In addition to announcing the Skylanders Minis at Gamescom this year, Activision have also revealed that the latest title in the Skylanders series, Skylanders Trap Team, is coming to tablet devices this autumn.
Skylanders Trap Team, which is due for release on October 10th, will now also be available for tablet devices on the same day as the previously announced home console versions. Better yet, this isn't a spin-off - this is the full console game, only on tablet devices.
The Skylanders series is, of course, the popular toy-based gaming franchise developed by Toys For Bob and published by Activision, which uses real world toys and figurines that players can put into the games and use via special compatible stands and portals that come with the game.
The upcoming game, Skylanders Trap Team, tasks players with trapping the bad guys and villains of the games in a Trap portal, which, when trapped, start to grumble and complain in the Traps. Players can then send trapped enemies back into the game and use them to fight on their side.
Skylanders Trap Team is coming to tablets on October 10th; long-haired child not included
Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision, had this to say about the new tablet version of the game:
"Skylanders has become an incredibly appealing brand and franchise for kids around the world. And the tablet has become an incredibly appealing gaming platform for kids around the world. But we haven't been able to bring the full Skylanders experience to the tablet until now...We always want to deliver breakthrough experiences, and we also always want to be wherever gamers want to play. This is a chance for us to bring the magic of Skylanders to a whole new platform and audience. Whether you want to sit on the couch and play with the wireless controller, or play on the go using just the tablet itself, this provides a great experience for gamers."
The tablet version of the game will be compatible with iPad, Kindle fire and Android tablets. From a technical perspective, Toys For Bob/Activision promises to deliver "the same experience with console-quality graphics" (although the small print of the press release does suggest that graphical quality will vary according to specific device limitations - hmm) and the tablet starter pack is said to come with its own "high performance controller", alongside a special Bluetooth Traptanium Portal with built-in tablet stand, two Skylanders, two Traps and a display tray.
The Tablet Starter Pack comes with two Skylanders, two traps, a Bluetooth Traptanium Portal with built-in tablet stand, a display tray and a chunky Bluetooth wireless controller
As mentioned above, if controllers aren't your thing however, touch controls will apparently be available, allowing you to tap, tilt and trap Skylanders with your fingers instead.
Perhaps most importantly, Activision have also stated that all Skylanders toys will be cross-platform compatible with the tablet version, so don't worry parents; you won't have to rush out and amass another horde of plastic figurines just for this version. Set to launch alongside the other versions, look for Skylanders: Trap Team on shop shelves this October.
