With a torrent of internet speculation and analysis over what the next chapter in the Skylanders game will look like (or indeed if it is a new game, new adventure or just some more silly hats) I thought I’d ask my kids what they want Skylanders to do next.
They had obviously been thinking about this a lot, as the next morning I was presented with a wish list in a sealed envelope, signed by each of them. Over cereal and toast we talked through their suggestions…
- Availability: The first thing they said was that they wanted to be able to buy the Skylanders more easily. On Amazon the figures can go for as much as $50 because demand is outstripping supply. I keep a daily Skylanders Amazon Search loaded to track various Skylanders for the kids, and I agree that solving the supply problem has to be the first step for Activision.
- Moveable Parts: The next thing they wanted was more moveable parts and accessories with the toys. They play with the figures as much away from the game as they do on the 360 so this is a big deal for them.
- Vehicles: They also said it would be cool to have Skylanders cars and houses to put them in. I had to admit that did sound pretty cool although I imagine they might cost quite a lot. This then led to a Sunday afternoon project where we each made a Skylanders house out of old boxes and had a wild west kind of shoot-out (that Trigger Happy unsurprisingly won).
- Variety: Something that surprised me was that they also wanted more Skylanders. “Are you sure? You’ve not even got all the ones that are out already,” I asked, but they were resolute. The idea of having more different figures to choose from was something that really appealed to them. It was having a greater choice (they wanted figures in different colors, poses and holding different weapons) rather than more figures to collect that they thought would be good.
- Skylanders Karting: It wasn’t until the end of our conversation that they started to talk about the videogame itself. Here their thoughts turned to being able to race around in Skylanders cars, or have airship races with Flynn. My daughter, who plays the game less than the two boys, thought it would be a good to be able to customize her Skylanders in the game.
- Skylanders Board Games: Finally, the kids wanted some real world board games that made use of the Skylanders figures as play pieces. We made up our own version of Skylanders Chess, but they wanted something more formal with a purpose built board and (from the sound of it) a more Dungeons & Dragons feel.
It will be interested to see how the Skylanders game will develop, I just hope my kids aren’t disappointed. I do have a secret weapon up my sleeve though if they are — a Skylanders adventure island made of Lego that I’ve been working on in the loft.
What do you think Skylanders should do next?
