Rovio Launches Angry Birds Movie-Linked Action Game

Rovio launched on Friday a new moving pinball arcade smasher Angry Birds Action! – the key part of its comeback campaign around Angry Birds Movie, which will premiere globally next month.

Rovio has struggled as the popularity of Angry Birds, the top paid mobile app of all time, has waned. It’s sales have slipped and the company has cut jobs and swapped executives. The Hollywood movie represents its big comeback opportunity.

Rovio tries to link the new game to the real world with BirdCodes located at its partners products and stores, and opening up parts of the game only to the fans watching the movie during the opening weekend – with the phones detecting an inaudible digital watermark that plays only behind the end credits and opening access based on this.

“With The Angry Birds Movie coming soon, Angry Birds Action! brings the brand back full circle to its mobile origins, while also creating with our partners a new type of entertainment experience altogether,” Kati Levoranta, Rovio CEO, said in a statement.

In the game leader of the flock, Red, smashes and crashes through obstacles and bounces from wall to wall like a wrecking ball – all in the name of saving precious and fragile eggs.

Rovio said more than 1 billion BirdCodes have been prepared and printed around the world, and can be found on consumer products created by Rovio’s global partners including Lego, H&M and Walmart in the United States. When scanned with Angry Birds Action! BirdCodes unlock additional power-ups and digital content.