The Toys to Life gaming category underwent an expansion a few months ago with Nintendo’s amiibo product line of interactive toy figurines. If recent reports are to be believed, another major player is gearing up to enter the arena before this year is out.
Videogamer reported last week that Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and developer Traveller’s Tales were working on a new LEGO game that would use the Toys to Life concept and go head-to-head with Activision’s Skylanders, Disney Interactive’s Disney Infinity, and Nintendo’s amiibo. The game and toys would hit stores this upcoming holiday season.
As an addendum to that report, Videogamer’s sources are claiming that the project’s working title is LEGO Dimensions. Warner Bros. Interactive has yet to comment on the leak.
A LEGO game with a Toys to Life component opens up all sorts of interesting and complex scenarios. LEGO figures themselves are quite small so the NFC tag inside the figures would have to be tiny in comparison to those in the other lines.
Then there’s the matter of licenses. Currently Traveller’s Tales is able to use Star Wars and Marvel characters in their LEGO games. Both of those properties are owned by Disney who in turn owns Disney Interactive i.e. the competition.
Even if TT didn’t use any licensed properties, they still have many brands within the LEGO Group to utilize including Ninjago, Friends, Bionicle, Chima, The LEGO Movie and others.
Assuming LEGO Dimensions is legitimate and coming this fall, I would expect Warner Bros. Interactive to make an official announcement by E3 in June at the absolute latest. Skylanders 5 and Disney Infinity 3.0 are expected to be formally unveiled within the next 1-2 months.
