Activision Announces Skylanders Giants, Presumably While Preemptively Counting Your Money

The concept of a sequel to Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure, Activision and developer Toys for Bob's obscenely popular action figure/video game combination aimed squarely at removing large quantities of cash from the wallets of parents prone to caving in to their children's demands and also Jeff Gerstmann, seemed like more an inevitability than a possibility. This became especially true when new web domains for something called Skylanders Giants appeared, striking fear into the hearts of Skylanders owners the world over, as they suddenly mulled the possibility that their currently owned Skylanders would suddenly become inferior in the face of giant goddamn Skylanders.

Your fears were not entirely unfounded, as today Activision has announced plans to release Skylanders Giants, a full-on sequel to Spyro's Adventure that, yes, features all new Skylanders figures that are reportedly a good bit bigger than the original game's plastic creature things. There will be eight new characters in all.

The good news? All the Skylanders you already caved and bought for reasons you still can't quite come to terms with within your soul will actually work just fine with this new sequel. Moreover, all the stats you've earned in the original game will carry over into Skylanders Giants.

The world will apparently get its first look at Skylanders Giants at the American International Toy Fair toward the end of this month, and the game is currently targeted for release this fall. You can check out some new screenshots on the newly-created Skylanders Giants game page, including a few new figure shots to whet your appetite for buying plastic things you totally know you shouldn't but will do anyway because you have the non-willpower of a thousand heroin junkies combined.

Fantastic

Yeah, I'll buy 'em.

And the Spyro name is finally dead.

Skylanders. But bigger.

Looks likes those arms on that giant can move

I really hope they base one of them on Space Egypt. Like a giant robot Spynx or somethin..

RIP Jeff's bank account

Live reaction of Jeff plz

It's the end of the world as we know it!

Yeah....I'll buy them. and hate myself.

I still can't find Cynder or Double Trouble in any local stores. I shudder to think of them releasing more figures I won't be able to find.

The trailer was pretty cool. I would totally watch a Skylanders cartoon.

Poor Jeff.

I'll just sit here and gleefully hug all the other games I'll be able to buy when I'm not buying Skylanders. Wheee!

@buhssuht said:

Live reaction of Jeff plz

I demand a video of Jeff chatting to his Skylanders the same way he talked to his pod racer.

Really want to see Jeffs reaction to this.

All I ask is that this prints so much money that when Activision suits visit, just enough cash falls from their pockets in loose bills to finance another Toys For Bob-made Star Control game.

Or if the TFB guys can at least salvage the $1000 bills that the Activision guys light their cigars with from their comically jewel-encrusted ashtrays.

Must continue to resist delving into the deep dark work that is Skylanders.

I'm just waiting on the lobster monsters...

That's great activision, now if you can get the damn figure packs in the stores so I can play with the characters and game you've already made before you pump this one out.

JEFF GET YOUR PRE-ORDER IN NOW, THIS IS GAME ROOM 2.0

Oh shit!

Oversaturation Incoming !!!!!

*plays Guitar Hero*

Does anyone at Whiskey Media cover the International Toy Fair? Comic Vine maybe? I'm curious because I used to like to read a magazine called ToyFare even though I don't collect toys. Just like the Wishbook around Christmas time, it's fun to see what's out there.

"How can we make more money?" "Make the figures bigger!" That guy got a raise.

Beanie Babies as video games. Gross.

I wonder if Jeff will grow out of his Skylanders phase.

No one tell Jeff. I know he already knows about this but no one tell him.

@aaelon said:

I'm just waiting on the lobster monsters...

Would those be of the space neon variety?

There is a distinct possibility that yesterday I may have pulled money from my 401k to purchase Skylanders. I think I need an adult.

I look forward to hearing Jeff talk about Skylanders a bunch again.

Next they'll be packing Skylanders Minis in cereal or something.

Jeff's wallet :/

They just Rayman'd Spyro's name out of the series, I see.

Well sorta. To be fair he was only in the subtitle of the last one and everybody already knows why it was on there in the first place so I guess it's no biggie. It is good news for the Skylanders brand at least.

.

I would like to get the rest of the Skylanders that haven't been released yet first please.

We need official word from Jeff.

Now if only Activision will release a bomb-esque character that happens to be giant, that would have to win the 'Best Skylander of 2012' award, right?

MIddle-aged men's wallets are not ready!

Badass! I'll definitely be picking up Giants. On the double if they make a GIANT TERRAFIN

I'm so glad that this news got the Alex Navarro treatment

should have ended with "...but will do anyway because you have the non-willpower of a thousand heroin junkies combined, Jeff."

Oh wow, yet another Alex article with refrences to drugs. New York really is a creative Mecca isn't it?

@Seb said:

And the Spyro name is finally dead.

only makes sense, Spyro has been dead for years

The new Skylanders actually look kinda cool.

I love the caption on the picture. Clearly, Alex was troubled by new Skylanders.

Somewhere, Jeff Gerstmann is crying.

@Seb said:

And the Spyro name is finally dead.

Spyro was dead before Skylanders. Shitty Spyro games killed him a while ago.

Skylanders = Jeff's Game Room. Except, this is 'cooler'... kinda.