14 DAY TRIAL // Video game publisher Activision has announced that it will be launching a new intellectual property, Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure, which is set to mix real world toys, through a partnership with Toys' R' Us, with virtual experience.
The company claims that innovative use of virtualization technology will allow gamers to pick up real-world objects and then move them into the video games world, with multiplayer based experience available on handhelds, browser products and on mobile devices.
The game will set the player as the Portal Master, able to harness the power of as many as 30 characters that need to find a way to return to their own fantasy world.
Eric Hirshberg, who is the chief executive officer of Activision Publishing, has stated, “These are more than action figures. They are inter-action figures. By pairing world class character design, world class video game design and world class story telling into one entertainment experience, we’ve given players a whole new genre that bridges the gap between the real and virtual worlds.”
He added, “From the first time a kid picked up a stick and pretended it was a sword, toys have unlocked kids’ imaginations. And how often have you wanted to bring those toys to life, to see them become animated and take them on an adventure? Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure does just that.”
Activision says that adventure elements of the new Spyro line up were created by Alek Sokolow and Joel Cohen, who were nominated for an Oscar for their work on the first Toy Story movie.
Activision says that each of the characters players can collect will come with unique powers, allowing them to play the video games and different ways and, of course, satisfy the collection urge.
The toys themselves will have storage capacity, meaning that all in-game achievements that are linked to them will be stored and will be available to anyone who gets the dolls, adding a whole new level to the trading element of the Spyro universe.