The Jack Nicholsons of the avian world blast off for outer space this week. CJ runs a full sensor sweep of the game's new features...
There are pigs off the starboard bow as Rovio strap their globally beloved franchise to a rocket and launch Angry Birds Space. The new game is due to impact on iOS, Android, PC and Mac today.
Rovio seem to be willing to take inspiration from anything that strikes them when designing Angry Birds games, the most popular mobile games to date. Already floating about on mobile devices, consoles, desktops and social networks are the holiday-themed Angry Birds Seasons and the movie tie-in Angry Birds Rio.
Since 2010, the game that started it all has sold 700 million copies. Now that the Finnish developers have forged a relationship with US astronautics agency NASA to the point of actually having an International Space Station crew member announce the new game, is space their final frontier?
Make it sow
Expect more than just a game this time. Rovio are planning this as the attention-grabbing tip of a multimedia iceberg heading straight for the entertainment industry. Sweets, toys and a Nickolodeon cartoon are all debuting with the new game. A movie is due in 2014.
The first Angry Birds branded adventure park for children opens in Finland at the end of April, with parks planned for the UK not long after. Comics distributor Diamond signed a deal with Rovio in November to distribute a range of themed books. So far, two colouring books and an egg recipe book have been let loose, but four Angry Birds Space titles are due in July.
NASA and National Geographic have also partnered with Rovio to produce an edition about the birds exploring our solar system and the galaxy beyond. Another book, National Geographic Angry Birds Space: Fed Up, Feathered and Furious, will go on sale this September.
Online magazine The Daily published a specially dedicated app detailing the characters, rules and background information in advance of the game's release date. Anticipation for Angry Birds Space is astronomical and has eclipsed even recently released big-name mobile games like Mass Effect Infiltrator.
Once again people are going cuckoo for Angry Birds. Perhaps in space no-one can hear you caw, but they certainly will be able to on public transport for the foreseeable future.
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