Disney Infinity

[Dan]

Curious to know if any one else has played this game. I kinda like it, what with some good story modes when you're in the mood and the popular sand box mode. I guess the easiest way to describe it would be like a combination of Minecraft, with its encouragement for creativity, and Skylanders, with the use of figure pieces to play the game.



Here's a rundown of the playable characters from the 1.0 set:

Mr. Incredible, Jack Sparrow, and Sulley are part of the starter kit

Additional Incredibles characters: Elastigirl, Violet, Dash, Syndrome

Additional Pirates of the Caribbean characters: Barbossa, Davy Jones

Additional Monsters University characters: Mike, Randy

Cars: Lightning McQueen, Mater, Holley Shiftwell, Francesco

Toy Story: Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie

The Lone Ranger: The Lone Ranger, Tonto

Wreck-It Ralph: Wreck-It Ralph, Vanellope

Frozen: Elsa, Anna

Phineas and Ferb: Phineas, Agent P

Additional Characters: Rapunzel, Sorcerer's Apprentice Mickey Mouse, Jack Skellington

What's interesting is that a number of characters have their original voice actors. Clearly they managed to get Idina Menzel and Kristen Bell while Frozen was still being made, but then you have a good chunk of the original voice actors in The Incredibles present like Craig T. Nelson, Jason Lee, and others, so it's fun to hear them with a few new lines of dialogue to add.

At present, Incredibles, Pirates, Monsters, Cars, Toy Story, and The Lone Ranger have playsets, which are like story modes to acquire new pieces to add to the toy box.

---

2.0 will be released this fall and will introduce the Marvel Super Heroes to the game.

The starter pack will include Iron Man, Thor, and Black Widow with Captain America, Hulk, and Hawkeye having to be picked up individually. Just recently they announced Maleficent and Merida as playable as well. While not confirmed as playable, folks have noted the presence of Stitch and other Marvel characters such as Spider-Man, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Nick Fury, Loki, The Green Goblin, and others to be introduced in the 2.0 launch.

[Ben]

That's a bit of a shame, I think, actually. I would have hoped that "Disney" remained "Disney" and that "Marvel" characters and (then, eventually) "Star Wars" characters would have had their own games worlds to inhabit - after all, they each have immeasurable elements and characters to pull from.

What I liked about the "Dssney" Disney Infinity was that it pulled from different ensembles (like the Pixar films, the classic features and live-action offshoots) but that they were all of a kind. Yeah, sure, Marvel and Star Wars (and even the Muppets) are now part of the Disney family, but they still feel like totally different brands and properties.

Of course, I guess you don't have to buy those sets, and there is something to be said for something where basically ALL the characters the company owns can be playable, but I do wish they would keep a "Disney only" version going, and spin the others off into Marvel Infinity and Star Wars Infinity...

[Dan]

This is just my perspective, but I rather think Infinity is an ideal setting to mix the various universes as it plays out as this big toy box for kids to play with, in particular the younger male demographic since the majority of the playsets are action/adventure based. Though it should be noted that the playsets themselves can only be accessed by characters of that specific world, i.e. only Incredibles characters can play in the Incredibles playset, no one from Monsters, Inc. or even Marvel.

Any way, I think it's fun to build up worlds that would mix the cultures together to your liking, which is kinda what separates it from Skylanders.

[Buzz Bumble]

Marvel and Star Wars (and even the Muppets) are now part of the Disney family, but they still feel like totally different brands and properties.

Technically those are still separate companies (so far). The new Star Wars movies for example may have "Disney" distributor logos replacing 20th Century Fox from previous ones, but they will still be "Lucasfilm" productions. Pixar on the other hand was semi-merged into Disney, which is why the newer movies are labelled as "Disney-Pixar".


I've only read a little about the Disney Infinity "game", but the figurines are hideously expensive here in New Zealand. Angry Birds does a similar line of figure-game pieces called Telepods.

[Ben]

Pixar hasn't been "semi-merged"...they're just like LucasFilm and Marvel - separate entities (at least, as long as they continue to deliver) under the Disney umbrella.

Disney-Pixar films have been branded so ever since their second feature, A Bug's Life, since even back when they were "indedpendent", Disney still picked up the bills and they were technically co-pros.

When they were bought by Disney, the first Toy Story retroactively became Disney-Pixar branded (it was previously Disney only, since Pixar was the animation house on the film, which was originally developed with them in-house at Disney Animation).

Although Pixar could probably go out and market a movie under their own logo, all subsequent films have been Disney-Pixar branded, again since Disney continues to pick up the bills and Pixar is now an in-house provider of animated product that feeds the Disney animation line (hence why you'll never see a Pixar movie in commercial competition against a Disney Animation feature).

[Buzz Bumble]

That's what I meant by "semi-merged".

Although now owned by Disney, Lucasfilm is still completely independent. It's movies will remain as "Lucasfilm" products, not "Disney-Lucasfilm" or just "Disney" ... at least for now.

[Ben]

Although now owned by Disney, Lucasfilm is still completely independent.

With the greatest amount of respect, that comment is an exact definition of "oxymoron".

[Buzz Bumble]

Not really. Disney owns all the rights and legalities, but the company operates as a completely separate standalone unit - it's own finances, board, management, etc. The same happens with Apple and a company they spun-off now called FileMaker Inc (originally called Claris).

[Randall]

Sort of. But Disney is still calling the big shots. Disney set the early release date for Episode VII, *against* the request of Lucasfilm for more time. And it's Disney that ordered lots of spin-off films. And Disney that shut down LucasArts.

[Dan]

To be fair, LucasArts had become a shell of its former self, unable to produce the hits they once used to. Not to mention the numerous layoffs and what became a rotating door at the company's top seat. It was just a matter of time before they folded regardless of Disney buying them up.

[Ben]

LucasFilm is independent insofar that Kathy Kennedy gets to call the shots within the company. But three strikes and she's out, the same as with any other division of Disney.

And let's not forget that we're getting at least six new SW films in the foreseeable future because Bob Iger just paid over $4bn for the company and he wants to make that money back. LucasFilm had no intention of ever making Episodes 7-9, let alone the 10-12 that have also been mooted, or the three-plus origins movies also in the works.

All that - and the future of the Indy films - is down to their overlords at Disney. All films will be paid for, marketed and promoted to benefit Disney's bottom line, not LucasFilm's.

So...no, LucasFilm is not independent. It runs autonomously, but it isn't independent.

[Buzz Bumble]

LucasFilm had no intention of ever making Episodes 7-9, let alone the 10-12 that have also been mooted, or the three-plus origins movies also in the works.

All that - and the future of the Indy films - is down to their overlords at Disney. All films will be paid for, marketed and promoted to benefit Disney's bottom line, not LucasFilm's.

None of that is actually true:

• George Lucas was (reportedly) already working on the third trilogy before he sold out to Disney, despite saying (yet again) that he had retired ... but then he has got a new babay now, so "needed" the money from new movies.
• There was never any Episodes 10-12, or 7-9 for that matter. There was never any precise number of movies. The original vague story outline might have been able to be made as nine, or in one report 12 movies, but that storyline changed a LONG time ago (in a galaxy far far away ) and many times Realistically the Saga finishes with six movies and a happily ever after ending.
• A fifth Inidana Jones movie was planned, but George Lucas, Steven Speilberg, and Harrison Ford hadn't agreed on a story for it, let alone written it, and still haven't as far as I know.

As for spin-offs, Lucasfilm has already made spin-off TV shows and movies from Star Wars and a spin-off TV series from Indiana Jones. Disney actually cut-short The Clone Wars animated series with a have finished season ready to be broadcast, mostly because it was playing on the rival Cartoon Network and Disney wanted their own Star Wars show.

It runs autonomously, but it isn't independent.

Petty semantics. The meaning was obvious and basically the same.

[Ben]

"Realistically", the Star Wars saga is just three films long...

[Buzz Bumble]

It depends how you look at it - if you take it as the story of Luke Skywalker, then the Original Trilogy works all by itself ... BUT in the films were always sub-titled as Episodes 4-6 (except in the very first screenings of "Star Wars" where it would have reportedly confused the audience), so realistically the Saga is the story of Anakin Skywalker (combine with the rise and fall of the Emperor / Empire), which ends with his death and redemption in Episode 6, so, again, adding a third trilogy is a rather stupid decision. I can't see any way that a third trilogy is going to make sense, even if they resurrect the Emperor as they did in the novels.

[ShyViolet]

This kind of reminds me of a funny bit from The Editing Room: (by Rod Hilton)

MARK HAMILL

Dad, come on man, be good.

DARTH VADER

No.

(pause)

Okay.

He kills the EMPEROR. The rebellion wins! Everything is resolved!

MARK HAMILL

Well, it looks like we won. That is, unless you read the books or comics.

GEORGE LUCAS

It's worse than that, actually. Remember, I supposedly have plots for three movies that take place AFTER these three, which means some huge conflict is still unresolved. I won't make the movies, though. Hell, I won't even tell anyone what I'm thinking. Ha ha, **** you all!

END

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