Weekend fun: Angry Birds partners with NASA to announce new game

Rovio Entertainment has come out with a new version of its popular game, called ‘Angry Birds Space’, in cooperation with NASA.  The company broadcasted  a video from the International Space Station in a global online announcement at the angrybirds.com/space website. 

David Weaver, associate administrator for communications,  NASA Headquarters in Washington said about the association, "This collaboration began with a simple Twitter exchange about birds and pigs in space, and it has grown into a tremendous outreach and education opportunity.Games are fun and entertaining, but they also can be inspirational and informative. This ongoing collaboration with Rovio and Angry Birds is an exciting way to get people engaged with NASA's missions of exploration and discovery, and get students energized about future careers in science and technology." 

Peter Vesterbacka, chief marketing officer, Rovio Entertainment  said,“We focused on every detail in development of Angry Birds Space to build a special experience for our fans.I believe we have succeeded well with the game, and we wanted to create something as unique around our launch events. NASA has been the perfect partner for our Angry Birds Space programme, and we can’t wait to work with them on creating more compelling educational experiences.” 

By taking the game galactic, Angry Birds Space is said to retain the familiar elements of Angry Birds gameplay but gives the players a unique twist in a variable gravity environment. From the weightlessness of space to the gravity wells of nearby planets, fans can have fun with physics as they try out new gameplay possibilities. The Angry Birds themselves are said to have  transformed into superheroes, with new costumes and abilities. 

The new game will launch simultaneously on iOS and Android, Mac and PC, animation, merchandise, and book publishing on 22 March. The game hits the appstores with 60 levels, new  characters with superpowers, and renewed gameplay. The additional levels will be available both as free regular updates, as well as in-app purchases.

Rovio will showcase the new gameplay on the Samsung Galaxy Note at the SXSWi conference on March 9 in collaboration with Samsung Mobile.