Sega is reportedly closing in on a deal that could potentially see the company acquiring Rovio, the maker of Angry Birds. In February, the Finnish developer announced that Rovio had entered sales talks following calls from multiple interested parties. Now it appears the company might have found a suitor in the form of Sega.
Since its release in 2009, Angry Birds has grown to be one of the biggest mobile games, managing to spawn multiple sequels and movies over the years. More recently, its popularity has led to some interesting turn of events for the developer after Rovio Classics: Angry Birds got delisted from some platforms due to its seemingly negative effect on the rest of Rovio's gaming portfolio. Fans have largely voiced their opposition to this decision, and it's unlikely the company will make a quick U-turn. However, its pending new owner might offer some interesting implications.
According to a new Wall Street Journal report, Japan's Sega is reportedly getting ready to finalize a deal with Rovio to buy the company. It further mentions that the Tokyo-based company is expected to purchase the Angry Birds maker for around $1 billion and the deal might close by early next week. While this isn't the first for Sega, Rovio will mark one of the biggest and most notable acquisitions for the company should the deal materialize.
The news comes mere months after Israeli gambling giant Playtika was in talks with Rovio to buy the company at a preliminary bid of €683 million ($750.96 million). At the time, Playtika claimed that adding Rovio's IP would add "tremendous" shareholder value to the company, particularly with its monetization and logistical capabilities. However, last month Rovio announced that talks with Playtika officially ended. Of course, Playtika wasn't the only interested company at the time, with analysts pointing to the likes of EA, Take-Two, Sony, Netflix, and Disney as those looking to acquire the Angry Birds maker.
So far, neither Sega nor Rovio is yet to share any details on the pending acquisition, though the announcement may be made public soon if it does finalize by next week. Interestingly, the past few years have been an opportune time for Sega, especially with Sonic the Hedgehog and Yakuza franchises. Now, rumors suggest that Sega might bring back cult classic Jet Set Radio as well. Either way, it will be interesting to see what the road ahead looks like for Rovio should it come under Sega's umbrella.
Source: Wall Street Journal