Are You Game? Rovio and Kaiku to Release Angry Birds Visa Cards



Rovio, the popular game-maker based in Finland, has produced some of the most popular mobile titles, including record-setting releases like the recent Bad Piggies, which shot to the number one position on the download charts at breakneck speed.  As if the mobile and PC games, as well as the merchandising available in retail stores across the U.S., weren’t enough, the company has now announced a partnership with KAIKU to bring Angry Birds to your wallet.

KAIKU, while not being a big name in the financial industry, has scored exclusive rights to issue pre-paid Visa cards with Angry Birds images on the card front. The company describes themselves as “A provider in the global prepaid industry, KAIKU offers smart products that combine a unique blend of style and innovation, while providing a convenient and affordable alternative to traditional money management solutions.”

“Rovio and KAIKU share a common philosophy in that we love to delight our fans with products that are affordable and packed with great features that fit today’s lifestyle,” stated Andrew Stalbow, Rovio’s EVP of Strategic Partnerships and General Manager of North America.

For fans of the game this may be just one more collectible you will want to grab but, with the power of the Visa name, the card will also be useful at millions of locations across the globe. The only catch here may be the “pre-paid” part. Many people are probably reluctant to send their hard-earned money to cover a bill for something they haven’t yet purchased.

If you are game, however, KAIKU is showing off four versions of the card, featuring Bad Piggies and several different designs of the famous birds themselves. They promise the cards will be available in early 2013. In the meantime, you can grab any of the four Angry Birds games already on the market and also look forward to the brand new Angry Birds Star Wars edition that is coming later this week. Also, a word of warning if you haven’t yet installed Bad Piggies — there are a lot of malware apps posing as the record setting game so be careful out there.