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[Industry Thread] Impossible Games sets the speed record for studio closure

cloudeaglecloudeagle Registered User regular
edited February 2013 in Games and Technology
cloudeagle wrote: »
Hi and welcome to the Video Game Industry Thread, a place for discussing the business side of the games market. This includes sales figures, happenings with publishers and developers, goings-on with important people in the business, interesting development trends and similar things.

To keep things civil, informative and (most importantly) unlocked, here's some mod-enforced guidelines:

Stay on topic. Don't just randomly chat about your day, don't post things that are just stupid images or memes, and don't get too distracted by talking about how much you personally think Game X is awesome or sucks. Though pointing out a game sucks due to publisher mistreatment during the development process and sold horribly as a result is fair game.
No System Warzz. This includes keeping calm in the face of bad news. Just because someone points out that a system/game sells horribly doesn't mean he's saying it's poop from a butt. Sometimes great stuff doesn't sell; this is the nature of the beast.
No posting random fluff articles. We don't care about poorly thought-out lists or gaming sites doing reviews of cheezy poofs, or how awful those articles are. We're not really the general games journalism thread, except for big stuff like publications going out of business or getting sued.
Don't cite VGChartz. Ever. They literally make shit up. Read more here.
NEW:Take care when citing Forbes blogs. Yes, Forbes the magazine is a highly respected business publication. But Forbes blogs are completely different -- they'll allow any gibbering diseased simian that can pound on a keyboard to contribute, and it's quickly become legendary for garbage. So if you see an article saying stuff like "Sony will kill the PlayStation division next month!" don't assume it's likely true because it has the respected Forbes name attached to it.

That said, have fun! We ain't stodgy accountants.

And now, December's sales figures.
Couscous wrote: »
So the December NPDs are up.
mIqT4.jpg
Xbox 360: 1.4M (-17.6%) ["More than double the amount of the second place console in the U.S. in the month of December."]
Gamasutra ‏@gamasutra

NPD says that fewer Wii Us were sold last month than the original Wii sold in its first December in 2006.
Outside of that, it is apparently a shit month.
It was bad news as usual for the retail video game industry in the United States last month.

Analysts at the NPD Group say that retail sales across the video game industry were down 22% in December, from $4.1 billion in 2011 to $3.21 billion this time around.

As usual, software caused the biggest hit (dollar sales were down 27%), which analyst Liam Callahan attributes to fewer releases.

"A major culprit in the decline in retail sales in 2012 was the lack of new releases with 29% less SKUs across consoles, portables, and PCs," he said in a statement.

"However, the SKUs that were released generated 8% more units per SKU and 11% more dollars per SKU."

The top-selling debut title of the month was Ubisoft's Far Cry 3, though it was Activison's November release of Call of Duty: Black Ops II that topped the overall charts.

By the Numbers
Video game hardware: $1.07B (-20%)
Video game software (console, handheld): $1.54B (-26%)
Video game software (console, handheld, and PC): $1.58B (-27%)
Video game accessories: $603M (-14%)
Total video game sales: $3.21B (-22%)
Wii U: 460K [The Wii launch was 604K]
Wii + DS + 3DS combined: 2.16M
Wii U sales are thoroughly mediocre.
SirUltimos wrote: »
More Nintendo numbers:
New Super Mario Bros. U has now sold more than 580,000 units, an attach rate of more than 65 percent.
Nintendo 3DS sold more than 1.25 million units in December and has crossed 7.7 million units sold life to date.
New Super Mario Bros. 2 became the fourth Nintendo 3DS title to surpass 1 million units sold in the U.S., and has now sold more than 1.45 million units life to date.
Nintendo 3DS continues to outpace the historic sales rate of Nintendo DS.
Wii sold nearly 475,000 units and crossed 40.8 million units sold life to date.
Ubisoft’s Just Dance 3 became the 10th Wii title to sell more than 5 million units life to date.
Nintendo DS sold nearly 470,000 units and crossed 53 million units sold life to date.

PSP < 50K < ... < 200K < PSV < 250K < ... < 600k < PS3 < 650K

Switch: 3947-4890-9293
cloudeagle on
«134567100

Posts

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    cloudeaglecloudeagle Registered User regular
    Space reserved for the year's "week in review" experiment.

    Switch: 3947-4890-9293
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    cloudeaglecloudeagle Registered User regular
    ...wow, Raz moves fast.

    At any rate, here's what I'm talking about in the title, Disney Infinity:

    http://www.polygon.com/2013/1/15/3879612/disney-infinity

    Switch: 3947-4890-9293
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    maximumzeromaximumzero I...wait, what? New Orleans, LARegistered User regular
    Copy/Pasta'ing from previous thread:

    http://youtu.be/oC_xhaIlgWQ

    d3cD6.jpg

    SPACESHIP EARTH!?

    Sold. Sold. Sold sold sold sold sold. Sold.

    Sold.

    SOLD.

    FU7kFbw.png
    Switch: 6200-8149-0919 / Wii U: maximumzero / 3DS: 0860-3352-3335 / eBay Shop
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    The Dude With HerpesThe Dude With Herpes Lehi, UTRegistered User regular
    edited January 2013

    I hope this is as fun as it looks like it could be.

    But, is it like multiplayer? Solo?

    And I saw no Darkwing Duck or GizmoDuck which saddens me and I hope they don't forget about them.

    The Dude With Herpes on
    Steam: Galedrid - XBL: Galedrid - PSN: Galedrid
    Origin: Galedrid - Nintendo: Galedrid/3222-6858-1045
    Blizzard: Galedrid#1367 - FFXIV: Galedrid Kingshand

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    HenroidHenroid Mexican kicked from Immigration Thread Centrism is Racism :3Registered User regular
    I hate to be an ass to Sony again, but if this Disney thing out-performs Playstation All-Stars Long-Title-Extraordinaire...

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    Magic PinkMagic Pink Tur-Boner-Fed Registered User regular
    cloudeagle wrote: »
    ...wow, Raz moves fast.

    At any rate, here's what I'm talking about in the title, Disney Infinity:

    http://www.polygon.com/2013/1/15/3879612/disney-infinity

    Oh, it's a Skylanders clone? Assuming it'll be as crappy as their LittleBigPlanet clone; I'll probably skip it.

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    skeldareskeldare Gresham, ORRegistered User regular
    Henroid wrote: »
    I hate to be an ass to Sony again, but if this Disney thing out-performs Playstation All-Stars Long-Title-Extraordinaire...

    Why wouldn't it? It's multiplatform, and it's Disney.

    Nintendo Console Codes
    Switch (JeffConser): SW-3353-5433-5137 Wii U: Skeldare - 3DS: 1848-1663-9345
    PM Me if you add me!
    HAIL HYDRA
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    mere_immortalmere_immortal So tasty!Registered User regular
    And again, fuck yeah Incredibles figures.

    Steam: mere_immortal - PSN: mere_immortal - XBL: lego pencil - Wii U: mimmortal - 3DS: 1521-7234-1642 - Bordgamegeek: mere_immortal
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    HalfmexHalfmex I mock your value system You also appear foolish in the eyes of othersRegistered User regular
    ... Oh fuck you, Disney.

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    Mego ThorMego Thor "I say thee...NAY!" Registered User regular
    From cloudeagle's linked Polygon article;
    The Disney Infinity starter pack will sell for $74.99, with play sets selling for $34.99, figure three packs selling for $29.99, figures for $12.99 and power disc packs selling for $4.99.

    Yikes! When I asked in the previous thread when would they take my money, I didn't mean all of it.

    kyrcl.png
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    The Dude With HerpesThe Dude With Herpes Lehi, UTRegistered User regular
    Play sets? Power Disc Packs?

    For someone who knows nothing about skylanders...wat?

    Steam: Galedrid - XBL: Galedrid - PSN: Galedrid
    Origin: Galedrid - Nintendo: Galedrid/3222-6858-1045
    Blizzard: Galedrid#1367 - FFXIV: Galedrid Kingshand

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    maximumzeromaximumzero I...wait, what? New Orleans, LARegistered User regular
    The Starter Pack if obviously the game and a set of figures, the figure three-packs and figures individual are self-explanatory, and the power disc packs are basically in-game items/weapons, but I have no idea what play sets are...maybe just themed character/power disc sets?

    FU7kFbw.png
    Switch: 6200-8149-0919 / Wii U: maximumzero / 3DS: 0860-3352-3335 / eBay Shop
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    cloudeaglecloudeagle Registered User regular
    Magic Pink wrote: »
    cloudeagle wrote: »
    ...wow, Raz moves fast.

    At any rate, here's what I'm talking about in the title, Disney Infinity:

    http://www.polygon.com/2013/1/15/3879612/disney-infinity

    Oh, it's a Skylanders clone? Assuming it'll be as crappy as their LittleBigPlanet clone; I'll probably skip it.

    Supposedly there's Minecraft and Little Big Planet mixed in there too. Hence Spaceship Earth next to Niceland Apartments next to Tangled lanterns.

    Switch: 3947-4890-9293
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    HenroidHenroid Mexican kicked from Immigration Thread Centrism is Racism :3Registered User regular
    skeldare wrote: »
    Henroid wrote: »
    I hate to be an ass to Sony again, but if this Disney thing out-performs Playstation All-Stars Long-Title-Extraordinaire...

    Why wouldn't it? It's multiplatform, and it's Disney.

    I know. What I'm getting at is everyone understands how to do brand mash-ups except Sony.

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    mantis23mantis23 Registered User regular
    Why would I need a NFC reader in the starter pack for the Wii U when Nintendo built a NFC reader into the gamepad for this exact reason?

    0y6kx4rwubui.jpg
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    ElvenshaeElvenshae Registered User regular
    I think you mean "when," @Henroid.

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    ZephiranZephiran Registered User regular
    As someone who has had no contact with any games of this sort to this point, some of those prices seem rather steep, especially the 75 bucks for the starter pack. That kind of dough just seems a bit too much for the general market to me, but how do the prices stack up against Skylanders stuff, its primary rival product? If it compares favourably or even just similarly then I don't think there should be much cause for concern.

    Alright and in this next scene all the animals have AIDS.

    I got a little excited when I saw your ship.
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    cloudeaglecloudeagle Registered User regular
    Holy crap. From Wired's Chris Kohler's Twitter:
    And here's the Logic Editor, which lets you create videogames. Showing games based on Donkey Kong, Ivan "Ironman" Stewart's Super Off-Road

    Switch: 3947-4890-9293
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    skeldareskeldare Gresham, ORRegistered User regular
    mantis23 wrote: »
    Why would I need a NFC reader in the starter pack for the Wii U when Nintendo built a NFC reader into the gamepad for this exact reason?

    The same reason Skylanders Giants doesn't use it.

    Nintendo Console Codes
    Switch (JeffConser): SW-3353-5433-5137 Wii U: Skeldare - 3DS: 1848-1663-9345
    PM Me if you add me!
    HAIL HYDRA
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    Maz-Maz- 飛べ Registered User regular
    edited January 2013
    Everyone's doomed. Dooooooooomed!

    Except Disney, because they're gonna make a shitload of money.

    Maz- on
    Add me on Switch: 7795-5541-4699
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    RenzoRenzo Registered User regular
    Magic Pink wrote: »
    cloudeagle wrote: »
    ...wow, Raz moves fast.

    At any rate, here's what I'm talking about in the title, Disney Infinity:

    http://www.polygon.com/2013/1/15/3879612/disney-infinity

    Oh, it's a Skylanders clone? Assuming it'll be as crappy as their LittleBigPlanet clone; I'll probably skip it.

    The LBP clone is actually a Lego game clone, but whatever.

    Also this is not really a Skylanders clone. It's as much or more a Minecraft/LBP clone. Or just check out Toy Story 3's Toy Box and multiply that by 50.

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    skeldareskeldare Gresham, ORRegistered User regular
    Maz- wrote: »
    Everyone's doomed. Dooooooooomed!

    Except Disney, because they're gonna make a shitload of money.

    Disney to buy everyone in 2013.

    Nintendo Console Codes
    Switch (JeffConser): SW-3353-5433-5137 Wii U: Skeldare - 3DS: 1848-1663-9345
    PM Me if you add me!
    HAIL HYDRA
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    Undead ScottsmanUndead Scottsman Registered User regular
    If they can buy back the missing Marvel properties, then good on 'em I say.

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    Mego ThorMego Thor "I say thee...NAY!" Registered User regular
    Sold!

    kyrcl.png
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    HenroidHenroid Mexican kicked from Immigration Thread Centrism is Racism :3Registered User regular
    Henroid wrote: »
    skeldare wrote: »
    Henroid wrote: »
    I hate to be an ass to Sony again, but if this Disney thing out-performs Playstation All-Stars Long-Title-Extraordinaire...

    Why wouldn't it? It's multiplatform, and it's Disney.

    I know. What I'm getting at is everyone understands how to do brand mash-ups except Sony.

    By the way I totally forgot about Kingdom Hearts when I made this post so it's already happened.

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    CadeCade Eppur si muove.Registered User regular
    Is it bad I still want Disney to buy out THQ so they end up with Saints Rows?

    Imagine all the little figurines we'd get from that.

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    skeldareskeldare Gresham, ORRegistered User regular
    Cade wrote: »
    Is it bad I still want Disney to buy out THQ so they end up with Saints Rows?

    Imagine all the little figurines we'd get from that.

    And movies! And TV shows! And clothing lines!

    Nintendo Console Codes
    Switch (JeffConser): SW-3353-5433-5137 Wii U: Skeldare - 3DS: 1848-1663-9345
    PM Me if you add me!
    HAIL HYDRA
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    ZephiranZephiran Registered User regular
    More importantly, branded dildo bats.

    Alright and in this next scene all the animals have AIDS.

    I got a little excited when I saw your ship.
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    Mego ThorMego Thor "I say thee...NAY!" Registered User regular
    Princess specific dildo bats.

    kyrcl.png
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    Maz-Maz- 飛べ Registered User regular
    skeldare wrote: »
    Maz- wrote: »
    Everyone's doomed. Dooooooooomed!

    Except Disney, because they're gonna make a shitload of money.

    Disney to buy everyone in 2013.

    With Star Wars under their belt now, I honestly wouldn't be surprised if that happens.

    Add me on Switch: 7795-5541-4699
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    RehabRehab Registered User regular
    skeldare wrote: »
    Henroid wrote: »
    I hate to be an ass to Sony again, but if this Disney thing out-performs Playstation All-Stars Long-Title-Extraordinaire...

    Why wouldn't it? It's multiplatform, and it's Disney.

    I think Disney Infinity will do fine (and certainly outperform PSABR) but Epic Mickey 2 certainly didn't make much of a splash.

    Really thought it would make the top 10 in the NPDs at the very least.

    NNID: Rehab0
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    cloudeaglecloudeagle Registered User regular
    edited January 2013
    If they can buy back the missing Marvel properties, then good on 'em I say.

    That only applies to movies... if they want to plop in Avengers and Spider-Man and X-Men and Howard the Duck, they're free to.

    At any rate, I think this game may show that Disney's FINALLY figured out how to leverage their in-house properties for boys. They've had girls sewn up for years through the princesses, but nothing they've tried has clicked with the male crowd. Even Kingdom Hearts was flubbed in that regard (the game did well, but Disney's heritage department put the kibosh on a KH cartoon and merch was very, very limited).

    As far as Epic Mickey 2 goes, the first game was rough, its perception didn't stick with kids or escape the "teh kiddy" ghetto, and it sucked.

    cloudeagle on
    Switch: 3947-4890-9293
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    UncleSporkyUncleSporky Registered User regular
    edited January 2013
    skeldare wrote: »
    mantis23 wrote: »
    Why would I need a NFC reader in the starter pack for the Wii U when Nintendo built a NFC reader into the gamepad for this exact reason?

    The same reason Skylanders Giants doesn't use it.

    More specifically because Skylanders was designed with two way communication being assumed at all times, or something like that, so you'd have to hold it there as you play.

    It may be that it's easier for Disney Infinity to use the same interface on every platform so as not to complicate just one release.

    Nintendo's NFC usage seems to be intended like a quick card scan thing, not a wireless-yet-local storage space sort of thing.

    UncleSporky on
    Switch Friend Code: SW - 5443 - 2358 - 9118 || 3DS Friend Code: 0989 - 1731 - 9504 || NNID: unclesporky
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    CadeCade Eppur si muove.Registered User regular
    Canada gets limited edition white playstation 3 slimmer than slim now too.
    PlayStation 3 Slim 500GB Limited Edition Bundle - White

    The redesigned PlayStation 3 Slim is smaller and lighter than is predecessor. With a 500GB hard drive, it's a powerful gaming and media console designed for entertainment. The built-in Blu-ray Disc player lets you enjoy HD movies, and integrated Wi-Fi allows you to download games from the PlayStation Network. This console includes one DualShock 3 wireless controller to get you playing quickly.
    Product Features

    500GB hard drive for media and game storage

    Built-in Wi-Fi

    Blu-ray Disc player

    Includes one DualShock 3 wireless controller

    20% lighter and 25% smaller than the original PlayStation 3 Slim

    The wii was only the beginning.

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    quarthinosquarthinos Registered User regular
    Zephiran wrote: »
    As someone who has had no contact with any games of this sort to this point, some of those prices seem rather steep, especially the 75 bucks for the starter pack. That kind of dough just seems a bit too much for the general market to me, but how do the prices stack up against Skylanders stuff, its primary rival product? If it compares favourably or even just similarly then I don't think there should be much cause for concern.

    The skylanders starter packs go for $70. These prices are in the same ball park, and Activision has pulled in $50 million? I might have an extra zero there, but I don't think so.

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    Undead ScottsmanUndead Scottsman Registered User regular
    edited January 2013
    cloudeagle wrote: »
    If they can buy back the missing Marvel properties, then good on 'em I say.

    That only applies to movies...

    Indeed it does! :D Though IIRC, Fox and Sony hold merchandizing rights for the movies; so that Amazing Spider-Man game the came out recently was entirely beyond Marvel/Disney's control IIRC.

    Undead Scottsman on
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    HenroidHenroid Mexican kicked from Immigration Thread Centrism is Racism :3Registered User regular
    Cade wrote: »
    Canada gets limited edition white playstation 3 slimmer than slim now too.
    PlayStation 3 Slim 500GB Limited Edition Bundle - White

    The redesigned PlayStation 3 Slim is smaller and lighter than is predecessor. With a 500GB hard drive, it's a powerful gaming and media console designed for entertainment. The built-in Blu-ray Disc player lets you enjoy HD movies, and integrated Wi-Fi allows you to download games from the PlayStation Network. This console includes one DualShock 3 wireless controller to get you playing quickly.
    Product Features

    500GB hard drive for media and game storage

    Built-in Wi-Fi

    Blu-ray Disc player

    Includes one DualShock 3 wireless controller

    20% lighter and 25% smaller than the original PlayStation 3 Slim

    The wii was only the beginning.

    How much does it cost? And 500GB is pretty fucking rad for HDD space.

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    maximumzeromaximumzero I...wait, what? New Orleans, LARegistered User regular
    quarthinos wrote: »
    Zephiran wrote: »
    As someone who has had no contact with any games of this sort to this point, some of those prices seem rather steep, especially the 75 bucks for the starter pack. That kind of dough just seems a bit too much for the general market to me, but how do the prices stack up against Skylanders stuff, its primary rival product? If it compares favourably or even just similarly then I don't think there should be much cause for concern.

    The skylanders starter packs go for $70. These prices are in the same ball park, and Activision has pulled in $50 million? I might have an extra zero there, but I don't think so.

    I've seen Skylanders figures on sale multiple times as well, with "B2G1F" sales often, especially during the holidays, so I'm not terribly concerned about this taking a huge chunk of my finances...yet.

    FU7kFbw.png
    Switch: 6200-8149-0919 / Wii U: maximumzero / 3DS: 0860-3352-3335 / eBay Shop
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    cloudeaglecloudeagle Registered User regular
    Henroid wrote: »
    Cade wrote: »
    Canada gets limited edition white playstation 3 slimmer than slim now too.
    PlayStation 3 Slim 500GB Limited Edition Bundle - White

    The redesigned PlayStation 3 Slim is smaller and lighter than is predecessor. With a 500GB hard drive, it's a powerful gaming and media console designed for entertainment. The built-in Blu-ray Disc player lets you enjoy HD movies, and integrated Wi-Fi allows you to download games from the PlayStation Network. This console includes one DualShock 3 wireless controller to get you playing quickly.
    Product Features

    500GB hard drive for media and game storage

    Built-in Wi-Fi

    Blu-ray Disc player

    Includes one DualShock 3 wireless controller

    20% lighter and 25% smaller than the original PlayStation 3 Slim

    The wii was only the beginning.

    How much does it cost? And 500GB is pretty fucking rad for HDD space.

    $299. As much as the ginormous HDD space is nice that's still way too expensive for the end of the generation.

    Switch: 3947-4890-9293
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    nusunusu Registered User regular
    edited January 2013
    And I saw no Darkwing Duck or GizmoDuck which saddens me and I hope they don't forget about them.

    Don't forget games like this are made to keep selling you figure pack after figure pack. I doubt Disney has forgot about any property they own (Gargoyles, Tail Spin, Chip & Dale Rescue Rangers, Phineas and Pherb, their new pirate show, etc etc etc)

    nusu on
This discussion has been closed.