darkSpyro

Has there been any official word from Activision about whether they intend to keep shelves full this time around? I understand that the game's massive popularity took even them by surprise, but they obviously know that fans will be drooling with anticipation this time around. If there are shortages and empty shelves like last year, they are going to turn a lot of people off quickly.

That's the thing. It won't put a lot of people off. They've been waiting this long, and they'll keep on waiting. Activision knows about scalpers, and while they're (half-heartedly) trying to battle them, they will always make money out of it. A scalper buys 8 triple packs and sells them on for thrice as much, Activision has still made $200 with only one purchase, and they'll be selling more figures than scalpers will.
The worst part is that Acti will ALWAYS win, from every possible outcome. Unless everyone stops liking Skylanders, which won't happen any time soon.

I won't be buying at scalped prices, and I grew tired of "the hunt" last time. I also refuse to buy re-posed figs. One upgrade path is fine for me. I don't need the ability to switch. If it were a really strategic game without 32+ lives per level, maybe it could be justified. But I just don't see it unless you really feel the need to "collect them all."

The expectation and current perception is that wave one will be very well represented and be able to satisfy initial fan needs. Everytime I go into a skylander store I ask questions it appears that every store I have talked to has between twenty and sixty plus cases of figures sitting out back. A couple of stores have over a hundred cases of figures just waiting. The distribution pattern does by its nature make three specific figures much rarer than others but we will save that conversation for later. I have a concern over a fourth and fifth figure but these are in game variants.

I however expect future waves including wave 2 to be much harder to find. That's how drug dealers do it. The first dose is easy to get ahold of and then increasingly requires more effort and pain for future doses.

As long as the pre-Christmas release figs are plentiful, that will be fine with me. We shall see how they handle future waves.

Quote: Himewad

Has there been any official word from Activision about whether they intend to keep shelves full this time around? I understand that the game's massive popularity took even them by surprise, but they obviously know that fans will be drooling with anticipation this time around. If there are shortages and empty shelves like last year, they are going to turn a lot of people off quickly.

An official word? No. An official word makes them accountable and possible for getting tons more hate mail than they would already receive. Reiche has said in interviews though that they have 'learned from their mistakes and are going to have a lot more toys available this time around'.

Official word could be as simple as a press release stating that the popularity of SSA took them by surprise, and they will do everything in their power to keep stores stocked with the Giants figs. It's not a guarantee, but it would be nice to hear from the company itself that they will do their best to accommodate their customers.

Put it this way:

We'll find out. If the shelves are empty for the first two weeks, then we'll know.

Look at it this way - the first game was risky. Similar "toy with video game tie-in" concepts didn't do so well and raced to the clearance aisle. Is it a smart or dumb business move to prepare for a huge success on something like this?

They're prepared for it now, they've put up with complaints and said in several interviews that they're ready.

Quote: Okaps

Look at it this way - the first game was risky. Similar "toy with video game tie-in" concepts didn't do so well and raced to the clearance aisle. Is it a smart or dumb business move to prepare for a huge success on something like this?

They're prepared for it now, they've put up with complaints and said in several interviews that they're ready.

They knew within two months that SSA was huge. Yet they seemed to string out the last figs forever. Hopefully SG won't be a similar experience. I hope you are correct.

I haven't heard anything but I do know that I hope they learnt their lesson from the last game. I don't want to have to drive to a million different stores to get one figure.
And I'm with you, I won't be getting them all this time around. I find it rather pointless.

They've definetly improved the stock. My EB Games got tons more.

I still think the limited supply creates increased "buying" from fans. On a snap decision to buy or not the fact that some skylanders have been either (on a regional basis) difficult to get (Whammy) or seemingly vanished (Boomer) makes that impulse buy decision much easier for punters. I think it is calculated, the possible upside is that fear of lack of supply has now been instilled and now they can MILK IT so supply may not be an issue. Fair point too earlier poster made about the RISK of skylanders...oh how it's paid off for Activision!!!

There is no doubt that the method of waves has been used to influence buying habits. Expect this to continue. It seems likely that activision will use wave 2 and 3 heavily influence which caracters are and are not rare for the Christmans season. I can a couple of inevitable distributuion tricks this year already in play for wave 1.

In a video they said they produced more figures