A new short film of Angry Birds Space is to air on Nickelodeon tomorrow, as Rovio launches its biggest ever integrated campaign for the blockbuster game.
Angry Birds Space today became available to download for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Android devices, as well as Mac and PC. A retail copy of the game for PC will follow shortly.
The game marks the first integrated entertainment launch for Finnish firm Rovio, including accompanying Angry Birds Space merchandise, animation and books.
This also includes an Angry Birds Space cartoon airing exclusively on Nickelodeon on March 23 at 6pm, revealing six brand new birds in the series.
The animated short tells the story of how the Angry Birds ended up in space, after a cosmic vortex appears and sucks them into another galaxy. The feathered heroes then have to "slingshot themselves into a new adventure - space".
Since Angry Birds debuted on Apple's iOS devices in December 2009, it has become the most popular mobile game ever, racking up 700m downloads in its first two years alone.
The game is available to play for free supported by adverts, but around 25% of downloads are understood to be for the paid, advert-free versions on smartphones and tablets. Angry Birds remains one of the most popular paid apps in the iTunes App Store.
The success of Angry Birds has transformed Rovio Entertainment into a powerhouse in mobile gaming, helping the firm raise $42m in venture capital funding last March from Accel Partners, Atomico and Felicis Ventures.
Rovio has also been successful in developing Angry Birds into a successful brand, tapping into the lucrative markets for merchandising and licensing, including cuddly toys, branded goods and entertainment spinoffs.
The company announced yesterday that various Angry Birds-themed parks will be built around the world over the next year.
Rovio has teamed up with playground equipment maker Lappset Group to create the activity parks, which will feature interactive content and "exclusive" downloads.
The first Angry Birds park will be constructed in Finland this summer, with UK sites to follow.
