'Angry Birds' blasts off into new frontier: Space

— -- A new Angry Birds game, out Thursday, is set to rocket the casual game powerhouse into the stratosphere.

Angry Birds Space launches concurrently on Apple iOS and Android devices, as well as PCs and Macintosh computers. "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," says Ville Heijari, a vice president for Rovio, which released the game in December 2009.

Since then, the Espoo, Finland-based game studio has had more than 700 million downloads of its Angry Birds games in which players propel the birds at a crew of pigs who stole their eggs. The original game and various offshoots, such as Angry Birds Seasons and the movie tie-in release, Angry Birds Rio, are free; others are 99 cents to $2.99 for versions with more levels or the absence of ads. Similar pricing is expected for the new game.

The story behind the new game: The birds and pigs are sucked into outer space by a vortex.

For Angry Birds Space, Rovio has teamed with several partners for an opening rivaling that of a blockbuster movie:

•NASA, which announced the new game earlier this month in a video from the International Space Station, has more collaborations with the game developer in the works. "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," NASA's David Weaver said.

•National Geographic has a new book out this week, National Geographic Angry Birds Space ($13.95) that mixes images of the bird characters with facts about space, the solar system and gravity, along with pictures from the Hubble telescope.

•Walmart will display a special "golden eggsteroid" clue on its Facebook page Thursday that lets gamers unlock an exclusive level in the new game. Three more clues will be hidden in a new line of limited-edition plush toys, T-shirts and candy that the retailer will begin selling on Sunday. The 5- and 8-inch plush birds ($9.97 and $14.97, respectively), $6.97 T-shirt and Space Fruit Snacks ($2.18) could have clues on the price tag, in the packaging or within the shirts.

"We have seen the Angry Birds property take off in our stores," says Brent Duwe, director of entertainment property merchandise for Walmart. "This game has emerged as an exciting entertainment property."

Working with Rovio, Walmart was able to create a promotion "that works well for" both companies, Duwe says. "People download the game, which then drives them to Walmart," he says. "Walmart then gives them a special clue which brings them back to the Angry Birds game."

In addition to zero gravity and the possibility of floating and curved playing environments, Rovio's new game adds stars that boost the birds. "We wanted to create a fresh new approachable take on the Angry Birds gameplay," Heijari says. "Five of the original characters have new looks and superpowers, and there is one entirely new character that turns elements into ice on contact."

Rovio co-founder Peter Vesterbacka has estimated the private company's worth as high as $9 billion, nearly that of social-game company Zynga. Analyst Billy Pidgeon at M2 Research is skeptical of that valuation, but expects the new game "will help Rovio more quickly exceed 1 billion downloads of the franchise."

Angry Birds is a rare game with mass appeal, he says. "Kids like it, all the way up to seniors," Pidgeon says. "It's a simple and effective game play mechanic that appeals to everyone (but) it's unusual enough that it stands apart from other things."

However, the company has a lot riding on the new game, Pidgeon says. "They have been perceived as a one-trick pony, and have just been reskinning Angry Birds for different themes for quite a while," he says. "It's put up or shut up time, basically."