The interactive toy/video game market has become quite a boon over the past few years, and leading the charge is Activision which first introduced the medium back in 2011 with the original Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure. Since that time, the franchise has been a tremendous seller for the company, with over 250 million toys sold and $3 billion in revenue.
So what’s next With competitors like Disney Infinity 3.0: Star Wars and Lego Dimensions set for arrival this fall, Activision needed to come up with a new game that would keep the Skylanders series fresh, just as it’s done in the past with Trap Team (featuring talking Portals). Indeed, it’s done just that, introducing a new entry in the series that focuses on vehicles.
The Skylanders will literally take the wheel this fall with Superchargers, a game where users will be able to use their Skylanders figurines – from older games and with new purchases – to fight off the evil forces of the villainous Kaos, both on foot and, for the first time in the game, in a horsepower-driven vehicle.
These vehicles will be able to travel over sky, land and sea, enabling a much wider range of exploration for hidden goodies, as well as bigger levels than ever before. That should please fans of the series, providing some twists to a formula that’s run fairly strong for four years.
The game will come with an all-new Portal (though older portals will still work with the digital version of the game) in a Superchargers Starter Pack, which will also include two Skylanders figurines, one souped-up car, and the game. Over 20 different vehicles and figures will also be available for separate purchase, expanding upon the field of play.
“We created the toys-to-life category and have continued to lead it by bringing new innovations and new magic to the genre with each and every game. First we brought action figures to life, and now we’re bringing vehicles to life with Skylanders SuperChargers,” said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing, Inc. “We love making these games because in order to do it well, you have to constantly tap into your inner kid. What kid hasn’t imagined epic vehicles with amazing powers and dreamed about the adventures they could have with them Skylanders SuperChargers makes those dreams real.”
Even with the stiff competition from Disney and WB Games, retailers are confident that Superchargers will be a big seller. “Since first partnering with Activision to bring the original Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure to our stores, we have believed whole-heartedly in the magic and innovation of this brand, as well as the company’s ability to reimagine and redefine play experiences with the toys-to-life concept,” said Richard Barry, Global Chief Merchandising Officer, Toys ‘R Us, Inc. “With each new introduction, Activision never disappoints its highly loyal fans of the franchise, and we are thrilled to continue to offer the broadest assortment of all Skylanders merchandise, including the newly introduced Skylanders SuperChargers.”
We’ll find out how the game fares when it arrives on September 30th for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U, Wii and Nintendo 3DS. The debut trailer is below.
