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Augmented reality studio castAR picks up 'Disney Infinity' devs
CastAR, the augmented reality company founded by two former Valve engineers, has set up a new studio in Salt Lake City with the goal of creating fresh mixed-reality experiences. To help fill the new digs, castAR scooped up a handful of developers who worked on the Disney Infinity series at Avalanche Software until that studio was unceremoniously shut down in May.
'Disney Infinity' goes offline in March 2017
Disney Infinity is done and it's nearly time for Avalanche Software to pull the plug. The game will wind down in stages, starting today with the discontinuation of in-game purchases in the PC, iOS, Android and Apple TV versions of Disney Infinity 2.0, though in-game purchases are still available (for now) in the Steam edition of Disney Infinity 3.0.
It's no surprise that Disney shut down its gaming division
No one should have been surprised by Disney's announcement that it was canceling the Disney Infinity series and shutting down its video game business. However, when the news went live, Twitter immediately lit up with shock. My phone buzzed with questions and incredulity from friends. Hell, even I gasped when I read the blog post. The surprise was justified. Disney Infinity was a respectable and adored franchise in the toys-to-life category, and its developer, Avalanche Software, was held in high regard. Infinity entered the fray in 2013, two years after the original toys-to-life series, Skylanders, debuted. Financially, Infinity single-handedly turned around Disney's gaming division, Disney Interactive.
Disney cancels 'Infinity' as it quits video games
So much for Disney remaining a big player in the video game world. As part of its second quarter earnings release, the media giant has revealed that it's getting out of the self-published video game business... and canceling its Infinity game series in the process. Disney hasn't said much about why it's jumping ship, but it notes that "lower results" (read: poor sales) for Infinity prompted the move. It's a fairly costly move: Disney is taking on a $147 million charge to axe the division.
'Disney Infinity' drops support for its Apple TV version
Apologies if you bought Disney Infinity 3.0 for your Apple TV, but the game's development team has stopped supporting the platform. On the Disney Infinity forums a user posted about an issue where Baloo and Marvel Battlegrounds figurines weren't working in the game, but Zootopia figures were. Turns out that the reason for that is because there was already support in the game for the latter, but that an update was needed for the other characters. Except that update isn't coming any time soon.
New Universal Windows apps include Facebook, Instagram
Redmond surprised developers at Build by launching Linux Bash support, but it's now gone back to its bread and butter with updates to its Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps. As a reminder, those are designed to work across Windows mobile, Xbox and the desktop. Perhaps the most important among the new crop are from Facebook, which has gone Universal for both its main app and Messenger. Advertisers will also be able to reach nearly three million Facebook Universal app users via the Facebook Audience Network. Other social apps, including, Twitter, Instagram and Vine also received new UWP updates.
Playdate: Kart racing with Disney Princesses and stepping on LEGOs
Just when you think you're done with this whole "toys-to-life" genre of video games, nostalgia is there to pull you back in. Did you play with LEGOs as a kid? Do you like Walt Disney? Have you ever played Mario Kart? Then there's still plenty of expensive, RFID-powered toys to exploit childhood. Today, Tim Seppalla and I are looking at LEGO Dimensions' multi-franchise romp through your toy-chest and Disney Infinity's Toy Box Speedway. Is your wallet ready? Join us at 6PM Eastern / 3PM Pacific right here, on the Engadget Gaming homepage or at Twitch.tv/joystiq to find out.
Playdate: We take on the Empire in 'Disney Infinity 3.0'
It is a period of civil war. Sean and Tim, two video game streamers from the Engadget Alliance, have begun their first battle against the Galactic Empire. Pursued by the Empire's sinister agents, the pair enlists the help of Disney Interactive's John Vignocchi to guide them through the wastes of Tatoonie, Hoth and Endor. Together, they'll stream Disney Infinity 3.0's Rise Against The Empire Playset on Twitch.tv/Joystiq, the Engadget Gaming homepage and in this post. Join them today at 6PM ET (3PM PT) and help the trio restore freedom to the galaxy...
New in our buyer's guide: the Galaxy Note 5, OnePlus 2 and Moto G
Phones and gaming. Gaming and phones. That's about all we're adding to our buyer's guide this month. Since we last checked in, we've inducted a trio of new handsets, including the Samsung Galaxy Note 5, Moto G and the OnePlus 2. (And yes, we'll soon have to update the iPhone part of the guide too.) Meanwhile, we also decided that the Wii U and the New 3DS XL deserved spots in our gaming guide, along with a nod to toys-to-life products like Amiibo, Skylanders and Disney's Infinity series. We'll be back next month, but until then, feel free to poke around our complete guide to see our top picks.
'Disney Infinity' finally feels like a complete game
Nothing relies on the power of Disney's brand quite like Disney Infinity. It's the licensed game to end all licensed games, a toys-to-life platformer with all the star power of Spider-Man, Frozen, Tron, Star Wars and a dozen other Disney franchises. It's the game's selling point, but also its greatest weakness: The last two versions of the game relied on its brand-power to make up for how mediocre they were as actual video games. That's not the case anymore. With Disney Infinity 3.0, the company finally got it right. That's not to say that the first games in the series were bad, but compared to Disney Infinity 3.0, they felt a little incomplete. All the same elements are here -- the disparate Playsets that offer franchise-exclusive story-based adventures, the open-world sandbox mode that lets you create your own adventures and the adorable, collectible figures -- but they all seem to have evolved in ways that add up to a more cohesive whole.
Playdate: Exploring a galaxy far, far away in 'Disney Infinity 3.0'
If you wondered what would become of Lucasfilm after 'ol George sold the firm back in 2012, you're looking at it: Disney Infinity 3.0. Yes, that game -- the best possible example of just how many of the franchises you know and love belong to Mickey Mouse. The game series started small, with just Disney itself and Pixar, the next version tacked on Marvel Super Heroes. The latest version of the game a cavalcade of everything: Star Wars, the Avengers, Tron, Frozen and more. As a fans of all those things, Tim Seppala and I just have to take a look. Join us at 6PM ET (3PM PT) on Twitch.tv/Joystiq, the Engadget Gaming homepage or right here in this post. It's going to be a magical adventure in a galaxy far, far away.
Darth Vader PS4 bundles cater to your 'Star Wars' cravings
Between The Force Awakens, Battlefront and Disney Infinity, you're about to get your fill of Star Wars -- and Sony is determined to capitalize on that sci-fi feast with some special PlayStation systems. It's releasing two limited edition Darth Vader PS4 bundles that each include a distinctive 500GB console (emblazoned with the Sith Lord's face, naturally) and a controller whose red and white accents mimic Vader's chest panel. The core Battlefront Vader bundle includes both a Deluxe edition of its namesake shooter as well as a voucher for four vintage Star Wars games (Super Star Wars, Bounty Hunter, Jedi Starfighter and Racer Revenge). Head to Walmart, meanwhile, and you can spring for a Disney Infinity 3.0 Vader bundle that replaces Battlefront with Infinity and a matching figurine kit. And if you're just interested in software, there will be a plain PS4 bundle that includes Battlefront and the classic games.
Disney Infinity might make its way to Microsoft's HoloLens
It's only natural for an entertainment corporation as massive as The Walt Disney Company, with IP holdings that span the likes of Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm, to be exploring the potential of virtual reality. It's something John Vignocchi, VP of production at Disney Interactive, the division behind toys-to-life platform Disney Infinity, confirmed when we chatted a few weeks back. But when it comes to Infinity, the future focus seems to be weighted more toward augmented reality. "We've had multiple meetings and discussions with Oculus, multiple meetings and discussions with Sony about Morpheus, multiple meetings and discussions with Microsoft about HoloLens. We're very interested in that space," Vignocchi said. "There's the socialization problem right now with VR, but augmented reality is very exciting."
'Lego Dimensions' has the toys, but 'Disney Infinity' is a better game
The toys came to life, and it was cool when they did. Almost four years after Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure let kids place action figures on an NFC device to make them playable in a grand adventure game, what seemed like a goofy idea turned out to be a great one. There's something undeniably wonderful about seeing your toy come alive. That idea is also an absolute gold mine. The Skylanders series broke $2 billion in 2014, just weeks after Disney Infinity became its first major competitor. Now Warner Bros. is releasing Lego Dimensions, a massive mash-up of different pop culture icons rendered as little toys to use in one of Traveller's Tales popular Lego game series.
'Star Wars' teams up with 'Disney Infinity 3.0' in the fall
Disney Infinity 3.0 is the latest edition of Disney's Skylanders-style video game series, and it's scheduled to hit stores in the fall, complete with figurines from the Star Wars universe. That's a relief, since we were worried there wouldn't be enough Star Wars stuff to go around this year. There will be three Star Wars Play Sets for Disney Infinity 3.0: Twilight of the Republic (featuring Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda and Darth Maul figurines), Rise Against the Empire (with Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca and Darth Vader) and a third based on December's film, Star Wars: The Force Awakens. That play set will launch in the winter, probably alongside the movie.
Disney introduces Infinity: Toy Box world creator and Action! video apps for iPad
Disney's Infinity collection of toys and video games arrive this Sunday, August 18, and the company surprised the gaming community today by announcing two new iOS mobile companion apps that will be part of the collection. The first is called Disney Infinity: Action! and is described as a user-generated video app. But the second, Disney Infinity: Toy Box, is the one that has our attention. Disney Infinity is the entertainment behemoth's attempt to create cross-media entertainment with toys that come to life inside its video game. For example, if you bought a Buzz Lightyear Infinity toy and set it atop your Infnity game base, you would play with that character inside a Toy Story world. A code with the toy would unlock the character in the Toy Box mobile app, or you could purchase a digital-only Buzz for US$0.99. The Toy Box is an iPad app that allows users to create and edit game worlds filled with Disney props and characters, and it's interoperable across platforms. Create a new world on the iPad, and you can play within it or edit it on a PlayStation or Xbox. To tie all of the platforms together, Disney's also announcing a cloud-based identity system known as Disney ID. Disney Infinity: Action! gives users the chance to shoot videos, then splice them into scenes with Disney characters. The resulting videos, which blend live action with animated cartoon characters, can be shared on YouTube or Facebook, or emailed to others. VentureBeat interviewed Dan Lehrich, the producer of Disney Infinity: Toy Box, who shows off the game world and the world builder in the following video:
gdgt's best deals for July 15: Samsung 24-inch 1080p HDTV, ASUS Nexus 7
Ready to save some cash on your tech buys? Then you've come to the right place. Our sister site gdgt tracks price drops on thousands of products every day, and twice a week they feature some of the best deals they've found right here. But act fast! Many of these are limited-time offers, and won't last long. Today's hottest deals include a dirt-cheap, dorm-ready 24-inch Samsung HDTV and a low price on an ASUS Nexus 7. It's also worth noting that the Kindle Fire HD, which we've featured before, has hit a new low at $159.99 at Best Buy, where it's available for in-store purchase only. Want the latest deals delivered to your inbox? Join gdgt and add the gadgets you're shopping for to your "Want" list. Every time there's a price cut, you'll get an email alert!
Disney Infinity challenges Skylanders for toy-based game crown, launches in June
Disney's got a huge stable of iconic characters already immortalized in plastic, but the company's looking to virtualize its lineup with today's announcement of crossplatform game / toy experience Disney Infinity. Like Activision megalith Skylanders, Disney Infinity pairs actual plastic figurines (enabled with NFC or something similar) with game consoles connected to a pad. The pad transmits those characters directly into the game, across any system the game is being played on. Unlike Skylanders, Disney Infinity's pad can apparently add up to three connections at once, allowing for character powerup additions and other in-game bonuses. The first characters available come from Pirates of the Caribbean, The Incredibles, and Monsters University (we spotted Jack Skellington and other biggies in the reveal trailer as well); Disney promises that users will also be able to create their own universes (virtually) inside the game, beyond just playing in themed environments. 20 characters are said to launch with the game when it arrives this June for Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, Wii U, 3DS, PC, and mobile. Take a look at the announcement trailer just below.
