In an effort to “sharpen its focus”, Angry Birds creator Rovio is announcing another round of job cuts.
Rovio says it will soon “begin employee negotiations on up to 260 redundancies.”
If you’re working on the Angry Birds movie, you’re safe – but all all division are up for the cuts.
Rovio says it wants to focus on three areas – games, media, and consumer products.
According to the company’s CEO, it tried to “do too many things.”
“Rovio’s growth and eagerness to explore new business opportunities over the past few years has been exceptional,” said Rovio’s CEO Pekka Rantala. “As a result, we did too many things. In our current financial condition we must now put focus on where we are at our best: in creating magnificent gaming experiences, in producing an amazing animation movie and in delighting our fans with great products.”
“While we have gathered good momentum this year, especially with the launch of the Angry Birds 2 game — downloaded nearly 50 million times in its first month of release — fundamental changes are needed to ensure Rovio succeeds in its global ambitions to be the leading entertainment company with mobile games at its heart,” he adds. “This is personally a difficult decision. However, it is certain that a leaner and more agile Rovio is absolutely necessary to move forward and take the company to new successes in the future. We will work with and support all our employees through this period of change.”
Last October, the company laid off 110 employees.
While Angry Birds 2’s 50 million downloads may sound impressive, it’s obvious that its freemium model isn’t enough, and Rovio has to cut the fat to survive.
Image via Rovio
