The Finnish mobile game developer Rovio, who is famous for creating the Angry Birds franchise, has just announced that they will be letting go 213 employees. This comes after they already cut 110 people last October. The reduction of workforce has been due to a variety of reasons, the biggest one being the company’s falling annual earnings. Recent data shows that this might be the third year in a row in which their profits have fallen.
Even though Rovio hasn’t created a successful franchise since the original Angry Birds in 2009, the second numbered entry in the franchise, Angry Birds 2, has been met with both critical and commercial success.
These layoffs are also due to restructuring efforts after the CEO, Mikael Hed, left the company last year. Rovio is refocusing the company only on “gaming, media, and consumer products”. All other enterprises are either being discontinued or defunded – including their learning initiative, Angry Birds Playground, which was Finnish educational concept exported to China and Singapore that allowed kids to learn in a fun environment.
The relatively new CEO of Rovio, Pekka Rentala, explained the layoffs:
“Fundamental changes are needed to ensure Rovio succeeds in its global ambitions to be the leading entertainment company with mobile games at its heart. This is personally a difficult decision. However, it is certain that a leaner and more agile Rovio is absolutely necessary to move forward and take the company to new successes in the future.”
This coming May, Rovio is releasing Angry Birds 3D, a wide release movie which the company hopes will be a huge success and produce a renewed interest in their only profitable franchise.
