Zynga Trying to Buy Angry Birds

Zynga is rumored to be pursuing Rovio, maker of Angry Birds to create a powerhouse gaming company for both mobile and social networks.

Reports indicate Zynga, best known for its FarmVille game on Facebook, is in talks with Rovio. Zynga is in the market to add another gaming platform, after it last month lost a bidding war for PopCap games, which went to Electronic Arts.

There are benefits for both gaming giants if they form a partnership. Zynga's games attract about 148 million users on Facebook every day, but people mostly play the games online instead of downloading them.

Zynga makes millions selling game credits so players can build on their game levels.

Rovio, for its part, has earned millions through Angry Birds, which has been downloaded more than 250 million times. But although Rovio has money, it doesn't have an online presence and the wider audience that Zynga enjoys through its ready-made audience on Facebook.

Zynga's purchase of Rovio, and subsequent take-over the Angry Birds game could be what the company needs to propel it beyond a Facebook addition, because Angry Birds has become far more than a game that smartphone users play for 200 million minutes every day.

Rovio has cashed in on Angry Birds' popularity with a merchandising line that includes adult and children's clothing and a character toy line.

The Finnish company is also working on a cartoon about the Angry Birds characters, and is working on a special Angry Birds egg cookbook.

While Zynga attracts millions of users every day on Facebook, it makes its money through sales of gaming chips to players who want to go to higher levels, and has not made much of an outside merchandising effort.

If Zynga can add to Rovio's marketing strategies, it may entice Facebook devotees to start buying toys or shirts based on its games, boosting revenues.

Neither company has commented about the rumors, which are creating a lot of buzz in the gaming industry. If the merger takes flight, though, both Zynga and Rovio could join their users in a gaming experience that could attract millions of players to enjoy both platforms.

Zynga Trying to Buy Angry Birds originally appeared at Mobiledia on Fri Aug 12, 2011 1:22 pm.