, Columnist
Can Angry Birds Avoid the Fate of the Dodo?
Even rare and valuable species can face extinction.
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To say mobile games maker Rovio relies a lot on its Angry Birds franchise is something of an understatement.
The fluffy icons are on books, T-shirts, movie screens and theme-park rides. That dependence has looked like an albatross in recent years, as competition from new games and waning interest dented Rovio's Disney-sized ambitions. But those pesky birds are again laying golden eggs, with a successful movie franchise and new games generating cash. That helps the case for an IPO or takeover. Yet there's still no guarantee Rovio Entertainment Oy will keep navigating a fast-changing mobile market that has humbled gaming's old guard. The albatross risk hasn't gone away.