This, together with Studio Boss Paul Reiche's enthusiasm for modelling and painting characters - something that reflects his love of Dungeons and Dragons and Tolkien - created what must be a unique artisan approach to the creation of a mass produced toy.Ĭase in point is the way Toys for Bob tackled the thorny subject of including something in the offering for girls - or as it turned out something for those who want to play as a female character. Rather than focus groups or a committee, the toys here were headed up by I-Wei Huang, a videogame character designer who happened to also have a hobby of making characterful robots in his spare time. It was a trip that substantially changed what I thought about the game and how I thought toys were created in general. Now I have spent time with the finished product I appreciate my FGTV Studio Visit and can understand what goes into producing toys and games like this. This is immediately evident in the toys which exude quality, in terms of the materials used, attention to detail and number of paint passes. Something about the close relationship between the toy and the videogame has made both parts richer.

The real excitement, for me at least, was the sheer imagination, quality and craftsmanship that each of these plastic characters has had lavished on it. Hearing that there are a set of collectable toys to complement the game may not pique your excitement, or even the fact that these toys are built around technology so that each of them can be controlled in the game when placed upon the included magic portal peripheral. Pre-order Skylanders Figures on Amazon.īefore you rush off to other more exciting games though, you need to know that there is more going on here than meets the eye. Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure dusts off the diminutive blue dragon and sets him (her?) at the head of an entirely new franchise.įig 1. Spyro used to be a big deal in the world of videogames, but then so did a lot of other backstaged characters. Rather than a merchandise led game, it offers a fresh experience for both toy and game consumers and all in one collectible package. Skylanders: Spyro's Adventures isn't what I expected.

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