darkSpyro

Couldnt they just make a console game without figures but be able to use all your figures already available? It would be a less risky product and the cost would be a lot lower wouldnt it?

They could, they just don't. It'd also open tons of development time to put into more content, since you can use the art direction and modelers for NPCs and assets instead.

Except, again, the figures are what they make the most money on.

A game that just reused old figures might be technically profitable, but they're looking for SA through SF levels of beyond absurd profitability. And game publishers (especially AAA publishers like Activision, Ubisoft and EA) won't fund anything unless they expect it to make much, much more than it costs.

They're doing well with the Crash remake, so Spyro remakes and maybe remakes of the first two Skylanders might make sense, but a new figureless game doesn't.

Well that's because of crazy unrealistic expectations and their obsession with being relevant. No one's going to crucify Skylanders any more than they already do if it ditches the figures for a year or two then comes back, it's Acti that's being neurotic and wants SF sales at the cost of development time in a world where that's no longer possible.

Exactly, they will probably never reach those sales numbers again, especially when there is already hundreds of characters out there already. So Acti needs to deal with a smaller profit for fans or not...we all know thats a no from acti