Angry Birds franchise passes one billion downloads

Rovio has announced that its blockbuster mobile franchise Angry Birds has surpassed one billion downloads.

Less than three years old, the Angry Birds series has accumulated its billion from multiple titles across the mobile space - Angry Birds, Angry Birds Seasons, Angry Birds Rio, and the recently launched Angry Birds Space.

Released in March, it was named the fastest growing mobile game ever with 50 million downloads reached in its first 35 days.

Rovio also recently announced its 2011 financials; total revenue was €75.4 million ($106.3 million) and earnings before tax were €48 million ($67.6 million).

And there's more

But that's not the biggest news from Rovio's milestone.

In a YouTube video celebrating the series' latest milestone, we catch a glimpse at what could be Rovio's next big hit.

The clip shows a cartoon character finishing a game of Angry Birds on his iPod touch or iPhone before turning to face the camera and give a big ol' thumb up.

Readers with sharp eyes may have noticed a Heath Robinson mechanism with a pair of scissors ready to cut a piece of sting tied to a balloon.

It looks a little like iPad puzzle Casey's Contraptions suggesting that Rovio is moving toward publishing or distribution, as has previously been rumoured. 

Back in February, Rovio's CEO Mikael Hed confirmed the company was working on a new non-Angry Birds-themed game which could be revealed in "a couple of months".