Angry Birds developer Rovio said it ended 2012 with more than 263 million monthly active users, after the launch of four new titles during the year.

The company hit the 1 billion download milestone in May 2012 (it has now passed 1.7 billion), with the company launching Angry Birds Space, Amazing Alex, Bad Piggies and Angry Birds Star Wars during the year. It said that driven by these launches, its “Games business unit’s revenue continued to grow fast”.

The company announced a profit for the year of EUR55.5 million, compared with EUR35.4 million in 2011, on revenue of EUR152.2 million, up from EUR75.6 million. It also doubled its headcount during the period, set up its new offices, and created a New Business Ventures unit.

“Also, to protect our own, as well as our partners’ and our fans’ interests, we continue to invest heavily in brand protection globally,” said Herkko Soininen, CFO of Rovio.

Looking forward, the company said that its success will depend on “new game launches, the company’s ability to keep its fans engaged with Rovio content, and the success of new initiatives in 2013”.