I don't really get Skylanders or Disney Infinity. Do you seriously have to buy the figure just to play as it in the game? Those things seem really pricey.
You do have to buy each figure to use it in the game. It's built for kids. They get a toy and something like DLC each time Daddy buys them a character. My son plays with his in and out of the game.
The characters may seem a little pricey, but it's actually the most ingenious money maker in video games.
First, they hit you for $70 or so for the Starter pack. You get the game, a Portal, and 3 figures. You can finish the game with just these figures, but who's going to do that?
About everytime we go to Walmart my son gets a little toy or movie or something like that. I usually give him $10 to spend. Guess what he gets? You got it, Skylanders. I really don't notice the money missing because I spent it anyway. Next thing you know, you have $1000 tied up in one game.
Thanks to Birthdays, Christmas, and the little bit of money I give The Boy to spend, we now have nearly all the commercially avaliable Skylanders and all of the Disney Infinity characters.