Angry Birds theme parks in the works

After toys, cookbooks and other novelties, what's next for the wildly popular "Angry Birds" franchise? A theme park, of course.

 

Rovio Mobile, makers of the mobile game phenomenon, are in talks to open a theme park in the United Kingdom, tech site Mashable reported.

 

The company is also into talks on setting up additional parks in the United States and China at a later date, it added.

 

However, the distinction of hosting the first "Angry Birds Land" park will still go to Rovio's home country Finland, with the park set to opens at Särkänniemi Adventure Park in Tampere, Finland.

 

The Angry Birds parks will be little lands inside already existing theme parks, similar to the character-themed sections Disney Theme Parks, Mashable said.

 

It said the parks will feature Angry Birds-themed slides, sandpits, and arcade games - all to bridge the digital and physical worlds.

 

On the other hand, Rovio CMO Peter Vesterbacka said they have stopped looking at themselves as a game company.

 

Last year, Rovio turned down a $2-billion acquisition offer from Zynga.

 

“Zynga is a game company. We stopped looking at ourselves as a game company. We sold 25 million plush toys last year. For us, it’s about making Angry Birds available everywhere,” Vesterbacka said. —TJD, GMA News