Skylanders Trap Team from Activision has gone mobile.
The complete console game, which is the latest in the Skylanders series, will not only be coming to Xbox, PlayStation, Wii consoles, and Nintendo DS, but will also enter the mobile gaming world and be made available for tablets when it is released this fall on October 5, 2014.
This game release is a notable first for mobile.
The full Skylanders Trap Team game and all of the console version’s content will be available for tablets, which make the new game one of the largest to ever be played on a mobile device. It will be playable on Android, iOS, and FireOS devices when it launches in October.
The game’s start set, which works with all three mobile operating systems listed above, is $75 and will include a game controller, a Portal of Power designed for tablets, a pair of Trap Stones, and the Snap Shot and Food Fight Skylanders figures. It is essentially just like the console-specific starter kit, with the exception that the game controller and Portal are battery powered and will only function with the game’s mobile version. Players only need one set to be able to play on all operating systems, which is a fabulous bonus for mobile users and extremely rare for mobile games.
Mobile gamers will also have the chance to download a free version of Skylanders Trap Team at their preferred app store, which will provide the player with a demo experience that relies only on Trap Stones and virtual characters, so the Portal isn’t needed. Currently, details regarding this demo version have yet to be finalized, but players will still be able to try the game for free using virtual controls.
Mobile gaming meets NFC technology.
One of the reasons why the console versions of the Skylanders games are so popular is they come with the Portal of Power, which contains a near field communications (NFC) transmitter that allows the player’s figurines to interact with the game. However, what makes the Portal designed for tablet mobile gaming so unique is not only does it work like the ones for consoles, but it also can be used as a tablet stand and underneath the Portal is a small Bluetooth controller that features all of the same buttons as an Xbox controller.
Near field communications is gaining ground in the overall market. One of the primary reasons for this is this tech requires less power compared to other forms of wireless technologies. Many products have commercialized the use of NFC, which typically functions in three modes: peer-to-peer, reader emulation, and card emulation. The technology also has the advantage of being compatible with contactless card infrastructure that already exists, which gives consumers the ability to use one device across more than one system.