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For a while we were obsessed with Pokémon GO. Now we are immersed in full Fortnite fever. But who remembers Angry Birds? We started playing with the angry birds back in 2009 A phenomenon had started that went from mobile phones back then to the big movie screen. Because yes, the creators of Angry Birds even had time to make a movie.
In 2012 Angry Birds was crowned the most successful game in the history of mobile phones, after achieving nothing more and nothing less than over a billion downloads.Thus, what started as an innocent mobile game ended up becoming a true mass phenomenon.
Thus, in addition to releasing various versions of the game and releasing a movie in theaters, Rovio managed to create a true universe of objects around the brandAngry Birds merchandising flooded everything: stuffed animals, hats, key rings, mugs, clothes, comics and even cookies were made in the shape of the popular rabid birds.
Almost ten years after this phenomenon broke out, Rovio has presented downward economic results. What happened to Angry Birds?
Rovio's profits fall 6.7%
The Finnish studio behind Angry Birds, Rovio, earned 12.4 million euros in the first half of the year, 6.7% less than in the same period of the previous year.The company's turnover reached 137.5 million euros, which is 9.9% less than in 2017.
The fall has been particularly evident in the revenue from licenses obtained by the brand, up to 15.4 million euros, after the release of the film Angry Birds.In the second quarter, Rovio has had a net profit of 5.2 million euros, which represents 46.4% less than a year earlier, after having registered a fall of 16 , 8% in turnover, up to 71.8 million euros.
The only positive data that Rovio has indicated in its report is that corresponding to billing between April and June, with an increase of 6.4%, until reaching 61.3 million euros and a growth of 44% in the hiring of Angry Birds 2. At that point a record number of 29.7 million euros was registered.
For now, the brand is optimistic due to the number of daily and monthly users, which improved a little compared to the second quarter.At least, the number of paid users reached the record number of 581,000. In addition, the company has obtained the concession of licenses for The Angry Birds Movie 2, with contracts with brands such as Pez, Crocs or Chupa Chups.
The Golden Age of Angry Birds
It is clear that Rovio's golden age is over. After its explosion in 2009, the company's inordinate success lasted for a few More years. Then, in Espoo (Finland), which is where Rovio still has its offices, many more employees were hired and the offices were a true paradise, stuffed with birds and pigs decorating the rooms.
Revenues tripled and the number of employees went from 28 to 224. Almost nothing. Shortly after, we reached one billion downloads, but Rovio didn't just stay on mobile phonesAngry birds weren't so angry anymore and they appeared on the big screen, in cartoons, in children's stories and in games of all kinds. They took advantage of the pass of the comet or of luck made discharges.
In a few years, and after that golden age, the app plummeted in the download rankings of Google Play and the App Store.In 2014 they announced a series of significant cuts, including a 16% reduction in the workforce at that time, that is, 130 employees.
At that moment, their managers justified themselves, explaining that they had created a team with a growth hypothesis much higher than what had finally materialized. And therefore, 'had to simplify'.
This just reveals something very important: you can't always ride the crest of the wave. Now the question becomes inevitable, Will the same thing happen to the developers of Fortnite or Clash Royale?
