There sure are some strange people working at Activision. What’s their next move after cancelling series’ that they’ve done to death over the last few years? Announce a new entry in another one. It turns out their “all-new gaming universes that brings together the worlds of toys, video games and online play” is Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure. The game will launch alongside a series of toys which you use as a kind of avatar in the game. By placing the toy on the “Portal of Power” (yes, you’re reading that right) you can bring that specific character into the game. Any achievements and experience you gain inside of the game will be embedded in the toy, which you can take with you and use on different platforms, on a mobile device, or even on the web. Placing two or more toys on the “Portal of Power” (really?) allows you to play co-op and versus modes. I have no idea how they pulled any of this off, but one thing I’m sure about is these games won’t be as fun as when Insomniac was making them on the original PlayStation.
I don’t know why Activision has this almost obsessive fixation on selling you peripherals to go with your games. First Guitar Hero, then Tony Hawk, and now Spyro. At least they’re not going overboard and releasing something completely exploitative like Call of Duty action figures.
