Disney Infinity

A while back, Disney put the stops on their Infinity game system.

I will confess to having some small investment in this having parted with hard cash for the Avengers deluxe starter set (natch) complete with inexplicable (and huge) light up diorama with touch controls. Let me say that again - a diorama with touch controls.

Moving on, I am somewhat saddened by this news, while also happy - happy to slurp up the discounted game pieces.

These game systems exist in other universes also, for example there's Skylanders and Nintendo’s Amiibo, but none (with maybe the exception of Nintendo) have the iconic characters we love. From Star Wars to Nemo, the Disney catalogue is almost inexhaustible.

So why should this matter? These things are just a way of getting the gullible to part with cash to unlock a character already coded into the game. It's a kind of rip off, is it not?

Well, it would be, if each and every one of the Disney Infinity characters were not exquisitely sculpted renditions of their screen counterparts.

Moulded from soft plastic or vinyl, the attention to detail is astonishingly good. Live action characters get replaced by 3D cartoon versions of themselves and cartoon characters get, well, 3D versions of themselves also.

These tiny sculptures are worthy of your attention long after the game system they were designed for is extinct and the servers long switched off.

As I noted, these characters are being heavily discounted by retailers as I write, so even if you have no interest in the games per se but have an interest in character design or like me just collect 'em because they are so darned cute, I recommend you grab a bargain before they're gone for ever.