Disney's answer to Skylanders is Disney Infinity

Activision's figurine-based video game franchise Skylanders has proven to be a massive hit, generating $500 million across two game releases and toy sales in the U.S. alone. This success hasn't gone unnoticed by Disney, which needs a hit for its money-losing interactive division. The company held an event today to announce Disney Infinity, a game that will also implement physical toys that work in tandem with hardware and software to bring those toys to life, in game. The business model, as Skylanders has proven, is potentially a lucrative one. Customers buy the game, which comes with physical toys, and essentially to do more with the game, you buy the toys separately. The pricing is as follows: Starter pack - $75; Play set pack - $35; Disney Infinity figure - $12.99; Figure 3-pack - $30; Power Disc pack - $5. Disney Infinity, developed by Avalanche Software, is a logical step for Disney Interactive, which has access to some of the most popular kid-friendly entertainment franchises in existence. The game will include characters from both Disney and Pixar franchises, including Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean, Mr. Incredible from The Incredibles and Sully from Monsters Inc. Similar to Skylanders, Disney Infinity will implement a physical "Infinity Base" on which players will place toys such as 17 different figurines, and various collectible pieces that can customize play experiences or give players power ups. Disney touted how players can get creative with the open world adventure game. The game is slated to release in June for Nintendo Wii and Wii U, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC, plus an "accompanying mobile experience." More information is available at www.disney.com/Infinity.