Official Skylanders SuperChargers Christmas Carol 2015

Skylanders Animated TV Series Coming 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Activision Blizzard Launches Activision Blizzard Studios to Create Original Film and TV Content Based on Iconic, Globally-Recognized Franchises

 

Initial Productions to Include SkylandersTM TV Series and Call of DutyTM Film Series

 

Disney Veteran Nick van Dyk Named Studio Co-President 

 

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Nov. 6, 2015 - Activision Blizzard (Nasdaq: ATVI) today announced the launch of Activision Blizzard Studios, a new film and television studio devoted to creating original content based on the company's extensive library of iconic and globally-recognized intellectual properties. Activision Blizzard's owned content includes some of the most popular entertainment franchises in the world, including Call of Duty®, Skylanders®, Diablo®, Hearthstone® and StarCraft®. Former Disney executive Nick van Dyk has been tapped to co-head the division, along with a senior creative executive who will be announced soon.

 

Activision Blizzard Studios' first production will be "Skylanders™ Academy," an animated TV series based on the award-winning Skylanders® game. Currently in production under the supervision of showrunner Eric Rogers ("Futurama"), "Skylanders™ Academy" will feature the voices of Justin Long ("Alvin and the Chipmunks," "Ask Me Anything") as Spyro, Ashley Tisdale ("Phineas and Ferb," "High School Musical") as Stealth Elf, Jonathan Banks ("Breaking Bad," "Better Call Saul") as Eruptor and Norm Macdonald ("Saturday Night Live") as Glumshanks. Additional voice talent includes Harland Williams and Richard Horvitz. The award-winning, $3 billion Skylanders® franchise has sold through more than 250 million toys since pioneering the toys-to-life category in 2011(1).

 

Another near-term initiative for Activision Blizzard Studios will be the development of a robust cinematic universe based on the Call of Duty franchise. Call of Duty®: Advanced Warfare remains the number one-selling title on next-generation consoles(2) and today marks the launch of the highly-anticipated new Call of Duty®: Black Ops III. Activision Blizzard Studios envisions a series of Call of Duty feature films as well as the possibility of television adaptations.

 

"Activision Blizzard is home to some of the most successful entertainment franchises in history, across any medium. With the launch of Activision Blizzard Studios, our engaged fans can now watch the games they love come to life across film and television," said Bobby Kotick, Chief Executive Officer of Activision Blizzard. "Activision Blizzard Studios is yet another way we're celebrating our players and fans, and we expect that our film and television productions will entertain and delight whole new audiences, as well. I'm excited that Nick and his team will be leading this important new growth opportunity for Activision Blizzard."

 

Kotick added, "We intend to approach film and television development with the same unwavering commitment to excellence we are known for in game development."

 

Nick van Dyk, formerly a long-time Walt Disney Company senior executive, will serve as Activision Blizzard Studios' Co-President, alongside a top creative executive who will be announced soon. Van Dyk will have responsibility for distribution, physical production, strategy, finance and operations and will co-manage all aspects of the studio. Before joining Activision Blizzard last year, van Dyk spent nine years at Disney where, as Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy, he helped drive Disney's focus on franchise intellectual property and played a significant role in the acquisitions of Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm. Prior to that, van Dyk was part of Artisan Entertainment's senior management team.

 

"Activision Blizzard Studios has the unique advantage of starting with a library of world-class intellectual property that includes some of the largest franchises which have not yet been developed in film and television," said van Dyk. "Our library spans more than 30 years of global entertainment culture and, in the last 12 months alone, fans of Activision Blizzard properties have played and watched our games online for more than 13 billion hours. This gives us a huge, passionate and deeply-engaged audience that is hungry for more great content built from the universes they already know and love-and which are extremely broad in their appeal."

 

Van Dyk added, "Activision Blizzard Studios is not just an exciting new business for our company, it is a synergistic complement to our core business. Our movies and shows will benefit from the remarkable IP created in our games and will further increase the awareness of, engagement with and passion for our franchises."

 

Activision Blizzard Studios is another important step in the company's strategy of expanding the platforms through which it offers its compelling intellectual property to existing fans and new audiences around the world.

 

The founding of Activision Blizzard Studios follows the company's announcement on Oct. 22 of a new esports division headed by former ESPN CEO Steve Bornstein and Major League Gaming co-founder and president Mike Sepso. The esports division will build on the company's competitive gaming leadership by creating all-new ways to deliver the best-in-class fan experience across games, platforms and geographies, furthering the development of its world-leading esports ecosystem. Activision Blizzard's other divisions are Activision Publishing and Blizzard Entertainment. On Nov. 2, the company announced its plans to acquire King Digital Entertainment, the creators of the Candy Crush®, Farm Heroes®, Pet Rescue® and Bubble Witch® franchises, which will make it a new global leader in mobile gaming.  

 

About Activision Blizzard

Activision Blizzard, Inc., a member of the S&P 500, is the world's most successful standalone interactive entertainment company. It develops and publishes games based on some of the most beloved entertainment franchises, including Call of Duty®, Destiny, Skylanders®, Guitar Hero®, World of Warcraft®, StarCraft®, Diablo®, and Hearthstone®: Heroes of Warcraft™. The company is one of the FORTUNE "100 Best Companies To Work For®" 2015. Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, it has operations throughout the world, and its games are played in 196 countries. Activision Blizzard makes games for leading interactive platforms. More information about Activision Blizzard and its products can be found on the company's website, www.activisionblizzard.com. 

Hammer Slam Bowser Upgrades & Attack Damage Numbers

Skylanders SuperChargers Research - Hammer Slam Bowser

So, my first full Upgrade Set on the Nintendo Wii U was of course, Bowser.  We took Hammer Slam Bowser down Koopa Commander and Dark Hammer Slam Bowser down the Molten Monstrosity Upgrade Path.  Since they are special, we went ahead and logged SuperCharged Attack Damage as well.

However, that is where the item of interest emerges!  Did you know that SuperCharged DARK Bowser (and DK) does slightly more damage than SuperCharged REGULAR Bowser, despite doing the same Attack Damage in non-SuperCharged form?

I will get the spreadsheet and final video up later tonight, but check the vids for reference...Interesting stuff!

Hammer Slam Bowser Base Upgrades:

Dark Hammer Slam Bowser Base Upgrades with SuperCharged Attack Damage:

Hammer Slam Bowser Koopa Commander Upgrade Path:

Dark Hammer Slam Bowser Molten Monstrosity Upgrade Path:
Video Releasing Soon

Attack Damage Spreadsheet

^Coming Soon

Skylanders SuperChargers Launch Day

Well folks, it is finally here!  Skylanders SuperChargers officially launches today in the US!  I figured I would take this time to cover my plans for the video schedule and answer some other FAQs as of late.

Skylanders Trap Team Research

First off, I have frantically been working to complete the Skylanders Trap Team Research Series, see also Upgrades and Attack Damage, lol.  I have actually done it, minus the Minis and a few others.  You can see all of the upgrades here:

Skylanders Trap Team Research - Upgrades

Skylanders Trap Team Research - Villainography

Skylanders SuperChargers Blind Playthrough on YouTube, Coop Playthrough on Twitch

Next up, let's talk about my plans for SuperChargers!

With Trap Team, I did something no one else has done in Skylanders, at least on the YouTube front.  Instead of doing my usual blind playthrough and directly uploading the videos to YouTube, I opted to do a "Blind Stream" of the game.  I literally played thru the game blind via live streams on my Twitch Channel.  The folks who checked it out really enjoyed it, and then of course I exported the videos over to YouTube.  The end quality wasn't as good as usual due to the stream bit-rate restrictions, but it was still a lot of fun.

This year, I am going to go back to my old formula AND maintain the stream concept.

With the introduction of online gameplay (not just racing, but coop) I will do the following:

-Skylanders SuperChargers Blind Playthrough via Xbox One uploading to YouTube

AND

-Skylanders SuperChargers Coop Playthrough via Nintendo Wii U with viewers on Twitch

AND

-Skylanders SuperChargers Online Racing with Friends and Viewers -Stream and Upload

So, as you can see we have a diverse mix and I do indeed plan to play with some of you I have come to know over the past 4 titles in the Skylanders series!

If you haven't already done so, I encourage you to sign up on the Skylander Club Forum...you can connect with other Portal Masters and find friends to race with on your platform!
SkylanderClub.com - Skylanders Fan Forum

Skylanders SuperChagers Purchase Plans

Starter Packs

Now, this gets really interesting.  We have more characters than ever in the Starter Packs, but we have a lot of duplicates.  Here is my tentative plan

I have pre-ordered the Dark Edition for the Wii U.

I will get the 3DS Starter Pack.

I will get the Xbox One Starter Pack.

I really want Dark Bowser, but I'm trying to think of a way to justify the price of another Starter Pack...Ironically, if I had to pick 1 DK and 1 Bowser, I would want Dark Bowser and regular DK...funny how that goes.

If there is a good sale, and stock, I might spring for the Dark Wii Edition.  I could always upload a playthrough of that game, but I honestly haven't seen anything of it...I would like to gauge my purchase on the more immersive 3DS game (you can race online while you can't on the Wii), but with scalpers AND amiibo fanatics on the prowl, this may be a hot commodity.  I remember last year with Trap Team it was difficult to get a Wii U Dark Edition at launch.  Will there be low stock of the Dark Wii Edition, or will it be shelf fodder.  Will scalpers pick it up, or will regular buyers not justify the high price for basically a single character and his vehicle?  At this point, we just don't know.

Official Route

As for Day 1, here is my route:
-TRU: Legendary Hurricane Jet-Vac and possibly Dark Wii Starter Pack
-Target: Nitro Stealth Stinger
-Best Buy: Steel Plated Smash Hit
-GameStop: Frightful Fiesta and Dark Wii U Starter Pack

Skylanders SuperChargers Collection Plans

As always, 2 of each Skylander would be great...I can take both paths and never have to reset and loose precious and time consuming progress.  However, where there are not "specials, or alt-decos" on tap, I will likely not be able to finance a 2nd figure for everyone, let alone vehicle.  This is why I am a fan of having Darks, Nitros, Legendaries, and characters like Frightful Fiesta and Easter Thrillipede...it makes buying that 2nd one much more justifiable.

So, needless to say, I hope to acquire as many as possible, but will restrain myself to my favorites and those that are practical should it become necessary.

Skylanders SuperChargers Storage

This is a serious issue...If you are a seasoned veteran, you probably have Skylanders in your gaming room, on your consoles, strung across the living room, displayed in the kitchen, and some stored away under your bed...The struggle is real!  I am a bit concerned with parking for the vehicles, lol.  My tentative plan is to go the el-cheapo route and score some more of the under $1 "shoe boxes" from Target.  These are simple Sterlite storage containers with a click-lock lid and they get the job done, while leaving max fundage for Skylanders.

Is it Really Blind?

Oh yes, rest assured it is.  While some YouTubers have played a level or two and taken part in some races, others have simply watched some of the footage from Activison or other outlets...but me, all I've done is consume the B-Roll footage the PR team sent out.  This is largely highlight reel type material.  I've not watched the infamous chapter Lou played thru in the summer, I haven't digested any leaks, and I haven't read any descriptions...I'll be going in knowing as little as possible.  The only area I have good intel is the cast of Skylanders.  I personally just enjoy this approach much, much more...If I know the entire cast, plot line, and all the twists the game simply looses some of its appeal.

I plan to put a priority on the blind, solo playthru, but after completing a few chapters I'll hit up some friends and viewers for a coop approach.

Depending on how the game is structured, I will also work upgrades and other game modes that may be present into the mix earlier.  I have yet to find a perfect balance for how to approach things, largely due to so much content being locked, or tucked away (ie you want to fully ugprade someone, but their Soul Gem is in the last chapter etc).

What Does it All Mean?

Well, if you read all of that...thanks, you are who I cater to in this crazy YouTube life.  I do things a bit different than most.  I still prefer to focus on the details and attempt to provide viewers with a more intelligent playthrough.  I have a M-F job with long hours, and other interests.  Video games are an outlet to have fun, relieve stress, and just enjoy some down time.

I have been offered various partnerships, but since I read the contracts, I have never signed off on one...If you were unaware, you can take a partnership and radically grow your channel.  I'm not sure the subscribers gained are legit, and people claim they make more money, but I'm kind of here for fun..and I don't like to Skype with people who have names I can't pronounce that use a CC email to 15 other YouTubers telling each of us how unique we are with the same cut-and-paste compliments to go over any negotiations.

The partnerships, in addition to pumping more subscribers and requisite views to your channel, offer some tangible benefits, namely cross promotion (although they always tout their expansive sound effect database and collaboration tool kit).  No one likes to talk about cross promotion, but it is real, and it sucks for those on the flip side.

Let's say you have a YouTuber you really connect with (maybe me for instance?!).  Let's say they have a playlist of Skylanders SuperChargers that has the complete game and each installment is one chapter.  You caught Ch 1 and had stuff to do, so the next night you come in and watch Chapter 2.  You think, "Oh hey... a short chapter, I'm going to check out Chapter 3 too!"  You scan over to the sidebar with the playlist and instead of seeing Chapter 3, you find a ton of videos from other channels...You think, "Hey, this is supposed to be a playlist for this series, what is the deal?"  Well, that is cross promotion at work.  A lot of times if you use Auto Play you can go straight from the channel you want to watch, to the channel that is cross promoting.  It isn't really "recommended" channels for you, it is channels that are paying to be in another channel's playlists.  Head off to a partnered mega-channel's playlist and tell me if you see any vids lurching in the top slots of their playlists...if you do, they'll only be from larger partnered channels.

Basically, to put it in laymen's terms, partnered channels cross promote to both increase their view share and decrease the view share of their competitors.  It is a vicious cycle and very frustrating to not have videos measured by their own merits.
 
I've come to realize, more and more the past few years, that I could actually have a much larger channel by just yelling, raging at the game, and throwing in ridiculous animations and sound effects...that is simply not my style.  I have my own delivery and feel I have a niche audience that shares my mindset.

Despite the trends others follow, I just keep doing my own thing.  They say it is always best to swim with the current, but I feel like I'm that guy on the bank looking over at the mountain in the distance...I invite you to come with me...especially since that stream leads to the mouth of the cave that the bears hibernate in...

Long story short, SuperChargers is here...I hope it is awesome...I'm not changing my style...Let's have some fun together!!

Skylanders SuperChargers iOS Starter Pack

Wanted to play SuperChargers on your iPhone?

Now you can!

And yes, with Online Co-op and Racing!!

This fall, Skylanders SuperChargers will continue the franchise's leadership on mobile by bringing the full AAA game to fans via select iPads, and for the first time ever, the iPhone and iPod touch on October 25 in North America.

The game offers fans a new cloud save feature which allows for portability between multiple Apple devices for a true on-the-go experience. Simply save your progress via cloud save and pick up your progress on separate devices as long as you're logged in under the same Game Center account.  Now fans can seamlessly enjoy the same robust gameplay-driven adventure as its console counterpart wherever and whenever they want.

 
The Skylanders SuperChargers Starter Pack for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch will include everything necessary for fans with those devices to create the full Skylanders SuperChargers gameplay experience out of the box, including a Bluetooth portal, an embedded Bluetooth controller and a built-in stand. Upon download, players will get Instant Spit Fire and Instant Hot Streak for free with the download, while in-app purchases will unlock Instant versions of Dive-Clops, Dive Bomber, Super Shot Stealth Elf and Stealth Stinger.

Dive-Clops in Action!

The full Skylanders SuperChargers game experience, including online co-op and multiplayer racing, is playable on iPad Air, iPad Air 2, iPad mini 2, iPad mini 3, iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPod touch 6. Fans with iPhone 5/5C, iPad 3 and iPad 4 can enjoy the single-player Adventure Mode, local co-op and head-to-head racing in split screen.

SuperCharged Shark Tank!

Fiesta!

Skylanders SuperChargers New Commercial with Screenshots

Skylanders Battlecast Announced: Trailer & Press Release

Skylanders BattleCast Official Trailer

*Official Press Release Below*

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SKYLANDERS, LEADER OF THE TOYS-TO-LIFE CATEGORY,

 BRINGS CARDS TO LIFE WITH SKYLANDERS BATTLECAST

Skylanders Delivers Brand-New Adventure with

Free-to-Play Mobile Card Battle Game

SANTA MONICA, Calif. - August 18, 2015 - Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI), is setting out to create a legendary league of card battlers with the mobile card battle game, Skylanders Battlecast.  Created by the pioneers of the toys-to-life videogame category, Skylanders Battlecast brings cards to life in a new free-to-play mobile adventure, set within the Skylanders universe. The game offers everything from collectibility to strategic card combat, online PvP and an exciting single-player campaign, appealing to both Skylanders fans and classic card battle enthusiasts. Skylanders Battlecast lets players create a team of their favorite heroes and build the ultimate deck for battle.  Fans can master strategic card combinations to become a champion of Skylands.

"Built from the ground up to bring Skylanders to life on mobile devices, Skylanders Battlecast combines physical card play with mobile gaming in an all-new way," says Eric Hirshberg, CEO, Activision Publishing, Inc.  "This is our biggest investment, and one of our most magical ideas yet, for the Skylanders franchise on mobile."

For Skylanders Battlecast, players can purchase physical card packs at retail, as well as digital card packs in-game.  Players will experience a magic moment by scanning cards with their mobile devices and watching them come to life.  Additionally, fans can scan two character cards to create animated duels in which players can physically interact with the characters.

"We are bringing physical cards to life in an exciting new way. Activision has assembled a team of experts across video game design, physical card game design, pro card players and top card artists to develop an amazing new experience," says Josh Taub, senior vice president, product management, Activision Publishing. "With Skylanders Battlecast, fans can expect the amazing creativity, innovation and fun that Skylanders games are known for delivering."

Coming in 2016, Skylanders Battlecast will be available via the App Store, Google Play and the Amazon Appstore.

*End Press Release*

So, what are your thoughts?  Are you going all in on this one?  Are you dreading it because you know you'll collect them all, or are you up for the challenge Portal Master?  I definitely plan to give the game a shot and I personally think it has a lot of potential to be a very fun, addicting game!

Later tonight I will be adding a dedicated subforum for Battlecast on the Skylander Club Forum, so look for that...in the mean time, you can join in here:
http://www.skylanderclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=494

Lastly, let's take a look at some of the images we've got:

Back of the Cards

^The design is stellar in my opinion!^

Character Side

^Let's see if these match card/in game stats!^

In-App Gameplay

Skylanders SuperChargers Alt-Deco Figures up for Pre-Order

Well the news cycle post-Gamescom didn't lull for too long...As of today we now know of multiple alt-deco Skylanders AND vehicles to add to the wish list!  As you might have guessed, several of these are store exclusives and they confirm the return of familiar concepts like Legendary, Nitro, and holiday specials.

Skylanders SuperChargers Alt-Deco and Wave 1 Pre-Order News

Let's take a look at the figures and their known retail outlets:

Legendary Hurricane Jet-Vac
Exclusive to: Toys'R'Us
Estimated Ship Date: Launch Day 9/20/2015
Price: $13.99 (Should be $12.99, but it is TRU so they do the +$1)
Pre-Order Click Here for Legendary Hurricane Jet-Vac Pre-Order

Nitro Stealth Stinger
Exclusive to: Target
Estimated Ship Date: Launch Day 9/20/2015
Price: $14.99
Pre-Order Link: Click Here for Nitro Stealth Stinger Pre-Order

Steel Plated Smash Hit

Exclusive to: Best Buy

Estimated Ship Date: Launch Day 9/20/2015

Price: $12.99

Pre-Order Link: Click Here to Pre-Order Steel Plated Smash Hit'=

Frightful Fiesta

Exclusive to: EBGames in Canada (GameStop in the US, or a common release as we usually see with holiday variants...Regardless he is definitely at GameStop)

Estimated Ship Date: Launch Day 9/20/2015

Price: $12.99 US

Pre-Order Link: Click Here to Pre-Order Frightful Fiesta

So, there you go...we are just a bit shy of 1 month until the release date and we have 4 alt-decos up for grabs.  It is interesting you can pre-order all of them, but my experience with launch day in the past has been that everything is well stocked.  That could change, they could have low production on some of these guys, but for the most part pre-ordering now is not near as big of a deal as it is for "holiday" time and afterwards.  If you miss out on the initial run, the shelves should be restocked for the prime holiday shopping.  I prefer to hold out to avoid freight and to likely cash in on some sales!

Personally, I am the most excited for Frightful Fiesta!  He looks amazing, although I'm slightly disappointed that there is no matching Crypt Crusher (at least not yet).  Note that the bases also get a nice custom paint this time around.

The "Steel Plated" version of Smash Hit is interesting and you have to wonder if this is a one-off for their store exclusive, or if we might see "Steel Plated" become a regular staple like Legendary, Dark, and Nitro.  

I've never been a big fan of the "gold and white" color scheme for the Nitros, but it doesn't look too bad on the copter, although I am 99% sure I'll prefer the standard scheme.  

I remain a big fan of the Legendary Skylanders and despite being a HUGE Jet-Vac fan, I am a bit disappointed to see him get Legendary form #2 while other characters could have taken their first dive into the exclusive club.  I personally had hoped for a Legendary Shark Shooter Terrafin, but I digress.  How do you feel about it?  Leave a comment here, on the video, or on the Skylander Club Forum.

Lastly, it is worth noting that multiple sites are adding Wave 1 characters and vehicles to the pre-order list.  Many have claimed a HUGE listing for Wave 1...those claims and assumptions are not matching up with what we see across retail sites like Amazon, Best Buy, and GameStop.

* * *

For those interested, here is a quick rundown of what we have seen:

SuperChargers

-Stormblade

-Shark Shooter Terrafin

-Fiesta

-Dive-Clops

Vehicles

-Sky Slicer

-Crypt Crusher

-Sea Shadow

-Dive Bomber

Racing Action Packs

-Sea: Deep Dive Gill Grunt, Reef Ripper, Golden Queen Trophy

Dual Packs

-Two Have Been Listed

--They are believed to be a Terrafin Pack and a Jet-Vac Pack (Skylander + Vehicle)

There is also, of course, the Starter Pack contents and the alt-decos listed above.

* * *

What are your thoughts?  Are you excited about the alt-decos?  Which one do you like the best?  Will you be buying just the alternate, both the alternate and the standard, or just the one you prefer the best on a case-by-case basis?

Skylanders SuperChargers Online Co-Op, Online Racing, Racing Adventure Packs, and New Screenshots

Skylanders SuperChargers Gamescom Notes

(These are the Notes I compile from Press Releases and Insider Info to Make the Video)

Adventure Mode

Racing Mode

Adventure Mode

-Single Player Adventure Mode

-Local Co-Op Adventure Mode

 -Online Co-Op Adventure Mode

Racing Mode

-Land, Sea, and Sky

-Time Trials

Three Lap Races

Compete for #1 Spot on Leaderboard

Skylanders SuperChargers Racing

Dedicated Racing Combat Game

New Tracks for Wii and 3DS

Nintendo Wii

-Splitscreen Multiplayer

-No Online

Nintendo 3DS

-Local Multiplayer

-Online with up to 4 Players

All SuperChargers Starter Packs come with 6 Dynamic Race Tracks

-2 Land, 2 Sea, and 2 Sky

-Diverse Locations, Hidden Routes, Power-Ups, Boosts, Hazards

-Up to 50 Different and Exciting Gameplay Experiences (what?)

-Voice Chat available with friends for an added layer of excitement

Skylanders SuperChargers Racing Action Packs $34.99

-1 Land, 1 Sea, and 1 Sky

--Includes SuperCharger, Signature Vehicle, and a Villain Trophy

--Villain Trophy Unlocks 2 New Tracks and New Modes

---Super Villain Cup, Boss Pursuit, and Mirror Cup

----12 Boss Villains Total, 4 in Each of the 3 Packs (Land, Sea, and Sky)

-----Defeat the Villain and gain the ability to race as them

-----Store Boss Villains on Trophy to Play at Friend’s House

Skylanders SuperChargers Gamescom Online Racing and Co-op Reveal

READY, SET, GO -- SKYLANDERS® SUPERCHARGERS DELIVERS

RACING AND ONLINE MULTIPLAYER

Skylanders Charges into Gamescom with

Exciting Announcements and Franchise Firsts

COLOGNE, Germany - August 5, 2015 - Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI), continues to blaze the toys-to-life trail with Skylanders franchise firsts, racing and online multiplayer gameplay on console in Skylanders® SuperChargers, developed by Vicarious Visions. Whether fans prefer co-operative play in Adventure Mode or competitive multiplayer with up to four players in Racing Mode, Skylanders SuperChargers' online gaming is fueled with adrenaline-pumping action right out of the box. 

Skylanders' all-new Racing Mode, playable in Land, Sea and Sky environments, features supercharged racing combat, layering in even more depth and excitement to the game's online multiplayer component.  The high-octane mode is further amplified with all-new time trials, which include three-lap races that take friendly competition up a notch as players battle for the best time score on the leaderboard.  All Skylanders SuperChargers Starter Packs will come loaded with six dynamic race tracks - two each for Land, Sea and Sky. With hidden routes, power-ups, and diverse locations, Racing Mode offers completely new ways to enjoy the game. Whether played in offline split-screen or online multiplayer, gamers can choose the best route to finish a race, trying to avoid attacks along the way as they navigate through dynamic environments. Voice-chat is available with friends for an added layer of excitement.

Skylanders SuperChargers delivers more ways to play than ever before:

• Single-player Adventure Mode
• Online and local co-operative Adventure Mode
• Local 2-player head-to-head racing in split screen
• Online competitive racing with up to 4 players

"Skylanders fans told us they wanted to go head-to-head in online multiplayer with their friends and family, and we delivered. Skylanders SuperChargers enables gamers to race against friends all over the world and brings an exciting new expansion to the Skylanders gameplay experience," said John Coyne, senior vice president of consumer marketing, Activision Publishing, Inc.  "We continue to be firmly committed to driving Skylanders' spirit for providing originality, innovation, creativity and fun with each game."

Skylanders SuperChargers continues to rev its engine with the addition ofSkylanders SuperChargers Racing Action Packs at launch and beyond. These optional expansion packs, one each for Land, Sea and Sky, unlock even more thrilling racing content for Portal Masters. Each pack comes loaded with three special toys, including a SuperCharger, its signature vehicle and a villain trophy. The villain trophy unlocks two new tracks and new modes, including SuperVillain Cup, Boss Pursuit and Mirror Cup. There are 12 boss villains across all three packs, with four in each pack, which players can defeat and play as. Fans can then store these boss villains on their villain trophy toy to play at a friend's house.

Fans can augment their SuperCharger experience with a complementary, dedicated racing combat game -- Skylanders SuperChargers Racing -- for the Wii™ system and Nintendo 3DS™ hand-held system. All-new tracks, augmented with power-ups, boosts, hazards and more, offer up to 50 different and exciting gameplay experiences. On Nintendo 3DS, gamers can go head-to-head with competitive multiplayer via local play or online with up to four players. Iconic Nintendo character Bowser™ and his Sky vehicle, Clown Cruiser are available in theSkylanders SuperChargers Racing Starter Packs for Wii and Nintendo 3DS and can also be played on the Wii U™ system.   The Supercharged character not only works in Skylanders SuperChargers Racing, but also as amiibo in compatible Nintendo games, so players can store their saved data in both modes with a simple twist of the figure's base.

About Skylanders SuperChargers

Skylanders SuperChargers expands upon the franchise's signature gameplay to introduce a brand-new play pattern to fans, vehicles-to-life.  For the first time ever, kids can explore and navigate the mountainous terrains, deep sea environments and big blue skies of Skylands like never before by going behind the wheel of powerful, tricked-out land, sea and sky vehicles - bringing them from physical world into the digital world in a high octane action-adventure videogame. The game offers a diverse and dynamic story-driven gameplay experience, filled with vehicle-based and on-foot adventures featuring combat, puzzles, mini games, activities and platforming -- all set within a variety of new compelling environments. Skylanders SuperChargers has 20 land, sea and sky vehicles that are fun to play in the game and in the real world. There is also a new class of heroes -- 20 SuperCharger toys that feature all-new powerful attacks and moves, upgrades and personalities. The game supports all 300+ Skylander toys from previous games.

Skylanders SuperChargers will be available on September 25 in Europe andSeptember 20 in North America on the Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation® 4 system, PlayStation® 3 system and Nintendo's Wii U™ system. Additionally, the completeSkylanders SuperChargers experience will be available on iPad®(1).  SkylandersSuperChargers Racing will be available on September 25 in Europe and September 20 in North America for Wii™ and Nintendo 3DS.

About the Skylanders® Franchise

The award-winning, $3 billion Skylanders franchise has sold through more than 250 million action figures(2) since pioneering the toys-to-life category in 2011 with the debut of Skylanders® Spyro's Adventure. The game originated a play pattern that seamlessly bridged physical and virtual worlds across multiple platforms. In 2012,Skylanders® Giants further evolved the genre and added LightCore® characters to the collection of interaction figures.  Skylanders® SWAP Force™, which launched in 2013, introduced an all new play pattern - swapability. In 2014, Skylanders® Trap Team reversed the magic of bringing toys to life by allowing players to pull characters out of the digital world into the physical world and became the number 1 kids' console game globally(2).

About Activision Publishing

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading global producer and publisher of interactive entertainment. Activision maintains operations throughout the world. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company's website, www.activision.com or by following @Activision.

Skylanders Research: Elite Trigger Happy Upgrade Paths & Attack Damage Numbers

Elite Trigger Happy Base Upgrades

Elite Trigger Happy Golden Frenzy Upgrade Path

Elite Trigger Happy Golden Money Bags Upgrade Path

Elite Trigger Happy Attack Damage Numbers

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