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Toys-to-life is the hot subject in games right now. Activision started the phenomenon with their Skylanders franchise, and later Disney, Nintendo, and WB Games all decided to get in on the action as well. There's a lot of competition between these companies for dominance in this emerging hybrid of markets, but Disney has a trump card -- one that comes from a galaxy far, far away.
Disney has officially announced Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition, which will be primarily based on Star Wars. Ever since Disney purchased Star Wars from George Lucas, it was widely assumed that the characters from the beloved franchise would be utilized by Disney in their video games as well as films, and now that's come to fruition.
Disney Infinity 3.0 will be available this fall for almost every system, with the starter pack retailing for $64.99, which is cheaper than usual. The starter pack will come with the base required to play the game, the game itself, and the Star Wars: Twilight of the Republic Play Set, which takes place during the events of the prequel trilogy.
The starter pack comes with two Star Wars figures, in the form of Ahsoka Tano and Anakin Skywalker, which was actually leaked a few days ago. The final item included in the starter pack is a web code that can be used to unlock additional content for those with access to mobile devices or a PC.
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Additional Play Sets will be available for purchase separately from the starter pack. At least two more will be based on Star Wars, with the first called Star Wars: Rise Against the Empire, which will take place during the timeline of the original trilogy. The third Star Wars Play Set won't release until winter, but it will be based on the upcoming film Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Besides Star Wars Play Sets, Disney has confirmed that two other Play Sets are on the way for Disney Infinity 3.0. A Play Set based on Pixar's upcoming film Inside Out is in development, as is one based on Avengers: Age of Ultron, the latter of which will feature Hulkbuster Iron Man as well as the titular villain, Ultron.
Other new figures coming will mostly be based on Star Wars, with Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Maul, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Darth Vader, and more all set to release along with the Disney Infinity 3.0 starter pack. However, Disney plans on releasing non-Star Wars figures, too, with new collectibles for Mickey Mouse, Minnie, Mulan, and Olaf, as well as Quorra and Sam Flynn from Tron: Legacy also on the way.
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With the announcement of Disney Infinity 3.0, 2015 is perhaps the biggest year in the history of Star Wars. Not only is The Force Awakens debuting in theaters this December, but Star Wars: Battlefront is coming as well.
2015 is not just a big year for Star Wars fans, but also a big year for fans of the toys-to-life genre. Disney Infinity 3.0 will be joined this year by a currently untitled Skylanders sequel, Lego Dimensions, and Nintendo's ever-elusive Amiibo figures.
The question is, which toys-to-life figures will reign supreme? Both Activision and Disney claimed that their respective toys-to-life game sold the best in 2014, but with Nintendo and Lego to compete with now, there's more competition in the market than ever before. With the addition of Star Wars in Disney Infinity 3.0, Disney is likely to come away on top, especially thanks to the bonus hype for the franchise thanks to the new film.
Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition will be available this fall for Android, iOS, PC, PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.