One of the biggest criticisms people make of Rovio is that it's a one trick pony, having served up little success with anything other than Angry Birds.

Of course, if CMO Peter Vesterbacka's dream of pooling together 1 billion fans for the series is realised, it's unlikely anyone at Rovio will care.

That's the claim Vesterbacka made at Casual Connect in Seattle, stating the studio is looking to reach said target by at least 2014.

Billion brand

"We are betting everything on Angry Birds," said Vesterbacka of Rovio's strategy.

"We want to be the first entertainment brand with a billion fans. That will take us two or three years to do. Next year, we want to be the leading entertainment brand in China."

As profitable as Angry Birds might seem, PocketGamer.biz has it on good authority that the studio is looking to pick up IP from third-parties, becoming a publishing powerhouse as a result.

Staying grounded

But, despite such lofty ambitions, Vesterbacka dismisses the notion that Rovio is getting carried away.
Angry Birds will remain the studio's focus for some time to come, he said - a stance highlighted by the wealth of merchandise currently flooding the market.

"Game makers buy into their own bullshit," he added.

"You think you can make hit after hit. We know how hard it is to do that, so we are betting everything on Angry Birds. It's not all about monetisation now. It's about keeping the fans coming back and building the brand."

[source: VentureBeat]