14 DAY TRIAL // The market for video games that incorporate toys is becoming very crowded, but the development team at Vicarious Visions and publisher Activision both believe that the Skylanders series will continue to grab the attention of players with its mix of original design and high-quality experiences.
Recently, the two companies have announced that on September 20 gamers will be able to pick up a new SuperChargers expansion, which is designed to introduce a variety of vehicles, ranging from race cars to submarines, and some new heroes.
Josh Taub, senior vice president of Skylanders at Activision, tells Polygon that he believes the main reason for the continued success of Skylanders is the fact that its target audience appreciates the original nature of the content and the high-quality mix of real and virtual gameplay.
The executive adds, "Kids have been playing with these toys off-portal for a long time, and we embrace that. It's that they want to experience their characters and bring them with them. And so this takes that to a whole other level, with the ability to be able to actually play in a way that they play with other vehicle IP."
The statements seem to suggest that Skylanders has an innate appeal that cannot be matched by Disney Infinity or by LEGO Dimensions, which rely on already known characters from major video game, movie or comic book franchises.
Skylanders is expanding the range of experiences gamers can access
Vicarious Visions and Activision have been working on the franchise since 2011, and each year the two companies have found new and unique ways to expand the limits of the figurines that they are offering and the gameplay associated with them.
Vehicles will surely appeal to the fan base, but they might not be as attractive as some of the content being introduced for competitors.
Disney Infinity is betting big on Star Wars this year, adding new playsets based on both the original and the new movie trilogy, with a dash of other characters thrown in for variety.
LEGO Dimensions is aiming to build on the popularity of the brinks and can rely on connections to the DC Comics universe and other major movie releases.
Nintendo is also trying to make figurines a core part of its strategy for the Wii U and the 3DS, with the Amiibo getting new versions and more functionality.
