Skylanders Trap Team Has Trapped Me This Christmas

When I played video games as a kid, they were just a cartridge with game code on it. You plugged it in, turned it on and you were playing Frogger.  One purchase and done. Today though, game developers have found a whole new way to suck cash out of parents wallets. 

My eight-year-old son got Skylanders Trap Team for his birthday in November and it's actually a very fun game. I may have had a few late nights up playing this myself. It's a bit addicting...and THAT'S the problem.

The evil geniuses at Activision who developed Skylanders integrated the video game with physical toy figures. You get two to start with, but if you want to access other areas of the game, you're going to need to buy more Skylanders figures at about $15 a whack. Yeah that's right. Want to finish the game? Buy more stuff! Candy Crush addicts will understand this all too well.

Once you have a figure, you place it on the Skylanders portal and the character is "transported" into the game. Different characters have different abilities and can access different areas of the game. See what they did there?

What's worse with the Trap Team version of Skylanders is that you have to buy TWO types of toys to progress in the game. You need the character figures and you need traps to trap enemies. Traps go for $6 a trap, a set of three for $15 or a set of 8 for $40. This is getting out of hand now.

The game is good too! I'm totally addicted and have almost gone out and plunked down cash for more Skylanders! What is wrong with me?

And don't think Skylanders is the only game out there that does this. Other companies followed suit with Disney releasing Disney Infinity and Nintendo coming up with Amiibo. Exact same concept. Keep buying figures!

Here's a review of the game from my favorite video game review channel on YouTube, Classic Game Room hosted by Mark Bussler. He starts the review by plunking down cash on the portal. Nailed it.

Are your kids into Skylanders? Will they be opening up figures this Christmas? What do you think of the game? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter.