Disney Infinity is a $100M game full of ambition but is frustrating in execution

Disney Infinity, an open world platform game where collectible toys represent the playable characters, is a huge enterprise that cost more than $100 million to make and required the coordination of many different Disney divisions and properties. I like its ambition, but I don’t care for the game so far. The title debuted on Aug. 18 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, Wii U, and 3DS.

But then again, you can’t trust my judgment. I wasn’t a big fan of the first Skylanders game from Activision. That game series went on to sell more than $1 billion worth of toys and games. It was a stroke of brilliance, and I just wasn’t the right audience for it. I look at Disney Infinity in the same way. Disney Infinity could well go on to be a blockbuster that breathes new life into both Disney’s video game business and bridges its toy business into the digital realm. The core demographic of young kids could very well turn this into one of the hottest games of the year. And Disney’s brands might very well crush the Skylanders’ momentum. Your kids might prove me wrong.