Skylanders, Nintendo in Collaboration
Activision Publishing and Nintendo announced during this week’s E3 that Activision’s Skylanders will feature Donkey Kong and Bowser as guest stars in Skylanders SuperChargers. The characters will be available exclusively in Skylanders SuperChargers Starter Packs for the Wii U, Wii, and Nintendo 3DS family of systems, available now for pre-order.
Developed by Vicarious Visions, Skylanders Superchargers introduces Turbo Charge Donkey Kong and Hammer Slam Bowser, which usher in a first-of-its-kind collaboration for the Skylanders franchise. These new characters will be exclusive to the Nintendo platforms. The Turbo Charge Donkey Kong and Hammer Slam Bowser figures will be playable in both Skylanders SuperChargers and select amiibo compatible games with a simple twist of the characters’ bases.
It will be available in North America on September 20, 2015. The new game supports all 300-plus Skylanders toys from previous games, enabling all Skylanders characters to pilot land, sea, or sky-based vehicles.
Amazon Studios Introduces Kids’ Pilot Season
Amazon Studios is set to release its kids’ 2015 pilot season on Friday, June 26, on Amazon Instant Video in the U.S., UK, and Germany. Fans will once again be invited to watch, rate, and comment on which pilots they want turned into Amazon Original Series. All six pilots will be available on the Amazon Instant Video app for TVs, connected devices and mobile devices, or online at Amazon.com/AIV, including:
- The Adventures of Knickerbock Teetertop (preschool; animated): Knickerbock Teetertop, the smallest kid on the enchanted Wonderpine Mountain, joins up with friends for wondrous and challenging adventures.
- Lost in Oz (ages 6–11; animated): An animated, action-adventure comedy set in a modern, metropolitan Emerald City.
- Lily the Unicorn (ages 6–11; animated): Lily’s unique perspective and independent spirit can brighten up any situation and often leads her and her loyal friends into unexpected shenanigans.
- Bear in Underwear (ages 6–11; animated): Eddie Behr, an eternally optimistic, high-energy bear, aspires to be a forest legend just like his dad, who discovered “pants” at an abandoned campsite.
- A History of Radness (ages 6–11; live-action): Written and executive produced by Andrew Green (Hannah Montana), this story captures the authentic experience of aspiring musicians—siblings Jack and Tessie—forming their band.
- The Kicks (ages 6–11; live-action): As the star player of her former soccer team, Devin Burke faces a new set of challenges when her family moves to California midway through the school year.
Toys “R” Us Opens Logistics Campus in France
Toys “R” Us (TRU) announced the completion of its new distribution center in Saint-Fargeau-Ponthierry, France to support the company’s expanding e-commerce business throughout the country and in select sections of Europe. Developed by IDI Gazeley (Brookfield Logistics Properties), the 550,000-square-foot facility will service retail distribution to the country’s 48 stores and e-commerce operations throughout France, as well as expedite online order fulfillment to customers in Belgium, Luxembourg, and Monaco. Located approximately 29 miles south of Paris, the logistics campus became operationally functional in late May, and the adjacent headquarters for TRU France is scheduled to open on June 22.
“Integrating our three previous fulfillment centers in France into one central logistics hub creates greater operational efficiencies for our business, while allowing us to better serve our customers through our growing omnichannel capabilities in Europe,” said Antonio Urcelay, CEO, TRU.