Rovio considering acquisitions, publishing

Angry Birds creator Rovio is considering making a number of acquisitions in the near future, while also thinking about becoming a publisher for other developers. The company was valued at $1.2 billion last year, although it later said that it thought this figure was too low. It is also considering an initial public offering, although it has said this will not happen in 2012. Talking to All Things Digital, Rovio CEO Mikael Hed explained that the company is currently preparing itself to make acquisitions. However, he noted that it will have to be careful about the deals it makes. "It would be very easy for us to just go shopping," he said. "To get lasting benefit is the hard part." He also said that Rovio may well begin publishing titles for other companies, suggesting that the methods with which it made Angry Birds a success could be carried across to games from other developers. Elsewhere, Hed revealed that the company has a game currently in production that is a new IP and not part of the Angry Birds franchise. He said it will be made available "in a couple of months."