Rovio becomes a publisher of third-party mobile games with the launch of Rovio Stars

Angry Birds publisher Rovio Entertainment has announced a new initiative that will see it publish third-party mobile game titles under a new Rovio Stars brand, featuring “the best new games from talented and innovative developers.”

“Rovio Entertainment has positioned itself as one of the powerhouses of mobile entertainment, so moving into publishing is a logical step for us at this point,” says Rovio’s EVP of Games Jami Laes. “We want to help our fans find quality entertainment among the more than 100,000 games available in app stores. That’s where Rovio Stars comes in.”

The first third-party title to be published under the Rovio Stars brand will be Icebreaker: A Viking Voyage by London-based studio Nitrome. The game follows the adventure of a lone Viking.

While no date has been given for the launch yet, you can see the teaser trailer for yourself here. It’s also worth noting that this will be iOS-only, at least for launch:

This will be followed by a game called Tiny Thief, by 5 Ants.

Last year, Rovio reported $71m in net profit on $195m in revenue, built largely on the Angry Birds franchise which has spawned everything from lunch boxes and soft toys, to adventure playgrounds. Its first foray into third-party mobile game publishing is a significant step for the company, as it allows Rovio to tap into a pool of creative and developer talent, test the water with new games and grow beyond Angry Birds.

“In the course of our work, we run into so many fantastic upcoming titles — games with memorable characters and entertaining gameplay that are also just really fun to play,” added Kalle Kaivola, Director of Development at Rovio. “These are the sorts of titles we’re interested in. We want to help the developers to give these games that last coat of polish, publish the games and find their audience.

“We’re focusing on a small, select number of games, and each Rovio Stars launch will be an event of its own,” he added.

Feature Image Credit – PETER PARKS/AFP/Getty Images