Here is an exclusive interview I got with the Executive Producer behind the Skylanders series, Scott Krager! He was kind enough to let me take up about 10 minutes of his time and I tried to highlight a few key points, pick up on his favorite new characters, and gain insights from his perspective.
I totally apologize for the bobbing camera...I'm not a vlogger and apparently I don't make for a great tripod...Sometimes we clip a little hair, or the chin, but the audio still came thru great and that is what really matters. I tried to stand beside the camera to get closer to him to ensure we could hear his voice...that to me is an okay trade off, lol. If I am fortunate enough to attend next year, I think the tripod will be coming.
That said, I was able to get confirmation from him on pricing for the line up (Single Traps, Core Skylanders, and Trap Masters) and he confirmed what I learned earlier from Jin.
Scott was also kind enough to give a shout out to my Nephew (thewalkthruking) and offer up his take on his 2 favorite Sklyanders, Slam Bam and Freeze Blade!
Here is a text-based accompaniment to the interview:
E3 Scott Krager
-Senior Producer
At this point I knew what was off limits and just opted for
info that could be released. Trust me, I asked everyone, including him, right before
this interview…and then kept asking thru the evening.
His favorite Trappable Villain: Painyatta
His favorite Trapmaster: Wallop (who btw is the HEAVIEST I
have ever held)
His favorite Core: Chopper (with gyro-dino-exo suit)
Price Points
-Starter Pack: $74.99
-Individual Traps: $5.99
-Core: $9.99
-Trap Masters: $14.99
--Battle edge with Skylands Most Wanted AND interaction with
Traptanium Clusters
---They were referred to multiple times here and in other
conversations as “guest stars”
-Tried it again, but NO INFO on Battle Packs or Adventure
Packs
--For me an 8 Pack is highly desirable, especially since it
should knock the price down some
-What does the crowd at E3 mean to you?
--He has been here since Spyro’s Adventure, and says it is
one of the highlights of his 20+ year career in the industry. He values the professional success, but
enjoys seeing his kids interact with the game at his personal, family level.
-Castaways
--I knew we would get nothing info wise, but I did get confirmation
that even our forgotten guys like Voodood, Ghost Roaster, Dino-Rang, and
Sunburn would get jump attacks, even if they stay molded in their debut forms…I’ll take the small victory for those of you who
have their favorites invested in the old cast.
-Trapped Villains
--1 Per Trap (this is absolutely how it works, not 4 per
trap as so many reported early on)
--Each villain has their own theme song to add personality
-My Nephew (had to get him a shout out and Scott’s insights
on his favorite)
--Slam Bam, Scott loved his concept and unique design
--Freeze Blade, Vicarious Visions came up with him and he
likes the leeway the Water Element affords in ice and is very well rounded
-Trap Team October 5th
--Will we see a gradual release of info approaching launch?
---He thinks so
I had a ton of tough questions, but I sadly knew they would
be met with the same guarded reply and that honestly would have made for a bad
interview. Thus, I tried to focus on the
positives, get his personal favorites and take on the series development as the
Executive Producer. I couldn't pass up
the chance to get my Nephew’s questions regarding his favorite Skylanders
covered with a personal recap, so I opted for that as well, lol. So, if you also like Slam Bam and Freeze
Blade, you got some nice bonus content.
The assumed approach of a gradual release of info is likely
correct. I think they wanted to keep the
focus on what is "New" and "Innovative" at E3, and then likely reveal some more,
gradually over time.
