Toys for Bob and Vicarious Visions on keeping annual Skylanders 'magic' alive

by Bags Hooper on Feb 6th 2013 5:45PM

Since first launching in 2011, Activision has turned its toy-powered gaming franchise Skylanders into an annual release. The third game in the series, Skylanders: Swap Force, is set to arrive this fall and will allow players to mix-and-match parts of 16 new toys for over 250 in game character combinations.

Despite the franchise's success, solidifying it as an annual title in Activision's portfolio, it may not be immune to its new schedule. Activision has walked this road before, with the once-popular Guitar Hero franchise buckling under its own weight of too many releases in too short a time period. But Paul Reiche, Studio President at Toys for Bob [above, left], believes that innovation is the key to growing the franchise; innovation that will keep the "magic" alive for children.

"The way that we're going to succeed is by ensuring that every year we have a meaningful innovation both in the toys and in the software as well," Reiche told Joystiq. Though Toys for Bob first developed Skylanders and launched its successor, Skylanders Giants, in 2012, developer Vicarious Visions has taken over to help the third entry in the series – a studio that developed ports and iOS games in the Skylanders universe and, at one time, helped Activision port the Guitar Hero franchise to mobile and Nintendo platforms.

Going forward, both Toys for Bob and Vicarious Visions will lead the charge for Activision's Skylanders series. The two developers first collaborated in 2003, before Vicarious Visions became a part of Activision, on Disney Extreme Skate Adventure. Although Toys for Bob isn't heading development, they are still providing daily input on the toy design, character images and level feedback.

The two studios are fully invested in the Skylanders project and don't have any other projects in the works. "This is our entire focus," Guha Bala, co-head of Vicarious Visions [top, right], told Joystiq. "Between the two studios, that's all we're working on," Reiche added.

While Vicarious Visions takes the lead on Swap Force, Reiche has been exploring ways to innovate on the line. Last week was the first time he visited Skylanders' toy manufacturing facility in Shenzhen, China. Reiche wants to be more aware of the manufacturing process so that he can hone his craft and come up with new ideas for the toy line. He admitted that seeing the workers hand paint the Jet Vac's yellow talons was a joy.

As for next gen, Bala doesn't see technology, platform or rendering features as a driving force for the franchise. For Skylanders, his goal is to find play patterns that are enriching for kids and bring those concepts to life. The Swap Force concept hearkens back to the days when children broke apart their GI Joe toys and mixed and matched the tops and bottoms of their action figures. Bala hopes to stay ahead of the technology curve, by looking to simple ideas that make you think in new ways. "The fundamental experience will be about the magic of the toys."

Of course innovation isn't without a cost. Swap Force will only be available as a starter pack, as the franchise's original portals – where players place their figures to transport them into the game – will not be able to read new swap figures. The new Starter pack, which is expected to retail for $74.99, will include the new base as well as two Swap Force characters and one 'Core' character, a standard Skylander.

Activision has long-term ambitions for its successful franchise. "We have goals of making this a 10 to 20 year franchise that becomes a staple for kids," Joshua Taub, Vice President of Skylanders Business told Joystiq. The Giants franchise alone took in 195 million during Q4, while the entire franchise topped 500 million in sales. Toy sales continue to be "strong" across both lines.

Bags Hooper is a writer based out of Brooklyn, New York. He has contributed to multiple outlets, including BuzzFocus, USA Network, Showtime's Pop Tudors, Monsters & Critics and FHM. You can follow him on Twitter at @BagsHooper.

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[X360] Review Roundup - I Am Alive

[X360] Review Roundup - I Am Alive
Destructoid - 8.5/10 - "As a downloadable title, I Am Alive is a remarkable accomplishment. Not only does it create an atmospheric world that feels real enough to identify with, but it succeeds at delivering a unique experience geared towards an adult audience while simultaneously being a fun game to play. It's a roller coaster of emotions, sometimes not exactly the ones the game intended you to feel, but a hell of a ride nonetheless."

Eurogamer - 8/10 - "Perhaps I sound a bit detached about I Am Alive. I think that's probably because it can be very bleak, and like the best survival fiction, that's also why you really should experience it. Everything isn't going to be OK. The last bits of humanity are pretty much going to hell all around you and you're just a guy with a couple of bottles of water and an empty gun. Maybe you will escape with your dignity and integrity, but you probably won't. You and the game know it. It's not a new message, but I Am Alive delivers it as well as anyone ever has in a game."

Game Informer - 8.5/10 - "Good survival games have been hard to come by this console generation, but I Am Alive proves there is still new ground to break. The gray, oppressive atmosphere, constant struggle to find supplies, and combating wanton scavengers transports players to a world only experienced in harrowing novels like Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. I Am Alive’s desperate scenarios and inventive gameplay should not be missed by masochistic gamers interested in entering a world of unrelenting dread."

IGN - 4.5/10 - "I Am Alive has great ideas and poor execution. It ends up being a flat, frustrating game that isn’t worth your time or money."

GameSpot - 8/10 - "I Am Alive effectively draws you into a city gone to ruin by relying on instinctual human reactions to establish a strong emotional connection. From a technical standpoint, there's nothing special here. The controls are stiff, the graphics are murky, and the voice acting hits odd notes. But I Am Alive rises above these basic concerns to offer an engrossing experience that's difficult to forget. If you let this deliberately paced adventure get under your skin, it draws you into a world that shows how humans react when the rules are stripped away. Some just want to survive while others want to impose their will, and you're left to decide your own path. I Am Alive is a smart and well-crafted adventure that keeps you tense throughout, and it makes you desperate to know the fate of the family you so anxiously want to find."

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[PS3, X360] Dead or Alive 5 Teaser - Hints at Possible Crossover?

Pixel Zombie
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RE: [PS3, X360] Dead or Alive 5 Teaser - Hints at Possible Crossover?
Can't we just have one huge crossover and get it over with?

Everyone vs Everyone

..then Capcom can release another version a few months later.

Everyone vs Everyone, Super Hyper Tournament Edition Prime

RE: [PS3, X360] Dead or Alive 5 Teaser - Hints at Possible Crossover?
Clayfighter vs Bloody Roar.

You were all thinking it.

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[3DS] Dead or Alive Dimensions – DLC

With the improved infrastructure of the 3DS’ online capabilities and the ability to use SD Cards to store many gigabytes of data, DLC looks to be much easier to achieve on Nintendo new system.

Game updates have already been planned for other 3DS games, with one said to be heading to Street Fighter IV 3D Edition. No details have been announced what the update will include, though hopefully some more game content will be coming with it.

Tecmo Koei have now announced their plans for DLC on Dead or Alive Dimensions. The content will be completely free to download and includes various new costumes for characters featured in the game. These will be offered over wi-fi, using the 3DS’ SpotPass system and begin on the games launch day, March 24th. Content will then be provided over a period of time, up until April 24th, when the last costume will be provided.

Some of the costumes include:

- Cheer Girl Lei Fang
- Personal Clothing Kokoro
- Ninja Attire Ayane
- Personal Clothing Kasumi
- Personal Clothing Hitomi
- White Cat Costume La Mariposa
- White Cat Costume Tina

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Dead or Alive Dimensions – Diaries Part III

Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.

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Bit.Trip Flux keeps CommanderVideo alive Feb. 28

by JC Fletcher on Feb 14th 2011 6:20PM

CommanderVideo, hero of the Bit.Trip series, will finish his journey through psychedelic techno-scapes of attacking pixels on February 28 in North America, and February 25 in Europe, according to developer Gaijin Games. Those are the dates when Bit. Trip Flux will be released on WiiWare.

In the announcement of the release dates, Gaijin's Alex Neuse revealed that there is no "Game Over" result in Flux -- which is a pretty sharp contrast from the other five Bit.Trip games, in which "game over" is basically the natural state. "To help tell the story of CommanderVideo's transition back to The Source," he said, "we wanted to convey the point that it is an unstoppable pull which draws him home. For this reason, there is no Game Over."

Flux is designed to be completed in a single session, something that "most players" will be able to do. The challenge will be in reaching and sustaining the "Meta Mode" for as long as possible by hitting consecutive beats. "But the primary goal of Flux is to be an exploration of visual beauty, aural splendor, graceful gameplay, and how it feels to be lost in the beauty of life," Neuse added, "while reminiscing about all the events that led CommanderVideo to this, his purest form." Dear people of importance and fellow BIT.TRIPPERS,

As I sit and consider the release of BIT.TRIP FLUX on February 25th in Europe and on February 28th in the US, I reflect back on CommanderVideo's journey.

So, I offer you this unsolicited contemplation on FLUX, which you are free to post in its entirety, in bits and pieces, or not at all. I offer it because I want you all to know that even though this is the end of a series that we've all grown to love, this is a joyous time.

BIT.TRIP FLUX represents CommanderVideo's homecoming. It is a sublime trip through his subconscious and a deep exploration of what makes him who he is. It is an investigation of his rhythm, his flow, his vibe.

As we started working on the concept for FLUX, we realized that we wanted to return to the gameplay of BIT.TRIP BEAT because at CommanderVideo's core, he is returning to his simplest energetic state.

Also, to help tell the story of CommanderVideo's transition back to The Source, we wanted to convey the point that it is an unstoppable pull which draws him home. For this reason, there is no Game Over. BIT.TRIP FLUX is meant to be played and completed in one sitting. It has also been designed such that most players will be able to fulfill that goal. BIT.TRIP FLUX, while difficult, is not as punishing in its difficulty as the previous games in the series; yet reaching the new Meta Mode and staying there is quite a feat, so the challenge is there for experts.

But the primary goal of FLUX is to be an exploration of visual beauty, aural splendor, graceful gameplay, and how it feels to be lost in the beauty of life while reminiscing about all the events that led CommanderVideo to this, his purest form. You'll see him in this form during the cutscenes as well as in-game, and you'll relive his experiences through the music and visuals.

As you complete the game, I hope that you have as cathartic an experience as we did in giving this series to you.

Yours,
Alex

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[3DS] Samus Set to Cameo in Dead or Alive - Dimensions? Ridley Stage Confirmed

[3DS] Samus Set to Cameo in Dead or Alive - Dimensions? Ridley Stage Confirmed
It looks like the collaboration with Tecmo's Team Ninja might not be over just yet, as a video has surfaced showing us Ridley's stage from Metroid: Other M will be appearing in Dead or Alive - Dimensions including Ridley.
You'll also spot that Samus rolls in at the end of the trailer and drops her singature Power Bomb, it looks like she may be featuring as a cameo roll. Hopefully we'll find out more details soon.

Written by: Kyran Morrison

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