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The Skylanders franchise has become quite the money press for Activison. Today, the publisher announced that the toy/video game franchise (and this includes games, figures, and accessories) has churned out $500 million in U.S. retail sales, reaching that milestone faster than any other kid-centered game property.

A massive chunk of that cash is due to the sales of Skylander figures. Together, figures for both Skylanders games (Skylanders Spyro's Adventure and Skylanders Giants) have become the top-selling toy line in the country, beating out popular properties including Beyblade, WWE, and Star Wars.

Another large piece of profit was earned by the highest-selling kids' game of 2012, Skylanders Giants. Since its launch in October, the game has gone on to generate sales of over $195 million dollars in the U.S. By comparison, the top kid-friendly movies at the time, Wreck-It Ralph and Rise of the Guardians, have only raked in around $178.6 million and $97.6 million at the domestic box office, respectively.

"Just a year ago, the concept of bringing toys to life in a virtual world was an untested play pattern that Activision and Toys For Bob believed in. Now the category has been established in the market and embraced by parents and kids everywhere," said John Coyne, Activision's Vice President of Consumer Marketing. "We're humbled by the continued support and acclaim from parents, kids and critics alike, but more importantly, it's gratifying to see kids excited about the adventures that await them both in the digital and physical worlds."

Source: Activision press release

Peter Grimm A writer, journalist, and aspiring storyteller, Peter Grimm has been gaming since the days of the Nintendo 64, and reporting on the goings-on in the World of Gaming since late 2011. His base of writing operations is located within the void between Here and There, or so he would have you think.

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