Rovio in Espoo: Epitomizing the Rise of “Palo Espoo”

Abstract

Almost every time I ask someone whether they have heard of a company called Rovio, they say no. But when I ask again if they had heard of a game called Angry Birds, they almost always say, ‘Of course’. Rovio Entertainment is the maker of Angry Birds, released in 2009. It was the Finnish company’s 52nd game. And yet very few know about its Finnish identity. By late 2013 Angry Birds had been downloaded 1.7 billion times, making it the most downloaded paid mobile game application in the world of all time—a notable example of entrepreneurship in the electronic entertainment industry. Before we delve into the intricacies of this company, we must first take a look at the gaming industry to put the story in its industrial context.