At the San Diego Comic-Con this year Activision will be showing off the upcoming Skylanders Trap Team, both with playable hands-on demos and a new comic for sale. They have also revealed a brand new Starter Pack for the game- the Dark Edition, which features a special, larger-sized Trap to help capture Kaos.
Skylanders Trap Team SDCC Costume Contest Can Win You $5,000 In Prizes & Rare Figures
That's right- the normal Starter Kit will not let you trap the infamous villain of the series. A more pessimistic person might say that this is a neat way to get even more money out of kids but then again, the series has been doing quite well with that regardless. The franchise has earned billions of dollars in a few scant years!
The new gimmick for Skylanders Trap Team is that you will be able to trap villains in crystal Traps (sold separately) and then turn them to your side, playing as them for the first time ever. The first question most fans asked was that if Kaos would be available and he is- but you will need a specific Trap to get him, one that's larger than the rest of the elemental-themed ones.
Skylanders Comic Book Will 'Expand Universe', Be Prequel to Trap Team
This Starter pack not only gives you the Trap you'll need, but Dark versions of the main characters. Here's a picture showing off the entire contents- it comes with two more Traps; exclusive black and silver variant designs of new characters Snap Shot, Wildfire and Food Fight; a two-sided ultimate collector poster; sticker sheets and trading cards. It will retail for $99, $25 more than the standard Skylanders Trap Team Starter Pack.
You will be able to pre-order the Starter Pack at the Skylanders booth (#303) although you can start doing it today at all major retailers.
"In just 33 months, the Skylanders franchise has grown into a pop-culture phenomenon," said Josh Taub, senior vice president of product management at Activision Publishing, Inc. "What better way to honor our fans, many of whom attend San Diego Comic-Con, than to give them new ways to experience the game firsthand? With the Skylanders Trap Team Dark Edition, #0 issue of the official Skylanders comic and additional surprises to come, we have more to offer fans than ever before."
As far as the SDCC, there is going to be a ton of Skylanders events going on. Check out the full list below!
-Skylanders Panel (Room 7AB): "Skylanders: The Creative Process of Bringing Toys to Life" panel on Thursday, July 24th from 6-7 p.m., moderated by Geoff Keighley, will offer insights into one of the world's most beloved Toys-to-Life video game franchises, as well as a major announcement about new Skylanders characters. Speakers include: comic book writer Ron Marz (Green Lantern, DC vs. Marvel), famed voice of Kaos Richard Horvitz (Billy and Mandy, Invader Zim), and Toys for Bob's Director of Toy and Character Development, I-Wei Huang. New updatesto the Skylanders franchise will be revealed, and fans will leave with Skylanders giveaways, while supplies last.
-Skylanders Costume Contest (Room 7AB): Activision will award more than $5,000 in cash prizes and rare toys to the best Skylanders costumes at the panel on Thursday.
-Skylanders Show Floor (Booth #303): Fans can check out new Skylanders Trap Team toys, pose with Skylanders' #1 villain Kaos and costume characters,and receive giveaways while supplies last.
-Skylanders Comic Book, IDW Publishing (Booth #2643): Leading comic book publisher IDW will debut the first-ever Skylanders comic-book series. Issue #0 - debuting at Comic-Con - will feature an introductory 16-page story that serves as a prequel to this year's Skylanders Trap Team. Limited copies of a variant cover of the comic book will be available for purchase exclusively for attendees.
-First Public Hands-on Opportunities (Various Locations): Fans can be the first consumers in the world to play the upcoming Skylanders Trap Team at several locations and receive special giveaways while supplies last: Skylanders Trap Team First-to-Play Tour kicking off in the Interactive Zone at Petco Park's Lexus Premier Lot (no SDCC badge required); the Nintendo Gaming Lounge in the San Diego Ballroom, Marriott Marquis & Marina (no SDCC badge required); and the Xbox Lounge in the Manchester Grand Hyatt at 1 Market Place (SDCC badge required). While at the Xbox Lounge, fans can win a collectible Skylanders-themed Xbox One.
-Rubie's Costumes (Booth #3649): Skylanders fans can get a sneak peek at the new Skylanders Halloween costumes available this fall at Rubie's booth.
-Mad Libs Pop-Up Shop (Booth #4612):Attendees can get their hands on the popular Skylanders Universe Mad Libs, featuring more than 20 original stories, available for purchase at the Mad Libs Pop-Up Shop.
-Special Kids Day Activities - Sunday, July 27 (Various Locations): Kids who play the game at the Skylanders Trap Team First-to-Play Tour in the Interactive Zone will receive special giveaways, while supplies last. Fans can also stop by the Penguin Publishing booth to pick up their limited edition Skylanders activity poster, while supplies last. Kids will also get a peek into the Skylanders comic book at IDW's Kids Comics Panel on Sunday at 10 a.m. (Room 4).