Rovio Announces Layoffs Amidst Declining Profits

The company that made Angry Birds a household name has announced it is handing out pink slips in order to recuperate some of its financial losses.

Rovio has revealed it is reducing its home workforce in Finland by 16 percent in order to compensate for declining profits from its Angry Birds franchises. Just yesterday, we reported that company unveiled its cast for the Angry Birds Hollywood film. Just over a month ago, Michael Hed, the co-founder and longtime CEO of Rovio, announced he is stepping down from his position at the head of the company due to declining sales numbers. In what is likely to be one of his last addresses to the public as CEO, he revealed that his company is laying off 130 people throughout its Finland offices.

"It is never easy to consider changes like this, but it is better to do them sooner rather than later, when we are in a good place to reignite growth," said Hed. "At Rovio we live to delight our fans. This year we have more launches and news than ever. As we consider these painful measures, we keep our eye on always delighting our fans with products they love."

Rovio's declining profits coincide with King's declines as well. Both companies are known for their one trick pony franchises: Candy Crush Saga and Angry Birds. Sure, both Candy Crush and Angry Birds have had their offshoots and pseudo sequels, but they are the same game every time with a new theme or minute changes. The mobile gaming market is becoming over-saturated with simplistic games similar to Candy Crush and Angry Birds that are just as addictive. King and Rovio have milked these franchises for about as far as they can go. Until both companies learn to make a completely new game instead of repackaging the same product with a new theme, these reports of declining profits are likely not to change.