Disney today announced a new "digital play experience" called Playmation, a combination of video game and physical active play that will feature interactive experiences based on The Avengers, Star Wars and Frozen.
Playmation combines physical toys, like a plastic version of Iron Man's gauntlet that kids can wear on their arm, with an app for mobile devices and action figures that can be placed on a base station. Players can then take on missions in single and multiplayer modes, battling famous Marvel villains like Loki and M.O.D.O.K. with physical play.
"Playmation gives kids the kind of toys that will inspire their imaginations," said Walt Disney Company chief operating officer Tom Staggs at the product's unveiling today. He called the mix of wearables, digital entertainment and physical activity "21st century play."
The Playmation play set consists of wireless base stations called Power Activators on which "smart figures" can be placed to unlock adventures in locations in the Marvel Universe like Wakanda and Avengers headquarters. At Disney's unveiling today, the company showed a suite of figures that included Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Falcon, Ultron and M.O.D.O.K. Disney says it plans to release 16 figures for Playmation in its first year.
The company also showed off two of the wearables, Iron Man's Repulsor glove and Hulk's Gamma Gear hands, as well as a rolling Prowler Bot that players can interact with.
In the gameplay demonstrated at an event in Los Angeles today, Iron Man's operating system J.A.R.V.I.S. instructed kids to embark on a mission to take down Ultron using Stark-developed technology.
Other wearable toys shown by Disney Consumer products today included a pair of giant green Hulk hands that could be used for super villain-smashing purposes.
Disney's Playmation line of toys and games will launch later this year with Marvel's The Avengers serving as the basis for the first set. Disney will follow up The Avengers with a Star Wars-themed play set in spring 2016 and a Frozen play set in 2017.
Playmation will be available for pre-order starting July 7 and launch this October. The Avengers starter pack will have a suggested retail price of $119.99 and will launch in the United States and Canada.
