2. Transmedia Narratives

Transmedia narratives are integral to the dispersion of cross-platform media as they enable the interlacing of stories within the complexity of a wider world. It is successfully used as a method to immerse audiences into a fictional domain where the sub-stories are effectively constructed in order to engage audiences and explore creativity in new ways. The gaming industry is a prime example where this is used, especially within the last decade where internet usage and entertainment has peaked in demand. Angry Birds was initially developed on iOS software, using a custom framework to allow for optimal creativity. Despite the first release of the game being constructed on relatively simple technology, the importance of visual design had made the game truly successful as it could appeal to its target audience, the majority being children but also adults. Perhaps it is due to the carefully constructed aesthetics that is responsible for the categorical successful for the franchise, leading to the company horizontally integrating their products across several media platforms and industries.

Between 2009 (the initial release date) till around 2014, the Angry Birds franchise had been a leading figure in the app gaming industry, however since then there has been a decline in its popularity, with the market providing similarly based games with the same narrative structure, such as “Siege Hero” and “Fragger Desert Strike”.  It is the arrival of these newer series which have forced Rovio to re-think the creative aspect of the Angry Bird’s franchise in a way that can entice and engage audiences in masses as they once did. Perhaps it is partly down to changes in consumer habits and audience consumption which has forced Rovio to revise its strategy, leading to different forms of entertainment via integrating into new markets. For example, Angry Birds Star Wars is available on the Nintendo Wii and PlayStation 4. This could show how the using multiple, dispersed platforms from apps to games consoles is influenced by what audiences want and effectively entices them to explore new platforms. It could be argued that the success of a product is determined by the way audiences interact and use them, therefore the dispersed nature of Angry Birds on cross-platforms may lead to greater activity across the franchise, impacting Rovio’s ability to fund new projects to further widen their reach until the company becomes physically saturated and further extension strategies become irrelevant. 

According to Jenkins (2007), Transmedia stories are not based upon specific characters, but rather ‘complex fictional worlds’ which can sustain multiple interrelated characters and their stories. It could be argued that this is the foundations on which Angry Birds has been built upon, and has made the brand a global success. The idea that these worlds can harbor endless stories from fictional characters and expand into entirely new territories makes transmedia storytelling an integrated and harmonised entertainment experience for its users. It enables the developers to discover infinite opportunities and create new ideas for plots and themes. These extension strategies could push the brand to new levels, perhaps sparking an increase in activity in a specific industry, like films or TV – for instance, the Angry Birds Movie being released in May 2016. Jenkins also suggests that “this process of world-building encourages an encyclopedic impulse in both readers and writers”. It could be argued that in the case for Angry Birds, audience participation and support for the franchise is apparent, which in turn has generated vast profits for the company. This is true of the fan made creations that have been put online on various websites, such as “Angry Birds Fan Club” on Facebook and the “Angry Birds Fanon Wiki”. 

Angry Birds has a variety of spin off series, converging with other popular movie franchises, such as ‘Star Wars’, ‘Transformers’ and ‘Rio’. Due to the narrative structure of these films being fairly similar, the synergy between the two is relatively simple. Not only are the audience for the original Angry Birds games being engaged with exciting new media, those who know and enjoy the films may also buy into the franchise as a result. For Rovio, this builds on their brand reputation and generates more activity across their franchise, for instance, a higher sale in the merchandise of Angry Birds Star Wars plush toys, like “Chuck ‘Ham’ Solo” and “Obi-Wan Kaboomi”. It is, however, an impact of advancements in modern technology that allow audiences to be part of this fictional realm created by Rovio, perhaps this has an impact on how audiences adjust to society.