After walking out of the Disney Infinity announcement event in Hollywood last month, I found myself wondering where the boundaries of the game lay. Allowing gamers to collect and interact with dozens of character figurines that can then be plugged into the game, releasing power tokens (in blind packs) that can be used to provide the characters with abilities and vehicles, and including numerous nods to beloved Disney franchises such as Ducktales (Uncle Scrooge’s vault), are some of the factors that demonstrate the huge possibilities. Considering that trading will be expected with the power tokens, as players will have a disctint collection, there is further potential in adding limited-edition and exclusive figurines to the mix. It would be mind-blowing for the trading market.
We are used to seeing exclusives from major retailers – exclusive packaging, Blu-rays, content, and more. Disney already knows how to work in exclusives to the market, particularly with its line of Vinylmation collectibles, the most widely available of which are vinyl figures shaped in the form of Mickey Mouse and feature a Disney character creatively plastered onto the face and body of the figure. Limited-edition Vinylmations are released in Disney Stores, Disney Parks, and online.
However, there are some limitations, namely that characters that were not already programmed into the game code by the developers at Avalanche Software cannot be added in at a later date. That means that if plans were not made to include certain characters prior to the game’s release, they cannot be added by simply releasing a character figurine. Not to fret about the number of characters that we will see, as there are plenty of characters and sets that are planned to be released in waves. Variants of the figurines (think different sculpts and colors) are certainly a possibility, as the code for the character lives on the base on which the figurine stands. You can have a variety of Mr. Incredible figurines that play the same in the game, but look distinct on the shelf where you decide to physically display them. From a collector’s perspective, it would introduce another exciting layer.
At this point, though, all eyes are on the game’s level of success. Disney is hoping to see the game morph into a huge franchise, and it certainly has the ability to do so, with its inclusion of a variety of well-known Disney properties being its biggest selling point. The game’s release is not for a few months, so I am sure that they do not want to be overly ambitious. Once the game proves to be a success, I fully expect that exclusive and limited-edition figurines will follow.
In a recent interview with Andy Robertson of Family Gamer TV, Toys ‘R’ Us CEO Jerry Storch hinted that there may be exclusives for the retailer in store (via Nintendo Life). While the majority of the conversation is centered on the Skylanders franchise, the Disney Infinity discussion begins at the 3:52 mark:
Disney Infinity is scheduled for release this June.
For more details on the game, view our in-depth report from the announcement event.
