14 DAY TRIAL // Video game publisher Activision Blizzard has announced that launch of the beta stage of Skylanders Spyro’s Universe, a new virtual world aimed at kids that will allow them to further engage with the characters and the toys based on them.
The developers are saying that the new game world will consist of a fantasy themed number of islands which are designed to allow for exploration, friendly competition and world building, with players able to craft and customize their very own Skylands.
They will also be able to play a number of mini-games like Castle Assault, Sky Defense and Sheep Shot.
There are also achievements to be earned and options linked to managing their toy collection.
Those kids who have real world Skylanders toys can take them to the game directly by using the unique code included with them or connecting them to the Portal of Power but there’s also plenty of content, accessed via a free account, for those who are not interested in physical objects.
Eric Hirshberg, who is the Chief Executive Officer at Activision Publishing, stated, “We conceived Skylanders as a unique, multi-platform experience from the beginning, simultaneously grand in scope yet incredibly easy for kids to embrace.”
He added, “You can play with friends in the real world or on consoles, Nintendo 3DS, Mac or PC, and now on the web in Skylanders Spyro's Universe. If there's a screen where kids play, we want the Skylanders to come to life there. This also further enhances the play options of every Skylander character.”
A number of retail chains, from Toys’R’us to Amazon, have highlighted the Skylander toys as being one of the hottest gift ideas for kids this holiday season and Activision seems to be keen to exploit their popularity by giving young gamers more virtual space to use them.