Angry Birds aims to soar in China
By Zhu Shenshen |
July 22, 2012, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
ANGRY Birds are set to land in China later this year, with the launch of theme parks devoted to the popular mobile game.
The first park is scheduled to open in October in Haining, Zhejiang Province, and visitors will be able to play Angry Birds games while waiting in line, said the creators.
Haining is famous for its leather industry and the spectacular tide in the Qiantang River, and the version of Angry Birds available in the park will include levels referencing the city's attractions.
Rovio, the Finnish company behind Angry Birds, hopes the parks will help it diversify from a mobile games company to a cross-media entertainment firm, citing Disney as a model.
"It's a start here (in China) and Angry Birds is our Mickey Mouse," Paul Chen, Chinese general manager of Rovio, told Shanghai Daily in an exclusive interview.
China is the second biggest market for Angry Birds, making it vital in Rovio's plans, said Chen.
Since its debut in 2009, downloads of Angry Birds, including on Apple's iOS and Google's Android platforms, have reached 1 billion.
China has contributed almost 150 million downloads of the game that sees multi-colored birds attempt to retrieve their eggs that have been stolen by green pigs.
Rovio plans to open around 20 Angry Birds theme parks in China.
The number is much more ambitious than Rovio's plans in other countries - two parks in Finland, one in England and "probably several" in the United States, still its biggest market by downloads and revenue.
Chen explained that the company is focusing on China because it has the most Angry Birds fans - even some who haven't played the game - and that the government likes and supports the project which is expected to boost tourism and local economy.
The latest technology will ensure visitors to Angry Birds theme parks will be kept amused all the time they are there, said Chen.
"Other parks let visitors wait for an hour for three minutes on a ride," said Chen. "But you can enjoy Angry Birds every minute in the park."
Rovio is adopting LBS (location-based service) technology in its parks. And based on people's location, visitors will be able to access specially-design levels of Angry Birds with local references on their phones - in Haining, the city's leather trade and famous tide,
The company also plans to add more Chinese elements, such as the Great Wall, to its games, said Chen.
The theme parks are part of a wider strategy to expand the Angry Birds brand in China.
Last Friday, Rovio opened an Angry Birds store in Shanghai, the first one outside Finland. Among merchandise are iPhone cases for 138 yuan (US$21) and T-shirts for 299 yuan.
To attract customers, Rovio has introduced a digital rewards scheme in its store. Consumers who buy products receive digital codes which can be used in Angry Birds games to open new levels or get virtual items.
The Shanghai store has proved popular with Angry Birds fans, but Rovio says sales figures are not yet available.
A second store opens in Beijing next month and Rovio intends to have 25 brand stores in China by the end of the year. Within two years, it aims to have between 200 and 300 stores in China.
Licensed products and theme parks are expected to bring Rovio considerable income. Currently, revenue from the mobile game in China is relatively limited, especially on the Android platform, because of piracy and lack of effective payment methods on phone, analysts said.
Chen predicts Rovio's China revenue will grow 300 percent in 2012 due to expansion. And the percentage of revenue in China from licensed products will rise from 10 percent to 30 percent by the end of the year, said Chen.
Rovio also plans to increase its number of developers and engineers in China from 11 to 100 by the end of the year. Additional staff are required for a new animation program studio in Shanghai and research centers for online games for Chinese users.
"We are seeking acquisitions in these segments and the only condition is 'good quality'," Chen said.
In addition, Rovio is also seeking Chinese partners for Angry Bird TV programs, scheduled for next year. An Angry Bird film is also planned for 2014. However, Rovio has not overlooked its core product amidst all this diversification, with Angry Birds games for home consoles to be available globally in time for Christmas.
In a bid to fight piracy, the console game will initially only be available from brand stores in a short term.
"We won't put them immediately online because it provides an opportunity for copycats," Chen said.
Peter Vesterbacka, marketing chief for Rovio, saw many fake Angry Birds products during his last visit to China, but was philosophical about it.
"When you see all these knockoffs, you know that there is a lot of demand," Vesterbacka said.
Rovio also released another mobile game, Amazing Alex, last week, with Chinese partners including China Unicom, AppChina and Qihoo 360.
Spin-off games featuring the green pigs from Angry Birds are also planned.
"It's like Donald Duck spun off from Mickey Mouse story," Chen said. "We will have spin-off brands in future."
The first park is scheduled to open in October in Haining, Zhejiang Province, and visitors will be able to play Angry Birds games while waiting in line, said the creators.
Haining is famous for its leather industry and the spectacular tide in the Qiantang River, and the version of Angry Birds available in the park will include levels referencing the city's attractions.
Rovio, the Finnish company behind Angry Birds, hopes the parks will help it diversify from a mobile games company to a cross-media entertainment firm, citing Disney as a model.
"It's a start here (in China) and Angry Birds is our Mickey Mouse," Paul Chen, Chinese general manager of Rovio, told Shanghai Daily in an exclusive interview.
China is the second biggest market for Angry Birds, making it vital in Rovio's plans, said Chen.
Since its debut in 2009, downloads of Angry Birds, including on Apple's iOS and Google's Android platforms, have reached 1 billion.
China has contributed almost 150 million downloads of the game that sees multi-colored birds attempt to retrieve their eggs that have been stolen by green pigs.
Rovio plans to open around 20 Angry Birds theme parks in China.
The number is much more ambitious than Rovio's plans in other countries - two parks in Finland, one in England and "probably several" in the United States, still its biggest market by downloads and revenue.
Chen explained that the company is focusing on China because it has the most Angry Birds fans - even some who haven't played the game - and that the government likes and supports the project which is expected to boost tourism and local economy.
The latest technology will ensure visitors to Angry Birds theme parks will be kept amused all the time they are there, said Chen.
"Other parks let visitors wait for an hour for three minutes on a ride," said Chen. "But you can enjoy Angry Birds every minute in the park."
Rovio is adopting LBS (location-based service) technology in its parks. And based on people's location, visitors will be able to access specially-design levels of Angry Birds with local references on their phones - in Haining, the city's leather trade and famous tide,
The company also plans to add more Chinese elements, such as the Great Wall, to its games, said Chen.
The theme parks are part of a wider strategy to expand the Angry Birds brand in China.
Last Friday, Rovio opened an Angry Birds store in Shanghai, the first one outside Finland. Among merchandise are iPhone cases for 138 yuan (US$21) and T-shirts for 299 yuan.
To attract customers, Rovio has introduced a digital rewards scheme in its store. Consumers who buy products receive digital codes which can be used in Angry Birds games to open new levels or get virtual items.
The Shanghai store has proved popular with Angry Birds fans, but Rovio says sales figures are not yet available.
A second store opens in Beijing next month and Rovio intends to have 25 brand stores in China by the end of the year. Within two years, it aims to have between 200 and 300 stores in China.
Licensed products and theme parks are expected to bring Rovio considerable income. Currently, revenue from the mobile game in China is relatively limited, especially on the Android platform, because of piracy and lack of effective payment methods on phone, analysts said.
Chen predicts Rovio's China revenue will grow 300 percent in 2012 due to expansion. And the percentage of revenue in China from licensed products will rise from 10 percent to 30 percent by the end of the year, said Chen.
Rovio also plans to increase its number of developers and engineers in China from 11 to 100 by the end of the year. Additional staff are required for a new animation program studio in Shanghai and research centers for online games for Chinese users.
"We are seeking acquisitions in these segments and the only condition is 'good quality'," Chen said.
In addition, Rovio is also seeking Chinese partners for Angry Bird TV programs, scheduled for next year. An Angry Bird film is also planned for 2014. However, Rovio has not overlooked its core product amidst all this diversification, with Angry Birds games for home consoles to be available globally in time for Christmas.
In a bid to fight piracy, the console game will initially only be available from brand stores in a short term.
"We won't put them immediately online because it provides an opportunity for copycats," Chen said.
Peter Vesterbacka, marketing chief for Rovio, saw many fake Angry Birds products during his last visit to China, but was philosophical about it.
"When you see all these knockoffs, you know that there is a lot of demand," Vesterbacka said.
Rovio also released another mobile game, Amazing Alex, last week, with Chinese partners including China Unicom, AppChina and Qihoo 360.
Spin-off games featuring the green pigs from Angry Birds are also planned.
"It's like Donald Duck spun off from Mickey Mouse story," Chen said. "We will have spin-off brands in future."
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