[quote name='nbballard']They really haven't done a good job of getting information out to the consumer about release schedules and future content. There are at least 2 more level expansions planned and the only reason we know is because there are slots for them on the 3DS game.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, I noticed this the other day. Some snooping on the Internet uncovered that the "Empire of Ice" expansion will come with Slam Bam (a Yeti-like water character) and "Dragon's Peak" will come with Sunburn. Also, it appears the store exclusives (Whirlwind at Target and Drill Sargeant at Walmart) will be available everywhere soon. The Legendary 3-pack will remain exclusive to TRU. I am so pissed I didn't pick up that 3-pack when I saw it before Thanksgiving. I also passed on Whirlwind many times. Had I just bought a few of those I could have paid for my whole Skylander set with the current pricing of those things

.
Javery - Amazon had a few up for "preorder", essentially, last night. I ordered Voodood last night for $7.99 and it says it will be back in stock the 13th. I think Bash and Eruptor were also available. Note that they now no longer are available so that must mean Amazon sold out of their expected shipment! That is a sign these things will remain hot for a while, even when they get more out later in the month. As of
right now they have Zap available for order at $7.99 - says Jan. 15th on that one.
[quote name='bjkrautk']Honest question: Is Skylanders a good game for someone who wants to play with young children, or is it legitimately a fun game in and of itself?
I don't have kids, but I hear so many people speaking positively about this game (CAGcast, Bombcast, forum threads, etc.) that my interests are piqued. On its face, the games look like reasonably fun action games with some light RPG elements (unlockable abilities as characters level -- I haven't sought out a FAQ, so feel free to laugh / correct me on this).
On the other hand, there's something inherently off-putting in the game's marketing model (figures are essentially retail-based DLC).[/QUOTE]
It is a fairly easy action RPG type game, yes. Some of the boss battles are at least moderately challenging (at least if you are trying not to die at all) and the Heroic Challenges do provide some additional challenge. I took Gill Grunt through most of the ones we have unlocked and had trouble with a few of them. Also, getting all the achievements/trophies would provide at least some challenge and adds some diversity if nothing else (some of them require you to beat levels with certain conditions like using one power only, or not using items, etc).
The kids are just fascinated by the figures, though. Think of it like Pokemon, but, IMO, much cooler in that the actual figures you buy are the ones you play with (in that they store the stats, etc). There is some appeal for adults there too. I'm not sure I'd be playing this if I didn't have kids but they are a great excuse to play it now!
So, as I type, my older son (11) is at a Skylanders overnight party with one of his classmates. He isn't into the game at all (he is obsessed with Halo). I'll have to ask him tomorrow how much the other kids (besides the host who obviously like it) were into it. I got the game for his 9 year-old brother, who loves it. But just to give you the scale of this thing, and why the figures are all sold out now: so my 6th grader is at this Skylanders party; my 3rd grader said everyone in his class talked about it nonstop when they came back from break; and my 4 year-old is obsessed with the characters, knows all their names, and is even familiar with the ones not out yet (and he's aware they aren't out yet). When I first heard about this game, it didn't seem appealing to me at all, but now that I have it there's definitely something to it.