-known, that isn't the primary reason for Sega's interest in the company.

In turn, Sega also wants to help Rovio expand beyond mobile gaming, so Rovio could end up becoming a pillar studio for Sega in the years ahead.

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KitGuru Says: Sega did have a small presence in the mobile market already, but this should provide a good boost. 

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