Topic: No New Skylanders Game This Year

[Shaymin]

Imaginators will continue to expand.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/44099/no-new-skylanders-game-this-year

Activision is taking a year off from new Skylanders.

In their quarterly earnings call a short time ago, the company announced that there would not be a new Skylanders console game this calendar year, as has happened every year since 2011. This is aside from the Switch port of Skylanders Imaginators that will launch on March 3 with the system.

To date, the series has sold over 300 million toys, and will continue in 2017 with mobile content, new options for Imaginators and a 3rd season of the Netflix-exclusive animated series.

[KeyBilly]

It is a fun series that made Amiibo cool before they existed.  We don't need a new one every year, but similar to Guitar Hero or Dance Central, I hope it gets updated or reinvented periodically.

[Wah]

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!
It's DYING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Phil]

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!
It's DYING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I could translate this to: "YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! A series that is inoffensive, fun, and of good quality isn't doing a new game this year, maybe the series will die, and the dev will be a new Call of Duty team if things get even worse, or maybe even better, they'll lose their JOBS!"

Anyway, instead, new content is being added to Imaginators in the form of new story packs and such.

[lolmonade]

Lucario's comments aside:


Yes, the game series is overpriced to feel like you're getting enough content/playable characters, but it's some of the most fun I've had playing games with my wife in recent memory, and think it's definitely the best toys-to-life series out there.   


That said, I have no problem with them shelving new games for a little bit.  I've waited until a 1/2 off sale in the last two iterations because I found myself not completing the last game until right before the new one comes out, and started getting fatigued, even though I think the recent games are some of the best yet. 


That said, I've got all my old skylanders waiting in a box in the basement for when my kids are old enough to play games, I think my oldest will have a LOT of fun with them when he's the right age.

[Mop it up]

It looks like Unclebob's prediction was right! Or at least the part about there not being a new one this year. It sounds like Skylanders 7 may still happen next year. I hope that they carefully examine the series, and put some effort into making a good game for 2018 and dialing back a bit on the figures. Originally I found it a bit odd they were releasing Imaginators on Switch, but with there being no new game this year and more content coming for Imaginators, it makes more sense to me now.

They got pretty ridiculous with the figures, but I felt they were at least making a good game around it. I started buying the starter packs a year or more after they released, where they would be discounted to $19.99 or even lower. I just got the Superchargers starter pack for $4, score! I've never bought any of the individual figures, and even though I can't play the full games, I get them cheap enough to feel like I got my money's worth as they are. I have all the console ones except Imaginators, which I'm actually not sure if I'll get since the concept doesn't appeal to me, though I can see it being neat for kids.

[lolmonade]

I just got the Superchargers starter pack for $4, score! I've never bought any of the individual figures, and even though I can't play the full games, I get them cheap enough to feel like I got my money's worth as they are.

Superchargers was pretty good, thought the vehicles actually added a nice bit of variety to the gameplay.

[nickmitch]

Probably best for them to take a year off.  I think the problem with Guitar Hero was that they kept trying to make one every year when they really just needed to keep churning out the DLC.  Skylanders has less of a challenge because they can add new content and still put something into the retail space in the form of new figures.

[Wah]

I still don't understand the appeal of these games. Can someone please explain them to me, because they seem like the biggest rip-off of your money.

[Evan_B]

And nothing of value was lost.

[lolmonade]

I still don't understand the appeal of these games. Can someone please explain them to me, because they seem like the biggest rip-off of your money.

Can you consider that maybe despite the pay model being ridiculous, that the actual games are quite fun?  Beyond the context of "physical DLC toys", the good things about the game to me:

• Fun Gauntlet-esque 2 player co-op game.  I WOULD NOT play it alone.
• Writing and story feels very much like a fun Saturday-morning cartoon style.
• The different characters actually do change how you approach the levels sometimes, depending on if they're a brawler type, ranged shot type, etc.
• The different game's unique character sets (Giants, Vehicles, Trap, Swap) each add a unique twist on each successive game.

It's true, people who buy-in at launch are letting themselves get milked for all it's worth.  That said, Skylanders Giants, Trap Team, and Supercharger sets can probably be found for pennies on the dollar second-hand at this point.  There's fun to be had for you and a friend if any of that appeals to you.

[Wah]

Thanks.