Rovio Mobile's 'Angry Birds' flocks to Facebook

Rovio Mobile is extending its blockbuster mobile game Angry Birds to the Facebook platform, a move that brings a host of new social interactions and competitive dimensions.

Angry Birds for Facebook includes new social capabilities.

First introduced on mobile in late 2009, Angry Birds brings to life the epic battle between a flock of vengeful birds and the green pigs that stole their eggs. The new Facebook version enables gamers to compete with friends, talk smack about their prowess and earn virtual crowns for high score achievements. Players can also send Facebook friends "mystery gifts" like power-ups--at launch, Rovio is rolling out four new power-ups, including Sling Scope (enabling pinpoint precision), King Sling (improving power and velocity), Super Seeds (which super-sizes birds) and Birdquake (which sends tremors destroying pigs' defenses). Rovio will give 14 free power-ups to anyone who plays Angry Birds on Facebook through Feb. 16.

Rovio Mobile first announced plans to migrate Angry Birds to Facebook roughly a year ago. More than two years after its initial launch, Angry Birds remains a phenomenon across the mobile ecosystem and was 2011's most downloaded mobile app across all stores and operating systems, according to app marketplace analytics Distimo. More than 130 million consumers play Angry Birds each month and 30 million access the app each day, translating to 300 million minutes of daily game play.

Late last year, Rovio signaled it is planning an initial public offering on the Hong Kong stock exchange in 2013. Speaking to Finnish weekly Tekniikka&Talous, Rovio chief marketing officer Peter Vesterbacka said the company is striving to evolve into a multimedia empire on par with The Walt Disney Co., which boasts a valuation of $65.3 billion. "That is the target. There is no reason why we should not be able to build a company of that size," Vesterbacka stated. Rovio generated 2011 revenues of around $100 million, up from $10 million a year ago.

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