Angry birds franchise targets Russia for parks, soda

The developers of the immensely popular video game Angry Birds announced plans Monday to open a series of theme parks in Russia within the next year, with a fizzy drink down the road.

Peter Vesterbacka, the head of marketing for Rovio, the entertainment company behind the Angry Birds franchise, told reporters in Moscow that the amusement parks would open in a number of Russian cities and would be from 2,000 to 10,000 square meters in size, similar to the roofed sites the company has been operating in Finland.