Visiting the Tokyo Game Show yesterday, I randomly bumped into Peter Vesterbacka, the CEO of Rovio, the company behind Angry Birds. I’d met him briefly back in April at the Global Mobile Internet Conference in Beijing, so I said a quick hello. While I have no idea if he remembered me, he was kind enough to show me an an interesting new feature that has just launched in Angry Birds Seasons: Comics.
Now when playing the Chinese-themed Angry Birds Seasons, if you press pause you’ll be presented with an episode of the Angry Birds comic which also has a Moon Festival theme. There will be a new episode every day for the next two weeks in honor of China’s moon Festival. The second episode just came out, and here’s a screenshot:
If I recall correctly, I believe Peter said there was a Chinese language comic too — although I’m having trouble finding it, so now I’m not entirely sure.
Cooperating With Copycats
I also asked Peter if it was true that Rovio was actually seeking to cooperate with that copycat Angry Birds theme park in Changsha, China. He affirmed that they are, and what’s more, he said that the company hopes to build as many as 100 more like it throughout China.
Rovio’s approach to intellectual property in China is novel, and Peter boldly stated back at GMIC in Beijing that being one of the most copied games is a good thing. “It means we are recognized,” he said.
The company is aspiring to be a leading brand by next year in the Middle Kingdom. And to be honest, I wouldn’t bet against them.
Check out the video below, showing a news report of the copycat theme park in question.
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