Angry Birds creators worth $8.8 billion

THE company behind the Angry Birds mobile phone game has been valued at £5.5 billion ($8.8 billion), nearly as much as phonemaker Nokia.

The game, where players use a slingshot to attack pigs who steal birds' eggs, has now been downloaded 800 million times.

Sales for the game's creators, Rovio Entertainment, which was started by three students, jumped tenfold last year to £61 million.

Now the game, made for the iPhone and also available on Facebook, is being developed into a 52-episode TV series and a Hollywood movie.

The Finnish company launched its latest Angry Birds game, Angry Birds in Space, in March and it was downloaded 50 million times in 35 days.