More bad news for ailing Angry Birds developer Rovio – the company have just reported a spate of 260 redundancies after reporting an additional 110 from last year. In an interview with The Guardian, Rovio’s chief executive Pekka Rentala blamed the job cuts in part on the company being too eager to expand to new opportunities.
Rovio’s growth and eagerness to explore new business opportunities over the past few years have been exceptional. As a result, we did too many things.
In our current financial condition we must now put focus on where we are at our best: in creating magnificent gaming experiences, in producing an amazing animation movie and in delighting our fans with great products.
Fundamental changes are needed to ensure Rovio succeeds in its global ambitions to be the leading entertainment company with mobile games at its heart. This is personally a difficult decision. However, it is certain that a leaner and more agile Rovio is absolutely necessary to move forward and take the company to new successes in the future.
The news is perhaps surprising to many, considering the apparent success of Angry Birds 2 and the existence of an animated film, but we’ll just have to keep an eye on what move the company decides to make in an effort to focus on its core properties.
