They’re cute. They’re bouncy. And they’re angry. Introducing “Angry Birds Toons”. Seriously.
Rovio has long teased the existence of an Angry Birds cartoon series but held most of the details secret. Well, all will be revealed come March 16th, when the first episode premieres.
The company took to its blog today to announce the first episodes, describing the series as “an all-new animated series that throws the doors to Piggy Island wide open.”
This is a logical move for Rovio, who is clearly attempting to milk everything out of the Angry Birds brand. Much like traditional cartoons, this cartoon series is simply a vehicle to sell toys.
After the app hit it big, Rovio quickly moved into toys starting with plush Angry Birds. Then, just last Christmas, Rovio licensed the brand to Hasbro for a series of board games. At this point Angry Birds is a cash cow for Rovio and a cartoon series is a smart way to keep the brand alive.
“The content itself is the channel,” said Rovio CEO Mikeal Hed in an interview acknowledging the pains of launching a cartoon series. “We have become the channel.”
And with 260 million users as of January, the Angry Birds apps could prove to be a might big distribution channel when Rovio puts these cartoons in the games themselves. But as for the March 16th premiere, it seems if “Angry Birds Toons” will only be shown on the show’s website.
