Angry Birds maker Rovio's shareholders accept Sega's bid

Shareholders of Finland's Rovio, creator of the Angry Birds franchise, have overwhelmingly accepted Japanese Sega's offer to buy the company, allowing the deal to go through, the Finnish company said Thursday.

Rovio said in a statement that 96.3 percent of its shareholders had accepted the offer, which values the company at more than 700 million euros ($770 million).

The offer was contingent on more than 90 percent acceptance.

"As the minimum acceptance condition and all other conditions to complete the offer have been fulfilled, the offeror will complete the offer in accordance with its terms and conditions," Rovio said.

The deal marks the end of the independence of the Finnish mobile game industry, which burst onto the scene when Rovio launched its slingshot-bird game more than a decade ago.

The acquisition is part of Sega's "long-term goal" of expanding into the mobile gaming market, Sega CEO Haruki Satomi said when the deal was announced in April.

Angry Birds swiftly became one of the most successful mobile games ever after it was released in 2009, with a variety of birds flying through the air to crash into structures and take down armies of green pigs.