I understand its locked so they can get more money but that's called a business model. Hacking that lock is also known as piracy. Would I buy a game that made me pay for each level separately? Yes, if the value proposition is there and no, if I don't find it to be fair value for my money. i haven't been exploited at all. I willingly bought into the business model. I understand your worry about everything being governed by this business model. Its the old slippery slop argument and it's valid in some form here. I actually find it intriguing that you sense they are trying to introduce this model by training children at a young age to accept this; that could very well be the case but they aren't the ones making the purchasing decision. One would hope two things here: First, when kids are adults or are able to make their own purchasing decisions, that they will evaluate it carefully and secondly, the business models available for various forms of content are competitive and variable enough that we don't live in a world where the slippery slop scenario becomes reality.
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Is Skylanders the most vile kid exploitation this industry has had?
- Thread starter etiolate
- Start date
I understand its locked so they can get more money but that's called a business model. Hacking that lock is also known as piracy. Would I buy a game that made me pay for each level separately? Yes, if the value proposition is there and no, if I don't find it to be fair value for my money. i haven't been exploited at all. I willingly bought into the business model. I understand your worry about everything being governed by this business model. Its the old slippery slop argument and it's valid in some form here. I actually find it intriguing that you sense they are trying to introduce this model by training children at a young age to accept this; that could very well be the case but they aren't the ones making the purchasing decision. One would hope two things here: First, when kids are adults or are able to make their own purchasing decisions, that they will evaluate it carefully and secondly, the business models available for various forms of content are competitive and variable enough that we don't live in a world where the slippery slop scenario becomes reality.
I remember playing something similar with my son, probably 5+ years ago. Don't remember what it was called. You had the 'portal' which I think was actually in the shape of a character. Games didn't save to the toys, but each toy let you use a different character in the game. The game was average at best, but you could play together.
Damn, what was the name.....................
Damn, what was the name.....................
Absoludacrous
Member
At least kids get to choose which Skylander they want.
I wasted so much of my parents money buying baseball cards, and then ended up with 3 or 4 cards of the same player. Talk about buying the same thing over and over again.
I wasted so much of my parents money buying baseball cards, and then ended up with 3 or 4 cards of the same player. Talk about buying the same thing over and over again.
It's different because of the unlock issue.
What I was responding to has to do with the questionable practice.
Would the figures still sell if the game didn't exist?
As a cross-platform memory card it's a really cool idea but it doesn't need to exist. All the consoles have USB ports and the 3DS has an SD card reader, why not just allow save data from any game to be shared across all platforms with Flash drives or SD cards?
The game was designed to sell the figures. It's absolutely intended to be an exploitation of children's ease of attachment to cartoon characters. Whether that bothers you or not doesn't really matter, it is what it is. If it makes your kid happy and you don't mind the cost that's great.
The thing that bothers me about it is the sheer number of characters and the likelihood that the Skylanders universe will continue to expand. There's also the way they're packaged. You may end up buying the same character twice or more just because the only way to get the one you want is in a 3 pack. Worse still you have to buy the 3DS version of the game to get Dark Spyro. The sequel will probably have more console exclusive figures. None of that is anything new, but old evil is no less evil.
They could have easily made a game with 5 or 6 characters each appealing to a different personality type. You could buy the game that comes with the character you most identify with and then buy any others you like separately. They could then have those characters carry over to each successive game in the series while adding new ones along the way. As it is now there might 30+ new characters with each new installment. You don't have to get them all, but they certainly intend for kids to want them all.
As a cross-platform memory card it's a really cool idea but it doesn't need to exist. All the consoles have USB ports and the 3DS has an SD card reader, why not just allow save data from any game to be shared across all platforms with Flash drives or SD cards?
The game was designed to sell the figures. It's absolutely intended to be an exploitation of children's ease of attachment to cartoon characters. Whether that bothers you or not doesn't really matter, it is what it is. If it makes your kid happy and you don't mind the cost that's great.
The thing that bothers me about it is the sheer number of characters and the likelihood that the Skylanders universe will continue to expand. There's also the way they're packaged. You may end up buying the same character twice or more just because the only way to get the one you want is in a 3 pack. Worse still you have to buy the 3DS version of the game to get Dark Spyro. The sequel will probably have more console exclusive figures. None of that is anything new, but old evil is no less evil.
They could have easily made a game with 5 or 6 characters each appealing to a different personality type. You could buy the game that comes with the character you most identify with and then buy any others you like separately. They could then have those characters carry over to each successive game in the series while adding new ones along the way. As it is now there might 30+ new characters with each new installment. You don't have to get them all, but they certainly intend for kids to want them all.
Demonstrate the difference. How does the delivered product fall short of what is advertised?
How is it a questionable practice if the base product is itself a better value as a stand-alone game than many of its competitors?
Is it inconceivable that future games might feature content tied to the unlock keys that kids already own? Sure, this will obviously be leveraged to promote the buy-in on an new figurine iteration, but it's not even necessarily a one-and-done value proposition.
Presumably they like making money.
this, all the cool things the game does could be done through a memory stick
Instead, its made in a way to increase the standard price for videogames by dispersing the cost of the game through small toys. (You don't buy the toys to play with the toy, you buy to play the game. )
Pretty cool, but would've been better if the 'toys' were actually toys rather than cartoon memory sticks.
Something along the lines of moveable arms and legs, that could be detached from the base... while the base itself was actually the memory unit.
To put it another way, I think most of us would cream ourselves if Lego purchases would somehow interact with some Lego Universe game.
Something along the lines of moveable arms and legs, that could be detached from the base... while the base itself was actually the memory unit.
To put it another way, I think most of us would cream ourselves if Lego purchases would somehow interact with some Lego Universe game.
It really seems like these figures should have some moving parts - although that could cause balance problems when used with the base...
I dislike and like this concept at the same time. I suppose the point of contention is centered on whether you view this as a way to put your toys in your game (a "playset"), or as a game with all of its pieces sold seperately.
(Can the game be played at all if you don't have the USB pad and a single character?)
I bought the game purely to enjoy with my more casual friends and family. I can't get my little sister to play something like your normal loot rpgs because the mechanics are too daunting. Skylanders more or less is really intuitive for the casual gamer and yet has just enough for me to enjoy as a more devoted gamer. It's kind of like the Wii in that sense.
I don't mind buying more skylanders because for me that's where the depth is. My sister is interested in what new abilities the skylanders have, how they look, and so forth. Im interested the balance, the multi-element mechanics, maxing out skill paths, etc. I was extremely interested to find that some of the skylanders toys have unique traits like glowing in the dark (Stealth Elf and someone else). I don`t mind using these toys as DLC unlocks because it`s something I`ve enjoyed and am willing to indulge in (plus you get a cool toy). My biggest gripes are probably that combat is mashy, and the legendary and now gold and silver toys feel they only exist for collectors.
The portal tech could be really inventive too. I enjoy fighters most and Street Fighter x Tekken is coming with a pretty big issue. Gems are mandatory for gameplay and during a tournament it is unreasonable to have all players pick their own gem sets (let alone costumes, etc). If I could simply purchase a character statue (like the Ryu one that came in the SFIVCE but smaller so it fits in the TE compartments) and transfer my profile, button layouts, costumes and gem choices then the game would be much more tournament friendly (I realize a USB drive could serve this same function).
I don't mind buying more skylanders because for me that's where the depth is. My sister is interested in what new abilities the skylanders have, how they look, and so forth. Im interested the balance, the multi-element mechanics, maxing out skill paths, etc. I was extremely interested to find that some of the skylanders toys have unique traits like glowing in the dark (Stealth Elf and someone else). I don`t mind using these toys as DLC unlocks because it`s something I`ve enjoyed and am willing to indulge in (plus you get a cool toy). My biggest gripes are probably that combat is mashy, and the legendary and now gold and silver toys feel they only exist for collectors.
The portal tech could be really inventive too. I enjoy fighters most and Street Fighter x Tekken is coming with a pretty big issue. Gems are mandatory for gameplay and during a tournament it is unreasonable to have all players pick their own gem sets (let alone costumes, etc). If I could simply purchase a character statue (like the Ryu one that came in the SFIVCE but smaller so it fits in the TE compartments) and transfer my profile, button layouts, costumes and gem choices then the game would be much more tournament friendly (I realize a USB drive could serve this same function).
RobbieNick
Junior Member
All of the folks on the OT know that the figures are mainly unlock keys and are pkay with it. I'm okay with it. The point of the game is that they are toys that easily and quickly interact with the game you are playing. Most parents play this game with their kids are enjoying it immensely and don't feel robbed at all. No one;s forcing the parents or kids to buy all the figures on the shelves. They mainly go for the one's they really like and that's it. (Just ask the poor Boomers lining the shelves.)
It's a brilliant market scheme. But I don't think it's a dishonest one. Everyone goes in knowing EXACTLY what kind of game they are getting and I don't see anything wrong with that.
No, but the game comes with the pad and three figures to start with.
I figure the lack of moving parts in the figures is it being the first generation of the product. Improvements both to the game and figures will come along. Kids usually don't care though. My friend has two daughters with plenty of figures like these and some don't have moving parts.
REMEMBER CITADEL
Banned
Pokemon was worse by far, the concept of Skylanders is actually neat, I would have been all over that if I was a kid.
EatChildren
Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
Pretty much. Pokemon card booster packs were essentially gambling. They were slot machines targeted at children. At least with Skylanders you know what you're getting.
HP_Wuvcraft
Banned
If we're going to call Skylanders a vile stealing of children's money, we should just include every video game ever into that category. All Skylanders is doing is expanding the medium to include new ideas.
The people saying the skylander statues could be replaced by USB sticks or SD-cards just don't get it. The point of Skylanders is the fact that it's so easy to use for kids of all ages with their parents. (who aren't necessarily gamers themselves)
Also, the same game with all the characters playable on disc would not have the same replayvalue or the social aspect of this game. Making the statues multiplatform is genius.
Guys who are going on about how it's exploitative that the content is locked on the disc fail to see that what is on the disc is only HALF of the content. The actual content is the combination of what is on the disc and the statue itself. So only half of what constitues the 'character' is on the disc, the other half is the statue, and the full content only unlocks when you have both.
Would have loved something like this when I was a child to be honest. I get where the haters are coming from, but their arguments make me think they don't have a clue about what makes something fun for a kid.
Also, the same game with all the characters playable on disc would not have the same replayvalue or the social aspect of this game. Making the statues multiplatform is genius.
Guys who are going on about how it's exploitative that the content is locked on the disc fail to see that what is on the disc is only HALF of the content. The actual content is the combination of what is on the disc and the statue itself. So only half of what constitues the 'character' is on the disc, the other half is the statue, and the full content only unlocks when you have both.
Would have loved something like this when I was a child to be honest. I get where the haters are coming from, but their arguments make me think they don't have a clue about what makes something fun for a kid.
In defense of Pokemon TCG, the cards had real money value so you didn't just purchase stuff that was completely redundant outside of the metagame.
Glory days those were...
That's about the only saving grace of this. But at least Pokemon cards weren't required for the main games, so any savy child could avoid the whole craze (I wasn't one of those children -- they had me hook, line and sinker).
I think Skylanders is pretty repulsive as a whole. I personally believe there are better ways of capturing the imagination of children than exploiting them with collectible trinkets.
They should have the sets include one closed box inside with a random character bwahahaha.
Ah -- I was just wondering about that with regards to used sales of it.
Everything geared to kids is a money pit. Every single toy line is some kind of collectible series. For handhelds and consoles, they need fresh games. Even on the iphone, there's the evils of the 'free' games with microtransactions. You don't need to buy every figure to enjoy the game, just like I didn't need every Cobra figure when I was growing up... but I sure tried to buy them all.
Every person who has bought the game, either for their children, or younger siblings, or even themselves, always has good things to say about it. It seems like only the people from the outside looking in are denouncing it.
Yeah I'm not sure you could buy a DVD with theses....
Seriously THIS is what people consider and evil and exploitation now? After the whole ads for a bloody game centered around the insecurities of teens?
After fucking Rock Band and Guitar Hero?
The trading card games and what have you?
Heck after fucking beyblades!
The worst part is that unlike every other thing popular that are popular that gets haters it's probably the only one where the haters actually never tried it!
It's not like kids would be playing SotC instead.
My young lad has 9 of the figures, his friends all have around the same amount too. And you know what, he actually likes playing with the figures, his little sister loves putting the figures on the portal for him.
Give me a £7 character that he'll level up, play with outside the game and take to friends over a map pack for CoD/BF or some multiplayer skins for other games.
Another bonus is he's started helping around the house to get money to buy a toy he likes.
So you'd have absolutely no problem if the creature was packaged with an unlock code for content which was then downloaded? Even though the mechanics are *identical*?
Yep, that's about right. It's a digital world, now; things have changed. We need to separate out the means of distribution from the idea of ownership. Your argument falls down *completely* if you change nothing other than the means of distribution. That's a flawed argument.
Or to put it another way: I paid money for the software on the disc. I did not pay money for the unlockables that are also on the disc. I was not misled; I knew what I was purchasing. Paying further money for the unlockables is not paying 'again'.
It's kind of an old-timey way of thinking about content.
On disc = Should be mine because I paid for a disc and think I should have full access to everything on it
Downloaded = Should be mine because it was obviously just cut from the disc
Both of those statements are based on at least one flawed assumption.
The Skylanders mechanic of actual toys giving you content in video games isnt new either. Companies have been doing this with fremium games on the PC. Webkinz for instance http://www.webkinz.com/
This is just an extension of that into actual console games. In fact Activision ALSO created a PC game so when you purchase your skylanders figure you not only get to use that character in your console game but you can use him in that PC thing.
I dont see a problem with it. Not only that it isnt "console dlc". Its a supid way of looking at it. Because if you purchase your figure you can take it to your friends house and use that figure on their console as well, even if its a different console.
OP is just ridiculous. There is no ethical or moral dillema. This isnt "selling you the game twice". Its just a brilliant way of selling plastic toys from a company that has been doing this for years now.
This is just an extension of that into actual console games. In fact Activision ALSO created a PC game so when you purchase your skylanders figure you not only get to use that character in your console game but you can use him in that PC thing.
I dont see a problem with it. Not only that it isnt "console dlc". Its a supid way of looking at it. Because if you purchase your figure you can take it to your friends house and use that figure on their console as well, even if its a different console.
OP is just ridiculous. There is no ethical or moral dillema. This isnt "selling you the game twice". Its just a brilliant way of selling plastic toys from a company that has been doing this for years now.
ZombieSupaStar
Member
yeah I would be all over that if I was 10, I only had sonic the hedgehog and a genesis at 10
, kids are so spoiled.plagiarize
Banned
let's also NOT pretend that this was a guaranteed hit. it was a gamble on Activision's part, that surprisingly payed off. i thought it was a neat idea destined for failure. i've actually been pretty happy to see it succeed because i know i'd have loved such a thing as a kid.
Activision gambled and tried something new. sure, they did it in the hope of making lots of money... but i don't see how you can call it vile or evil. people have responded to it because they made a good game, and memorable and cool looking toys.
Activision gambled and tried something new. sure, they did it in the hope of making lots of money... but i don't see how you can call it vile or evil. people have responded to it because they made a good game, and memorable and cool looking toys.
Toys R Us had it on their top 10 toys for Christmas in October. Skylanders was their only video game product on the list. There was reason to believe they would be a hit
Princess Skittles
Prince's's 'Skittle's
Wait. Wait. This thing is Diablo for kids and your character character data and loot is saved on collectible toys that you can take to a friend's house and use on a completely different game system (and potentially future games)?
*runs frantically to Amazon*
*runs frantically to Amazon*
bumpkin
Member
Exactly. I think the OP is just angry because he can't find the toys in any stores.
plagiarize
Banned
i'm talking about before it came out... it came out in October. i'm talking about as they were conceiving it, planning it, and developing it.
Hey! Stop that! Skylanders is vile and you're being exploited!
Dark Octave
Banned
This post got me thinking about if Transformers, Voltron or Thundercats had a game with this ability to use the toys. If Skylanders had better toys, kid or not, I'd be all over it.
Omg, imagine a mech game where you go out and buy parts and configure it exactly how you want, drop it on the platform (that looks like the floor of a hangar bay) and the in game mech copies it exactly part for part. Then you go in mech raids with your friends.
When you're done, pose and sit your mech with all your battle information stored on a chip in it's core, on your desk while getting some work done.
Stumpokapow
listen to the mad man
Setting aside Skylanders, I think the model has already been used in the industry many times. Webkinz, Neopets, and Club Penguin have all used some variety of it, all to huge success. If Skylanders is any different it's just because the game attached to the business model is somewhat closer to something people on GAF would actually play 
A line of well-produced and individually inexpensive Nintendo toys featuring obscure characters that rarely if ever would recieve collectibles otherwise? In uniform dimensions that would look awesome on a shelf together? Sign me the fuck up.
Just imagine the prospect of walking into a Wal-Mart and finding figures of Star Fox, Jill from Drill Dozer, Andy from Advance Wars, and King Hippo. As a Nintendo fan, how would that not be fucking amazing?
Skylanders also has a free web game that is very similar to what I have seen with Webkinz. You can customize your own Lair and play mini-games to get money to upgrade it. There is also a main hub world where other players can communicate (via pre-set comments), add friends and visit their Lair.Setting aside Skylanders, I think the model has already been used in the industry many times. Webkinz, Neopets, and Club Penguin have all used some variety of it, all to huge success. If Skylanders is any different it's just because the game attached to the business model is somewhat closer to something people on GAF would actually play
bengraven
Member
I love how "things kids love" always equals "exploitation".
Which was last generations Monster in my Pocket.
Basically. MimP, Army Ants, Micro Machines, MUSCLE, etc...
If companies could have let you trade in a code from a MUSCLE figure to give you a character in the MUSCLE NES game, they would have.
Which was last generations Monster in my Pocket.
Basically. MimP, Army Ants, Micro Machines, MUSCLE, etc...
If companies could have let you trade in a code from a MUSCLE figure to give you a character in the MUSCLE NES game, they would have.