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re: Skylanders, Anyone?
You should ask before you condemn, Bob. I've read every single post in this thread, all yesterday. That's three years worth in approx 10 +/- hours, and it made for a long day. You should forgive a slight confusion. Additionally, things worsen with ST/LT memory issues.
I felt it odd that it seemed new here, since you guys are on top of things. At any rate, I just found it and now I, too, am calling. I should have gone looking for something, now that I think about it, as it seemed there was frequently a contest, but never thought to. I actually stumbled over the contest. They sure are fun, aren't they? I can't remember who did it, but whomever sent off their 'Lander because they won two and the other person won none, that was one of the most gracious things I've heard of. All of you that offered to, too. I thought that was so special. Really nice folks here. |
re: Skylanders, Anyone?
I didn't know the contest about it until the newer post - must have gotten buried in all the new Skylander talk, so thank you Obsessed!
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re: Skylanders, Anyone?
I never win, so I stopped blippar-ing and calling. :(
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re: Skylanders, Anyone?
You're very welcome, Decker. You Dialing for Dollars now? I called last night about 1:30 AM, so I've awhile to wait before I can call again. I'm wondering how smart it was to call right then, when I found out about it, but am hoping the rest of the Skylander World will be asleep and I'll just slip right in and win! :D
Come on, Goldberg! I'm horrible at winning, but it's the thrill of the possibility! And we now have a new word thanks to you, like "googling." "Blipparing!" We call or we blippar. Calling daily or blipparing daily. I like it! It has a nice ring to it. :thumbsup: P.S. I lived in SA some years back. About '84 to '86. Then moved back to MN. Was living there when the Big Snow came and Cisneros closed the city down for three days. I was out driving in it... Coming from MN, three inches of snow is nuttin'. Did some cross-country skiing around my house in the fields/woods. Boy, do I miss Los Barios chimichurri sauce... |
re: Skylanders, Anyone?
Still nada from the contest for moi.
Stopped at Walmart this afternoon to see if they had any of the 'neat' (subjective) stuff I've seen on the 'Net different stores across the country have. Very run of the mill 'Lander stuff, not even the Mirror Adventure Pack. Did get three Traps: the two (2) hand (Walking Dead as I call the Undead as I can never remember that; and Tech) traps and the nifty 'flame-ish' looking one for Life (like it better than that hammer). I use my Life Trap all the time as I play my Chompy Mage a lot because he just tickles me to death. I've him in the portal constantly. He's so cute! Read on line the guy, Alex Something-or-Other, also does Mr. Broccoli's voice. He works for Toys for Bob. Speaking of Adventure Packs, I read in my book - I've the books for all three games, Giants, Swap Force and Trap Team and I still do horribly! - there are going to be four (4!!!) Adventure Packs for Trap Team! Cool! I really enjoy the adventure packs and the extra little story/chapter(s). Not to mention the multiple figurines that come in the packs. Sweet! Anybody else use the books? I play through the Chapters a couple times, then enlist the help of my book(s). Even then I don't ace all the stars. Nobody would want to co-op with me! :p The only chapter I've gotten all the stars on, so far, is Chapter One in Giants. Isn't that sad?! :sad: :lol: |
re: Skylanders, Anyone?
Originally Posted by Obsessed
(Post 12278255)
... - I've the books for all three games, Giants, Swap Force and Trap Team and I still do horribly!
You *do* know there are *four* games, right? Skylanders: Spyro's Adventures Skylanders: Giants Skylanders: Swap Force Skylanders: Trap Team Spyro's Adventures was the first, and it should be fairly inexpensive to pick up a starter, although some figures and the "Darklight Crypt" Adventure pack can be rather expensive. It, too, had 4 "Adventure Packs" which all worked with Giants to unlock the same levels in that game. Swap Force only has two "Adventure Packs" but it also has two "Battle Packs" which each provide a additional Battle Zone area instead of a level. My grandson has the players guides for the first three and uses them fairly regularly. I only pull them out if I *really* get stuck trying to find a item/location. But I'm more a "look everywhere, check everything, and explore" type player while he's a "run through as fast as you can to get to the boss" type player. |
re: Skylanders, Anyone?
For Giants, though they may have been made for Spyro's Adventure as they have green bottoms, I have three adventure packs - as listed in "the book" for Giants - Empire of Ice, Pirate Seas, and Dragon's Peak. Only reason I don't have the Crypt one is I'm not paying $99 for it. I'm obsessed, not insane.
For Swap Force I have both Adventure Packs, Tower of Time and Sheep Wreck Island. And I've one of Trap Team's Adventure Packs - Nightmare Express. This one I'm saving until I can no longer control the drooling and just have to open it up and play with it. Edit: As I said I've not opened it... But the Piggy Bank in Nightmare Express has a cutout on top that looks large enough to fit a penny or dime through! Well, THAT'S cool! |
re: Skylanders, Anyone?
I swear that calling into the contest and waiting through all the rules is a ruse to keep you on the line long enough for the FBI to triangulate your location.
;) |
re: Skylanders, Anyone?
So, reading the customer reviews on Trap Team for the Wii, it seems the game suffers from some pretty bad bugs that freeze the system during normal game play. That won't make a very good Christmas present for a 7 year old.... Probably time to upgrade his system.
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re: Skylanders, Anyone?
Originally Posted by Obsessed
(Post 12278536)
For Giants, though they may have been made for Spyro's Adventure as they have green bottoms, I have three adventure packs - as listed in "the book" for Giants - Empire of Ice, Pirate Seas, and Dragon's Peak. Only reason I don't have the Crypt one is I'm not paying $99 for it. I'm obsessed, not insane.
Yeah... those were made for Spyro's Adventure but work in Giants. The level design and play of those Adventure Packs is identical in both games.
Originally Posted by Obsessed
(Post 12278536)
Edit: As I said I've not opened it... But the Piggy Bank in Nightmare Express has a cutout on top that looks large enough to fit a penny or dime through! Well, THAT'S cool!
Originally Posted by Goldberg74
(Post 12278553)
I swear that calling into the contest and waiting through all the rules is a ruse to keep you on the line long enough for the FBI to triangulate your location.
;)
Originally Posted by SunMonkey
(Post 12278711)
So, reading the customer reviews on Trap Team for the Wii, it seems the game suffers from some pretty bad bugs that freeze the system during normal game play. That won't make a very good Christmas present for a 7 year old.... Probably time to upgrade his system.
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re: Skylanders, Anyone?
Originally Posted by SunMonkey
(Post 12278711)
So, reading the customer reviews on Trap Team for the Wii, it seems the game suffers from some pretty bad bugs that freeze the system during normal game play. That won't make a very good Christmas present for a 7 year old.... Probably time to upgrade his system.
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re: Skylanders, Anyone?
Originally Posted by SunMonkey
(Post 12278711)
So, reading the customer reviews on Trap Team for the Wii, it seems the game suffers from some pretty bad bugs that freeze the system during normal game play. That won't make a very good Christmas present for a 7 year old.... Probably time to upgrade his system.
My Jade Kracken is on its way! I'm am *such* a sucker for green! |
re: Skylanders, Anyone?
Originally Posted by Obsessed
(Post 12279079)
I've had no more, no less, wonky things happen in my Trap Team game (Wii) than what I experienced in Swap Force. I just rap my portal, wriggle the trap, move the character around to straighten things out. Actually, I'm truly lucky my Wii works at all, as many times as I've tripped (multiple Xs daily) over the cord from Wii to portal. I'm soon going to need either a new Wii or a new neck.
My Jade Kracken is on its way! I'm am *such* a sucker for green! |
re: Skylanders, Anyone?
Originally Posted by Obsessed
(Post 12279079)
Actually, I'm truly lucky my Wii works at all, as many times as I've tripped (multiple Xs daily) over the cord from Wii to portal. I'm soon going to need either a new Wii or a new neck.
Originally Posted by BobO'Link
(Post 12279257)
Get a short USB extension cable. That way should you catch the cord it's more likely to simply unplug from the extension rather than cause damage. Plus you get the much needed (IMHO) extra length for the rather short cable. I much prefer the original wireless portal...
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re: Skylanders, Anyone?
Well... I will soon be the owner of Spyro's Adventure, "The Book," and five or six characters (Series 1) in addition to the three or four green bottomed characters I currently have. :D
I like Giants and Trap Team so much (Swap Force not so much) that I want to try SA, too. I really really enjoy these games. |
re: Skylanders, Anyone?
With the Shareplay function now on the PS4 we can actually play some online local co-op.
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re: Skylanders, Anyone?
How 3D printing brings 'Skylanders' to life
by Joseph Volpe | @jrvolpe | 7 hrs ago http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/mida..._fullbleed.jpg Toys for Bob's Skylanders franchise isn't the only "toys to life" game in town anymore and Paul Reiche, co-founder and studio head, is well aware of the deep-pocketed competition. "We recognize that we've got Disney with Infinity and Nintendo with Amiibo and, you know, they have entered into this world with their own products. And it's really our job to make sure that, through innovation, we're leaders," he says. The franchise, which lets players control virtual versions of their RFID-equipped figurines in-game, was the first to successfully merge physical toys and video gaming as part of a new crossover entertainment category. Given that penchant for innovation, it's no surprise that the studio has now fully embraced 3D printing as a means of streamlining its in-house creative process. <object width="853" height="480"><param name="movie" value="//www.youtube.com/v/BJ9YqhXwofQ?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="//www.youtube.com/v/BJ9YqhXwofQ?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="853" height="480" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object> It was during the development phase for Skylanders: Giants in 2012 that Toys for Bob began experimenting with 3D printing. "We noticed that the price [of 3D printers] was rapidly dropping down actually into our budgets for video games," says Reiche of the studio's decision to embrace the maker tech. "We started out buying a fairly expensive machine by our standards, printing out color versions of our toys." The idea behind this investment, Reiche says, was so that he and I-Wei Huang, the lead character and toy designer, could get a real sense of how their two-dimensional drawings would fare as fleshed-out 3D models. Apart from giving the creative duo more freedom to experiment and quickly iterate on designs, the tech was also helpful in determining what character poses would fit properly within the constraints of retail packaging (e.g., adjusting the grip of a character's weapon and stance). But it wasn't long before the studio scrapped that particular color 3D-printing process due to the fragility of the printed models. The material, Huang explains, was too brittle and often the models would break easily. And so, Toys for Bob ditched it in favor of a more reliable (and colorless) Objet Eden printer for Skylanders character prototyping. "The next generation of 3D printers went beyond this sort of grainy, but colored surface and became very high-resolution, rigid plastic rubber," says Reiche. "We could make durable toys; make things that look really close to final in terms of the quality of the surfacing." "The MakerBot we just started using. It will help us prototype early stages really well and just kind of define the size. It doesn't have the detail levels that the Objet [printer] has," says Huang. More commercial 3D printers, used for lower-quality character iterations, were added to the mix later. "The Objet printer is what we use the most," says Huang. "It's super-high resolution. The MakerBot we just started using. It will help us prototype early stages really well and just kind of define the size. It doesn't have the detail levels that the Objet [printer] has." The efficiency gain, it seems, is worth it. Whereas before, it would take Huang at least four weeks to see his creations made into physical models, the inclusion of 3D printing means he can see results in-studio in about four hours. That quick turnover time means he can continue to tweak minor things like detailing for gloves or leather patterns. "Before we started 3D printing, the process took a long time. Basically, we would draw a character. We'd have a toy team to kind of help us model it ... and also prototype the actual physical toys. And that could take months and months of work before we'd actually see anything back," says Huang. http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/mida...ob_inline1.jpg Now, however, Huang feels freed up to experiment more with the many characters that inhabit the world of Skylanders. "As soon as a character is finalized on paper, we start modeling and instantly we can print something overnight after the model's done. We can try different detail levels, expressions and stuff like that ... different poses." That flexibility even extends to the number of Skylanders that can be 3D printed at once, as Huang says up to five Giants or 10 core, regular-sized characters can be made on one tray within the Objet printer. "I would love to have a 3D printer that can do everything, but it's not something that we can develop here. We're using consumer machines," says Huang. 3D printing may have made the creative process more efficient for Huang and Reiche, but it's not without its headaches. Occasionally, print head malfunctions can cause the printed models to appear melted or irregular in parts. There's also the matter of material limitations. Since a typical Skylanders figurine is made up of more than just plastic, Toys for Bob would have to invest in either a bespoke 3D printer or purchase a multi-material industrial 3D printer to achieve a model with near-final production quality. While 3D printers of that latter variety do exist, their costs (i.e., that printer and materials) can prove prohibitive. The Objet1000, for example, works with a variety of materials (about 100-plus) and can print using up to 14 of those at a time in one model. It's that type of 3D printer that Toys for Bob would need to fully realize a final production-quality Skylanders model, except the cost of something on that scale easily rises above the half-million dollar mark. So, for now at least, it's not a financially feasible option. http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/mida...ob_inline2.jpg If there's one inevitability surrounding 3D printing that Huang believes in, it's that in the not-too-distant future, kids will be able to make their own Skylanders figurines (and other toys) at home. The idea isn't as far-fetched as it sounds, either. Already, companies like Hasbro and Sesame Workshop are making CAD files available for consumers to download and print out their own figurines. That Toys for Bob would follow suit with Skylanders is a no-brainer, according to Huang. It's simply a matter of the technology improving to the point of mass adoption. "With 3D printers becoming more popular, eventually one day it will probably be mainstream," Huang says. "You know it just makes sense. You'll have a 3D printer at home just like you do an ink jet printer." |
re: Skylanders, Anyone?
Looks like Activision is not allowing Share Play with neither Advanced Warfare nor Trap Team. Ugh!
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re: Skylanders, Anyone?
Originally Posted by Decker
(Post 12293873)
How 3D printing brings 'Skylanders' to life
by Joseph Volpe | @jrvolpe | 7 hrs ago <object width="853" height="480"><param name="movie" value="//www.youtube.com/v/BJ9YqhXwofQ?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="//www.youtube.com/v/BJ9YqhXwofQ?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="853" height="480" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object> http://i60.tinypic.com/29ze8ad.png Edit to add: Nevermind... it's Blastermind. ;) |
re: Skylanders, Anyone?
The BF ads released so far are showing Trap Team to be $38-$40 for the regular version. I'm hoping the Dark edition will be ~$50...
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re: Skylanders, Anyone?
<object width="640" height="480"><param name="movie" value="//www.youtube.com/v/2w1g-idt-8U?hl=en_US&version=3&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="//www.youtube.com/v/2w1g-idt-8U?hl=en_US&version=3&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640" height="480" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>
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re: Skylanders, Anyone?
^Good song! :D
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re: Skylanders, Anyone?
Originally Posted by BobO'Link
(Post 12297478)
The BF ads released so far are showing Trap Team to be $38-$40 for the regular version. I'm hoping the Dark edition will be ~$50...
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re: Skylanders, Anyone?
So far *none* of the major retailers have the Dark edition listed. :( WM seems to be the current price leader at $37 each for the regular starters. I'm fairly confident Amazon will PM that price at some point so it now turns into a "sit at the computer all freaking weekend" *again*...
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re: Skylanders, Anyone?
Looks like there will be a Holiday Bundle starter set that includes a standard release Triple Pack, Mini 2-Pack, and Trap. No price yet on Amazon.
Amazon has had Dark Editions in their Warehouse deals here and there. Got one for the Wii for $75 (free with store credit), which is still high, but it was the one the boy wanted. |
re: Skylanders, Anyone?
$37 at Walmart-Mart and still $50 at Best Buy. Hoping BB matches and tosses in the free Volcanic toy.
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re: Skylanders, Anyone?
$50 at Best Buy = $40 with GCU. Since we get a free Volcanic Eruptot, that's the way I'm going.
They'd Price Match Wal Mart, but no GCU discount and no bonus Eruptor. |
re: Skylanders, Anyone?
The figure isn't showing up as free though. Only getting the 20% off. I'll Wait a bit longer to see if they match.
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re: Skylanders, Anyone?
Yeah, in the Preview sale they aren't. But they are included in the Best Buy BF ad. I'm waiting for that.
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re: Skylanders, Anyone?
I'm hoping Amazon does a PM for the $37 WM price. With WM now matching Amazon prices I suspect Amazon'll be more aggressive towards them as well.
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re: Skylanders, Anyone?
Nope, still $50.
I already got the Wii U Download code off a friend, so maybe I'll grab the Wii version and sell the code (and Wii disc). |
re: Skylanders, Anyone?
Amazon didn't PM WM (or not yet) and a $15 coupon for the Wii version expired sometime mid-morning - of course just before I decided that the $35 w/coupon was a good enough price! :( So I went by WM and picked up a copy - $40.33 out the door. At least if Amazon *does* do a lower price I can easily return the WM purchase. :)
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re: Skylanders, Anyone?
Grabbed a Wii copy at Best Buy. Only got one extra figure and one trap....for now.
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re: Skylanders, Anyone?
Sometime overnight Amazon had a "deal" on Trap Team but it was *never* on the calendar or as a "upcoming deal" on the Gold Box page - at least not when I checked. It shows as "missed" on the "calendar" (and a poor excuse for what's been used in the past) but not on the LD section. If this is how they're running "lightning deals" this year it looks like BF will be a total bust - both in store and online...
**EDIT** It looks like the "deal" may have been the Tablet Version deal that ended. Still... the calendar this year is horrible! |
re: Skylanders, Anyone?
Last year it was pretty easy to plan BF deals on video games at Amazon. That's unfortunate if that's not the case this year.
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re: Skylanders, Anyone?
We've been checking out the TRU Exclusive "Legendary" traps with the comic, etc. Their site, and others, have very little info on these. Do they work differently than other traps? Do they come with a villian already inside? Basically, are these just cool looking repaints or do they actually have benefit? I couldn't care less about mini-comic reprints, posters, or a standee (seriously?) so I'll only bite on these if they do something a "normal" trap can not do.
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re: Skylanders, Anyone?
If anyone is looking for the Winterfest Lob-Star, which IMO looks pretty good for a holiday variant, Amazon has it up right now.
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re: Skylanders, Anyone?
Originally Posted by BobO'Link
(Post 12317408)
We've been checking out the TRU Exclusive "Legendary" traps with the comic, etc. Their site, and others, have very little info on these. Do they work differently than other traps? Do they come with a villian already inside? Basically, are these just cool looking repaints or do they actually have benefit? I couldn't care less about mini-comic reprints, posters, or a standee (seriously?) so I'll only bite on these if they do something a "normal" trap can not do.
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re: Skylanders, Anyone?
Originally Posted by SunMonkey
(Post 12321862)
If anyone is looking for the Winterfest Lob-Star, which IMO looks pretty good for a holiday variant, Amazon has it up right now.
Originally Posted by SunMonkey
(Post 12321864)
From what I could tell in-store, only a new paint job and the extras, no special trapped villain. The Target exclusive trap at least has a villian (looks like the same one as their pre-order bonus).
When I told my grandson that if you're using a trap and defeat a villain you can trap the new one and the one in the trap goes to the "trap store" (not sure of the real name) and can be swapped in later if desired. He told me he watched a Trap Team video being played and they *lost* the exclusive villain when they used the trap to snag a in-game one. That doesn't seem right and I think he misunderstood (or the guys in the video did). Has anyone else seen or heard of such a snafu? |
re: Skylanders, Anyone?
I grabbed a Winterfest Lob-Star as well. Thanks for the heads up! However, I don't see myself grabbing the rest of the new waves until way later on. I guess I am just Skylandered out at this point. My spending has had to change due to the high cost of formula and other childcare. Anyways, I love my little Gator Tot (Ireland Shea) so it is all worth it.
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