Free-to-play Family Guy mobile game launching in 2014, features microtransactions

The Griffin family is at it again. Fox Digital Entertainment today announced an all-new free-to-play Family Guy game for iOS and Android mobile devices. Launching in 2014, the untitled project is in development at San Francisco social game studio TinyCo., which recently closed $20 million in venture capital funding.

The game, described as an adventure/simulation title, will feature a new and original story influenced not only by the show's decade-long history, but also current events. Players will embark on adventures throughout Quahog, recruiting (and confronting) well-known Family Guy characters along the way.

Developer TinyCo. is working "directly" with the Family Guy show writers to create the game's story and dialogue. It is not clear if the game will feature actual voice work. Some of the show's main actors, like Seth McFarlane (Peter, Stewie, Brian), Alex Borstein (Lois), Mila Kunis (Meg), and Seth Green (Chris), are also collaborating with TinyCo. for the project.

Andrew Green, TinyCo.'s head of business developer and business operations, told GameSpot that the new Family Guy game, like so many other free-to-play games, will be supported by various in-app purchases. These microtransactions will allow players to "control the speed of their progression," Green said, suggesting players will be able to unlock content right away by spending real-world money.

Players will be able to purchase characters, character actions and abilities, and decorative items for their play space, Green said. He would not divulge specific pricing information for the new Family Guy game's microtransactions.

The Family Guy TV show recently killed off one of its main characters, though it is not clear how this move will affect the game, if at all.

The new Family Guy game comes on the heels of the runaway success of another free-to-play Fox digital property, The Simpsons: Tapped Out, published by Electronic Arts and based on the longest-running sitcom in TV history. That game, originally launched in summer 2012, has generated more than $100 million in lifetime revenue.