darkSpyro

Quote:

People looking for Activision Blizzard's new game "Skylanders" this holiday season may be out of luck after the game sold better than expected, the video game maker's top executive said on Monday.

Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick said that there could be a shortage of the game at retail outlets.

"(Skylanders) are in high demand. Retailers are across the board are concerned that they will be out of inventory well before Christmas," Kotick said. "I've heard that consistently now from both within stores and from senior executives in stores that they are concerned they will be out of inventory."

Kotick said Activision might not be able to replenish supplies of the game in time to take advantage of the holiday rush.

"There's nothing we can do because they are made offshore and we can't get product made that quickly," Kotick said.

read more HERE.


the game is selling good and i definitely think we will be getting a 'skylanders 2' next year....

Oh, I'm happy to hear that.

However, they shouldn't release a new game next year. I think they should take their time and make a good game with lots of effort to avoid milking the series.

Hm.... I assume this is for the US? In the UK, pretty much every store has them still, and sales are dropping a little.

Still see a ton around here but guess that doesn't mean they have more inventory available if those happen to sell.

Wait, Skylanders is selling better than they expected. I don't really think that they thought this through at all. Activision didn't expect a childrens game and toy range that focuses on collection to sell well?

Its a new series that involves a rebooted character (Spyro) that introduces a new concept for purchasing characters to play in game. Could have gone either two ways A)Flopped horribly or B)Got people hooked worse than crack

I think their expectations were the people that liked it would invest some money into the figures I just think they didnt expect THIS MANY people to love the game. The toys fly off the shelves in a heartbeat, strategy guides are empty at every store, the storage cases are all gone, people are skylanders obsessed!

This scares me.

^Same. Eventually, I want to get every toy.

Bobby Kotick actually says that his company can't make enough that people demand before Christmas? This is a first!

Well, there goes their Christmas sales. Missed opportunity there, but justified.

Kotick's statement is kinda justified, I guess. They may have not much faith in this game at first, I'm guessing.

Quote: dantilly

Its a new series that involves a rebooted character (Spyro) that introduces a new concept for purchasing characters to play in game. Could have gone either two ways A)Flopped horribly or Got people hooked worse than crack

Even so, I don't think Activision would have minded very much if they lost some money on Skylanders; they'd just make more than enough to recover that in MW3. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if they organised their release schedule so that if Skylanders did flop then MW3 would counter that when it released under a month later.

Well, that's a lost opportunity for increased market share.

Still, the fact that Skylanders is selling so stupidly well is good news for both Acti and the franchise.

We won't probably see the effect of this shortage until close to Christmas. Im a little worried about how much stock will be available for the last wave of the figures.

I hope they have a large stock for the last wave figures.
It seems like wave 2 figures are hard enough for people to find.

Quote: Fireball

^Same. Eventually, I want to get every toy.

That's not what scares me.

What scares me is that this means they may focus much more on a sequel to Skylanders rather than a standalone Spyro game that they hinted at possibly making if demand was high enough.

I dunno if I want another Skylanders.... I liked the first, but...

This is why I'm glad I live in NZ. No one here gives a crap about Skylanders. You mention Spyro and EVERYONE knows who you're talking about, but mention Legend of Spyro, and they all go 'WTF is that?' They only think there was 3, maybe 4 Spyro games.

Quote: CAV

What scares me is that this means they may focus much more on a sequel to Skylanders rather than a standalone Spyro game that they hinted at possibly making if demand was high enough.

Honestly, I'm completely ok with that. I'd much rather a Skylanders 2 than another Spyro.

I had this strange feeling when I was playing the first Just Cause. This game has an amazing concept bad graphics but I can see the potential of this game hope they make a 2nd one. Well they did and it was even better. I had the same feeling about Two Worlds. Oh I know it was a bad but the game showed its charm to me. Then they Made Two Worlds 2. Point of this story is I have the same feeling about skylanders. So High sells makes me happy and knowing there's a high chance of 2nd game.

They could release the next characters before christmas

Quote: Dragons-go-hrr

This is why I'm glad I live in NZ. No one here gives a crap about Skylanders. You mention Spyro and EVERYONE knows who you're talking about, but mention Legend of Spyro, and they all go 'WTF is that?' They only think there was 3, maybe 4 Spyro games.

I know people who have only played either the legend or classics but not both or skylanders :I

Stores where I live were very slow to get skylanders on shelves when it first launched. Now that it is out though, I have not once seen low stock. We even have plenty of wave 2! I wonder if this l will last into Christmas....maybe people just arnt as into it around here so we won't see that problem.

Quote: dantilly

Still see a ton around here but guess that doesn't mean they have more inventory available if those happen to sell.

This!

Quote: LevanJess

I hope they have a large stock for the last wave figures.
It seems like wave 2 figures are hard enough for people to find.

My local Toys R Us received 20 boxes of wave 2 single packs the day after Black Friday.

So that's 20 Hex, 20 Wrecking Ball, 20 Dino Rang, 20 Boomer, 20 Eruptor, and 20 Zap.

If this much is sent to my one local TRU, I can imagine the same happening for any other new characters released.

EDIT: And if Activision makes good on their word, that if Skylanders did well, they would make another game focusing on Spyro (ie rehash), then I am done with this series. I have the 3 best Spyro games. I want to leave it at that. Skylanders is an awesome concept, that doesn't involve rehashing a character, in games that will be panned by nostalgia-clouded fanboys, just because it wasn't as good as the original three.

Plus I just want new concepts. I want a Skylanders 2, and more awesome toys to collect. I think it may be happening, as we speak. I don't want to read too much into the tweet I got from someone within Toys for Bob, but I took it as maybe they've begun work on a sequel. If so, GOOD. I want a couple more Skylander games.

I understand some of the concerns posted here, but let me just say that this is excellent news for anyone who likes this game. I've had some collectible hobbies in the past and all have flopped because of lack of support from corporate HQ.

Attacktix was an incredible gaming concept that suffered from poor marketing and packaging issues which led Hasbro to give up on the brand. A large company like Hasbro can afford to toss aside a good idea.

I never picked up WoW, but a friend got me hooked on WoW Miniatures. This one had production issues and problems between Blizzard and Upper Deck. The license was not renewed between the two and it died as well.

While I am not excited about the limited availability of the figures, I am thrilled that the powers that be at Activision are seeing their product fly off the shelves and will -hopefully- be moved to give it even more time and attention.

In the big picture, we can only win from this development. Low sales would have simply meant a short shelf-life to the game... with some product possibly not even making it to retail.

Quote: YaggleberryFinn

I understand some of the concerns posted here, but let me just say that this is excellent news for anyone who likes this game. I've had some collectible hobbies in the past and all have flopped because of lack of support from corporate HQ.

Attacktix was an incredible gaming concept that suffered from poor marketing and packaging issues which led Hasbro to give up on the brand. A large company like Hasbro can afford to toss aside a good idea.

I never picked up WoW, but a friend got me hooked on WoW Miniatures. This one had production issues and problems between Blizzard and Upper Deck. The license was not renewed between the two and it died as well.

While I am not excited about the limited availability of the figures, I am thrilled that the powers that be at Activision are seeing their product fly off the shelves and will -hopefully- be moved to give it even more time and attention.

In the big picture, we can only win from this development. Low sales would have simply meant a short shelf-life to the game... with some product possibly not even making it to retail.

Well put. I couldn't have said it better.

At first, I was projecting doom and gloom as many here are. However, after seeing how many stores around my small market city are getting in TONS of wave 2 product, my fears went away. Seeing that, plus hearing about how fast these are flying off shelves, nixed all my worries. I know now that we will see the remaining characters, plus further sequels, which I am fine with, as long as it has that Gauntlet feel to it.

I am guessing many here don't know how waves work. Maybe many here don't collect toys like some of us. Waiting for new waves of characters to show up has always been a thorn in us toy collectors' sides. However, that's just the nature of it.

I was worried at first, but not anymore. Just to help keep the doom and gloom tone down, I am taking pictures at any store I go to. Chances are, they have wave 2, and I am in a small market city. If my small market city can get them in, bigger markets surely have them.

I took a pic from a Target I went to today, Smallest Target in my city. They were filled to the brim with wave 2. They had more wave 2, than the initial waves. I will post a pic later, if not in a bit.

This game is doing well enough, that my fears have been put to rest. I was worried it wouldn't take off. That's when you worry.

...seriously? Nobody cares here, sadly.

Quote: YaggleberryFinn

I understand some of the concerns posted here, but let me just say that this is excellent news for anyone who likes this game.

To be fair, there is one downer to this. By failing to meet market demand, Activision is limiting potential growth. Keep in mind, present demand that is unmet may not always translate to a future purchase.

That said, it's still a happy problem for Activision to have, and a far better alternative than capacity overshadowing demand.

Well went to Walmart today to see if they've stocked any Wave 2 since I bought Wrecking Ball and Dino-Rang (there was no Hex left).....nope. Not a single figure or three pack in the store. One copy of the game left in the store.

Did find a strategy guide though!
But maybe this shortage is very real or my Walmart just sucks

Quote: CAV

This scares me.

This.

Looks like I'll mark on my Christmas/birthday list that while I won't mind getting this, I don't absolutely need or want it. I don't want to support crappy characters and goblin dragons.

Quote: TheWereCat

...seriously? Nobody cares here, sadly.

I care.


Quote: YaggleberryFinn

I understand some of the concerns posted here, but let me just say that this is excellent news for anyone who likes this game. I've had some collectible hobbies in the past and all have flopped because of lack of support from corporate HQ.

Attacktix was an incredible gaming concept that suffered from poor marketing and packaging issues which led Hasbro to give up on the brand. A large company like Hasbro can afford to toss aside a good idea.

I never picked up WoW, but a friend got me hooked on WoW Miniatures. This one had production issues and problems between Blizzard and Upper Deck. The license was not renewed between the two and it died as well.

While I am not excited about the limited availability of the figures, I am thrilled that the powers that be at Activision are seeing their product fly off the shelves and will -hopefully- be moved to give it even more time and attention.

In the big picture, we can only win from this development. Low sales would have simply meant a short shelf-life to the game... with some product possibly not even making it to retail.

As GameMaster78 said, "Well put".

I've said it elsewhere, including on this forum, and had to explain it to my two young boys; limited availability increases the likelihood of additional Skylanders expansions, sequels, figures, and adventures. Activision-Blizzard will want/need to further develop the franchise and the Retail Giants will be asking for "more" and expecting it as they "anniversary" their numbers starting next October.

Quote: Snark

Quote: CAV

What scares me is that this means they may focus much more on a sequel to Skylanders rather than a standalone Spyro game that they hinted at possibly making if demand was high enough.

Honestly, I'm completely ok with that. I'd much rather a Skylanders 2 than another Spyro.

I wouldn't. This is an alright game, but to make a Skylanders 2 that soon is the ultimate sign of impending milking.

Quote: Spyrobaro

Quote: CAV

Quote: Fireball

^Same. Eventually, I want to get every toy.

That's not what scares me.

What scares me is that this means they may focus much more on a sequel to Skylanders rather than a standalone Spyro game that they hinted at possibly making if demand was high enough.

I'd hate to sound stupid but....
Are you sure Activision DID say that they'd make a standalone Spyro game? If so, gimme proof.
And if you say Youtube comments.....

I recall Toys For Bob being the one mentioning that.

I also recall it being in an interview that was linked in the original sticky topic. But I can't find it.