Key events
6th November 2015
5th November 2012
26th July 2012
7th February 2012
Skylanders is getting an animated series on Netflix
Starring Justin Long, Jonathan Banks and Norm MacDonald.
Last November Activision Blizzard announced that it would be launching a film studio. Today the publisher revealed that its first project will be a Skylanders animated series for Netflix entitled Skylanders Academy.
Activision Blizzard launches film and TV studio
Skylanders animated series in development, Call of Duty movies and shows planned.
Activision Blizzard has launched a film and TV studio, entitled Activision Blizzard Studios, to make shows and movies based on its popular video game franchises.
The first of these will be an animated Skylanders show entitled Skylanders Academy. It will star Justin Long (Drag me to Hell) as Spyro, Ashley Tisdale (Phineas and Ferb) as Stealth Elf, Jonathan Banks (Mike from Breaking Bad) as Eruptor and Norm Macdonald (Saturday Night Live) as Glumshanks. Harland Williams and Richard Horvitz will also play supporting roles.
Activision Blizzard Studios is also planning to make Call of Duty films and possibly a TV series. According to its announcement, the studio "envisions a series of Call of Duty feature films as well as the possibility of television adaptations."
Activision blames low Call of Duty: Ghosts pre-orders on next-gen hesitation
Do you know which platform you'll play on?
Pre-orders for Call of Duty: Ghosts are down compared to pre-orders for last year's game, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 - and Activision reckons it knows why.
Rediscovering the joy of play on a father-and-son visit to the home of the Skylanders.
"I've got a confession..."
Activision casts doubt on 2013 release for Bungie's Destiny
Plus: 12 million Diablo 3 sales, 9.6m WOW subs and "disappointment" at Wii U launch.
Activision cast doubt on a 2013 launch for Bungie's hotly anticipated new game Destiny during its annual money meeting last night.
Size matters.
Released just before Christmas 2011, the original Skylanders was a big hit but a strangely small game. With linear levels and limited room to explore away from the prescribed path, it often felt that more time had been spent perfecting the admittedly remarkable toys that sprang to life on-screen than was spent designing a truly inspiring world for them to roam around in. It was charming and fun, but in gameplay terms it seemed like a rough draft and it chafed awkwardly against the restrictions of choosing the Wii as its lead platform.
This makes Skylanders Giants one of those rare occasions where the games industry's obsession with annual iterations pays off. With the contact-based technology powering its plastic playthings well established, developer Toys For Bob has been freed up to open the curtains a little wider on its curious little world.
There are fewer levels than in the last game - 16 compared to 22 originally - but it still feels much larger, thanks to design that is no longer so keen to herd you down simple pathways. These levels sprawl in multiple directions and are filled with secret routes, hidden doorways and bonus areas. Sometimes there are secret areas lurking inside secret areas, and when you take into account the freedom to enter and explore many of the buildings you encounter along the way, it's far more fun to wander and poke around than it was before.
UK chart: FIFA 13 scores fourth week top, 007 Legends in 12th
Skylanders, Doom 3: BFG Edition in top 10. Dance Central 3 flops.
FIFA 13 remains top of the UK all-format charts for a fourth week, seeing off competition from toy phenomenon Skylanders Giants and Bethesda's Doom 3: BFG Edition.
Skylanders Giants release date set for October
Introduces new giant bee character.
Skylanders Giants is now slated for release on 19th October in the UK and the 21st in the US on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, 3DS, PC and mobile, Activision has announced.
Additionally, the publisher has revealed the a new character/toy for the series, the giant bee Swarm.
Swarm is a prince who lived among his 9000 family members in a hive until he grew extraordinarily large and no longer fit, at which point he went off to explore the world and got caught up in the battle between the Giants and the Arkeyans.
Activision: games are relationships, "brands in people's lives"
Have more in common with sport than film.
Games are relationships, Call of Duty publisher Activision has said.
VideoFirst Spyro: Skylanders Giants footage
Activision pumping out sequel in time for Christmas.
Activision pumping out sequel in time for Christmas.
Activision announces Skylanders Giants
Over 20 new figures and light technology this autumn.
Activision has announced Skylanders Giants, the follow-up to toy/video game hybrid Skylanders Spyro's Adventure.
It introduces over 20 new figures, including super-sized giants and characters featuring light technology. There are also new challenges, a new story and better integration across console, handheld and mobile devices.
Included are eight new figures that are more than twice the size of the main skylanders cast in both physical and virtual form. These are the Giants.
