14 DAY TRIAL // Disney Infinity is already very successful as a product and will get access to a massive update in the fall, but the developers working on the mix between toys and virtual experiences are already teasing the Star Wars-themed content that will be offered for it in 2015.
In an interview with Newsrama about the development of the title, John Blackburn, one of the leading producers, states, “We can talk about the future, but that's far, far away” and his partner John Vignocchi adds, “2015 is not so far, far away anymore, is it?”
The exchange is a clear reference to the Star Wars franchise, which is set to deliver the first of a new trilogy of movies at some point next year.
The special content for Disney Infinity will probably be timed to arrive around the same moment and will include many of the characters that are part of the new narrative, as well as updated takes on classics, although a full line-up will probably only be officially revealed during the summer of 2015.
Disney picked up the official rights for Star Wars at some point in late 2012, and they also own the intellectual property for content based on the Marvel comic book universe.
The 2.0 version of the video game and toy mix will be offered in a few weeks and will allow gamers to pick up a new set of characters, including the entire cast of The Avengers, as well as the heroes from Guardians of the Galaxy.
The villains from the two movies are also sold separately, and the developers are offering a variety of starter packs for those who have not yet tried out Disney Infinity and want to test out the concept with a limited number of characters.
As the game rolls out, more characters based on comics book and science fiction universes and a number of pure Disney characters, including Merida and Stitch, are also being added.
It will be interesting to see how the 2.0 version of Disney Infinity will perform against Skylanders, the Activision-owned title that has a similar core concept, which will also get a major update in the coming months, with toys that can change various attributes.
Nintendo is also looking to get into the connected toy business before the end of 2014, as it launches its own line of Amiibo figurines, the first of which will be bundled with Super Smash Bros. and with a re-release of Mario Kart 8.