Activision, debuted its first of toys to life franchise in 2011 with the launch of Skylanders. Multiple competitors have surfaced in five years time, including Disney Infinity, Lego Dimensions and Nintendo's amiibo. NPD Group reports that in 2015, the overall U.S. sales in the interactive gaming toys sector reached 720.5 million dollars.
But in an unexpected event, Disney Infinity stepped down from the toys-to-life business last month leaving a huge category unfilled and a lot of unanswered questions. However, its originator, Activision isn't giving up.
They quickly announced the launch of a brand new, fully customizable Skylanders Imaginators. The new version allows players create their own Skylander characters, explains USA Today. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, TT Games and The Lego Group are now in partnership with Activision adding 16 new entertainment franchises to the category.
On the upcoming expansion, other franchise feature Ghostbusters, Adventure Time, Goonies and Gremlins, Sonic The Hedgehog; even J.K Rowling's Wizarding World new sequel Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and The Lego Batman Movie to its well-liked toys-to-life video game Lego Dimensions, as per Kidscreen. Each franchise will launch its own separate expansion pack.
#LEGODimensions: All the New 16 Themes Coming in Year 2! pic.twitter.com/1ihB8Bqrzs
— LEGO Video Game News (@lego_games) June 9, 2016
The series of games aimed at kids combine physical figurines players that they purchased and be able to transport into the game when placed on a special portal connected to their home console. The expansion also introduces a competitive game mode in Battle Arenas, where multiple players can brawl in a series of matches like Capture The Flag.
The video game Lego Dimensions will roll out a fresh set of characters starting September 27 with a total of 16 new entertainment franchises. The game is currently available for Xbox One and Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 consoles and Nintendo's Wii U.
