Skylanders Giants out this weekend

Activision has confirmed that Skylanders Giants will hit store shelves in North America on October 21, 2012 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Skylanders Giants builds on the success of its predecessor by enhancing the magic of bringing toys to life in a virtual experience as first introduced in Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure. The game features 16 new characters, led by eight Giant Skylanders, who are twice the size of their comrades. The Giants each have new powers and abilities to match their size. Joining the Giants are eight new Skylanders, who also feature never-before-seen powers.

Additionally, Skylanders Giants introduces new LightCore Skylanders that glow when on or near the Portal of Power — no batteries required. Fan-favorites from Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure return as Series 2 characters. And all your characters from Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure are 100% compatible with Skylanders Giants — stats and customizations intact.

“It’s really gratifying that in less than a year, we’ve seen Skylanders go from being an intriguing untested new IP to becoming one of the hottest kids franchises in the world. And it has been universally acclaimed by parents, kids and critics alike," said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing.

Skylanders Giants will leap to Wii U™ day and date with the launch of Nintendo’s new console on November 18, 2012. In the Wii U version, the game takes advantage of the system’s motion and touchscreen controls.

Skylanders Giants was developed by Activision’s Novato, California studio, Toys for Bob, led by creative director and studio head Paul Reiche.