Angry Birds flock to China

Newsday writes.

Angry Birds, currently the second most popular paid iPhone app, has a huge fan base in China, with much merchandise available in stores and online, but most of it pirated.

Daily Reporter says the makers of the game, which features bubbly headed peevish birds attacking their enemies, the pigs, hopes it will be able to convert that popularity into legitimate sales.

"We expect to be more Chinese than the Chinese people, and we will add more and Chinese cultural elements to our products," Peter Vesterbacka, founder of Angry Birds, said.

Rovio's initiatives so far in China have included moon cakes for the mid-Autumn Festival. It is opening stores in Shanghai and Beijing next month and is building an activity park at Shanghai's Tongji University, Austin 360 notes.

It also plans a theme park in the nearby city of Haining, similar to its Angry Birds Land at Finland's Sarkanniemi Amusement Park.