Children everywhere have already written their Holiday Wish Lists and parents everywhere are being asked to make difficult decisions. This holiday season has presented parents with a new and unique problem to solve.
Skylander’s Swap Force or Disney Infinity?
Now, parents have had to make decisions before, and have either depended on reviews to make their decision (or just gotten both). This is a problem because getting both is a significant investment (that will only grow), and the review scores for both games are close enough that there is no clear winner.
Below are some pieces of information that should help parents make their decisions. If you have further questions, or opinions, on the matter sound off in the comments!
Platforms
Skylander’s Swap Force
PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii, WiiU
3DS – The 3DS version is a different game that comes in a separate starter pack with different figures.
Disney Infinity
PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, WiiU (Disney Infinity came out too early in the year to have a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One version.)
3DS – The 3DS version is a different game. It has no Toy Box mode. Instead it is a collection of mini-games to help level up characters.
Wii – The Wii version is the weakest of the bunch. It does not include any of the online features or multiplayer in the different playsets. The Toybox mode is also reduced in scope with smaller worlds to play in and fewer tools available. (Note: If all you own is a Wii console, then Disney Infinity is not a very good idea.)
PC/iOS – The PC and iOS versions of the game feature the Toy Box mode, but use web codes included in each figure’s packaging as opposed to the figures themselves.
Pricing
Skylander’s Swap Force
Starter Pack – $74.99
Swap Force Character – $14.99
Standard Character – $9.99
“Lightcore” Character – $12.99
Battle Packs, Triple Packs, Adventure Packs – $24.99
Disney Infinity
Starter Pack – $74.99
Standard Character – $12.99
3-pack of Characters – $29.99
Power Discs (blink pack) – $4.99
Playsets – Varies $29.99 – $34.99
Content
Both Skylander’s Swap Force and Disney Infinity have been rated E 10+ by the ESRB for their “Cartoon Violence.” It is worth noting, however, that Disney Infinity allows players to go online and play other people’s creations. Online content is NOT rated by the ESRB because it is unpredictable.
Business Model
Activision has published a new Skylander’s branded game during each of the last three years. The last two games have each come along with a new game play mechanic and a new wave of figures.
It is safe to assume at this point that this pattern will continue. This makes Skylander’s a fairly safe purchase because it is easy to predict what your future purchases will be like.
Disney Infinity, on the other hand, is an unknown element. We only have about six months worth of history to go by. We’re not completely in the dark though. We can infer some things based on Disney’s behavior in the video game space since Disney Infinity was released.
Historically, Disney would contract with a developer to release movie tie in games across every platform imaginable for its animated films. Sadly, most of them have been awful.
That appears to have changed with their most recent film Frozen. They are still releasing a licensed game, but it is an epilogue featuring one of the characters (Olaf the Snowman) and is only being released on handheld platforms. They are, however, releasing an official Frozen playset for Disney Infinity.
If this continues it would seem that Disney Infinity would be less of a stand-alone game than it is an ecosystem within which to purchase Disney/Pixar related games. If you think about it that way, the cost of the starter pack is more of an entry fee to pay the playset prices for future licensed products.
Verdict?
These two games may look similar to the outside observer, but it is almost impossible to give a final answer regarding which of these two games is “best” for your family. They are just too different.
Here are some questions to ask yourself to help decide:
- Does your family end up buying, and enjoying, all of the licensed Disney movie games? (If yes, then Infinity is probably a good decision.)
- Which of the two games do your children’s friends have? (The biggest draw for these games is the social aspect of being able to share figures and play with friends. Matching games is critical for making that work.)
- Are you limited to a Wii or a 3DS console? If you are, then that makes the decision for you. (The Skylanders series works just fine on the Wii and it is an actual game on the 3DS as opposed to a collection of mini-games.)
Good luck! Post your decisions in the comments! What did your family buy?