Following the success of its Moon Festival campaign, Rovio Entertainment is delighted to release the “Year of the Dragon” update for Angry Birds Seasons.
The new update will have a brand new theme featuring traditional elements of Chinese New Year such as fireworks, lanterns, Chinese knots, and red envelopes. For this episode, the Mighty Eagle will also get a special “Year of the Dragon” makeover. As a new year’s gift to fans, the “Mighty Dragon” will be available on iOS, Android, and Symbian for free.
In addition, Rovio will release a brand-new Year of the Dragon animation and comic, both available internationally online. Rovio will also offer limited-edition Year of the Dragon merchandise in China.
China launch with local partners
To launch the game in China, Rovio’s official telecommunications partner will be China Mobile, who will publicize the game to its partners and its network of 600 million users.
“As Rovio’s launch partner, we are giving our full support to the Year of the Dragon update,” Lili Tan, Deputy General Manager of China Mobile Internet Base. “This Year of the Dragon update has a lot of Chinese culture involved and Chinese people just love it. Rovio is our long-term strategic partner, and we look forward to a long and successful partnership with them.”
On the social media side, Rovio´s launch partner Sina will also feature the Year of the Dragon animation and comics in China.
Rovio expands to Asia
Moon Festival, released in September, was the first-ever Angry Birds episode based on a Chinese holiday. This update let the Angry Birds celebrate the mid-autumn festival with fans worldwide. Rovio also released limited-edition Moon Festival products, such as Angry Birds mooncakes, for the Chinese market. These products were very well-received, with mooncakes selling out completely in Hong Kong within a few days.
The Year of the Dragon and Moon Festival episodes represent part of Rovio’s larger plan for expansion in Asia. Rovio launched its first international office in Shanghai in September and already has strong relationships with Chinese partners, but will continue to develop its activities in other business areas.
“As the fastest growing market for Angry Birds, China represents immense potential for continued growth,” said Henri Holm, SVP of Rovio Asia. “With more than 600 million downloads globally, Rovio is excited to celebrate the international culture of Angry Birds fans and plans to offer more cultural episodes in the future.”