Rovio expands into mobile game publishing

Angry Birds developer Rovio has launched a new mobile game publishing program called Rovio Stars.

The studio’s VP of Games Jami Laes said that given the company’s position as a leading mobile game developer, becoming a publisher was the next “logical step” for it to take.

Rovio is currently looking for titles that appeal to all ages and are already in an advanced stage of production. It also encouraged developers to provide a game video as part of their submission as “the very best way to introduce us your game”.

The new initiative is the developer’s first move into third-party publishing, and the first titles set to be released under the scheme will be Nitrome-developed game Icebreaker: A Viking Voyage and 5 Ants’ puzzle title Tiny Thief.

“Rovio Entertainment has positioned itself as one of the powerhouses of mobile entertainment, so moving into publishing is a logical step for us at this point”, said Rovio EVP of Games Jami Laes.

“We want to help our fans find quality entertainment among the more than 100,000 games available in app stores. That’s where Rovio Stars comes in.”

Rovio director of development Kalle Kaivola added: “In the course of our work, we run into so many fantastic upcoming titles – games with memorable characters and entertaining gameplay that are also just really fun to play!

“These are the sorts of titles we’re interested in. We want to help the developers to give these games that last coat of polish, publish the games and find their audience. We’re focusing on a small, select number of games, and each Rovio Stars launch will be an event of its own.”

For more information of the mobile game publishing scheme, visit the official website.