Angry Birds receives a Skylanders-esque toy twist

Rovio today revealed the next step for both its studio and its Angry Birds franchise, as it announced Telepods -- essentially Skylanders-like toys that can be "transported" into the game. The scannable Angry Birds Star Wars toys and Telepods will launch in stores on September 19 thanks to a deal with toy maker Hasbro, alongside the new Angry Birds Star Wars II game for mobile. There will be 30 different figurines available. Rovio says that the Telepods can be used in conjunction with the mobile game to unlock characters and super powers within the game, essentially allowing players to choose which characters they want to use on any particular level. The company is also working with Hasbro to launch multiple other merchandise lines at the same time, including apparel, accessories, books and plush toys. Rovio isn't the only studio jumping on the success of Skylanders. Disney revealed its own figurine-based video game earlier this year, Disney Infinity.