#rovio

Sega, the company behind popular games such as Sonic the Hedgehog and Mortal Kombat 2 is reportedly close to acquiring Rovio, the game developer responsible for the original Angry Birds game. Initially reported by The Wall Street Journal, the deal is said to close as soon as next week with Sega reportedly paying USD 1 billion to acquire Rovio according to people familiar with the matter. Last February, Rovio also removed the original Angry Birds game from the Google Play Store and had the game renamed to "Red's First Flight" on Apple's App Store. Rovio was also reportedly in talks with Israeli game developer Playtika on acquiring the company for a little over USD 750 million. From hit games to animated series, feature films, and even merchandise empires, Angry Birds has become a cultural cornerstone, solidifying Rovio’s place in mobile gaming history. To commemorate this milestone, I had the opportunity to speak with Ben Mattes, Rovio's creative officer, for a behind-the-scenes look at what has kept the franchise soaring for a decade and a half. Ben Mattes, a game development veteran with nearly 24 years of experience at companies like Ubisoft, WB Games Montreal, and Gameloft, has been with Rovio for almost five years. Read more in our articles including "Sega is reportedly acquiring Angry Birds developer Rovio for $1 billion" and "Angry Birds Turns 15: Creative Officer Ben Mattes Reflects on the Legacy and Future of the Iconic Franchise".