Blog Poll #31, 32, and 33 Results

Well, after a mysterious disappearance of poll results (current and closed) all has returned to normal and we can finally archive the most recent closed polls.

Here is a link to their original posting: http://www.1ofwiisdom.blogspot.com/2012/09/blog-polls-31-32-and-33-skylanders.html

Blog Poll #31 asked, "What Are You Buying for Giants?" and received 210 Votes.  Here are the results:

Analysis

As you can see, the vast majority of voters are going for the Starter Pack with nearly 50% of the total vote (98 Votes, 46%).  Testament to the loyalty of Skylanders fans we see 81 Voters (38%) going with the Portal Owner's Pack.  

It looks like we have a few collectors as some are going with both the Starter Pack and Portal Owner's Pack (9 Votes, 4 %).

And lastly, with 10% of the total vote (22 Voters), we have the camp picking up both console versions of the game and the 3DS version of the game.  Obviously, this output was limited to those with the 3DS.  Spyro's Adventure was a nice platforming game and while many complain it isn't "just like the console version" I actually like the fact it is different...more for your money that way.  There are very few games I would actually buy for a console and 3DS if they were exactly the same.

The other issues here are the values.  The Starter Pack includes 2 extra characters and a new Portal of Power all for roughly $15-20.  That is a great value and most people recognized that.  Similarly, some who are getting the 3DS version may be doing so just to obtain Punch Pop Fizz.

My Take

Me personally...I got the Starter Pack for the Wii and the 3DS.  Why?  The value.  I wanted Jet-Vac and at launch that was the only way to get him (console).  While not a huge Cynder fan, I did like the Walmart Exclusive GITD Cynder included and considered that a bonus.  The last factor for the Wii was the light-up portal and the fact it was wired...big savings on battery and a huge convenience perk.

On the 3DS front I could have gone with the Portal Owner's Pack, but the Starter Pack landed me a backup portal, another GITD Cynder, and most importantly...Punch Pop Fizz!  Well worth the asking price.

I do think they could have set the Portal Owner's Pack up to better honor returning players.  Just including Jet-Vac at the same price would have been nice.  Similarly, the move to include Jet-Vac, or a character who will not be released for quite some time (Hot Dog for example (like Ignitor last year in the 3DS Pack)).  

On the 3DS front, I think a different Giant should have come standard and that is something that has been overwhelming.  

Maybe they just don't want to offer Tree Rex in single form, but it wouldn't have hurt to have done so and included Crusher, Bouncer, or Swarm etc.

Nonetheless, the Starter Packs were they way to go in my opinion.

Blog Poll #32 asked, "Which New Skylander Do You Want the Most?"  Here are the results from the 250 of you who voted in the poll:

1. Pop Fizz 61 Votes, 24%
2. Fright Rider 46 Votes, 18%
3. Hot Dog 44 Votes, 17%
4. Flashwing 28 Votes, 11%
5. Chill 24 Votes, 9%
6. Shroomboom 22 Votes, 8%
7. Jet-Vac 20 Votes, 8%
8. Sprocket 5 Votes, 2%


As you can see, Pop Fizz was by a considerable margin the most wanted new Skylander.  He nearly amassed 1/4 of the total vote and that is impressive given we had 8 options in this poll.  I think he was pushed the heaviest prior to launch followed by Jet-Vac and Shroomboom.

This basically came down to who people like the look of, what powers seemed neat, or simply who they thought would be the best for their play style.  In all honestly, the battle was close between Fright Rider and Hot Dog, just like we saw with Flashwing, Chill, Shroomboom, and Jet-Vac where only 8 votes decided the fate between 4th Place and 7th Place...that is tight!

Sprocket seems to be following along in Boomer's Tech path as the least desired Skylander.  I think people's opinions may change if they give her a chance, but that was seldom the case with Boomer haters.  He is actually quite good when upgraded (either path) and despite that, he never really got over the preconceived notion he wasn't a good Skylander.

I think with Sprocket it is just her aesthetics that have given her the bad rep.  She looks like a wrench-wielding lego to put it mildly.  I'll be honest, that kind of has me intrigued, but I am also a big fan of the underdog.  I will give her a chance and reserve judgment.  Maybe she can reverse course with the masses.

My New Skylander List

That said, here is my order of What New Skylanders I would Want the Most.  I am basing this almost entirely on looks as I have refrained from watching anything other than the official game trailers released by Activision.  Gameplay will no doubt have an impact on this list for me later on down the road.  That said, here is how I rank them:

1. Jet-Vac
2. Fright Rider
3. Pop Fizz
4. Chill
5. Shroomboom
6. Sprocket
7. Hot Dog
8. Flashwing

Again, keep in mind this is looks and my blind expectations ONLY.  Gameplay will no doubt change things...I am also not just going on aesthetics here but rather looks and what I expect they might play like based solely on that and my imagination.

Jet-Vac was my Warnado...the "new" Skylander I was most looking forward to.  Fright Rider looks cool and I hope for great upgrades.  Pop Fizz seems like a chemist version of Trigger Happy and that should be fun regardless of anything else.  Chill seems like she might have unique upgrades.  Shroomboom seems like another "fun" character and I'm hoping for Zook/Camo like upgrades.  Sprocket I have no clue on, but I am hoping she plays as unique as she looks.  Hot Dog I don't have high hopes for, but I could be surprised.  Flashwing is hard for me to imagine...That said, the Earth Element is my personal favorite so I hope she can step up and climb the gameplay list for me.

Blog Poll #33 asked, "Which Giant Do You Want the Most?" and collected an impressive 262 Votes!  Here are the results:

1. Thumbpack 69 Votes, 26%
2. Eye-Brawl 47 Votes, 17%
3. Ninjini 36 Votes, 13%
4. Crusher 33 Votes, 12%
5. Swarm 29 Votes, 11%
6. Bouncer 24 Votes, 9%
7. Hot Head 15 Votes, 5%
8. Tree Rex 9 Votes, 3%

So, this was another tight race among most of the spots.  The clear winner was Thumpback with 69 Votes and over 1/4 of the total vote count.  That is a big win...He was also 22 Votes AHEAD OF 2nd Place!

Eye-Brawl really held his own at 2nd Place.  I attribute this to his unique look, Halloween coming up, and the  lofty expectations most have for him.

Things get much tighter for 3rd-6th with only 12 Votes separating them all.

Ninjini, who I had thought would finish at the top, came in 3rd with 36 Votes.  Just 3 Votes behind her was Crusher with 33 Votes.  Swarm was just 4 back of Crusher with 29 total Votes.  Bouncer rounded the pairing out with 24 Votes and just shy of 10% overall.

Hot Head came in with 15 Votes (5%) and was 9 back of Bouncer.  I think this is largely aesthetics...his head just seems too small.

Tree Rex, the giant included with all the Portal Owner's Packs and Starter Packs came in last with only 9 Votes and a measely 3% of the collective vote.

What surprised me was not that Ninjini wasn't your most anticipated, but that Thumpback was and that he did so in such a significant margin of victory...I expected him to be midpack...

My Giant List

As for myself, here is the order I would want them in...Keep in mind this is me ranking them on how I think they will play based off their looks.  So the list isn't sorted by gameplay, is isn't sorted by aesthetics, it is basically a hypothetical conjecture of what I think they will play like and thus how I would rank them at this point in time:

1. Crusher
2. Eye-Brawl
3. Tree Rex
4. Ninjini
5. Swarm
6. Hot Head
7. Thumpback
8. Bouncer

I love the look of Crusher...I love the Earth Element, and I think he will be great!  Eye-Brawl looks totally unique and I have high hopes his upgrades will be wicked!

Tree Rex, despite showing up last in what readers want, is someone I think will be very solid.  I've had good luck with the Life Element thus far...he has a great look, and I think his upgrades will be hard to beat overall.

Ninjini...I don't know much about her, but I figure Magic + Giant = Good chance for success.  She reminds me of a Hex/Stealth Elf hybrid and I am hoping she delivers.

Swarm actually looks great and I think has a lot of potential...He will likely move up an aesthetics list and gameplay list unless his upgrades are horrible.

Hot Head really needs a bigger head imo.  I haven't seen his actual figure yet (and yes, it is out), but it just looks tiny compared to his body.  If not for that glaring issue, I would have him head and shoulders up on the list...likely in 4th Place.

Thumpback is someone I don't know anything about (I don't watch trailers...), but with that said, I assume he  must have some awesome upgrades or people wouldn't have voted him #1 by such a huge margin.  I will hope he delivers and it isn't that I don't like his look, the others just stand out more to me.  I'm also weary of the Water Element as I tend to either love them (Slam Bam and Zap), or find them somewhat mediocre, or just downright disappointing (Wham-Shell).

Bouncer...I think this guy has potential.  Tech rarely disappoints if you give them full upgrades, but the look just doesn't do much for me.  I think any significant upgrade will vault him from the bottom, but as of now he just lacks the impact or cool factor with the other Giants.  For what it is worth, I do feel a bit nostalgic for him as he reminds me of a robot from an old Win95 game I used to play, "Super Solvers Midnight Rescue" lol.  Big bonus points to anyone who knows what I'm talking about.

Anyway, there you have it.  The Poll Results from Giants Blog Polls #31, 32, and 33.  My apologies on their delay, but since they polls went down I couldn't get them up when I had planned initially.  Thanks again to everyone who voted.  As you can see, every vote matters...several Skylanders were just a vote or two away from moving up a spot!

Skylanders Giants Legendary Triple Pack (Ignitor, Slam Bam, Shroomboom)

Unboxing Skylanders Giants Legendary Triple Pack (Toys'R'Us Exclusive)

What Is It?  Toys'R'Us Exclusive Legendary Triple Pack

Where Did You Get It?  Toys'R'Us In-store

How Did You Get It?  Toys'R'Us Hot Toy List Reservation

What Did It Cost?  $24.99 plus tax

Did It Cost Extra?  Nope, same as any triple pack.

What Is Included?  L-Ignitor, L-Slam Bam, and L-Jet-Vac.  You also get their Stat Cards, Stickers, and Web Codes for Spyro's Universe.

What Was The Stock Like?  Plentiful.  This isn't on the level of L-Trigger Happy, but they had a lot of stock out, and probably a similar number in the back.

Will This Be Rare?  I would just think of it along the lines of the original Legendary Triple Pack.  Not super rare, but there could be times they might be hard to come by.

Conclusion

You probably recall me posting on the blog about how you could reserve the L-Triple Pack via the Hot Toy List.  Well, I did just that...it is kind of an ordeal as the employees learn how to process it, but it will work and now that most stores have done it, you can act quick and do the same.

That said, my local TRU had a TON of these.  That may all change by Black Friday, but as of now, pre-ordering was totally not necssary, something I did not know and if you did SSA, you likely err on the safe side of the equation and pre-order whenever possible!

That aside, this is an awesome Triple Pack!  Some don't like the colors as well, and I agree it is tough to beat the originals, but look at what you get: Jet-Vac, Slam Bam, and Ignitor!

Those are three very impressive characters.  If I had gotten the portal owner's pack and was on a budget, I'd pick this up and call it good.  Fire, Water, Air...and three very cool characters.

I was very pleased to see Ignitor and Slam Bam both make Legendary status this time around.  All-in-all this is great for collectors and those on budgets given what you get for the money.  I highly recommend this one!

Skylanders Giants Unboxing Legendary Bouncer

Unboxing Legendary Bouncer (Toys'R'Us Exclusive)

What Is It? Legendary Bouncer, or L-Bouncer for short.

Where Did You Get It? Toys'R'Us in store.

How Did You Get It? In person, in store.

What Did It Cost?  $14.99 plus tax.

Did It Cost Extra?  Nope, same price as any other Giant.

What Is Included? L-Bouncer, Stat Card, Sticker, Web Code

What Was The Stock Like?  Plentiful.  TRU had a ton of both L-Bouncer and the L-Triple Pack.

Will This Be Rare?  I wouldn't say rare, but not near as common place...primarily due to being a TRU Exclusive and the fact that will drive demand.  Right now I would just look at this as the Legendary stuff we saw from SSA.

Conclusion

Legendary Bouncer is a Toys'R'Us Exclusive and gives folks the option to bypass regular Bouncer for his Legendary form.  The price is the same, so it comes down to preference.  For everyone else, L-Bouncer will be slightly upgraded from the get-go and will be needed to fully complete your base collection.

Skylanders Giants Unboxing Granite Crusher

Skylanders Giants: Unboxing Granite Crusher (Target Exclusive)

What Is It? Granite Crusher (Target Exclusive)

Where Did You Get It?  Target-Exclusive to Target in the US

How Did You Get It?  In store.  Currently no online ordering options outside of ebay sellers.

What Did It Cost?  $14.99 plus tax

Does It Cost Extra?  No, despite being an exclusive and more rare, this costs the same as a regular Crusher from any other retailer.

What Is Included?  Granite Crusher, Stat Card, Sticker, and Web Code.

What Was the Stock Like?  I got the last one.  It looked like there were several pegs for Granite Crusher though.  That said, it seemed to be the hot seller on Day 1.  My reports across the net either indicate that stores didn't have him, had a ton of them (ie I would have walked in and seen 20 still out), or had a small number, but not a lot of buyers.

For what it is worth, I had an appointment and ran by Target on Day 2 and there were no Granite Crushers and everything was very picked over.

Will This Be Rare?  I wouldn't put this on line with a Gold or Silver from last time around, or even the new variants.  That said, the Target exclusive Whirlwind ran out around Christmas and then she was everywhere. I don't really see Granite Crusher going to all retailers just as I don't see the Golden Dragonfire Cannon or GITD Starer Pack migrating.  That said, will this stay in production, be cut of after a set date, or simply produced to a certain quantity is beyond me.

Out of all the Giants, I liked Crusher the most aesthetically (Eye Brawl is right up there).  The Granite Crusher look is very cool and it was on my short list of things to try and pick-up.

Conclusion

Right now, I don't think you'll have too much trouble trying to get a Granite Crusher.  If your store didn't have them, they likely will be getting them in soon.  If not, try another Target.  If you want it, I would advise picking him up BEFORE Black Friday just to be safe.  For those not wanting everything, adding Granite Crusher over Crusher is a nice fit, gives you something a little extra, and is all done for the same price.

Skylanders Giants: Unboxing GITD Wii Starter Pack

Nintendo Wii Starter Pack with GITD Cynder and Portal of Power (Walmart Exclusive)

Alright, let's just get started with a quick run down for those looking for the basics.

What is it? Skylanders Giants Starter Pack for Nintendo Wii

Where Did You Get It? Walmart.  In the US, this is a Walmart/Sam's Club Exclusive

How Did You Get It?  Walmart.com's Site-to-Store

What Did It Cost? $74.99 plus tax (Site-to-Store doesn't charge shipping)

Does It Cost Extra?  No, that is the real perk...Special, but at regular price!

What is included?  Game Disc, Wired Glow-in-the-Dark Portal of Power, Glow in the Dark Series 2 Cynder,  Jet-Vac, Tree-Rex.

What Was the Stock Like?  In my hunts it has varied store-to-store.  If you want it, I think you can get it.

Will This Be Rare? Honestly don't know.  It is obviously special, whether it is a timed offering (thru Dec 31st), a set quantity (10,000) etc is beyond me.  All I know is that if you really want a GITD Starter Pack you should be able to get it.  That said, I would advise picking it up BEFORE Black Friday.

Why Did You Pick the GITD Version?  Long story.  I originally planned to get only the Portal Owner's Pack.  Why?  I wanted to record it via Wii, but was going to pick up the Wii U version on launch day.  As pricing came out, I (and virtually everyone else) realized that the Starter Pack is a better deal...especially for Wii Owners.  It only costs an extra $15 and you are basically getting 2 Skylanders and the wired Portal for that price.  That is money well spent...and efficient.  I don't know how many times in the playthrough last year I had the portal die...And it died a lot more than that, just wasn't always "during recording."  The wired portal will take care of that!  No more batteries!

Furthermore, I had read online that some Aussies (they got the game before us), complained of their "old" portals on the Wii not powering up the Giants and LightCore Skylanders.  That kind of kills the cool features if they are dim.

The real clincher, however, was when Walmart announced their GITD Starter Pack.  I'm not a huge Cynder fan, but she is GITD.  I'll take what I can get.  Plus the Portal is GITD...sweet.  The biggest swaying factors remained the wired portal and better value.  Just purely from a personal perspective, Jet-Vac is who I looked forward to the most (like Warnado last time).  His LightCore should be in stores now (Wave 2), but this and L-Jet-Vac are the only ways to get him in regular form.

Overall, the GITD Portal was cool, didn't cost more than a Starter Pack that was "basic," and there honestly wasn't a good promotion going on for buying the Starter Pack elsewhere (ie 50% off another game, or free Battle Pack/Triple Pack etc).

Conclusion

The Starter Pack is a better value than the Portal Owner's Pack.  For Wii Owner's of SSA the wired Portal is a NICE addition.  I am a big Jet-Vac fan (hoping he is good in the game) and wanted his figure.  Toss in the Walmart Exclusive GITD Cynder and GITD Portal of Power all for the same price as a regular Starter Pack and you've got me ready to purchase.  This one just makes too much sense.  Value, special, variant included, and all at the same price as its' basic counterparts.

On a side note, since I am likely the only person to care about this stuff....The packaging is vastly improved across the product line.  This one is by far the least friendly, but it is better than last year.  The only real complaint is the tape and plastic pouches with the fold-over adhesion strips.

My only caution remains being careful getting Tree Rex out.  The packaging is tight and cumbersome, but it needs to be for shipping.  Just take your time and try to stay away from the light up portions.

Review of Translucent Red Drill Sergeant

Well, I took a little road trip tonight and came up with the Walmart Exclusive Translucent Red Drill Sergeant (TRDS in my own little world).  Let's take a look at the review:

Here are the basics:
-Drill Sergeant (Tech Element)
-Variant Form: Translucent Red
-Where Can You Get a TRDS?: Walmart...It is an exclusive
-How Much: $8.96
-Buy Online?: No.  Get it at your local Walmart...DO NOT buy from ebay scalpers
-Does TRDS Show Up translucent red in the game?: No, he will look like regular old Drill Sergeant.
-Any thing special?: TRDS starts at Level 5 and has 2100 Coins

Not much else to say...Personally  I don't think the "translucent red" looks too great...It is neat, but there are times it looks like a pale strawberry jello...TBB (translucent blue Bash) on the other hand looks great in person.

Also note that if you want to keep TRDS packaged, but would like to cash in on the Level 5 and $2100 you can play him on the portal with no issue...best of both worlds...enjoy in game and keep mint for display and future value!

As of right now (July 7th, 2012) we really don't know if TRDS will be flooding Walmarts across the country and spilling into grocery aisles, or if he will be somewhat limited.  A lot of people claim they see "50" at their local store, but the most I've seen in a picture is 12-18ish...not 50.  That said, I wouldn't be surprised it this is just another way to get $9 out of you, but if you are a collector, variant hunter, or more importantly just a Drill Sergeant fan this is worth the $8.96 asking price.

Also note that Drill Sergeant was released as a Gold Variant as well...that one will no doubt be more valuable, but this is at least a widely available variant and a nice addition to your collection.

I try to rotate him around to showcase the color changes in the video...some people will like the coloring, I felt it would have been better suited if it were a shade or two darker with a bit more gloss...

Nonetheless, if you are interested you should be able to find TRDS at a Walmart near you.

I will try to check back in my local stores and monitor sock from time-to-time...I'll also keep up online...I'll include updates in the weekly blog posts.  As of now, the store I got mine from received 12-18 last week and had 3 tonight...They have only had 1 shipment.

Stay tuned for more updates and good luck landing your TRDS!

Skylanders: Giants Information, Characters, Powers, Compatibility

This post will remain a work in progress as new information is released and/or I have time to update the post...feel free to comment with what you know...Again, I will update as time allows.  I will also stick to posting only things that are confirmed or very likely to be true.  The original draft was composed Monday, June 18th, 2012 and published Tuesday, June 19th, 2012.  The latest revision is Feburary, 26th, 2013.

About the Game

-Release Date & Pre-Order

Skylanders: Giants will be the follow-up game to the smash-hit, and 1ofWiisdom staple, Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure.  The game is available for pre-order now at various places (Amazon, GameStop, Toys'R'Us, etc) and is slated for release on Sunday, October 21st, 2012 just ahead of Thanksgiving and the impending holiday rush where us veteran Skylanders really saw things get crazy.

Background Story

I heard this in an August 4th, 2012 interview with Alex Ness...here is the recap:

Kaos is on earth in a toy store trying to get back to Skylands and something he does with a portal sends him way back, literally, in Skylands. He finds and figures out how to activate an ancient Arkeyan robot and then learns that if he controls the "Iron Fist of Arkus" he will be in control of the entire ancient army of Arkeyans and can then proceed to defeat the Skylanders and rule all of Skylands.

-Game Engine

Giants will run on the same engine as Spyro's Adventure.  All console versions will be developed, once again, by Toys for Bob.  The 3DS Version, which should again be unique, will be switched from Vicarious Visions to n-Space...Here is an easy to read breakdown:

-Plartforms

Nintendo Wii and Nintendo Wii U (Developed by Toys for Bob)
Nintendo 3DS (Developed by n-Space (Spyro's Adventure was done by Vicarious Visions))
Microsoft Xbox 360 (Developed by Toys for Bob)
Microsoft Windows (Developed by Toys for Bob)
Sony Playstation 3 (Developed by Toys for Bob)

-Packaging

Skylanders: Giansts will come in two flavors: Starter Pack (with Portal) and Portal Owner's Pack (no Portal).  It is unknown if different versions will have different characters (ie Console=Jet-Vac, 3DS=Pop Fizz).  We will just have to wait and see at this point.  Update: It actually looks like my sample was correct...Jet Vac goes to Console Packs and Pop Fizz goes to the 3DS Packs!

--Starter Pack
Each Skylanders: Giants Starter Pack will include: Portal of Power, Game Disc/Cartridge, Poster, 1 Giant (Tree Rex), 1 New Skylander (Jet Vac), and 1 Re-Released Skylander (Cynder), as well as the matching Trading Cards and Stickers.

--Portal Owner's Pack
This is designed for people who already own a portal and want to take advantage of the savings.  It will feature the Game Disc/Cartridge, Poster, 1 Giant (Tree Rex), 1 New Skylander (Jet Vac), and the matching Trading Cards and Stickers.

Compatibility

--Forward Compatibility 

The Skylanders you know and love from Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure will transfer right across to Giants AND they can join the new releases in being able to upgrade to Level 15.  That said, they will not be able to have any other perks you see with the Giants based Skylanders as they can not have multiple upgrade paths or capitalize on the "Wow Pow" Powers.

--Backwards Compatibility

I did not expect this, but according the official Giants website, Series 2 (ie what will come out with Giants) will actually be able to play in Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure.  The answer doesn't explicitly mention Giants, but the question does...I will have a screen grab below.

New Skylanders

This is probably what most of you, at least at this point, want to know the most about...I will do my best to keep you up to date.  As I've said for quite some time, our best bet for info was E3, and it delivered.

-Giant Skylanders
--8 New, 1 per Element

There will be 1 Giant per Element and they will truly be "giant" when compared to their counterparts.  They should be just a shade over 2 times the height of a regular Skylander.

-Air Giant: Swarm
-Earth Giant: Crusher
-Fire Giant: Hot Head
-Life Giant: Tree Rex
-Magic Giant: Ninjini
-Tech Giant: Bouncer
-Undead Giant: Eye Brawl
-Water Giant: Thumpback

-LightCore Skylanders
--8 Total, 4 Brand New, 4 Previously Released (ie from the original 32)

These Skylanders light up when placed on the portal of power and have special "LightCore" powers.  In addition to that, whatever that may be anyway lol, they will reportedly light up in the game.  So unlike the current variants (Gold, Silver, Glow-in-the-Dark etc) these will not only look special in real life and on the portal, but also in the game...Well played Activsion, well played.

-New LightCore, Air: Jet-Vac
-New LightCore, Life: Shroomboom
-New LightCore, Magic: Pop-Fizz
-New LightCore, Water: Chill
-Old LighCore, Earth: PrismBreak 
-Old LightCore, Fire: Eruptor 
-Old LightCore, Tech: Drobot
-Old LightCore, Undead: Hex 


-New Regular Sized Skylanders
--8 Total, 1 per Element: 4 Regular, 4 LightCore

-New Regular, Air: Jet-Vac (Lightcore)
-New Regular, Earth: Flashwing
-New Regular, Fire: Hot Dog
-New Regular, Life: Shroomboom (Light Core)
-New Regular, Magic: Pop Fizz (Light Core)
-New Regular, Tech: Sprocket
-New Regular, Undead: Fright Rider
-New Regular, Water: Chill (Light Core)


-New LightCore, Air: Jet-Vac
-New LightCore, Life: Shroomboom
-New LightCore, Magic: Pop-Fizz
-New LightCore, Water: Chill
--New LightCore, Water: Legendary Chill


-New "Re-Released" Skylanders
--24 of the 32 will be coming back in regular form, but in a different pose...3 from each element.
--4 of these 24 "Re-Released" Skylanders will be LightCore (see above: Eruptor, Prism Break etc).


-Air: Lightning Rod
-Air: Sonic Boom
-Air: Whirlwind
-Earth: Bash
-Earth: Prism Break (LightCore)
-Earth: Terrafin
-Fire: Eruptor (LightCore)
-Fire: Flameslinger
-Fire: Ignitor, Legendary Ignitor
-Life: Stealth Elf
-Life: Stump Smash
-Life: Zook
-Magic: Double Trouble
-Magic: Spyro
-Magic: Wrecking Ball
-Tech: Drill Sergeant
-Tech: Drobot (Light Core)
-Tech: Trigger Happy
-Undead: Chop Chop
-Undead: Cynder
-Undead: Hex (Light Core)
-Water: Slam Bam, Legendary Slam Bam
-Water: Gill Grunt 
-Water: Zap 

-Legendaries

-Legendary Slam Bam
-Legendary Ignitor
-Legendary Stealth Elf
-Legendary Jet-Vac
-Legendary Bouncer
-Legendary LightCore Chill


There have been rumors and even a few decent pics or screen grabs of what looks like a maxed out Legendary Slam Bam and Legendary Ignitor.  If I had to guess, I would think we might see 8 of them total...That would allow for 3 from each Element to be released in a new pose, and 1 from each Element to be released as a legendary, thus making all 32 available in some form or another for another purchase.
*Again, this is just my speculation on June 18th, 2012, but I have heard crazier things...This just seems too likely to me...Activision can congratulate me for a correct prediction by sending new characters to demo :D

 Variants 

Potential Variants:

--Nothing at this time has been made official, but you can bank on some "chase" Skylanders.  I heard Alex Ness mention in an August 4th, 2012 interview they had some cool stuff planned in regards to variants.

I would think we might see more of the translucents, but in different shades...or metallic/pearl/dark variants.  I would bank that they will be like the past set-up...Hard to find, loaded with cash/partially levelled up etc, but probably look the same in the game.

Store Exclusives

-Amazon.com
--Gold Flameslinger (Single Pack)

-GameStop
--Golden Dragonfire Cannon Battle Pack
--Royal Double Trouble (Battle Ground Starter Pack for Apple)

-Target
--Granite Crusher
--Jade Flashwing
--LightCore Triple Pack (Prism Break, Eruptor, Drobot)

Toys'R'Us
--Legendaries
---Triple Pack: Slam Bam, Jet-Vac, Ignitor
---Single Pack: Bouncer
---Single Pack: Stealth Elf
---Single Pack: LightCore Chill


-Walmart
--Glow in the Dark Cynder (Starter Packs)
--Glow in the Dark Sonic Boom (Single Pack)
--Molten Hot Dog (Single Pack)


Glow-in-the-Dark

Cynder: Walmart Starter Pack
Fright Rider: Europe Single Pack
-Sonic Boom: Walmart Exclusive

Rock/Stone

-Zook
-Whirlwind

Sparkle/Glitter

-Sonic Boom
-Sprocket
-Hot Head

Flocked White (Snow)

-Eruptor
-LightCore Prism Break
-Stump Smash

TBA

-Scarlet Ninjini
-Polar Whirlwind

Console/Starter Pack Exclusives

Punch Pop Fizz: 3DS Stater Pack

Gnarly Tree Rex: Wii with Starter Pack

Translucent Green Gill Grunt: Skylanders Spyro's Adventure XBox Starter Pack
--Really bad timing on this one

Employee Exclusive (Christmas 2012)

-LightCore Prism Break

Toy Fair Exclusive (2013)

-Metallic Blue Chop Chop


Releases: Single Pack, Triple Pack, Battle Pack etc.

I will indicate "New" behind brand-new Skylanders.  Your old favorites listed out can be assumed to be their reposed "Series 2" releases.

Adventure Packs

Skylanders: Giants will have no new Adventure Packs.  The old APs however will work, which I assume means they'll unlock new chapters just as they did previously.

Battle Packs

In place of the Adventure Packs, Giants will feature Battle Packs.  Basically 2 characters packaged with an item that unlocks a new Battle Arena.  It is my hope, especially since there has been no confirmation of a Single Player Battle Mode, that they will also function as a "magic item" in Giants gameplay.

-Golden Dragonfire Cannon BP: Chop Chop, Golden Dragonfire Cannon, Shroomboom (New) ((GameStop Exclusive))
-Dragonfire Cannon Battle Pack: Chop Chop, Shroombooom, and Dragonfire Cannon
-Scorpion Striker Battle Pack: Zap, Hot Dog, and Scorpion Striker

Triple Packs

-Triple Pack A-1: Pop Fizz, Whirlwind, Trigger Happy
-Triple Pack B:-2 Ignitor, Chill, and Zook
-Triple Pack C-3: Sonic Boom, Sprocket, Stump Smash
-Triple Pack D-4: Gill Grunt, Flashwing, Double Trouble
-Triple Pack E:-5 Prism Break, Lightning Rod, Drill Sergeant
-Triple Pack F-6: Eruptor, Stealth Elf, Terrafin
-Triple Pack G-7: Fright Rider, Wrecking Ball, Flameslinger
-Triple Pack H-8: Spyro, Bash, Hot Dog
-Triple Pack I-9: Slam Bam, Shroomboom, Hex

LightCore Triple Pack (Target Exclusive): Prism Break, Drobot, Eruptor

Legendary Triple Pack (Toys'R'Us Exclusive): Slam Bam, Jet-Vac, Ignitor

Single Packs

LightCore

-Drobot-Light Core
-Eruptor-Light Core
-Prism Break-Light Core
-Jet-Vac-Light Core
-Shroomboom-Light Core
-Chill-Light Core
-Legendary Chill-Light Core
-Pop Fizz-Light Core
-Hex-Light Core

Series 2

-Terrafin-Series 2
-Slam Bam-Series 2
-Ignitor-Series 2
-Trigger Happy-Series 2
-Zook-Series 2
-Flameslinger-Series 2
-Double Trouble-Series 2
-Drill Sergeant-Series 2
-Stump Smash-Series 2
-Sonic Boom-Series 2
-Whirlwind-Series 2
-Gill Grunt-Series 2
-Bash-Series 2
-Hex-Series 2
-Prism Break-Series 2
-Stealth Elf-Series 2
-Eruptor-Series 2
-Lightning Rod-Series 2
-Cynder-Series 2
-Spyro-Series 2
-Wrecking Ball-Series 2
-Zap-Series 2
-Drobot-Series 2
-Chop Chop-Series 2

Newlanders

-Pop Fizz-New-Fright Rider-New
-Chill-New
-Flashwing-New
-Sprocket-New
-Shroomboom-New
-Hot Dog-New

Giants

-Swarm-Giant
-Crusher-Giant
-Bouncer-Giant
-Hot Head-Giant
-Thumpback-Giant
-Eye-Brawl-Giant
-Ninjini-Giant

Pricing

-Portal Owner's Pack (minus Portal $59.99):
-Starter Pack (with Portal): $74.99
-Single Packs: $9.99
-Light Core Singles: $11.99
-Giant Singles: $14.99
-Triple Packs: $24.99
-Battle Packs: $24.99 (as per August 2012 GameStop Exclusive)

Castaways (Added 8/7/2012)

I thought it only fitting to make note of the Skylanders from Series 1 which are not going to be treated to a repose.  I think Part of this is based on sales, and part is based on release date.  Warnado, Camo, and Wham-Shell are all insanely popular, and a lot of people still don't have them...With people getting them May-September, it makes sense to not crank out another...With others like Boomer, Voodood and Ghost Roaster, I think it is simply based on sales.  They just didn't move as much as the others.   I am really sad not to see a Dino-Rang repose, primarly due to the fact we had so much Bash in SSA (Regular, Legendary, Blue Bash at TRU etc).  Either way, Dino-Rang will remain a favorite of mine as will Ghost Roaster!

Here is the current list of "castaways:"

-Booomer (the more people hate on him, the more I like him)
-Camo 
-Dino-Rang (A favorite of mine, hard to repose though)
-Ghost Roaster (Metal Head had WIN written all over it)
-Sunburn
-Voodood 
-Warnado
-Wham-Shell

Powers

-The Original 32 (Green Base=Skylanders Spyro's Adventure)

The good news here is that your favorites from SSA can play in Giants AND upgrade to Level 15.  They will not have any new powers, but will supposedly enter just as you have them.  So if Terrafin is your favorite, he is maxed out with a SoulGem and down Sandhog, he should enter Chapter 1 of Giants in his killer form!


-Series 2: 8 New and 24 Re-Released from SSA's Roster (Orange Base)

Not only will all Series 2 Skylanders have the ability to upgrade to Level 15, but they will have what is known as "Wow Pow" Powers, basically something above and beyond the regular upgrade paths and Soul Gem seen with "Series 1" Skylanders.  Perhaps the best feature is that Series 2 Skylanders can switch paths.

-Giants

Each of the 8 Giants will have some massive powers to match their impressive stature.

You will see Giants able to walk on enemies and over treasure etc...They will also be able to bash (ie gain entry to areas regular Skylanders can not) and throw items (like boulders, not natural powers).  As you have seen in the trailer there is also "Feats of Strength" where you have to perform a certain action to advance through the level (think Elemental Gate from SSA, but on a larger scale).

Skylanders: Giants: In Game Features

There is not going to be online play at this point.

There has still yet to be confirmation of a SINGLE PLAYER BATTLE MODE, which is what I would like to see the most in Giants. 

An August 4th, 2012 interview with Alex Ness revealed that there was a game called Sky Stones

Skylanders: Spyro Universe

This will still be around and will be adapted to accommodate new Series 2, Light Core, and Giant figures...It is also believed they  will contnue to add games etc.


What I Would Like to See

-Pre-Order

It is nice to see the game is already up for pre-order, but is that to accommodate us die-hards, or is it because they are planning to make the game a nightmare to obtain?  You know, where it comes out mid-October and you can not find it until January, or nearly get killed and/or pay 3x the retail price to land one prior to Christmas.  I would really like to see the pre-order go for us die-hards and then have it function because it lets Activision estimate interest and quantity and then work to fulfill those orders and ramp up production to match etc.

I would obviously like to see this with the game and characters.  So if someone wants to order all the new Skylanders, they can fork over the cash in December and know they will see them the same day the local stores get 2 cases to sell out in an hour.

-Release Schedule

I realize these are made overseas and stuff happens, but it would be great (once the game is out and we know the character roster) that you will land X, Y, and Z Skylander at Q, W, and E Dates.  Even if you just announce that December 1st is when you can pre-order Wave 3 Skylanders that will ship mid-January it would be huge.

The rush to hit the store and time things with trucks is fun...about once every 3 months when you actually have the stars line-up.  The scalpers need to be put at bay...Activision and their retailers are not the ones profiting it is greedy individuals who likely don't even care about the game...Just eliminate it...we will gladly pay retail, in advance of the product, to avoid hassles...

-Bigger Challenge

The game is sort of geared towards a younger audience and I understand wanting to keep it accessible, but having some way of adjusting the difficulty would be great.  A few ideas would be having something unlock after defeating Kaos for the first time, or simply having the option to select it at the title screen, or per chapter etc.

-Single Player Battle Mode**

I have still not heard if it will feature SINGLE PLAYER BATTLE MODES, but it if does not, it is a HUGE BLUNDER.  Imagine a Madden Game where you can not play a practice game without having a friend.  I am going to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume this is a no-brainer.

Conclusion

Skylanders: Giants is shaping up to be a great follow-up.  We don't have a lot of information just yet, but we should see more with trailers and screen caps released along the way.

I know I am looking forward to it and to answer a very popular question: "Yes, I plan to do unboxings and a blind playthrough of the game...much like you saw with Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure."

Again, as of right now (June 18th, 2012) there is more we don't know than we do know.  I will update this as time allows, or more likely, as info is released.

**Updated August 6th, 2012.  Added a few confirmed names...Some info from an August 4th, 2012 Interview with Alex Ness, the just confirmed GameStop Battle Pack, and pricing and release dates etc (which I should have already done, just got too focused on the "cool" stuff).

**Updated August 13th, 2012.  I saw this yesterday morning, but am just now getting to post about it...Ther was another leak via an online vendor creating place holder pages (ie all the info, price etc, just waiting on image sets).  Luckily someone caught it, took screen caps, and shared with everyone.  This, for better or worse, revealed all the remaining characters OFFICIAL NAMES.  We still don't have all the info (release dates, waves, single/triple/battle pack configurations etc).  Nonetheless, this is a big deal!

Updated February 26th, 2013.  I decided to finally take the time to add in the variants and update the single pack and triple pack listings with what is currently known.