I really wish I had thought of the whole damn Skylander franchise. Such a good idea, making the Pokémon “Gotta Catch ‘Em All” mantra a money-spinning physical reality that actually has in-game ramifications. Sure, they could’ve made extra characters cost money via DLC, but releasing them as actual real-world toys that you can level up and use in the game? Genius. Ethan, who still has a child’s imagination, plays with them as toys, not just as videogame peripherals. Does it matter that Spyro is in there? Not really. Skylanders would’ve been massive regardless. The whole idea was so obvious though, wasn’t it? I really wish I had thought of it.
Now, Disney want a piece of the pie – but absolutely refute that they do and would like to kindly remind you not to make that assumption. While researching this piece (yes, I research most of the things that I write about, believe it or not), I read that Hasbro want a slice of the action too, with a B-Daman physical-toys-that-you-can-use-in-a-game game scheduled for release soon. Awesomes.
Disney Infinity looks pretty great actually. I love the angular but organic look of the characters. They are instantly recognisable as both their original selves, and their Disney Universe counterparts, it’s beautiful. You can play missions, Skylanders-style, by yourself or co-operatively, but then you can also build, Minecraft style, creating levels and mini-games. And we all know how massive Minecraft is. Here’s the issue I have though – have they chosen the wrong starter characters to launch this thing with?
Sure, the Monsters Inc. series has a sequel out at the cinema right now, and The Lone Ranger is quite new, but crucially, neither are out on DVD yet, which is usually the time when new films really appear on kids’ radars. And is The Lone Ranger really aimed at kids? Or is that the point? One for the older players? The Incredibles is a long-standing family favourite (and absolutely crying out for a sequel), but is it too old?
If I were Disney, I would’ve brought out some more of the big guns. I’m talking classic Disney franchises. Mowgli, Baloo and Shere Khan from The Jungle Book. Pinocchio. Peter Pan and Captain Hook. Dorothy and the Wicked Witch from The Wizard of Oz. And why on Earth is Wreck-It Ralph, a fictional videogame character from a Disney film, not in a videogame set in the world of Disney films? How about something as leftfield as Tron? How about the obvious one like Donald, Goofy, or even Mickey himself? And what about the future? Would it be too far-fetched to expect Star Wars or Marvel characters to be included in here at some point?
Still, Johnny Depp has two figures in the Infinity range, an accolade to be proud of.
