WATCH: 'Angry Birds 2' sneak peek

The birds are back and they're teaming up with the pigs.

Angry Birds, the gaming phenomenon that has captured the world's imagination, is getting a second shot at the big screen with "Angry Birds 2: The Movie" directed by Thurop Van Orman. 

This time around, the angry birds face a brand new threat as they discover a third island near Bird Island and Piggy Island. It will take the combined might of Red (Jason Sudeikis), Chuck (Josh Gad), Bomb (Danny McBride), Mighty Eagle (Peter Dinklage), Silver (Rachel Bloom) and their enemies, the green piggies led by Leonard (Bill Hader), his assistant Courtney (Awkwafina), and techpig Garry (Sterling K. Brown), to defeat this new foe. 

Star Josh Gad, producer John Cohen, and director Thurop Van Orman recently came to the 72nd Cannes Film Festival to promote the new movie. They were joined onstage by some of the movie’s international star talent, including Sergey Burunov, who voices “Leonard” in Russia; Enzo Knol and Irma Knol, as Holland’s “Chuck” and “Bomb’s Mom,” respectively; and Sonia Plakidyuk, playing “Fuchsia” in Ukraine.

"Angry Birds 2" rolls out globally starting in August 2019. 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Angry Birds maker, Lego sign toy deal

HELSINKI - Finland's Rovio said on Monday it had signed a deal with Danish toymaker Lego to launch a line of Angry Birds building blocks as a bid to revive its ailing licensing business based on the popular mobile game.

Rovio, whose 2014 earnings fell 73 percent due to a drop in licensing the Angry Birds brand on toys, clothing and sweets, said the release of the Lego toys would coincide with the premiere of its full-length Angry Birds movie in spring 2016.

The Angry Birds game, in which players use a slingshot to attack pigs who steal birds' eggs, is the No. 1 paid mobile app of all time, but the brand has been losing appeal and Rovio has struggled to produce new hit games.

The company is hoping the upcoming 3D movie will help the toy business turn back to growth.

Rovio recently cut about 110 jobs, or 14 percent of its workforce.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Angry Birds Star Wars II app tops download charts

HELSINKI - The latest instalment of the Angry Birds video game series from Finnish game maker Rovio topped download rankings Thursday on its release in several Western countries.

"Angry Birds Star Wars II" was the most downloaded application from AppStores in several countries, including the US, France and Germany, according to download market analysts App Annie.

In China, where Rovio has announced plans for a major expansion, the game was the fourth most popular.

Earlier in September Rovio also launched a line of toys made by US toy giant Hasbro, which allow players to "teleport" characters into the video game world using web cameras on mobile phones and tablets.

Since launching the game in 2009 the Finnish company has enjoyed spectacular growth with its Angry Birds franchise, diversifying into theme parks, 3D film making and educational tools.

Some analysts have cast doubts over the company's expansion beyond video games. However Koopee Hiltunen at Finnish game industry organisation Neogames said this latest success was proof that the strategy was working.

"Rovio has shown that they are following a strategy that succeeds," he said.

Angry Birds Star Wars II is the seventh release in the series. As with the previous games, players use catapults to fire birds onto pigs who have stolen their eggs.

In this latest instalment of the game, based on the Star Wars sci-fi films, players are invited to "join the pork side" of the force.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Sneak peek: Angry Birds Star Wars 2 game

MANILA -- Mobile games maker Rovio Entertainment announced on Monday that it will launch Angry Birds Star Wars II, the follow-up to the popular Angry Birds Star Wars title, on September 19 through various app stores.

Rovio also released a teaser video on YouTube.

In a joint release with Lucasfilm, Rovio said Angry Birds Star Wars II will follow the story of the three prequel “Star Wars” movies, including the introduction of never-before-seen game characters. Players can choose to “Join the Pork Side” and play as one of the villainous pigs.

“Angry Birds Star Wars was a blockbuster hit for us and Lucasfilm with over 100 million downloads since its release. We are thrilled to be able to introduce the exciting next chapter in the Angry Birds Star Wars saga to our fans around the world,” Jami Laes, executive vice president of games at Rovio Entertainment, said in a statement.

According to Laes, the new characters include versions of young Anakin, Mace Windu and Darth Maul.

The new game will also feature Hasbro’s Telepods technology “to extend the experience beyond the app and bring a whole new dimension to the gameplay,” Raes said.

Telepods are physical toys players place near the smartphone or tablet to teleport them into a game, a function similar to games such as Activision's Skylanders franchise and the upcoming Disney Infinity, according to USA Today. Over 30 toys will be available when the game launches.

“Hasbro worked closely with both Rovio and Lucasfilm to deliver a fully integrated Telepods experience with the new Angry Birds Star Wars II app. Now fans can enjoy unprecedented and seamless dual play in both physical and digital Angry Birds experiences,” John Frascotti, Hasbro’s chief marketing officer, said in the statement.

The Telepods will be available in retail stores by September for the game launch and will be presented to the public for the first time at San Diego Comic-con this month.

Simultaneously with the launch of Angry Bird Star Wars II in September, a new line of merchandise will also be introduced to coincide with the game including a complete line of toys, apparel, accessories and books.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Rovio to get Angry Birds Space for Windows Phone: CEO

HELSINKI — Rovio is working on getting its new Angry Birds Space game to Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 platform (WP7), its chief executive said on Friday, putting Nokia and other Windows phones more on a par with the iPhone.

“We are working towards getting Angry Birds Space to WP7,” Rovio Chief Executive Mikael Hed told Reuters, dismissing earlier media reports that the top gaming firm was dumping the platform.
Hed, however, said the launch date was not set.

Rovio’s games are topping sales charts on all key platforms and reports that the gaming company was shying away from the Windows Phone was seen as a major blow to Nokia’s strategy to shift to use it in all its smartphones.

After Hed’s comments to Reuters, Nokia shares were 0.6 percent higher at 3.97 euros by 1516 GMT.
“We are working closely together with Nokia to bring our games to their platforms,” Hed said. “Our mutual goal is to bring the best possible experience to our fans, including all fans using Windows Phone devices.”

The Finnish start-up behind the world’s most downloaded mobile game has been valued at up to $9 billion little more than two years after it first launched Angry Birds for Apple’s iPhone.
The game has been downloaded more than 700 million times, and is the fastest-growing game on Facebook.

source: interaksyon.com

'Angry Birds' developer aims slingshot at playground

HELSINKI - The world's most popular computer game will become live attractions for children next year when the first "Angry Birds" playgrounds appear in Finland.

The developer of the Angry Birds app, found on mobile devices such as iPhones and tablet computers, said on Monday that two Finnish towns will get the first playgrounds kitted out with equipment inspired by the game's characters as it signed a global deal with playground equipment manufacturer Lappset.

Mobile gaming firm Rovio, which plans to go public within a few years, said last month its hit game had reached a record 500 million downloads less than two years after its launch.

Unlike most mobile game crazes, Angry Birds, in which players use a slingshot to attack pigs who steal the birds' eggs, has stayed atop the charts since it was launched for Apple's iPhone in 2009.

Rovio is expanding the brand across traditional merchandising, to items such as toys and baby products, and is taking the birds to the big screen with film studios.

Lappset will manufacture play and activity equipment and ready-made playgrounds or activity parks inspired by the Angry Birds characters.

"The playgrounds fit perfectly into the Angry Birds world and our way of thinking," Rovio marketing chief Peter Vesterbacka said in a statement.

The Angry Birds playground product range features animal spring riders, swings, sandpits and a range of climbing towers with slides, and a unique Angry Birds arcade game.

Earlier this year, Rovio raised $42 million from venture capital firms including Accel Partners, which previously backed Facebook and Baidu, and Skype founder Niklas Zennstroem's venture capital firm Atomico Ventures.

Rovio was founded in 2003 after three students including Niklas Hed — CEO Mikael Hed's cousin and now Rovio's COO — won a game-development competition sponsored by Finnish mobile phone maker Nokia Oyj and Hewlett-Packard CO. - Reuters

source:gmanetwork.com