Exclusive: ‘Angry Birds Space’ blasting off in March
They've conquered smartphones and social networks. Next up for the Angry Birds?
The final frontier.
We've got the exclusive scoop on the next official game in Rovio's blockbuster, bird-flinging franchise: "Angry Birds Space." The game is due to smash into mobile devices on March 22.
[Related: How Mobile Games Leapt From Cult To Cultural Phenomenon]
The fourth major release in the Angry Birds series is a departure in more ways than one. The hook? You'll be lobbing birds on entirely new planets while contending with zero gravity, leading to new gameplay elements like slow-motion puzzles and "lightspeed" destruction. And just like with other Angry Birds games, expect those outer-space physics to be dead on.
"We think fans are really going to love it because we've already gotten amazing feedback on the physics of our games," Andrew Stalbow, GM of Rovio North America, told Yahoo! Games. "They're so accurate and easy to grasp that some teachers use Angry Birds in their lessons about projectile motion."
"Science and education are very important to us, and we're very excited to have NASA and National Geographic as launch partners on Angry Birds Space," Stalbow added.
Though the specifics are still under wraps, Rovio has confirmed that the game will feature some completely new birds alongside some familiar ones, now sporting new super powers. (No word if Hawkman makes a cameo.) The game's three-star level rating system will be back as well.
Rovio considers Angry Birds Space to be their biggest launch since the original game, which has put up some staggering numbers over the years. Since the franchise debuted in 2009, it's been downloaded over 700 million times across various iOS and Android devices, making it one of the most lucrative game properties in the world. The game also helped launch the Google Plus gaming channel, and earlier this week finally flung itself at Facebook.
With Angry Birds Space, however, they're kicking it up a notch by simultaneously releasing the product in mobile gaming, retail, and animation channels, a multi-media blitz that the company believes is a first for a mobile game. In other words, those Angry Birds toys, costumes, and playsets were really just the beginning. Angry Birds moonbase, anyone?
Rovio plans to announce more specific partnerships -- not to mention more gameplay details -- in the coming weeks via the official Angry Birds Space website. Until then, we'll just have to stare at this teaser trailer:
Like us on Facebook and follow @yahoogames on Twitter for the latest stories and chances to win free stuff!
