The toys-to-life category has quietly become one of the biggest success stories in gaming, generating over $4 billion in sales since its introduction in 2011’s runaway hit, Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure. Despite facing stiff competition from the likes of Disney and Nintendo in the years that followed, Activision and Skylanders still command the category, with over $3 billion in sales and more than 250 million action figures sold to date.
All signs point to 2015 being the biggest year yet for the toys-to-life category. Disney eyes success in a galaxy far, far away with the integration of Star Wars into Infinity 3.0. Although Nintendo struggles to keep up with consumer demand for its Amiibo figures, the company has gone all in on them, so much so that their functionality is implemented into almost every new first-party release. Last but not least, Warner Bros. is entering the toys-to-life fray with Lego Dimensions, a game that unites the brand’s buildable functionality with the fun gameplay we’ve seen from over a decade’s worth of Lego games.
Activision is the last toys-to-life entrant to announce plans for 2015. Activision isn’t steering away from the concept of players placing an action figure on a portal, but is changing gears this year, perhaps as a response to the crowding of the market. Together with developer Vicarious Visions, Activision is turning its gaze to another popular children’s toy: vehicles.
In the series’ fifth annual game, Skylanders: SuperChargers, players are invited to race, fly, and dive deep beneath the sea in cars, airplanes, and submarines – vehicles that only come to life in the game when a toy is placed on the Portal of Power.
The vehicular play accounts for roughly 50 percent of SuperChargers gameplay. The other 50 percent will once again see Skylands’ champions battling monsters, smashing crates to unearth valuable gems, and interacting with the likes of Flynn and Cali.
(Please visit the site to view this media)
Here are 21 things that you should know about Skylanders: SuperChargers and its new direction:
When is it coming?
Activision locked it in for a September 20 release in North America.
What systems will it be on?
You won’t be able to get it on PC, but Skylanders: SuperChargers is releasing on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Wii U, Wii, 3DS, and iOS.
Who is developing it?
Vicarious Visions – the team behind Skylanders: Swap Force – is handling the development of the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Wii U, and iOS versions. Beenox has been tapped to bring this game’s concept to Wii and 3DS.
What Comes in the Starter Pack?
Along with the game disc, Skylanders: SuperChargers comes with a new Portal of Power, a land-based vehicle named Hot Streak, a fire-elemental character named Spitfire, and a redesigned version of Stealth Elf named Super Shot Stealth Elf.
The New Portal of Power
The Portal was redesigned to offer a wider surface for the increased size of the vehicles. Guha Bala, the president of Vicarious Visions says the old portals were a little too crowded. “When you put two characters, a vehicle, and maybe a magic item on there, you run into some issues. The new portal offers more comfort for the figure placements.”
The new Portal also features a slot for the traps from last year’s Skylanders: Trap Team, but it will not have the voice or light functionality that brought those boss characters to life. “We support the traps in a different way,” Bala clarifies. "This game isn’t about trapping. You won’t be able to capture a villain. The traps themselves give you special ammo, and unlocks a Skystone of that specific villain [in the trap].”
The Introduction of Vehicles Means Fewer Characters
Skylanders: Trap Team was home to more than 70 new Skylanders figures. Skylanders: Swap Force offered more than 50 new figures. To date, no Skylanders game has released with fewer than 30. That changes with SuperChargers.
Activision is only releasing 20 figures alongside the game. The 20 characters consist of returning favorites like Stealth Elf and Trigger Happy, and faces new to Skylands like Spitfire. In addition to the characters, Activision is releasing 20 vehicles that are as uniquely designed and creative as the characters. In total, collectors will be on the hunt for 40 items. Activision also hinted at the possibility of a legacy line along the lines of Eon’s Elite releasing at some point after the game ships.
Up next: A test drive with vehicles...