There was an interesting article in Investor’s Business Daily yesterday (Rovio Targets Disney With ‘Angry Birds’ Space, Deals) that caught my eye. To start, chief marketing officer, Peter Vesterbacka, was quoted saying that Rovio, maker of Angry Birds, is “an entertainment company, not a game company.” He compared his company to Disney, noting how both companies are “developing characters for expansion into broadcast media, merchandising and publishing.”
So maybe it started as a game (a trajectory game as noted by Thom Kozik, founder of Context Digital Media, an investor and consultant to online gaming startups), but it aims to be much, much more.
The quote that caught my eye was from Mr. Kozik who pointed out:
” ‘Angry Birds’ is a success because it has characters that tell a story, with each bird being different and distinct…”
The end of the quote, which doesn’t appear here, refers to Rovio having created an addiction. While that might be true, I’d like to think they made characters that are relevant and engaging . If the audience is drawn into the adventure and identify with the characters, that indeed takes “gaming” to a new level.
Definitely worth pondering.
And here’s the trailer to the newest game: Angry Birds Space.
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