darkSpyro

Am I alone in thinking it absolutely pathetic how Activision handles news and information when it comes to Skylanders? The trickle down info. that's coming out of Comic Con is pathetic at best. This is entry number 5 in the series that became a 2 Billion dollar franchise with it's fourth entry so I think there's a budget there. Historically we get trickled releases and information for what we can bleed out of trade show photos or overseas retailers revealing info. in multiple languages. Let's look at the competition shall we. Lego Dimensions has had pre-orders and hi-rez. images up for some time. Not to mention new videos with game-play and product placement videos months before release. It should be noted that Dimensions is releasing after Super Chargers so figure that one out. Disney Infinity, same things. Several game-play videos, pre-orders for figs as well as starters, more hi-rez. images of everything releasing at launch months before release. Let's see what we have for Super Chargers, some images off the back of the box (including the line up for the expansion), fan made play-thru videos, mostly of the same two levels. We have some hi-rez. images of the starters and a few others they've shown at trade shows. Why are we straining ourselves for scraps of information when the game itself and it's figures are well into. physical production? Why can't they at least match their competition regarding getting the info. out there? Skylanders started this roller coaster called Toys to Life and you'd think they'd at least like to represent themselves as competent in the field they pioneered.

I think they're specifically doing it to generate hype. They want people squinting at a pixely copy of the full character poster, trying to see if their favorite character got a repose.

Quote: Wolfgang

I think they're specifically doing it to generate hype. They want people squinting at a pixely copy of the full character poster, trying to see if their favorite character got a repose.

But you don't need hype with a 2 Billion dollar franchise. Lucas sold Star Wars to Disney for around 4 Billion and Skylanders has achieved half that worth in about 4-5 years. The demand is there and in spades. They just look like they don't know what they're doing at this point. I mean what was the point of "leaking" Trophies without telling WTF they do?!? They announce the Dark Starter with the Trophy, then we see the Golden Queen Trophy on the back of the pre-order box...ZERO information.

Because when you want to be hip and kewl you act like it's secret information that those sneaky fans found. Not even Nintendo is this behind on attitude though, this is what I see on brazilian television where leaks are mysterious insider stuff people find by magically hacking into the company's computers - not, you know, having a good eye for existing pics.

Oh god, are we going to go through the whole "Light/Dark demand" thing again?

Quote: AdamGregory03

Oh god, are we going to go through the whole "Light/Dark demand" thing again?

No, just the lack of information. I'm not sure what the "Light/Dark demand" thing is. Since both Infinity and Dimensions are providing information as well as the ability to pre-order, I'll be spending the bulk of my money with them this year. I just think it's beyond lame that they won't give us solid information regarding Super Chargers. They drop Trophies and no info. saying what they do. It took them a month after announcing the game to confirm on line (it should be noted that they still never officially confirm and we had to go off of box art and E.S.R.B. warnings). We still have no word on pvp. No word on the in game systems for customization and re-playability. What's being sold in a Trophy pack, Two pack, single pack, etc. They are clamming up (worse than usual) when their competition is being fully transparent and open with their customers (and one is a newcomer).

Stop feeling entitled, its supposed to be the fun of the hunt. If you're not used to it by now, or it bothers you that much then wait and buy them later, you'll probably get a better deal anyways lol.

The "light and dark demand" thing is when we knew about the new elements but activision wouldn't officially reveal it.

Quote: OimakKamio

Stop feeling entitled, its supposed to be the fun of the hunt. If you're not used to it by now, or it bothers you that much then wait and buy them later, you'll probably get a better deal anyways lol.

How is it entitled to ask for base information on something the manufacturer is expecting me to spend hundreds of dollars on? Not the mention that the competition is providing the same information I'm asking for here. It's not entitled to ask for information when it's being freely supplied by other companies. It simply baffles me that you feel this is entitlement.

Quote: undeadmaster

The "light and dark demand" thing is when we knew about the new elements but activision wouldn't officially reveal it.

Ah I see. No that wasn't my point but I do feel the way they handled the introduction of the Light and Dark elements was handled poorly but that's another topic.

That's not to mention the plethora of leaks that have gotten out. Despite the fact that they try to withhold as much info as possible, they're pretty bad at it.

Well... Can this most recent leak even be considered a leak, really? I mean, they printed it on the placeholder boxes and shipped them to stores, I doubt anyone said "Oh, whoops, we shouldn't have done that".

Quote: AdamGregory03

Well... Can this most recent leak even be considered a leak, really? I mean, they printed it on the placeholder boxes and shipped them to stores, I doubt anyone said "Oh, whoops, we shouldn't have done that".

I personally don't think it was a leak since it was official box art. That being said I wish they would have had some kind of video explaining how Trophies work. Either a game play video or officially released commercial type video. Some consider any type of information that doesn't come directly from the manufacturer to be "leaked". I just want confirmation of core features like, Trophies, pvp, Hub activities, Customization and progression (Hats, Treasures, Accessories, etc.), are Heroics back, Adventure Packs, What are Racing Packs?...blah blah blah...

You keep mentioning the competition and how they're doing such a better job at releasing info, but here you are begging for Skylanders info. Sounda like Activision is doing something right.

I say we boycott buying any SuperChargers stuff until Activision releases more Superchargers info.

Quote: UncleBob

You keep mentioning the competition and how they're doing such a better job at releasing info, but here you are begging for Skylanders info. Sounda like Activision is doing something right.

I say we boycott buying any SuperChargers stuff until Activision releases more Superchargers info.

...What Superchargers stuff? The E3 Hot Streak?

Quote: Bifrost

Quote: UncleBob

You keep mentioning the competition and how they're doing such a better job at releasing info, but here you are begging for Skylanders info. Sounda like Activision is doing something right.

I say we boycott buying any SuperChargers stuff until Activision releases more Superchargers info.

...What Superchargers stuff? The E3 Hot Streak?

As usual he's about 90% sarcastic. Bob seriously do you ever contribute to anything around here in a productive manner lol? I'm not begging at all and frankly I'm spending my money on Lego and Infinity when I could be spending it on Super Chargers. Also I don't think asking is the same a begging. I mention the competition because it's relevant to the discussion. They can do it, why can't Activision? It's simply odd to me that they still have little to know structure when it comes to news and updates. So in my mind, no, Activision is not doing something right.

Preorders:

They really needed to make preorders available earlier. According to a guy behind the counter at Smyths Toys (who knows what he's talking about, being a collector himself), Lego Dimensions than both SSC and DI... Put together.

Skylanders should have been available to preorder earlier and they should reveal the preorder bonuses. A lot of people only bother if they get a free figure or variant. If it weren't for bonuses, most people would wait until Black Friday for bargains (though I just recall all shops being closed, let alone sales), Christmas as a gift for kids/from parents or when it gets reduced to £20 around May time.

Because of the retailers having no information about bonuses, they can't advertise anything, losing them sales.

Also, lack of info:

Why reveal 3 figures plus two vehicles, then wait two weeks to reveal one more? If you're going to wait that long between each info reveal, reveal more at the start with gameplay and after the wait, reveal three instead of one. Activision should show people a variety of characters rather than their favourites. Each person who sees the selection should like at least one, as the typical favourites don't appeal to some people. A person is more likely to buy if you show something that appeals to them.

Also, they shouldn't shove a character design right at us, then give us no info about it. Then, we finally get some and the only thing we know is the name. And that info came from some people who spotted some pictures on the back of a box.

I love Skylanders and want to know stuff, especially regarding preorder bonuses, so I know where to buy from and what I can buy.

If the the guy behind marketing is the same one who's also behind packaging then I think it explains a lot.

I agree with what you said but I think they actually consider this strategy to be good (of course) and may see why.

They don't want to create hype and don't need to but the whole Skylanders is 50% games and 50% figures.
I have to admit it's really fun looking for "leaked" and leaked infos I take it as part of the game.
All the official and less official news we get have the potential to shake up the community both positively (online) and negatively (Dark Editions) or even in a neutral way (Skymiibos).

They should definitely give us more solid news as I'm not going to buy a game I know little to nothing about but I do appreciate the leaks, slow reveals and news.
They should just also give some important and definitive infos and also handle the preorders a little better.

Preorders bug me the most. I don't want to preorder at Tesco, eventually finding out that I get a variant but at a different store, they do the same variant AND a free figure. I can't imagine losing your deposit is an enjoyable thing to do.

I just don't understand this rush to pre-order something that will be overly abundant on the shelves come release. Pre-orders are seriously one of the worst things to bappen in the gaming industry since it became commercialized.

My earlier point is - you can't buy the stuff yet - why be in such a hurry to know everything about it?

Just found that TRU in my country have the Kaos trap (don't need it, already have it) as pre-order bonus. I suspect pre-order bonuses should start popping up for others fairly soon. Last year, the Gearshift pre-order bonus was worth it, but this time, I'll pass. I usually never pre-order games since I do not condone the practice, Trap Team has been my only exception to date.

And yes, that's the original Xbox logo. The actual description also said it's available for "Xbox" in stead of "Xbox 360" (though including Xbox One). Obviously just a mistake, but pretty funny.

Quote: UncleBob

I just don't understand this rush to pre-order something that will be overly abundant on the shelves come release. Pre-orders are seriously one of the worst things to bappen in the gaming industry since it became commercialized.

My earlier point is - you can't buy the stuff yet - why be in such a hurry to know everything about it?

Speaking for myself, I don't have an unlimited gaming budget. Pre-orders allow me to spread out any financial impact games have on my budget over a fairly good period of time. It allows me to plan ahead and make informed decisions. I can't drop $400 on launch day and get everything in one go. It helps to spread that out. Plus I'm also guaranteed said item since I pre-ordered and I don't have to worry about scalpers or mobs of angry/clueless parents. I do know the downside of pre-orders as well in that the game could totally suck, day one d.l.c., micro transactions, the works. I've been doing this for a while. That being said we are dealing with sequels on two fronts this year in the toys to life market and one new comer. Infinity and Skylanders will have added features but will mostly be the same core experience (yes I know some have doubts about vehicles in Skylanders). Dimensions is technically new but it's being made by Tell Tale Games and they have been producing top notch Lego games for some time and we all have a fairly good idea of what to expect.

In regards to pre-order information and products for pre-order here's a break down (only using Amazon as reference since I don't want to be here all night) as of 7-10-15:

Lego Dimensions (first toys to life entry) Release date 9-27-15 (Not all items available at launch):
34 Total Products

Starters: 5 Products
http://www.amazon.com/LEGO-Dim...YNZ7TWP11Z8HM0T

Team Packs: 4 Products
http://www.amazon.com/Scooby-T...YNZ7TWP11Z8HM0T

Level Packs: 3 Products
http://www.amazon.com/Portal-L...YNZ7TWP11Z8HM0T

Fun Packs: 22 Products
http://www.amazon.com/Back-Fut...YNZ7TWP11Z8HM0T

Infinity 3.0 (third toys to life entry) Release date 8-30-15
21 Total Products

Starters: 7 Products (5 standard 2 Sony only)
http://www.amazon.com/Disney-I...Z7G0CAGZAN5M27E

Bundle (Inside Out): 1 Product
http://www.amazon.com/Disney-I...7NP860PDHW2ZJP1

Singles: 9 Products
http://www.amazon.com/Disney-I...7NP860PDHW2ZJP1

Playsets: 2 Products
http://www.amazon.com/Disney-I...7NP860PDHW2ZJP1

Power Disc sets: 2 Products
http://www.amazon.com/Disney-I...7NP860PDHW2ZJP1

Skylanders Superchargers (fifth toys to life entry) Release date 9-20-15
13 Total Products (all Starters)

Starters: 13 Products (8 Standard and 5 Dark)
http://www.amazon.com/Skylande...599JGTZ8MXA0WMB

To me that seems strange and pathetic. They clearly don't care and this is a colossal example.

To be honest, while they don't have as many options for preorders, you aren't representing the number of figures known to be available during the game's lifespan accurately.'

EDIT: Just clarifying before my post is misinterpreted, it seems like the term you chose for your argument is heavily skewed against Skylanders' favor, and the amount of known figures is a more reliable way to determine the information that has been presented.

Quote: Wolfgang

To be honest, while they don't have as many options for preorders, you aren't representing the number of figures known to be available during the game's lifespan accurately.

My entire point is pre-orders and pre-release game information. That post above was mostly about pre-orders and that was 100% represented (from Amazon). I also don't see your point regarding lifespan numbers. I'm not quantifying which is better based on who has the highest lifespan numbers since we don't even have those figures for the other two games. Dimensions and Infinity are getting info., gameplay, images out the their fans/customers in a respectable manner. I'm simply asking why the industry's best (according to sales) can't step it up and provide more info.

Well, it seems you've completely missed my point.

Quote: Wolfgang

Well, it seems you've completely missed my point.

How have I skewed anything based on what we know as of today for pre-orders? What point have I missed in regards to the pre-order numbers? If there are Super Chargers products I missed, please point them out and I'll gladly update my previous post.

Quote: Tigorus

I'm simply asking why the industry's best (according to sales) can't step it up and provide more info.

If that's all you're asking, I can easily answer it for you.

Because they don't have to. They're on top (for now, at least) and don't feel threatened by the third installment in a series that has had lackluster performance and the unproven series that has lukewarm interest at best. Infinity and LEGO are chasing consumer dollars, so they're doing everything they can to get them. Activision has a pretty rabid base that buys every slightly recolored figure they release. When you're on top, people come after you - you don't have to chase them down.

Quote: UncleBob

Quote: Tigorus

I'm simply asking why the industry's best (according to sales) can't step it up and provide more info.

If that's all you're asking, I can easily answer it for you.

Because they don't have to. They're on top (for now, at least) and don't feel threatened by the third installment in a series that has had lackluster performance and the unproven series that has lukewarm interest at best. Infinity and LEGO are chasing consumer dollars, so they're doing everything they can to get them. Activision has a pretty rabid base that buys every slightly recolored figure they release. When you're on top, people come after you - you don't have to chase them down.

We'll see. Skylanders keeps touting that they have the #1 action figure brand...guess what, Lego is the #1 toy brand. We'll see how their lukewarm interest pans out. I also don't know where you get lukewarm when they've already committed to 34 pre-order items, but I'm not going to pretend to understand your thought process since you seem to be so enlightened and have it all figured out. Star Wars is one of the most, if not the most in demand and recognized franchises in modern history so again, we'll see. It sounds like a lot of laurel sitting to me, if that is the case. Them not caring was one of my theories.

Slapping Star Wars on a video game hasn't done much to increase sales in the past, I don't see it doing much going forward - even more so when it's destined to be a loose tie-in to what folks love most about Star Wars - the story and the connections between everyone.

LEGO is a huge brand, but if their new video game simply shifts sales from the toy aisle to the video game aisle, it won't do much to grow the brand - LEGO Dimensions isn't as much LEGO's attempt to get into the toys to life market as it's an attempt to sell LEGO. If I take my $100 I was going to spend on that LEGO set and spend it on $100 worth of LEGO Dimensions merchandise, that's not a win for LEGO. If I take the $15 I was going to use to buy a Ninja Tutle action figure and, instead, buy a $15 Skylander, that's a win for Activision.

As for gauging the interest as lukewarm, I'm going by retailer interest, early media reviews and early pre-order numbers. We'll see what happens when it goes on sale though.

Quote: UncleBob

Slapping Star Wars on a video game hasn't done much to increase sales in the past, I don't see it doing much going forward - even more so when it's destined to be a loose tie-in to what folks love most about Star Wars - the story and the connections between everyone.

LEGO is a huge brand, but if their new video game simply shifts sales from the toy aisle to the video game aisle, it won't do much to grow the brand - LEGO Dimensions isn't as much LEGO's attempt to get into the toys to life market as it's an attempt to sell LEGO. If I take my $100 I was going to spend on that LEGO set and spend it on $100 worth of LEGO Dimensions merchandise, that's not a win for LEGO. If I take the $15 I was going to use to buy a Ninja Tutle action figure and, instead, buy a $15 Skylander, that's a win for Activision.

As for gauging the interest as lukewarm, I'm going by retailer interest, early media reviews and early pre-order numbers. We'll see what happens when it goes on sale though.

Well Infinity did more than slap Star Wars on 3.0. They realized that the 2.0 play sets were total crap and assigned separate developers for playset, minigames, combat mechanics, etc. This (the Star Wars Playsets) looks like an actual Star Wars game with Star Wars toys.

Regarding LEGO Dimensions, TRU has a rotating display filled with various pre-order cards for their various sets. Games Stop has them all for pre-order with a fairly good roster. To be honest I don't think Dimensions will be competition for standard LEGO set but they will simply be in addition to. LEGO collectors will by the Dimensions set for the mini figs. alone just as Amiibo fans buy the figures without owning a Wii U. Also to be fair Dimensions is the ONLY one that is truly offering a Toys to Life experience since they are still LEGO brick when not in-game. Infinity, Amiibo and Skylanders are just plastic statues that don't do much outside of the game (some of the new Super Charger vehicles have moving parts so there's that).

All of the franchise will rotate their sales just as Nintendo, Activision and Disney do now...what's one more in the rotation? To be honest no matter where you sit with the individual franchises, more competition will only be good for the consumer. Let's see them fight for our $$$.

Tigorus, your argument that buying pre-orders spreads out your toy buying expenses doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. I do understand that you don't like the idea of spending $400 in one day, but instead of giving Amazon (or whoever) your money early, stick that $50 under your mattress. Pull it out on release day, and then buy what you would have preordered, and hopefully at a discount. You don't need to use Amazon as your piggy bank.

The upside to preorders, from the consumer perspective, is that you can lock in getting an item that might be hard to find. As well, you may be able to get a discount or extra value for your money. If the item isn't likely to be hard to find, or there is no extra value in the preorder, the consumer has no need to preorder, unless they just want that feel good experience and want to feel committed and locked in. For the retailer, it's great. You've locked in a customer, can better forecast revenue, can better determine needed supply, and possibly even book actual revenue if the customers gave you enough money for nothing. You may have to provide some incentive to customers, but that can often be done by giving away items that aren't selling well anyways, with minimal lose to revenue.

Personally, I'll be pre-ordering the dark edition, because I'm doubtful of the availability. Last year, it was pretty bad. I'm holding out a bit longer to see if anyone offers preorder bonus for the dark editions, but I doubt that will happen. I probably will get it from gamestop, as that local shop seems to be less likely to screw it up then my local TRU or Target. I may get a second or third starter pack, but that won't happen on day 1 unless there is a really good sale or preorder bonus.

As for DI, it has to be really good to get me to buy it on day 1. This is likely to be a black friday purchase this year. Besides, gotta save something for Christmas. Legos....I don't know. If there is a pre-order bonus or good sale, I'll go for it. I'm doubtful though. So far, my kids are clamoring for it, so I can wait. And like DI, it would be nice to save something for Christmas.

I would like them to at least show us what the Wii/3DS game is like and show us the online features.

Quote:

Tigorus, your argument that buying pre-orders spreads out your toy buying expenses doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. I do understand that you don't like the idea of spending $400 in one day, but instead of giving Amazon (or whoever) your money early, stick that $50 under your mattress. Pull it out on release day, and then buy what you would have preordered, and hopefully at a discount. You don't need to use Amazon as your piggy bank.

I was thinking the same thing. Save your money and then buy it on release day. The fear about scalpers/parents/etc is also unwarranted. I've done every launch day and there has been less people each year. There is a certain hype around availability for figures, but Amiibo is the TtL toy where supply hasn't met demand. Due to the Amiibo connection, there is a possibility that the Nintendo (dark or regular) starter packs could run out. But, I seriously doubt it. Activision is really good about quantities and I've always been able to get everything I wanted on launch day. Of course, Dark starter packs will be hard to find months down the line. I do expect that to be the same as previous years.

I just read this while thread and holy wow...

A couple things that haven't been highlighted to keep in mind when comparing releasing of Infinity/Lego Dimensions.

1) Lego and Infinity can advertise their products separately...they each have their own upc number in the system and manufactured seperately sk you can buy them as preorders. Skylanders does not, they have assortments that don't allow for preordering.

I personally enjoy the secretive hush hush announcements. They create hype and excitement.

My opinion is that infinity and dimensions don't even come close to being like or above Skylanders!!

Grainy photos, vague information, figure rarity, and changes happening in each new game has fueled many Skylander groups, channels, and forums. Personally, I find speculating to be a waste of time, but it is very popular around here. They have a hit, and are making a lot of money right now in a business that is an expensive gamble. Changing how they do things is not going to happen until it needs to.

Quote: UncleBob

Because they don't have to. They're on top (for now, at least) and don't feel threatened by the third installment in a series that has had lackluster performance and the unproven series that has lukewarm interest at best. Infinity and LEGO are chasing consumer dollars, so they're doing everything they can to get them. Activision has a pretty rabid base that buys every slightly recolored figure they release. When you're on top, people come after you - you don't have to chase them down.

This is the spot on answer OP is looking for I think lol
Skylanders is on top; they don't need to reveal stuff because everyone who's excited for it already know everything there is because of how rabid the fanbase is (as evident by the countless hours we've spent pouring over grainy images to try and make out details)

Infinity I think is still seeing middling sales comparatively, and mostly just press stuff has been revealed. Dimensions is trying to generate hype because they're a brand new entry in the series. And Nintendo has their own platform in which to reveal new amiibos with so they're kind of in a different ballgame.

personally speaking, it'd be nice for them to reveal ahead of time what we will see on launch day, but Im guessing there's probably business reasons why they wont exactly reveal everything until we start getting in details from retailers themselves (from employees for the most part). What I'd like to know is what they intend to have in Wave boxes for the first few waves; is a certain character going to be super rare because they packaged one of them in a box? Trap Team's product availability has been absolute garbage; there's no excuse now that we're 4 freaking years into a franchise that I can't go to the store and find a figure. And if it's not Activision's fault for shipping stuff, they need to have a serious discussion with retailers about stocking shelves. Many times I've visted stores over the last month and they have little to no Trap Team toys on the shelves, or they have a garbage assortment of Giants/Swap Force figures left over. I'm not sure how DI does it, but I haven't seen any of the older ones on the shelves in a while, so either they're sending them back to Disney or something.

Interesting.

So I guess most of you (or at least the one's that posted) enjoy the scraps they throw our way regarding information. That blows my mind that you're o.k. with being thrown an image of yet another trap like devise (trophies) in that it's not a Skylander of Vehicle, told nothing about it and are cool with that. Not that I'm furious, just a little irked. To each their own. I'm not trying to change minds just curious if anyone else thinks there should be more communication between Activision and Skylander fans. Clearly the majority does not.

Regarding pre-orders, I like the efficiency of having it taken care of. I have a crap ton of things to worry about in real life and it's one less thing when I can pre-order. Again, to each their own. I still find it odd that there's always a group of people that can't get what they want. I've yet to experience that with Infinity and I doubt I will with LEGO Dimensions. I remember the horror that was Wallop last year. I arrived 12 minutes after TRU opened last year and I got the last one. I'm on a first name basis with the manager and he was surprised that he was no where to be seen. They had some wave two and aloud me to purchase (remember that fiasco last year?). I think they were testing the waters last year with the Gear Shift pre-orders but I'm not sure where that ended up in terms of interest. She was all over the place during launch. Again pre-ordering is a preference and I'll leave it at that.

In regards to the information stream, I still think it needs a ton of work on their part. Even if you like the scraps they give us it's still crappy (in my opinion) that they don't feel inclined to share more information. This industry is getting more fictionalized and information (at least for me) is a huge factor. I'm not saying they should change because I want them to. They should want to share the info. with us. The "Well they'll buy everything we put in front of them so "F" it" mentality is kind of crappy(if that's indeed the case). Is everyone here so jaded that they don't care what we're told? I wonder how much of this has to do with simply being fans of Skylanders and having rose colored glasses when it comes to the business practices. Let me pre-face with the fact that I myself have 13 versions of Skylanders going from SSA to Trap Team (I have 4 versions of Trap Team even though it's my least favorite, figure that out lol) as well as every figure released (excluding some specials and most variants), so I still play and love the series. That being said I'm also interested in LEGO and my wife and my daughter LOVE Infinity (mostly because of the characters). I love the world building in Infinity and they like playing in the levels I make. It's a struggle to get my daughter to play Skylanders anymore. Her main interest used to be the pvp so thanks for that Activision. So I'm personally more annoyed when Acti. isn't even trying. I like information...sorry. I still have 2 versions of Super Chargers on order and I'm sure I'll love it. I just might not have a whole lot left for it at launch since I'm able to pre-order the other games and their set pieces now lol.

A.) I don't think anyone here has said they're "okay" with the way Activision trickles out information. You didn't ask for everyone to rally behind you in your irkedness. You asked simply, "why the industry's best (according to sales) can't step it up and provide more info." - which you were provided the answer for.

B.) I think some of it has to do with age. I have no idea how old you are, but in my case, I'm old school enough that I remember the days when you found out about a game because you saw the box on the shelf at the store. While I love that the digital age has given publishers and developers better ways to interact with fans and consumers, I don't get myself worked up in a tizzy because they don't use it to their (and my) full advantage.

Of course there should be more communication.
Honestly I think there should be some actual form of communication in the first place.

"Vehicles were highly requested"
Sorry, what?

"We decided to repose fan favorites because they are really liked"
Uuuuuh... Pretty sure this isn't the case.

"You asked and we delivered! Drive evil crazy with the new SuperChargers Dark Edition"
Didn't hear that much requests for it this year.

The point is the rarelly listen in my opinion and simply make their choices look like they are fan requests.
If they were truly listening A LOT of what bugs me about SuperChargers would have never happened.

I like their way of delivering informations and would like if they could talk more about other aspects of the game but would also sincerely appreciate if they could stop talking about "fan favorites" and "fan requests".

I think an open-world was highly requested last year.
Did they listened?
Nope.

Strangely they put online, which WAS highly requested, with nary a fanfare about it.

err... there have been folks talking about a racing game since SSA days...
And we had more than one topic here asking about dark editions - and multiple other posts from folks talking about waiting to pre-order to see what kind of collector's editions they came out with...

And I wanted Gill Grunt.

Quote: UncleBob

A.) I don't think anyone here has said they're "okay" with the way Activision trickles out information. You didn't ask for everyone to rally behind you in your irkedness. You asked simply, "why the industry's best (according to sales) can't step it up and provide more info." - which you were provided the answer for.

B.) I think some of it has to do with age. I have no idea how old you are, but in my case, I'm old school enough that I remember the days when you found out about a game because you saw the box on the shelf at the store. While I love that the digital age has given publishers and developers better ways to interact with fans and consumers, I don't get myself worked up in a tizzy because they don't use it to their (and my) full advantage.

Regarding A.) It was more the conversation. Unless any posters here are from Activision, it was a safe assumption that no one here was speaking with any kind of authority or absolute knowledge. It was simply framed in the form of a question to establish a dialog. You've never walked outside on an overly hot day and simply said "man why does it have to be so hot"? I'm fairly certain you'd have a base understanding of how the sun works and various weather patterns but sometimes we still vocalized things to ponder over without expecting an answer with 100% proof and validity. For the record I know that they are top dog in this market and that they don't have to do a thing. I believe that stance will need to change though if they wish to remain on top. It would be helpful if you weren't so condescending all the time and maybe contribute to the conversation or move on. I know you've been around and might have valuable insight but the way you frame it leaves a lot to be desired.

Regarding B.) I'm 38 and have been around for a while an witnessed most of the video game milestones as well. I know full well how this industry developed. I've seen the Rise and (near) Fall of Nintendo a few times. They are quite cyclical. Just because it was a certain way before doesn't mean it can't or shouldn't be improved upon. My comparison to the knowledge base between LEGO, Disney and Acti. was to establish a base of who I think is doing it right and who could do better. These are only opinions and I'm only looking for the conversation. If I can walk away from a conversation knowing something I didn't know before, right or wrong, I feel I learned something.

Skylanders, for me taps into that 90's era nostalgia where the SNES would literally enthrall me with all those games that would tap into your imagination and transport you to various places. Super Metroid, Legend of Zelda, Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy 2 (U.S.), Secret of Mana, Act Raiser, Shadow Run, Super Mario RPG, and it goes on and on. I get a little bit of that back when I play a Skylanders game so it will always be my personal favorite franchise. That said we do live in an age of information and I feel they should want to tell us. Not that they have to. That's all I'm saying. They don't need the hype for Skylanders anymore, it's been established. I would just like to see them do more than the bare minimum when it comes to information. I doubt I'm alone here.

Quote: UncleBob

And I wanted Gill Grunt.

OMG something we agree on lol.

Quote: Drek95

Of course there should be more communication.
Honestly I think there should be some actual form of communication in the first place.

"Vehicles were highly requested"
Sorry, what?

"We decided to repose fan favorites because they are really liked"
Uuuuuh... Pretty sure this isn't the case.

"You asked and we delivered! Drive evil crazy with the new SuperChargers Dark Edition"
Didn't hear that much requests for it this year.

The point is the rarelly listen in my opinion and simply make their choices look like they are fan requests.
If they were truly listening A LOT of what bugs me about SuperChargers would have never happened.

I like their way of delivering informations and would like if they could talk more about other aspects of the game but would also sincerely appreciate if they could stop talking about "fan favorites" and "fan requests".

I think an open-world was highly requested last year.
Did they listened?
Nope.

Quote: UncleBob

err... there have been folks talking about a racing game since SSA days...
And we had more than one topic here asking about dark editions - and multiple other posts from folks talking about waiting to pre-order to see what kind of collector's editions they came out with...

And I wanted Gill Grunt.

Yeah... it isn't like this game's concept is coming completely out of nowhere, and the fanbase of Skylanders on DarkSpyro is only a small percentage of the entire fanbase, so opinions reflected here don't exactly add up to what their marketing research provides.

I'm personally fine with any of the returning characters now, including Gill Grunt, since they are shown to have different movesets, rather than one new move. (Acti could score some major bonus points with me by making returning Superchargers compatible as their old selves in the previous games, though.)

I would be fine with not knowing anything about the game until a month before it was released (for possible pre-orders). For me, it's like watching the trailers and clips for the new Star Wars movie. I don't want to be excited for months. Let me know when I can get it. I'm in.

Yeah thats what im going to do also....going the ger the 3 Dark Starter Packs on launch day and get the other 3 standard Starter Packs on Black Friday maybe...or further down the year. Knowing how hard the Dark Starter Packs are to find after the first month im not missing the chance to get them....not going to pay e-bay prices....because i know they will be really high for the Dark Donkey Kong an Dark Bowser.

Quote: Bifrost

Strangely they put online, which WAS highly requested, with nary a fanfare about it.

Exactly my point.

I know some fans (even outside of this forum of course) asked about vehicles, reposes and Dark Editions but they overuse the term "fan favorite/requested".

Why didn't they say the same about online which was another highly requested feature...?
Because they cannot sell online unlike vehicle figures, revamps and special editions...

My guess is that they're not trumpeting the online because they're not 100% finalized in what it consists of. Just a guess though.

I'm also thinking that pvp isn't coming back. That would have made a great addition to the online feature. The fact that they've been fairly silent about both has me thinking it's only co-op. Which is still cool, I just wish pvp was back.

Infinity 2.0 Starter Sales = 2.74
Skylanders Trap Team = 3.54

For mediocre software, Infinity isn't that far behind.

No idea on figure sales, but without starter sales, you have fewer figure sales. Keep in mind every Skylanders game before Trap Team has sold 5 million copies. I'd submit changing needs to happen based on that slump.

PVP presents a bit of an issue - and it's doubled if they include an online mode.

It would require some major play testing to balance out all 100+ characters when they battle each other - or else you'd have one or two characters that completely dominate everyone else in PVP and it wouldn't be all that fun. And what about the Eon's Elite? Are they still going to be super-OP'd? Then, put it online, everyone would be using the same character...

I really, really want online PVP. In fact, I think they'd be wise to create a Street Fighter/Mortal Kombat/Tekken/Smash Bros.-esque game as a stand-alone title. I just think the sheer amount of play-testing it'd would take would pretty much require them to sell it as a stand-alone, full-price title.

They didn't let something like testing get in the way for the previous entries. They simply don't have enough time is my bet.