darkSpyro

^As a sane collector (meaning I think pay anything over 40$ for a figurine is ridiculous), I can't wait for this to be over either.

I'm dreading the release of the figures for Giants. However, I'm dreading the 21st. I bet TRU will be packed with psycho Skylander stans. :fear:

its good because the 21st falls on a wednesday ( here in adelaide ) not sure if australia will get wave 4 at the same time but eb games does usually get them later than other stores but on wednesdays my TRU gets their shipment in so it all fits in adelaide

I enjoy both parts but cant wait till the hunt is over till Oct when giants release

A bit of what I stumbled across on Ebay while looking at prices things are going for...or seeing if anything has dropped in wave 4.

I found this listing that has some interesting information on it.

[url]http://www.ebay.com/itm/Skylanders-Adventure-Pack-Dragons-Peak-Pirate-Seas-Darklight-Crypt-Empire-of-Ice-/251011979958?pt=UK_ToysGames_ActionFigures_ActionFigures_JN&var=&hash=item3a717adab6#ht_923wt_1163[/url

Note this that it is the UK. That means everything for the US shifts a week about...

^That is still expensive.

Quote: Whirlwind5598

^That is still expensive.

Even with postage it's less than twice the UK RRP which, for a scalped item, is positively cheap.

I won't pay over retail for it myself though... even though I do want it.

I hope the hype about March 21st by TRU is worth it.... I will be super pissed if all they are doing is just saving two or three weeks of stock so it "appears" they have alot, but its all just a bunch of the same ones they have been getting for the last month, just alot of them. For example... my TRU in the last month has had a bunch of singles of flameslinger, hex, dino, wreckingball, zap, boomer, double trouble and eruptor. Now they do sell out, but are usually restocked on a weekly basis... unlike my local Walmart or Best Buy which are always out of stock. Now I hope that this 3-21 is not just a whole lot of those mentioned above... kinda of like they stockpiled three weeks worth of shipments and will just place a ton out... I hope these singles are all the waves that have been released (and hopefully wave 4 as well)... Maybe that way I can have a shot at getting voodood and sonic boom... we will see...

I have someone who contacts me from Walmart when they come in. My local WM's are still getting in singles, because my friend who runs electronics there, called me yesterday morning. I thought he was calling to say he had Zook and Lightning Rod, but it was a variant of wave 2 that had Eruptor, Flameslinger and Chop Chop on top of Wrecking Ball, Hex and Dino Rang.

He said 36 more were on order and they should be the new ones. He will call me as soon as they come in and hold me however many I need for myself and to help others.

I think TRU will have new ones. But, you never know. It could be old crap.

My TRU confirmed that it will be a ticket based event. You get 1 ticket for each item you want. No multi purchasing. First come first serve after that I believe. So yup. Get there early if you want to guarantee you get stuff.

That is INSANE! Not everyone has the time to go to the store!

You don't think parents that have their kids whining for the new ones aren't going to go. There will be plenty of people to show up to get theirs. I don't think it's on the Modern Warfare 3 scale of popularity, but many people will come to get them. I know I will be...because I have no life at the moment...and my wife is out of town for 18 months essentially...this is my distraction...lol.

Quote: Hexin_Wishes

That is INSANE! Not everyone has the time to go to the store!

That is true, but just because you maybe can't go doesn't mean that no one has time because actually very many people do.

I don't know... MW3 didn't sell 20 million units in 3 months, like Skylander figures did.

They said something along the lines of 47% of all sold accessories sold in February, were Skylanders.

Quote: GameMaster78

I don't know... MW3 didn't sell 20 million units in 3 months, like Skylander figures did.

They said something along the lines of 47% of all sold accessories sold in February, were Skylanders.

"20 million units" is a deceptive unit to use as defense that MW3 was supposedly less popular than Skylanders. While MW3 was one of my most regretted purchases, I would never argue that it is less popular than Skylanders, which had a pretty quiet initial launch in the video game industry. Skylanders doesn't even get anywhere close to MW3, or any of the Call of Duty games. In just 2012, the PS3 version of MW3 has sold over 1 million units, and the Xbox360 version has sold over 970 thousand units. The Wii version of Skylanders is the best selling(no other versions sell anywhere near as good as it), and in 2012 it has only moved a bit over 260 thousand units.
Globally, Skylanders has only moved about 2.5 million discs since it's release. MW3 sold 6.5+ million discs in the first 24 hours it was released, and globally MW3 has sold 26 million units since it's release.

Yes, the figures have sold well, but on their own they are not considered in the charts for how well a game sells. After all, without the base game they are just toys. I do not know the numbers here, but even if the figures were included, I doubt Skylanders has made anywhere near what MW3 made in the same amount of time. It broke records, while Skylanders is barely known outside of collectors and families with children. The actual figures also have no competition like companies that release keyboards, game pads,mice, headset, etc. If other companies made figure based games, then I doubt we'd see "20 million units" sold, because not everyone would go for Skylanders. Heck, if MLP or Pokemon had a figure based game like Skylanders, no one would talk about Skylanders.

Anyways, I haven't been on TRU for awhile, so I don't know if any of the local ones have posted signs, but I got an email from TRU.com that said "March is Skylanders Month. All Starter packs are 50% off"

Let's say Activision wanted to boast about any of their franchises' sales.

They won't just mention one game from said franchise. They group it together as a whole.

So, when I mentioned 20 million figures selling, plus games and merch, I mean how much Skylanders has generated as a whole.

Activision said it best, "Skylanders is their next billion-dollar franchise."

http://gadgetgears.blogspot.co...ders-boost.html

Oh, I'm not doubting Skylanders is a success, but you are really only fooling yourself if you think it reaches some kind for comparison with MW3 or the entire CoD franchise.

I honesty do not know how many MW3 branded products were sold in it's first 3 months, but with just the game selling 6.5 million units in 24hours, I wouldn't doubt MW3 sold at least 20 million products in 1 month alone. Nonetheless, the success of a video game is always measured by how many copies of the game they can sell, not how many branded products are released along with it. There is always a chance that the Skylanders games will stop selling, but the figures will continue, and at that point Activision could either shut down the series, or reinvent it as something like a toy line or maybe even a kid's television show. Something similar, though in the opposite direction, happened with the Pokemon series, which used to bring in most of it's money through the sale of collectable cards. The cards stopped selling, and even the television shows started to sink, but it's video games are now what predominately keep it alive.

Anyway, my main hobby is gaming, not collecting, so when "units" is brought up my mind goes to units of a game sold. Let's forget looking at just their success as a video game. Profit still trumps all, and the CoD franchise, or even just the sales from MW3, still dominates Skylanders (and most games).

My local TRU said they are holding back ALL of their figures, and is not limited to single packs. He didn't know what specific figures they have back there, just to go check back there on the 21st.

They also have 50% off on starter packs :3

See, I forsee CoD going the way of the dinosaur, before Skylanders, due to the fact it will always be the same thing.

Guy from military runs from point A to B, shooting a terrorist or some person behind a mic in a different state/country.

Sure, one could say "But Skylanders is just running from point A to B," the thing about that is, you're not just playing as one entity that can only do one thing, which is press RT (R2 on PS3) to shoot a very limited amount of weapons.

This game has the potential to have staying power unlike the band games of the past few years, because even on band games, it's like playing a glorified Simon.

This game, so far, offers 32 Skylanders that all play different. It's why I think a game like Pokemon has lasted so long.

One day, people will get smart to the idea, that they're paying (like Madden) 60 bucks to walk down narrow coridors shooting the same guns every year. If Skylanders became an annual game, it has the potential to be fresh, because each game offers any given number of characters, which will play different than the past characters, while allowing past characters to go into new territory.

Just my take, anyway. Generally, I hate annual games, because they never do anything different. This could be the first that feels new everytime. Only if Toys for Bob is smart and has a good imagination on keeping levels feeling fresh.

I don't disagree. I expected CoD to take a downward turn after MW3, and instead they release best sellers every year. The CoD games stay alive, because you get hundreds of hours of game play as a result of great online multiplayer, all for the same price as other games that don't utilize online multiplayer or lack complex stories that can be completed in 10 hours or less. I call them economy games, because you get more bang for for buck. The Elder Scrolls games are a good example of successful games that lack online multiplayer, but still cause you to sink hundreds of hours into them for a one time fee. Skylanders isn't either of these. I see it only being successful short term, unless they change some things and add more features( I know some people hate it, but online multiplayer would add a lot to this game). In my opinion, an annual Skylanders game will ruin the series, because it will tire people out, or more specifically strain their wallets. Pokemon is once again another great example. The cards were more popular than anything until people realized that the cards were not worth what they were paying for. The games keep Pokemon alive, because you are still collecting all the Pokemon, but instead of being cards that you constantly have to be sinking more money into, everything is already on your game and just needs to be unlocked trough time and patience. Even if they release a Pokemon game every year, all you have to do is pay that one time fee of $30-$40 and you get hundreds of hours of game play. Pokemon is an economy game. At $10 a piece, you don't get a whole lot with each new Skylander. If Skylanders makes it to a 3rd game, and it's once again the same game, but with new characters that I'm expected to sink hundreds into, I'll be done with it. As cute as they are, they just aren't worth it when I can spend that same money, or a lot less, on a a game that will keep me busy for far longer. What's your opinion on this? Do you feel that just adding more characters is enough, or would you also like to see more features in this series?

No. I agree. Each game should be a step forward, or it won't make it. Just giving new Skylanders won't be enough.

It does seem as though Giants has more wide spaces and hidden areas not tied to elemental gates. That's a start. If they can keep things getting bigger, while adding new features, I see it being around for the long haul. More Skylanders for the cause only helps. Online would help as well, because then that may lead to official Skylander tournaments.

An online component of multiplayer (think World of Warcraft battlegrounds) would be amazing. Online co-op? 1000x epic awesome!

My ideas for CO-OP would be -

1: Selectable chapters based on which levels have been unlocked from single or previous co-op sessions.
2: Heroics WOULD NOT support CO-OP. They're meant to be challenging. Any help would hinder the meaning of Heroic Challenges.

Ideas for online in general -

1: Online PVP with customizable rules.
2: Tournament play with brackets. Winner stays, loser pays.

Something that could suppliment online play, would be toys that unlock small levels. Sort of like dungeon raids. They could carry with them, a certain amount of randomly generated dungeons, with a unique reward at the end, that is only obtainable through buying that toy. The reward wouldn't always drop, so it encourages doing dungeon runs until the unique reward drops. These would be CO-OP capable, but only one gets the reward, thus meaning you would have to do it again to help the other person.

I'm not real sure where to put this, but it's too cool not to share.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-S...92#ht_500wt_922

If Dark Spyro comes in a single pack now, Ignitor cant be too far off.

^SO THAT KIDS VIDEO WAS REAL!?!?!?!

Quote: GameMaster78

My ideas for CO-OP would be -

1: Selectable chapters based on which levels have been unlocked from single or previous co-op sessions.
2: Heroics WOULD NOT support CO-OP. They're meant to be challenging. Any help would hinder the meaning of Heroic Challenges.

Ideas for online in general -

1: Online PVP with customizable rules.
2: Tournament play with brackets. Winner stays, loser pays.

Something that could suppliment online play, would be toys that unlock small levels. Sort of like dungeon raids. They could carry with them, a certain amount of randomly generated dungeons, with a unique reward at the end, that is only obtainable through buying that toy. The reward wouldn't always drop, so it encourages doing dungeon runs until the unique reward drops. These would be CO-OP capable, but only one gets the reward, thus meaning you would have to do it again to help the other person.

Sounds great to me. They could have a category for multiplayer heroic challenges and single player challenges. What I really want is co-op for the story, but PVP would also be fun, and I know that's what most people want. I LOVE the dungeon raid idea! I really don't know what compelled them to exclude multiplayer, or rather focus on the ridiculous web game. Last time I remember web games like that being popular was when the majority of games lacked multiplayer, due to lack of adequate technology on consoles. At first I thought it was because they wanted to keep it safe for the kiddies, but there are easy ways to do that, such as preventing voice chat with strangers or only allowing you to connect with people that have given you their friend code/name/whatever they call it on all consoles. I really, really hope that if a third game comes out they put lots of time into it, and give us multiplayer. It will be lots of work for them to do, but it will open up the game to a larger audience, which will ultimately make them more money to continue the series. When I got the game all my friends(adults, not children) got interested in it, but the second I told them it lacked multiplayer, they lost all interest.

Glad someone finally posted a clear pic of it.

FAAAAAAAAAAAAKE!

There is only one Skylander that doesn't have that Skylander's catchphrase written in a different language below the english version. That character is Wrecking Ball.

Dark Spyro, "supposedly" being a new single pack *rolls eyes*, would have his catchphrase written in two languages, if it were real.

Oh, it's fake? They did a pretty good job with packaging details then.

Here is the evidence I am presenting, your honor.

1: It's the only one on Ebay.
2: If it was released as a part of wave 4, surely said seller would have also nabbed Zook, Lightning Rod and Ignitor to sell as well. There are no new inhand listings for any of those characters.
3: No catchphrase in a different language below the english catchphrase.

I think anyone can use photoshop, cut out cardboard stock paper and print this stuff on the packaging. Use a hairdryer to loosen another package or whatever was in this package originally, do some more printing and cutting and you could do this yourself.

This person is a big fakerpants.

That way Dark Spyro is angled on the package...

It was the same way it was in the video.

^ So maybe the kid in the video bought it from the same person on eBay or it's actually the same kid selling it on eBay...who knows?

Quote: GameMaster78

Here is the evidence I am presenting, your honor.

1: It's the only one on Ebay.
2: If it was released as a part of wave 4, surely said seller would have also nabbed Zook, Lightning Rod and Ignitor to sell as well. There are no new inhand listings for any of those characters.
3: No catchphrase in a different language below the english catchphrase.

I think anyone can use photoshop, cut out cardboard stock paper and print this stuff on the packaging. Use a hairdryer to loosen another package or whatever was in this package originally, do some more printing and cutting and you could do this yourself.

This person is a big fakerpants.

Does the texture on the actual cardboard bother you too or is it jut me? It looks all bumpy/textured where the light is reflecting on the corners and back of the box. I only have the back off the legendary triple pack laying around, and the texture is smooth. Light doesn't reflect off it like on that dark Spyro either. Considering the person doesn't have much activity on Ebay, I'd assume they bought it off someone in hopes of getting a lot of money for it like legitimate exclusives and rare figures, but of course it's possible that's not their only account with Ebay. Nonetheless, I also vote fake, or prototype that got leaked.

Quote: GameMaster78

There is only one Skylander that doesn't have that Skylander's catchphrase written in a different language below the english version. That character is Wrecking Ball.

That's not true, not a one single pack sold here in the UK has the character's catchphrase written in 2 languages... I have 3 here sitting on my shelf with single language catchphrases.

I'm not saying the item is real, I'm just saying that what you said isn't true for all editions.

Ah. Well, here in the US, all of my sealed single packs have catchphrases written in different languages, except Wrecking Ball.

Looks pretty real to me. But again, why is this the ONLY ONE on the internet?

Quote: GameMaster78

Ah. Well, here in the US, all of my sealed single packs have catchphrases written in different languages, except Wrecking Ball.

That's fair enough, there's no reason you should know what every different box in the world has on it.

Just in case you're interested this picture from amazon.co.uk is the packaging we have in the UK:

Edit: I noticed it's not exactly the same as mine because the card in that picture is backwards...



Quote: Himewad

Looks pretty real to me. But again, why is this the ONLY ONE on the internet?

^This.

Just like another said here, the texture on the packaging, namely where the art of Dark Spyro is, looks very odd.

On top of that, there is another reason that proves it's fake. Skylanders official Facebook page has that FAQ. They mention every upcoming release back in January, even going as far as to mention how Drill Sergeant and Whirlwind will be widely available. If Dark Spyro were indeed coming out in a single pack, they would have mentioned it in the FAQ.

Quote: D-Rex

That way Dark Spyro is angled on the package...

It was the same way it was in the video.

Not really. The one in the video has most of Dark Spyro's face cut off, since it's under the packaging. That ebay listing has it more how it would look, but..eh. I have my doubts. Looks like you can see the UPC code though. Maybe someone could use that for justice.

Actually now I look closer I see what Cinnamonster said about the texture of the card... it seems unlikely that they would use a different grade of card...

It does seem a lot of work to get $49.99... unless they're planning on selling more of them in which case the effort of designing the packaging would seem less rediculous for the money.

Oh about single Dark Spyro....Dan from "One of Swords" said on his pod-cast, it will only be released with the 3Ds.
That could of course change but....for now not available.

Ahaha! I see why they do it now.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-S...81#ht_500wt_948

The first link I posted is the person's second listing. They sold one already. I guess if it's making you money, why not?

So I am looking at the auction. It says on the bottom by the upc (Fabrique en Chine) meaning it's not a US based toy? I was trying to make out the UPC code so I could search it to see if it even exists.

I already did that. I looked at the UPC to see if it was on any of my sealed toys. It isn't.

All Skylander UPC's say Fabrique en Chine. I am still doing a bit of digging to find Dark Spyro's UPC. I have been since last night. I have a better idea. Be right back.

GameMaster78

Here is some new information for you to wrap your head around.

"I purchased this in Singapore recently, at a Toys R Us. They were priced at a premium, compared to the other single packs there. So I think even in Singapore they are somewhat rare or limited edition."

I asked him where he got it from ebay and that's how he responded. So hmmmm...makes you wonder...now doesn't it. Is it a knockoff? NO?! He bought it at Toys R Us in Singapore...

Honestly, if I am a completionist collector like you...I buy it and throw it in your boxed collection...legit or not. It'll only probably cost you 50 bucks...lol.

Quote: GameMaster78

I already did that. I looked at the UPC to see if it was on any of my sealed toys. It isn't.

All Skylander UPC's say Fabrique en Chine. I am still doing a bit of digging to find Dark Spyro's UPC. I have been since last night. I have a better idea. Be right back.

See if you can cross ref with the kid in the video , I got 47625-84197 out of it

Yeah, that's the same UPC as I got.

Xero, I get my info somewhere else. From a member of Toys for Bob himself. I have already asked him and posted a link to that Ebay auction. Like this TFB developer (he worked on Slam Bam) did with the gold Stump Smash, if this is fake, he will alert Ebay to pull the links.

You will see this is a fake shortly. Singapore? That's like the lady who tried to tell an employee I know at my local TRU, that she was buying 18 Cynders for her family overseas. *rolls eyes*

That was lame of the seller to say he got it from a toy store in Singapore, when he is selling them from Union, Kentucky? Dude must travel fast. Dig this. Even IF (meaning it didn't happen) he found them at a TRU in Singapore, he wouldn't have been the only one to find and try and sell one. I will let the words of the creators themself confirm this, though.

In the meantime, check this out. Check completed listings, too.

http://www.ebay.com.sg/sch/i.h...6.c0.m270.l1313

This guy must be like a super lucky man, to be the only person in the world to have one.

"Damn, what a gullible breed." - Agent Kay: Men in Black.

EDIT: I misread the number you had. I thought it was the same as I had. the number is actually 4787584197

You will notice that all Skylanders have these numbers following the 0's. "478758."

So it looks like this Wednesday's the day for the new Champions. That's pretty exciting. Thank goodness I don't work that day.

This Wednesday? Where did you get that info?

I am not questioning it. But for 50 bucks, you can buy it and have it for nostalgia sake. If he took the time to fabricate a package for it...it'd be worth the 50 bucks to have it for humor value. Just saying. But I live in Seattle, and have been to China and around a lot of Asia, and it is common to see knockoffs for sale almost exact to the original. And sometimes the knockoffs are better than the original. Now my theory is the company who made these, just made the packaging and broke up the 3DS sets that they probably had an abundance of, and saw an easy way to sell the 3 figures marked up, and the 3DS portal and game separately. The Chinese are think kings of reverse engineering. Do not be surprised if this IS the case and they just repackaged it as a single in a small run with all their extra 3DS stock to move them.

Quote: GameMaster78

This Wednesday? Where did you get that info?

My bad, GameMaster. I was looking a week ahead on the calendar. I mean next week. Lol