Apr 17, 2023 11:50:00

Report that Sega plans to acquire the developer of 'Angry Birds' for about 130 billion yen

It was reported that Sega Sammy Holdings plans to acquire

Rovio Entertainment , the developer of the popular smartphone game ' Angry Birds ', which has been popular for many years since its release in 2009.

Sega Nears Deal for 'Angry Birds' Mobile Game Maker - WSJ
https://www.wsj.com/amp/articles/sega-nears-deal-for-angry-birds-mobile-game-maker-12bc7984

Angry Birds company Rovio may sell to Sega for $1 billion - The Verge

https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/14/23683633/angry-birds-rovio-sega-sell-deal

According to sources interviewed by The Wall Street Journal, Sega Sammy Holdings , the holding company of game maker Sega and Sammy, which produces games and pachinko, has acquired Rovio Entertainment for $1 billion (approximately 130 billion yen). It is said that the contract to do is coming soon. The deal is expected to close the week of April 17, 2023, if negotiations do not break down or drag out, the sources said.

In response to this report, Sega Sammy Holdings issued a statement on April 17, 2023, saying, ``There were reports that we were likely to agree to an acquisition soon, but this was not announced by our group. It is true that we are proceeding with consideration, but no specific decisions have been made at this time.We plan to discuss this matter at the Board of Directors meeting to be held today, April 17, 2023, and if it is decided. We will announce it as soon as possible,” he said.

Regarding some news reports about our group
(PDF file) https://www.segasammy.co.jp/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20230417_news_j_final.pdf

Angry Birds was a pioneering mobile game released in 2009, when smartphones were still in its infancy, and according to Rovio, it was the first mobile game to be downloaded one billion times. It is also reported that there will be a total of 5 billion downloads by 2022. In addition to multiple sequels,

movies based on Angry Birds have also been produced, and Rovio, whose performance has improved, has been listed in 2017 after the movie was released.

Rovio was previously in talks to sell itself to Israeli rival Playtika Holding Corporation for more than $800 million (about 100 billion yen), but the negotiations ended in March 2023 and the contract was signed. was not established.

In response to this report, the stock price of Sega Sammy Holdings temporarily fell 6.1% . Robio Entertainment closed at 7.78 euros (about 1157 yen) on April 14th (Friday) when it was reported.