Rovio, the publisher of Angry Birds games announced today that it is launching a brand new Star Wars featured one on September 19, 2013. Angry Birds: Star Wars 2 will have a prequel trilogy theme with over 30 characters from Episodes I - III of the movies to choose from while playing the game. This time around though, you don't necessarily have to be the good guys as you can choose sides ... you can join the "Pork Side" in this game! There will be lots of new characters, powers and locations to crash in this sequel (or is it a prequel?) game to the popularly successful Angry Birds: Star Wars which has garnered more than 100 million downloads since in launched last year.
Also taking a cue from the successful Skylanders games by Activision this new Angry Bird game will also feature in partnership with Hasbro introducing a new element called Telepods. Hasbro will create a line of 30 Star Wars Telepod toy figures that you can scan into the game through your phone or tablet camera so that you can select which characters to use based upon the figurines you have purchased. My kids aren't into Skylanders but from talking to the parents of some of their friends these are a very popular mix of video games with toys with many children. Skylanders are toy action figures that you purchase and than can scan them into action adventure video games as characters in the game play. They give collectors some control over which characters they incorporate into their games. This element seems very interesting but a side of me also goes oh no cha ching more dough my kids are going to want to spend from my wallet. Of course, I have to admit if the figures and game are cool enough it might be their geek dad pushing the purchase of a Telepod collection.
For those of us playing the current Angry Birds: Star Wars game, Rovio also announced that it will soon be coming out with RETURN OF THE JEDI updates containing locations and characters from that movie for the existing app. I foresee Jabba and Ewoks piggies & birdies crashing into the original game in the next few weeks. Earlier this year Rovio expanded on the game by adding characters from Empire Strikes Back to those already in the game from A New Hope. Obviously a Return of the Jedi update had to be in the works at some point too going with the original trilogy theme of this game.
I have to admit I was a skeptic when game developer ROVIO launched ANGRY BIRDS: STAR WARS that it was just a cheesy marketing gimmick to entice a new group of people to check out their product. Despite that hesitancy, I paid .99 cents to download the game for my iPhone to check it out. Wow was my initial view of the game wrong! Rovio did an extraordinary job of creating a fun and challenging game that incorporated Star Wars locations and characters into the Angry Birds universe in a way that is humorous but not downgrading. I find myself playing Angry Birds:Star Wars a lot when I have downtime and just want to sit back and relax for a moment. What is nice about the game too is that I have no qualms about letting my young children play it - family friendly games are always a plus in our household.
Based on the success of ANGRY BIRDS: STAR WARS, Rovio will soon be launching a sequel (or will it be a prequel?) Star Wars game. They posted this teaser on their blog on Saturday, July 13 and will be making an official announcement on Monday, July 15:
Based upon a movie poster from Star Wars Episode 1, you can only assume that the new game will be focused on the first 3 (or are they the last 3?) Star Wars movies. Rovio in it's blog post states:
BIG news coming on Monday!
12.07.2013
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! Intrigued? Stay tuned for more news on #July15!
Here's the original Star Wars poster that Rovio spoofed:
The original Angry Birds: Star Wars game has done a great job of introducing updates with extra locations and characters but have been all from A New Hope and the Empire Strikes Back so far. They do need to add some Return of the Jedi to the game though. So while they have incorporated elements from these films they don't have the characters and locals from the "prequel" movies. I thought they may do this as updates to the current game but instead it appears there will now be a brand new game. We'll know more on #July15!
If you haven't played Angry Birds: Star Wars the game is now FREE for a limited time for Android and IOS users. Enjoy!!!
