Disney is embarking on an ambitious new gaming project that blurs the line between virtual and physical products. Disney Infinity is an upcoming game that utilizes actual figurines to interact with the virtual world, much in the vein of Skylanders. This being a Disney game though, all of the figures will be characters from their various movies, including The Incredibles, Pirates of the Caribbean, Monsters Inc., Toy Story, and according to the latest trailer, Cars.
Disney will be selling packs of these toys, which then can be sent into the game as playable characters. The company is very much pushing the idea of this project as a "toy box," where players will be free to build their own worlds, combining elements of each of the movies to create a personal playground.
So far, they've been pretty vague on the actual details of the gameplay, but a recent video does give us a pretty good look at some of the action. The latest trailer shows off the Cars set (with a brief cameo from The Incredibles). While Cars might not have been a huge hit with parents, kids ate it up, and I'm sure there are plenty out there who can't wait to get their hands on more of the toys.
It's not a completely original idea, see the aforementioned Skylanders, but the fact that a company like Disney is behind it makes all the difference in my eyes. There really isn't another studio with as many memorable worlds and characters. From their rich history, to Pixar, to live-action film franchises such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Disney has an unparalleled amount of material to draw from. Even as an adult, I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't want to collect a few of those figurines.
The first wave of Disney Infinity products will roll out in Summer 2013.