Out today is the Skylanders companion app called Creator for iOS and Android, which lets you scramble and spruce up custom "Imaginator" heroes and then have it 3D-printed afterward.
Activision Blizzard said, however, that the 3D prints will come in limited quantities and will cost $49.99 a pop. The 3D-printed heroes that you designed will be housed in a transparent dome and a base platform where the custom Imaginator is situated. If you find the price point to be a tad bit more than what you're willing shell out, there are a few alternatives. You can instead spend $14.99 to net you a custom trading card for your Imaginator, or for a little more at $24.99, you can have your Imaginator stamped on a T-shirt.
For 3D prints or trading cards, the created Imaginator will be fully playable in Skylanders Imaginators. Just summon it via NFC, and the imaginator will be transferred digitally in its exact shape, form and cosmetic features that you whipped up on the Creators app. You can transfer Imaginator Skylanders from the console game to the creator app but not vice versa. The only method of migrating creations from the Creators app to the console is by ordering a custom 3D print or trading card.
All the parts and gear in the console version of Skylanders Imaginators will appear in the Creators app, which is free to download and play. Good news for those who aren't fans of freemium apps: Creators will host all materials in its entirety, but you need to unlock them first via three daily chests. This might take a while, but at least it won't dent your pockets as you play.
Skylanders Imaginators isn't out until Oct. 16, but you can go ahead and download the Creators app now if you want to get started on designing your custom Imaginators. As previously mentioned, all the parts and gear you can get on the console version will be mirrored in the Creators app. So as you wait for the release of the game, you can stockpile on some gear, limbs and costumes for your heroes.
For those unaware, Skylanders is a popular toys-to-life franchise first introduced in 2011 with Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure. In the games, players can place character figures called Skylanders on the "Portal of Power," an NFC-enabled device that imports the toy as a playable character in the game. In a way, Activision set the ground for similar games such as Disney Infinity, Lego Dimensions or a surfeit of Amiibo figures for a number of Nintendo games.
The games to date have already generated $3 billion in sales, with over 250 million toys sold. Speaking to VentureBeat, Toys for Bob co-founder Paul Reiche III reiterated his hope for Skylanders' destiny.
"If we make exciting games that inspire people's imaginations, that make them think, 'Wow, that's magical' — we can get as much success as we earn, as we deserve. But that only happens if you push the work you're doing and surprise people," said Reiche.
