Mobile game developer Rovio Entertainment Ltd. says it plans to cut some 16 percent of its workforce amid signs that its Angry Birds game is losing some of its luster.
CEO Mikael Hed said Thursday in a statement that Rovio expects to cut up to 130 jobs in Finland as the company had been building its team on assumptions of "faster growth than have materialized." The Espoo, Finland-based company currently has about 800 employees.
Privately-owned Rovio has grown by double-digit numbers following the 2009 launch of Angry Birds and the wide-ranging merchandise that followed.
However, its earnings growth has stalled in the past year as industry reports suggest Angry Birds has lost some of its popularity.
The news comes a day after Sony Pictures announced the all-star voice cast of the upcoming "Angry Birds" animated film.
Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad and Danny McBride will voice the birds Red, Chuck and Bomb, respectively, while “Saturday Night Live” alums Bill Hader and Maya Rudolph will voice other lead characters alongside “Game of Thrones” star Peter Dinklage.
The film, which will be distributed globally by Sony Pictures, is produced by Rovio, and animation company Sony Pictures Imageworks is the animation facility for the production.
The film has a planned release date of July 1, 2016.
Angry Birds Studio Cutting Jobs as Animated Movie Tie-In Cast Announced
Copyright AP - Associated Press
