Angry Birds tries freemium

Angry Birds' parent company Rovio is now using the pricing strategy that has won competitor King so much profit: freemium. The game is free, but if you want special powers or gadgets, you have to pay.

Freemium has made King quite profitable, as loyal and 'addicted' Candy Crush players pay -- and pay -- and pay for extras. No wonder Rovio is trying freemium. 'It's pretty clear that free-to-play as a model monetises the best, but no matter what model you use, you have to make great games', says Rovio's chief marketing officer.

By design, Rovio has used marketing and licensing to place Angry Birds characters everywhere, from stuffed animals, movie tie-ins and toys to theme parks, candy and comics. Its Stella character will have a new game built around her, plus 'third screen' mobile-access episodes and more. The Angry Birds brand is positioned to extend throughout the entertainment world, not just as a game but as an umbrella for multiple offerings.

Naturally, Angry Birds is a social brand: Its FB page has more than 27 million likes and its Twitter account has 628,00 followers. Also the brand is on Tumblr and -- of course! -- YouTube.