An interesting piece of news that came out a few days ago is that Rovio Entertainment – the Finnish video-game company best known for creation the Angry Birds franchise – is joining forces with The LEGO Group to release Angry Birds related sets. This will coincide with the upcoming Angry Birds 3D computer-animated action comedy film, scheduled for release on July 1st, 2016. Below is the official press-release, then we can discuss. 🙂
Rovio teams with The LEGO Group to create a collection of building sets related to its 2016 film
LAS VEGAS, Nevada– 8th June 2015– Rovio, makers of Angry Birds, the most downloaded mobile game ever, today announced a partnership with The LEGO Group to develop a line of construction toys. LEGO Angry Birds will be available in spring 2016 to coincide with the release of The Angry Birds Movie, a full-length feature film based on the popular gaming franchise.
“The LEGO brand has an unparalleled ability to connect with people through products that spark creativity and imagination. We’re really excited to build experiences together with this amazing best-in-class partner,” said Pekka Rantala, Chief Executive Officer of Rovio.
“We are excited to bring Angry Birds to life in LEGO form, given the popularity of the game and its characters with fans of all ages, which will only be amplified by the forthcoming film,” said Jill Wilfert, Vice President, licensing & entertainment at The LEGO Group. “We seek partnership with globally relevant properties that offer a unique and rewarding play experience to our fans, and our designers are having fun developing building sets that leverage the engaging play and deconstruction found in the Angry Birds game.”
Further details about the collection, available in spring of 2016, are not yet available.
I find this news quite surprising. The Angry Birds game certainly has been popular, but my understanding is that it has already past its heydays. I don’t really see kids playing it any more. Also, K’NEX has been already producing pretty decent construction sets for the game. I guess Rovio figured that with the film coming out there may be a revival of the game itself, and LEGO would be a better partner for their construction toys. I’m just surprised LEGO agreed to this – they seem to be picking up a lot of random licenses like Angry Birds, Scooby Doo, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, etc. to produce just a few sets – and with the upcoming LEGO Dimensions game there are even more licensed characters.
Previously LEGO concentrated on long-term collaborations with large license partners like Star Wars, Harry Potter, Super Heroes, Lord or the Rings and Disney Princesses. The quality construction sets produced in these lines gave LEGO a wholesome, focused look. Spreading out between so many licensed with cheap, half-baked sets that don’t seem to live up to the standard and longevity LEGO is known for, can devalue the entire brand in the eyes of consumers. There is real concern from the LEGO fan community about this, as you can read in most LEGO forums and blogs. So far the overall consensus appears to be that LEGO Angry Birds is a bad move…
What do you think? Do you play Angry Bird? Or did you play in the past? Is it still popular in your opinion? Do you think that LEGO and Angry Birds go well together? And how do you feel about LEGO getting so many licenses? Are you happy about the new sets, or wish there were less? Feel free to share and discuss in the comment section below! 😉
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