‘Lightseekers’ puts the action back into action figures

Lightseekers

The role-playing game from Play Fusion and TOMY that seeks to bring video game action into the real world, has made the transition from Kickstarter to store shelves.

On Saturday, at the New York Toy Fair, the makers announced that the game will get Toys “R” Us distribution, with pre-sales starting in April.

The game has come a long way since Play Fusion first showed it to us in October. Back then, the action figures were so unfinished, they wouldn’t let us photograph them.

Now, this video/real-world/augmented reality mashup looks ready for action.

Combining video games and action figures that look like something out of a steroids version of Pok?mon and augmented reality, Lightseekers features 7-inch-tall, fully articulated action figures. Each one accepts a tiny, plug-in computer, called the Fusion Core, that adds Bluetooth, intelligence, vibration motors and speakers.

The Bluetooth is used to communicate with your smartphone or tablet so that each action figure can interact with the Lightseekers video game. If, for instance, you change the physical weapon on the figure, it changes on screen as well. Even the weapons have some intelligence, remembering progress that can then be shared with other characters that use the weapon.

The Lightseekers universe will also include 386 trading cards that include an augmented reality component that players can activate by holding the cards in front of their computer’s forward-facing camera. Characters can be virtually swiped from the card into the video game.

If kids get bored with the video game, they can use the characters as controllers, using the physical characters like joysticks to control their avatars through a flying obstacle course. Play Fusion also showed us how buttons on the back of the action figures can be used to play an on-screen game of whack-a-mole.

When the sets go on sale in April, Lightseekers will list for $69.99 for the starter kit (one figure, one Fusion Core, a weapon and six trading cards) and accessories will start at $14.99.