Sign on Options
Theme: [Light Selected] To Dark»

Activision not planning Skylanders movie or TV show

Publisher says the "the game is the entertainment," so there is no need right now for further media extensions of the brand.

Activision has no plans to spin its billion-dollar Skylanders series into a movie or television show.

Speaking with MCV, Activision Publishing VP of consumer marketing John Coyne said "the game is the entertainment," making further media extensions unnecessary at the moment.

"In terms of a TV show or a movie, no there are not any plans," Coyne said. "We believe the game is the entertainment. You talk to kids who are real fans of the franchise, and they will be able to tell you Gill Grunt's powers, backstory, what his friends are and generally what's going on in the world of Skylanders. The same sort of things that they are able to articulate around a TV show or a movie."

More than 100 million Skylanders toys have been sold to date, generating more than a billion dollars of revenue for Activision Publishing. The next game in the series--Skylanders Swap Force--is due out later this year with all new toys.

The Skylanders series will see competition in the toys-to-life market in August, when Disney Infinity arrives. Activision Publishing is unfazed by the move, however, saying its Skylanders series will remain the top-seller.

Eddie Makuch
By Eddie Makuch, News Editor

Eddie Makuch (Mack-ooh) is a News Editor at GameSpot. He works out of the company's Boston office in Somerville, Mass., and loves extra chunky peanut butter.

29 comments
TigusVidiks
TigusVidiks

this is the main problem MS will have with their strategy of complementary media to their games. Not all developers will be interested, most of them won't. It will become an option for giant publishers only

Killer6b9
Killer6b9

WOW Activision not going to milk another IP for everything it is worth.....***rushes to jot down on calender***

kbaily
kbaily

Actually this kind of surprises me that Activision would not jump on a cartoon.  I mean MS got a Viva Pinata cartoon out BEFORE the game launched.  And at least with this, there's potential for decent content.  You have heroes and villians.  I mean it has more plot material than Angry Birds which is getting a TV show and movie supposedly.

jeremiah06
jeremiah06 like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 5 Like

They're choosing not to cash in?? My world is broken and I think I like it...

SnakeEyesX80
SnakeEyesX80 like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 3 Like

Activision walking away from money? Wow, that's a shocker. :?

Senor_Kami
Senor_Kami like.author.displayName 1 Like

Eh, I'm gonna take that as, "it's not big enough yet to where we can get stupid crazy insane money from a movie company.  We will not entertain any other mediums until that point is reached."

punksterdaddy
punksterdaddy

OH NO!!

The news just keeps getting worse everyday!

I'm sure the Xbox One will have to delay their launch now, they'll be just as gutted as I am?

Gallowhand
Gallowhand like.author.displayName 1 Like

So not planning to do something that nobody expected anyway is now news?  Come on, Eddie, you're better than this. ;P

leeko_link
leeko_link

A cartoon with a deep flesh story would be nice but a movie is another story.

ggregd
ggregd like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 4 Like

Meanwhile war has not broken out between Bolivia and Equador and Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead.

Techn1c4l
Techn1c4l like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

XBOX ONE disliked this post.

snugglebear
snugglebear like.author.displayName 1 Like

This is the second saddest announcement about a collectible-toy based video game franchise that I've heard today. =(

carolino
carolino like.author.displayName 1 Like

maybe steven spielberg can help them ...

moleyUK
moleyUK like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 5 Like

Thanks Activision for answering that burning question that we were all desperately wondering about.

WhiteStormy
WhiteStormy like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 3 Like

Activision is NOT going to milk something?  Has hell frozen over?

MetalGuyver
MetalGuyver

People watch pokemon and they buy their products...guess they dont consider it that popular to invest in such an endeavor.  

EasyComeEasyGo
EasyComeEasyGo

Activision could have made more Money making a Movie out of this since Parents will take there Kids to go see any CGI/Animation movies that Hollywood dishes out such as Skylanders. Parents these day don't care how much the Tickets cost they just want to take there Kids to the Movies and get them to Shut-up.

blackothh
blackothh

in, other words, it will cost too much, and we know bobby likes his money piles.

Lhomity
Lhomity

@blackothh Except a movie or TV show has a lot of potential to generate many many more money piles. Guess he's got enough money piles for now.

Conversation powered by Livefyre

Hot Stories

Newsmakers

  • Blizzard starting over on next-gen MMO?

    Blizzard starting over on next-gen MMO? Thumbnail

    [UPDATE] Source says team of 100 developers working on upcoming MMO reduced by 70; game now expected in 2016 at the earliest; Blizzard confirms "large design and technology changes." Full Story

    • Posted May 28, 2013 4:36 pm PT
  • Industry sounds off on violent games debate

    Industry sounds off on violent games debate Thumbnail

    Developers from Gearbox, Epic Games, and Blizzard challenge assertion that games cause violence; "It's like finding your dad's Playboys under the bed and blaming Playboy." Full Story

    • Posted May 29, 2013 7:46 am PT

Featured Stories

Submit News

Got tips? Send them in!