No matter where you turn, the Angry Birds probably aren’t too far away. Whether on your phone, or in the form of plush toys and board games. Heck, they are even on Facebook! Never content to hold still, the birds are now marching onward once more with a new mobile version of their popular Facebook game, Angry Birds Friends. The news of Angry Birds Friends making it over to the mobile world comes on the heels of Rovio’s release of its annual 2012 results, which shows $195 million in profit with more than 45% of that income coming from non-gaming items such as books, toys and tons of other Rovio merchandise. On Facebook, Angry Birds Friends has certainly been a part of that success, achieving 60 million installs and 15 million monthly active users, so taking that experience and pushing it to an app seems like a no-brainer and is sure to help line Rovio’s pockets with even more dough. video: Angry Birds Friends official launch trailer
For nearly three years, millions of gamers have used physics in the battle between birds and pigs in the video gameAngry Birds. In cooperation with NASA, Finland-based Rovio Entertainment, creator of the Angry Birds franchise, announced its newest game, “Angry Birds Space,” on Thursday, March 8. NASA and Rovio are working together to teach people about physics and space exploration through the internationally successful puzzle game. You can download the game beginning March 22, 2012. Game developers have incorporated concepts of human space exploration into the new game. From the weightlessness of space to the gravity wells of nearby planets, players use physics as they explore the various levels of the game set both on planets and in microgravity. “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,” said David Weaver, associate administrator for communications at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “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.” Video - Angry Birds Space: NASA announcement
