darkSpyro

I see that the opinion around here about Toys-to-Life games (games that use figurines) varies very much. So In decided to create a topic for questioning:

• Did you like Toys-to-Life games?
  
• Do you think they are cash grab or not?
  
• Which ones do you play/want to play?
  
• Do you think this business model has future?

Please be civil and don't say all based on personal bias.

As per my avatar, of course I like Skylanders. I really like the concept of physical DLC in general since it's something that's not disappearing as soon as the servers get closed,but it can easily get out of hand. It'll have a future as long as the current big guys in it don't screw up or abandon it as soon as new shiny pops up.

I like toys to life when they are just optional. I shouldn't have to buy what is basically physical dlc in the form of figures, or have to buy at least one toy in order to play a game. Especially if the quality of that game is questionable. That said though, I can't speak for skylanders', disney infinity's, or lego dimensions' quality though since I've never played them, but I've heard the games themselves are good.

one of the reasons why I enjoy amiibo so much is because most of them are completely optional. I don't need to own an amiibo figure to make my Smash Bros experience complete, it only makes it better. Which is why I don't like certain amiibo lines, such as the Splatoon ones, since they're essentially physical dlc with their challenges and whatnot, and the Animal Crossing line since amiibo festival(which from I've heard is an awful game already) requires it.

Innovative.

But I don't like how Nintendo is doing it.

As long as the game is designed around being toys to life and it's not just a last minute decision to make more money, then that's fine. Other than that should be more like the Amiibos: Neat, but not essential.

I like the way amiibo can do it the best, but only in terms of potential.

I think the perfect example of how toys to life should be handled is with the Shovel Knight amiibo. What it does is:

-Custom Knight Mode. Play as an alternative form of Shovel Knight that you can customize with colours, outfits, gestures, FX, abilities, and relics, most of which can't be obtained in the regular mode of play. Unlock more and more of these things by levelling up (done by collecting Gold).

-Unlock Co-Op (Wii U only), which is encouraged to be played using Custom Knights.

-Unlock 5 Challenge Mode stages centred around Custom Knight exclusive abilities, and 5 centred around Co-Op.

You get a lot out of the amiibo and it has the potential to increase replayability by a significant amount of hours. It's nowhere near necessary to enjoy the game though, as there is plenty of content in the base game.

I also like the idea of using amiibo for contextualising random crossovers. Like how Codename STEAM did it with the Fire Emblem characters.

Other than that I feel amiibo doesn't really meet it's potential most of the time. Smash Bros does it well enough but you are limited to the basic Smash mode and can't take it online. Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash uses them how Smash Bros should have but that game is just mediocre in terms of content. Most of the time though, it's just cosmetic or small unlocks that are tied to amiibo for the sake of it.

Considering i've poured THOUSANDS into it...


yes. definitely. absolutely.

I always dreamed on this type of Game

my fav game of toys to life is Disney infinity 3.0 since some old Star Wars classic characters like vader Luke Han Solo

For me there not much cash grab since their figure are cheap when there in Sale like around $10
And sometimes $25 for the 2 figures and adventure piece

I think it will have another game look at Disney stuff coming our way and marvel stuff

It's like a form of DLC but with the bonus of a toy to enjoy. However, it'd be nice to be getting a bit more bang for the buck. Although since I have so many with some I regret getting...., I must say I do enjoy the concept.

-Amiibo seem to handle the idea best, but don't seem to be fully living up to their potential. They make figures that work with a variety of games, yet they could stand to do more than costumes here and there with Smash being one of few games to properly do something with them.

-Skylanders is nice, but is a fad that's coming to fade. They do get the bonus for starting the trend, but others have since come and do it better. Would be nice if the characters from previous games were more worth it in later iterations. Sure, you can still use them, but each game brings in a new gimmick and finds a way to require a large number of figures to be purchased to complete the game entirely. The previous gimmick gets little to no support in later iterations and bonus unlocks only apply to newer figures with the older ones simply acting as the base function.

-Infinity seems good in principle, but doesn't do much more than Skylanders. The story mode is crap and limited greatly by what characters/series get and can access it. Otherwise, it's just a huge toybox behind a paywall to make anything truly extraordinary. Might actually buy it if they didn't put all their focus on Disney's latest purchase and slowly add in actual Disney a few characters at a time. First was more Pixar, 2 Marvel, 3 Star Wars. Where's a game devoted to actual Disney?

-Lego's prices are high, but to fans of Lego this really is nothing new. Simply wait for a good sale like what the others get and you're fine. From what I understand, the characters don't stand out too far from one another. Overall the game ends up being like any other Lego game but with a paywall. Regardless, it seems a neat idea and cool mash-up. In the end, the game probably didn't need to by TTL.

Quote: Crash10

I see that the opinion around here about Toys-to-Life games (games that use figurines) varies very much. So In decided to create a topic for questioning:

• Did you like Toys-to-Life games?
  
• Do you think they are cash grab or not?
  
• Which ones do you play/want to play?
  
• Do you think this business model has future?

Please be civil and don't say all based on personal bias.

Yes I do.
Also yes. While I like the concept, I can't deny it's an expensive one.
So far, I've only played the first two Skylanders games. I have slight interests in playing later ones, but I'm in no hurry to play them.
I'm afraid my opinion is that these kinds of games are soon to die out thanks to over saturation.

I like Amiibo's. I don't really care for the rest.

As far as Skylanders, the gameplay is great. As far as DI, I don't really like the gameplay. As far as amiibo, their potential is so much more than what they are doing.

They are certainly expensive, but think about it. Some popular characters in DI and amiibo would normally be a lot more for a high quality figure. Even compared to a low quality figure these are cheaper. And they do stuff.

I've played U.B. Funkeys, SSA-STT, and DI 2.

I feel that Toys to Life stuff will continue for at least a while. They make a ton of money, but if they keep milking it forever, they will start to lose eventually.

Toys to life is love, toys to life is life

For many gamers it's a taboo Toys to life games. It's just a shame being one.

Quote: JCW555

Toy-to-life games are unfortunately being oversaturated, and the games are a classic case of sequelitis.

I'd say Sequelitis only applies to Skylanders and Infinity.

It really depends on the game. It has to have balance to be fun. Amiibo definitely shows that for the most part. They are meant to be one thing: extra unlockables for most games (with the occasional amiibo game). Mario Maker, Smash, and Codename Steam definitely have great use of them. You don't have to get them, but if you do it unlocks a cool new type of gameplay, and sometimes you can unlock them by doing challenges. Skylanders comes in second. Skylanders is... a mixed bag. The games are very fun and they are the pioneers of TTL, but their purposeful lack of giving solid release dates because... I dunno... is beginning to take a toll. They need to take a break for at least an extra 6 months, because although it's fun, releasing a game at the same time each year can get tiresome. Maybe they should just put it off even if it's just a little bit. The figure quality would get better (Trap Team's figures were already really cool), the games could be longer, and it would overall hold more value. They also need to start giving release dates. They are the ONLY TTL game who still tries to keep them a secret until months after their release. They only recently announced Nitro Soda Skimmer, which is a toy that's been on shelves for a month! Overall though, the entire TTL genre is about full. Toys to Life aisles can only hold so much, so not just Skylanders, but each company that makes these games needs to remember one thing: moderation.