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Angry Birds Go! cart racer hits iOS on December 11
With a franchise as massive as Angry Birds, no game genre is safe, and the next category of digital escapism to be graced by the adorable avians is racing. Angry Birds Go! is slated to hit your iOS device on December 11, and if the newly released trailer is any indication, it's shaping up quite fantastically. The game is very much what you'd expect if you've ever played a Mario Kart title: Iconic Angry Birds characters take the wheel of makeshift vehicles and attempt to best one another using their driving skills and destructive special powers. The game will feature customizable vehicles and, since the app is going to be free to download, we imagine microtransactions will play a large role in how well-equipped your ride becomes.
Angry Birds Go! starts its engines in December
Angry Birds Go!, the mega-franchise's inevitable drift into kart racing, will be available as a "free app" on December 11. There's a range of feathered and piggy racers to choose from, as well as karts to buff up and suitably wacky powers to employ. As yet, we don't know just how many platforms ABG will wing its way onto in a couple of months' time. What we do know is the racer will support Skylanders-like Hasbro toys called "Telepods." The toys can apparently "teleport your kart" into the game by "using the included Telepods base." First, the kart racer, then the world!
Angry Birds Go! is MarioKart with birds, arrives for free on iOS and Android December 11th
Angry Birds Go! (their emphasis, not ours) is the next big entry in the Angry Birds franchise, first teased back in June by the Finnish bird-flinging game company. The game takes the "universe" of Angry Birds and applies it to downhill cart racing; it'll even accept new karts in the form of telepods, the Skylanders-esque system first introduced in Angry Birds Star Wars 2. As the teaser shows, players employ power-ups to take their birds, pigs, and other Angry Birds characters past opponents on a variety of downhill courses. Beyond it being an entirely new genre for the Birds, the game looks dramatically prettier than other Angry Birds series entries. We'll get to see just how those fancy new graphics play out when the game arrives worldwide on December 11th for both iOS and Android devices (and we expect BB10 and WP8 too). Head below the break for the debut gameplay trailer.
Angry Birds Go is a kart racer, complete with Hasbro toy line
Hasbro recently announced a new line of toys for an upcoming mobile game in the Angry Birds series, Angry Birds Go. The toy manufacturer's brief description of the game notes that the series' iconic birds and pigs "have jumped into karts to battle it out in a calamitous downhill race to the finish," indicating that Angry Birds Go is a kart racer of some sort. Hasbro's Telepods and Jenga toy line includes nine separate sets with the Angry Birds Go theme, ranging from $5 packs to full $30 game sets that feature pirate ships, trophy cups and towers to knock down. The Jenga toy sets include codes for in-app content to be used in Angry Birds Go, whereas the Telepods sets have toy bases that "teleport your kart" into the game. That certainly sounds like Angry Birds Go is hoping to fling its way into Skylanders and Disney Infinity territory.
Angry Birds Star Wars II hits the App Store
Lost in all the noise about the iOS 7 launch was the fact that some pretty big games were released today, including Infinity Blade III and the latest in Rovio's beloved Angry Birds series: Angry Birds Star Wars II. In the sequel to the original Angry Birds Star Wars, this time around gamers play through levels inspired by the Star Wars prequels Episodes 1-3. However, unlike the first Angry Birds Star Wars, this time players have the option of being a baddy: The Force is strong with this one. Get ready for Angry Birds Star Wars II – the epic follow-up to the #1 smash hit game! Based on the Star Wars movie prequels, use the Force for good against the greedy Pork Federation or choose a much darker path. That's right; for the first time ever you can "Join the Pork Side" and play as the fearsome Darth Maul, Emperor Palpatine and many other favorites! Besides being able to play the big bads listed above, players will actually be able to play more than 30 Star Wars characters including Yoda, pod-racing Anakin, Mace Windu and Jango Fett. Additionally, this time around you can swap which characters are in the slingshot out at any time, so you have a choice in the order you launch them in. Angry Birds Star Wars II is a universal app for US$0.99.
Angry Birds: Star Wars 2 joins the 'pork side' with Ian McDiarmid
Ian McDiarmid, the voice of Emperor Palpatine in the Star Wars films, lent his voice to Rovio's first "Join the Pork Side" video for Angry Birds: Star Wars 2. McDiarmid's recognizable growl matches well with the evil green pig, who spins around in his chair less gracefully than Palpatine did in the films. Angry Birds: Star Wars 2 will feature over 30 characters inspired by the Star Wars universe. The game will launch September 19 on iOS, Android and Windows Phone 8 for 99 cents, with a free, ad-supported version also planned for Android.
Rovio rolls out cross-platform cloud saves for Angry Birds
If your passion for disgruntled birds cannot be confined to one platform, Rovio has you covered. The Angry Birds developer has launched Rovio Account, a new cloud service that allows players to transfer and sync save data across multiple iOS and Android devices. Rovio Account adds cloud saving functionality to the original Angry Birds game and the DreamWorks film tie-in app The Croods. Support for additional games in Rovio's app catalog will be added in future updates.
Hands-on with Angry Birds Star Wars 2 and Hasbro's Telepods (video)
Rovio recently announced a sequel to its Angry Birds Star Wars game, and the Finnish company was on hand to demo its latest title here at Comic-Con. Coming to Android and iOS on September 19th (and to consoles a month later), the app features more than 30 playable characters and -- most notably -- works with Hasbro-designed "Telepods." If you've heard of Skylanders -- not to mention Hasbro's zAPPed line of add-ons for iPad games -- the concept will be quite familiar: the Angry Birds Star Wars 2 Telepods give players access to additional characters and superpowers. To get started with the Telepod figures, we simply had to place them (attached to their plastic stand) over the demo iPad's camera. The tablet recognized the characters in just a second or two, and then we were able to play with new birds and their associated abilities (hint: more explosions). Rovio's VP of marketing Philip Hickey says the Telepod collaboration with Hasbro allowed the company to make even Jar Jar Binks' character interesting -- and we have to admit, that's quite an accomplishment. The Telepods will be available in stores for about $20 shortly before game launches in September. The live-action telepods may be the upcoming title's most novel feature, but that doesn't mean the game doesn't have several software-based goodies as well. You can choose to play on the dark side ("on the pork side," as it were), and there are new two-player cooperative and two-to-four-player multiplayer modes. Be sure to check out our video hands-on after the break to see the sci-fi birds in action.
Rovio Account now globally available for iOS and Android devices
What does the global rollout of Rovio Account mean for completists like us? It means that whenever we download Angry Birds to a new Android or iOS device, we can just pull down our current progress -- sparing us the chore of having to re-complete Poached Eggs, Mighty Hoax and Danger Above from scratch. So far, the option is only available on the original Angry Birds and The Croods, but the game maker has promised that the rest of its titles will be included in the near future.
Angry Birds Star Wars coming to most game consoles on October 29th (video)
Angry Birds Star Wars has invaded virtually every major mobile and desktop platform; as of October 29th, it will have a footprint on nearly every modern game console, too. The sci-fi bird flinging title will ship to the US that day for the 3DS, Wii, Wii U, PS3, PS Vita and Xbox 360, with international customers getting their turn on November 1st. Regardless of the platform, there's a few rewards for patient gamers -- the console editions will carry a raft of competitive and cooperative multiplayer modes, as well as 20 exclusive levels. We're slightly surprised that there aren't PS4 and Xbox One ports just to complete the picture, but the launch is still good news for those who'd rather play ABSW on the big screen than give its sequel a try.
Angry Birds: Star Wars forces its way onto consoles
Angry Birds: Star Wars is headed for every console in the galaxy, with courses plotted for North America on October 29, and globally November 1. The sci-fly crossover that came to smartphones, tablets, PC, and Mac last year will be remastered for Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U, Wii, Vita, and 3DS with 20 fresh levels exclusive to the new versions, along with new two-player co-operative and two-to-four player multiplayer modes. The news follows the announcement of Angry Birds: Star Wars 2, which will bring the Star Wars prequels together with Skylanders-like toys when it launches for mobiles on September 19.
Angry Birds Star Wars 2 to launch September 19th
Rovio has announced that Angry Birds Star Wars 2 will hit the App Store on September 19th. The game is a follow-up to the massively popular Angry Birds Star Wars released earlier this year (and currently the Free App of the Week). Here's what Rovio had to say about the sequel: Rovio and Lucasfilm have teamed up again to bring you even more adventures from the Angry Birds Star Wars universe! Experience the legendary story of the Star Wars prequel movies with dozens of your favorite characters with all-new powers! For the first time ever, you can even choose to "Join the Pork Side" and play as one of the villainous pigs! Fling your favorite characters, including a young pod-racing Anakin, Mace Windu, General Grievous, Darth Maul and yes... even Jar Jar Binks! Unlock more than 30 characters in game, or scan your favorite Angry Birds Star Wars II toys directly into the game using Hasbro's amazing new TELEPODS technology! Can't wait? Check out the trailer below.
Angry Birds Star Wars 2 launching September 19th with Skylanders-esque toy tie-in
In a wholly unsurprising move, Finnish game dev studio Rovio Entertainment is creating yet another entry in its prolific Angry Birds series -- Angry Birds Star Wars 2. As its name implies, ABSW2 is the sequel to the first Star Wars-themed Angry Birds entry, which launched on various mobile devices last November. Its sequel will arrive on September 19th, and apparently features "over 30 playable characters." There aren't set launch platforms just yet, but we're guessing "iOS and Android devices" is a pretty safe bet; Windows Phone 8 as well, perhaps. What is surprising is that the newest Angry Birds entry has a physical twist that we've yet to see from the brand: something called "telepods." The Hasbro-created toy is a physical representation of an in-game character, and Rovio Entertainment's VP of marketing Philip Hickey tells us it works by using a mobile phone or tablet's built-in camera to read the toy and implement it in-game -- an interesting choice in a world where Activision's NFC-based Skylanders rules the toy-based game landscape. As such, the toys likely won't function on game consoles, making it likely that any non-mobile version of the game will require some custom work to adapt. Hickey also tells Engadget that the toys will be available at retail alongside the game's September 19th launch, and that Rovio's exploring the possibility of making them function with previous series entries. Interested parties can get a first taste at San Diego Comic Con this week, and we've dropped the debut trailer just below for your viewing pleasure.
Angry Birds: Star Wars 2 announced, crashes in September 19
Rovio has just announced Angry Birds: Star Wars 2, which will be flung into mobile devices around the world on September 19. As teased last week, the game will incorporate new birds and elements from the Star Wars prequels. As the great and powerful Yogurt said in the 1987 classic Spaceballs, "Merchandising, merchandising, where the real money from the movie is made." Angry Birds will now incorporate "Telepods," devices that will allow players to transport their physical toy into the game. Yup, they Skylandered Angry Birds. Why? Probably because the Skylanders series is wildly successful and has already surpassed a billion dollars in sales. It's what the house of the mouse is betting on with Disney Infinity.
Rovio teases new Angry Birds Star Wars game
Rovio today put up a new blogpost teasing, what appears to be, a new Angry Birds Star Wars game. Attention, Angry Birds fans! Stay tuned on Monday, July 15th, for big news about a brand-new game! We're talking the biggest character line-up ever, awesome new powers and maybe even a few surprises! So why does the photo above seem to indicate a new Star Wars-themed game may be just around the corner? Well, take a look at one of the movie posters for Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace.
Angry Birds: Star Wars prequel teased by Rovio
Rovio teased a sequel, er, prequel to flingaway hit Angry Birds: Star Wars. The company announced on Twitter: "Big new game announcement coming on Monday! #July15" Ignoring the incorrect use of a hashtag there (#pedant), the tease also included the image found above. The picture is based off the iconic, evocative teaser that got us all so excited for Star Wars: Episode 1: The Phantom Menace, before our dreams were dashed by the realization that the movie was a steaming pile of bantha poodoo. We've placed the Phantom Menace image after the break. The new Angry Birds game will be announced next Monday.
Rovio updates original Angry Birds with 15 new levels
There's a reason why Angry Birds is the top paid iPhone app of all time. Not only is the original incarnation of everyone's favorite bird-slingin' game exceedingly fun and incredibly addictive, but also Rovio gives users their money's worth by periodically offering great new updates for free. Bear in mind that the original version of Angry Birds was released in December 2009 and Rovio is still gracing the app with new levels nearly four years later. Talk about US$0.99 going a long way. With the most recent Angry Birds update, which was released today, Rovio has implemented some new gameplay into the mix. The boring ole' red bird now has some new powers and there are also moving pigs for players to target and test their skills against. All in all, the update introduces 15 new levels. What's New in Version 3.2.0 The #1 app of all time gets a fun new update! You may be an expert pig popper, but how will you cope with a moving target? One bird stands between the egg and the advancing pig army in the all-new Red's Mighty Feathers episode. The fearless Red Bird faces wave after wave of Bad Piggies in their crazy contraptions. But wait! He now has some magic feathers from the Mighty Eagle himself – giving Red incredible new powers as he darts toward those pesky pigs at incredible speed! Fun new gameplay – the Egg Defender mode gives Red special powers to attack the advancing pigs! 15 new levels – the latest Red's Mighty Feathers episode brings fresh new challenges! 73 crazy pig contraptions – wave after wave of Bad Piggies edging closer in their wacky machines! You can check out the update over here.
The Daily Roundup for 06.27.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Angry Birds Trilogy lands on Wii U, Wii in August
Rovio is catapulting the Angry Birds Trilogy onto Wii U and Wii later this summer, with a trailer dating it for the Nintendo systems on August 13. The compendium, comprised of Angry Birds, AB Seasons, and AB Rio, plucks some extra content on Wii U and Wii, while the Wii U version is off-TV compatible and of course features touchscreen controls. Back when publisher Activision announced the Wii U and Wii versions of the trilogy, it also revealed the mobile money-maker had proven a success on consoles, too. The Xbox 360, PS3, and 3DS versions released late last year shifted a million copies by February 2013.
Rovio Stars says publishing was a 'logical step' for Angry Birds maker to take
The good folks at 148Apps have an interview up with Kalle Kaivola, Senior VP of Product and Publishing at Rovio, about the company's new Rovio Stars program, a publishing initiative putting out third-party titles under the Rovio banner. Kaivola says publishing was "was a pretty logical step" -- the company has extensive experience, of course, putting things out on the App Store, and sees creative titles being pitched all the time. And in a more practical sense, the company of course has a stable of successful games on the App Store already, set to be used as a platform for launching other titles as needed. Rovio Stars has already announced a few titles, two games called Icebreaker and Tiny Thief, which are set to hit the App Store soon. Kaivola says that the games Rovio Stars chooses to publish will fit the Angry Birds mold, so we won't see "FPS or survival horror titles" coming from them in the future. The Rovio Stars mark, in other words, is meant to serve as "the stamp of quality that tells the gamer that the game they are about to buy has the same level of polish, engaging gameplay and quality fun as Rovio's titles," says Kaivola.
