SEGA Confirms Plans To Acquire Angry Birds Creator For €706 Million

Is it worth it these days? Besides, Sega has so many great IPs that they are not using, why not invest that money in them?

@Banjo- My thoughts exactly. Seems like such a bizarre choice for almost a billion, what are they expecting them to make, an Angry Birds sequel on console?

Even though Angry Birds was huge at one point, somewhat surprisingly it has been outlasted by quite a few other huge mobile games.

With MS purchasing 'King', Sony Purchasing Savage Games and setting up a PS Studios Mobile Division and Sega buying a Mobile creator, it would seem that EVERY company is targeting Mobiles in some capacity - maybe its because it actually makes more Money than console/premium games and has much more potential reach too as everyone these days owns a 'mobile'...

Hang on all, we best starting looking into blocking this deal.
I’ve heard Sony are investigating all ready. 😆

@Raffles I wasn't a fan of Angry Birds not even back then. It's basically a slingshot minigame with tricky physics and ammunition of different weight and size.

What is Sega doing with their IPs? Seriously, have they done anything with their IPs excluding Sonic in the last decade? All I can remember is allowing other developers to make a Streets of Rage sequel and the House of the Dead remake, plus the re-release of Super Monkey Ball titles and the Puyo Puyo Tetris games. Jet Set Radio, Persona 3 remake, Crazy Taxi and Skies of Arcadia are just rumours.

@Banjo- Umm... Yakuza? SMT 5? Monkey Ball? Soul Hackers? That's just off the top of my head.

@Thaliard Super Monkey Ball is included in my comment. Yakuza I didn't count as classic Sega IP. Shin Megami Tensei V, good point, I hope it's released for Xbox like the Persona titles. Soul Hackers 2 yes, a long-awaited sequel. I forgot those!

@Banjo- Whoops, somehow glazed past Monkey Ball in your initial post. Apologies! How does Monkey Ball count as classic and Yakuza doesn't? They're from the same console generation. Also, just thought about New Genesis. That's pretty big and assuredly from a classic IP. Bayonetta with Nintendo. I feel like Sega's been doing some pretty decent work. When you look at other big third party publishers who put out 3-4 games a year, Sega looks pretty darn good.

@Thaliard Fair enough! 👍🏻

they should have bought marvelous+falcom instead with that money lol

Considering Rovio is still pulling in 300 million a year, from what I can tell (correct me if that inaccurate), this seems a pretty solid deal. SEGA wants to bolster their mobile output, and Rovio wants to expand beyond mobile. Seems a fairly natural fit if both companies are sorta at a roadblock right now and could actually benefit one another.

Though Angry Birds isn’t as big as it used to be, it’s still popular in some countries. Merging these two companies seems like a good business idea, SEGA can get more of their IP on mobile, and Rovio wants to expand more into other areas. They can help each other out. I’m having a feeling they’ll have an Angry Birds style game with Sonic characters using different abilities. I like many on here want to see SEGA bring back some of the dormant IPs. I’m hoping that leak on JSR is true and we get something soon.

Wonder if we will see the Angry Birds games relisted for XB1 (& 360)?

This purchase is largely for the Rovio's expertise over the Angry Bird IP'. 19% above market is not a bad premium if it leads to a successful launch into the mobile space utilising Sega's IP's.

Sega's growth strategy to invest up
to 250 billion yen during the next five-years is a with a billion dollars still in play I guess watch this space.

This is all about mobile expansion. The traditional gaming companies are taking over mobile gaming now. Pretty much all the breakout starts of mobile at this point are now owned by the traditional gaming industry, and in mobile only the biggest players really make money.

@Banjo- I'd rather Sega keep their old IP dormant than make a focus-tested by the numbers generic hack and slash game and declare it's Jet Set Radio 16, like a certain other publisher would do.

I for one am shocked Sega has this much walking around money to be spending it on a mobile studio.

They are worth 4.5 billion, so they essentially spent close to a forth of their net worth on a one trick pony Studio. Sounds like Microsoft might be buying Sega for cheap in a couple more years.

@Tasuki
Jim Ryan only cares about Call of Duty and the 40% they get from Microtransactions bought through their estore. It's weird he doesn't care about the countless other franchises they are losing in that deal.

@Banjo- Indeed. I'm still waiting for Phantasy Star 5.

@Renachan43 My second comment forgot the games that @Thaliard mentioned but yes, there are many classic IPs that Sega could revive, a new Phantasy Star would be great and the rumoured Jet Set Radio game.

Can't wait for when they reboot Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing some day and include an Angry Bird instead of one of their actual characters.

This is a big move by Sega into the mobile gaming market. They have already had a notable presence in the mobile market before this. I guess this is one of their big money priorities.