Tracking rumours that Sega was preparing a deal to buy the Finnish company Rovio — the maker of Angry Birds — the Japanese company officially announced it.
Published press release on its website (currently in Japanese only) confirms that the deal has been signed following an offer made by Sega through its European arm. The total purchase price is 706 million dollars, which is less than $775 million at current exchange rates, but less than the rumored $1 billion figure circulating online over the weekend.
In an official tweet, Sega calls the acquisition “Global expansion of the consumer business through the enhancement of mobile gaming,” and the takeover is described (according to Google Translate) as “amicable, with Rovio’s Board of Directors expressing support for the tender offer.”
Sega is paying 9.25 dollars per share, and Rovio shares were at 7.78 dollars at the close of Nasdaq Helsinki on April 14. In the document, Sega talks about its intention to use Rovio’s mobile gaming know-how with the “goal of delivering SEGA content to as many users as possible in the digital gaming market.” There are also plans for Rovio to expand into the non-mobile market.
Rovio (formally Rovio Entertainment Oyj) released Angry Birds back in 2009 and took the mobile market by storm with the IP spawning multiple entries, Star Wars crossovers and even its own movie.
We’ll update this article when the official translation drops. In the meantime, let us know below if you think this is a good match.
