Angry Birds theme parks to open in Russia

MOSCOW, RUSSIA: Developers of the Angry Birds game plan to open theme parks named after the popular game series across Russia within the next 12 months, the company said.

Peter Vesterbacka, head of marketing of Rovio, said parks were to open in many Russian cities and would be from 2,000 to 10,000 square metres in size, similar to the roofed sites the company has been operating in Finland.

Rovio's theme parks have been opened in China and Britain. More openings are being planned in other European countries, Vesterbacka said.

Further expansion plans include introducing the Angry Birds fizzy drink to the Russian fans of the game.

The game crossed the milestone of one billion downloads worldwide last year. "Given the downloads of the game, we expect that the drink will sell well," said Ville Kaunola, chairman of Tasty Beverage Group, the soft drink's manufacturer.