Playing the wiiU with the bairns, many of the games have this interface with plastic figures that you put on a base, and it dictates gameplay to a greater or lesser extent.
There were nowt like this on the zx spectrum, I tell thee. So what is the script here - is it just a crafty mechanism to drain the wallets of parents everywhere? Or does it actually add something to games, an extra dimension that can be used in creative ways (whilst draining the wallets of parents everywhere)?
The later.
is it just a crafty mechanism to drain the wallets of parents everywhere
no. not at all. never.
http://uk.ign.com/articles/2015/04/20/heres-how-much-all-of-lego-dimensions-will-cost
My mates little un has a similar game.. And yes it's basically a con!
I bought my Nephew some skylanders gubbins for his birthday.
The guy in the computer shop described it as "crack for 6 year olds"
I've had a go on it, and it's actually pretty good - plus they can swap the characters with their mates at school.
Another way of getting more money from consumers
My lad likes Disney Infinity on the XBox. Swapping characters around is a good angle and quite fun; only one rule though, I am always Iron Man. However, of course it's a way of getting more money from consumers, the clue is in the word consumer.