Changing the Game: A Strong Video Gaming Year Could Spike Toy Sales

by VICTOR LUCAS, Creator/Host, The Electric Playground

I am writing this in the glow of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, the first video game blockbuster of 2024 and the first game of the year that I hope a savvy company licenses to create some fantastic toys.

Yes, I’m a lifelong fan of video games but I’m also an action figure fiend that loves it when the toy market taps into the unbridled imagination that games can often provide.

The new Prince of Persia is a perfect example. Gamers play as a character named Sargon who is part of an elite group of warriors named The Immortals who are tasked with protecting Persia and the titular prince. All of these characters are fantastic, so I‘m waiting on the news that someone is going to immortalize them with awesome figures soon.

Honestly, Sargon may be the coolest video game protagonist of 2024 but let’s look ahead…

What other games coming out in 2024 should we have on our radar, particularly if they have killer characters that may also translate to awesome collectibles? Well, here is my shortlist for this year:

Almost assuredly, just like it did with the sensational Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor games, Hasbro will create The Black Series figures for the lead characters in Ubisoft’s upcoming Star Wars Outlaws. Players will assume the role of a scoundrel named Kay Vess as they jet from planet to planet getting into all kinds of fantastic trouble. This is not a game of lightsabers and Force powers — this is an adventure showcasing the seedier underbelly of the Star Wars galaxy and it’s set between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. This single-player, open world action-adventure game is being developed by Massive Entertainment, creators of the phenomenal Tom Clancy’s The Division titles. Massive is a team that understands nuanced character designs and rich world-building. Based on everything I know about the games coming out this year, it’s Star Wars Outlaws that I am most excited about. And I can’t wait to collect the figures.

There are several superb samurai-inspired projects in popular culture right now, like Blue Eye Samurai on Netflix and PlayStation’s excellent Ghost of Tsushima, but another open world Samurai game is set to launch on PlayStation 5 this year and it is blowing people away. Called Rise of the Rōnin, this is the latest title from acclaimed action developer Team Ninja, makers of the modern Ninja Gaiden and Nioh games. Players create their characters in Rise of the Rōnin and fight their way through beautiful cities in 19th century Japan. The character designs and weaponry in the game are astoundingly beautiful and the idea that a Rise of the Rōnin action figure could come packed with the glider that players will get to employ in the game makes me bounce with excitement.

I’d love to see the toy industry pay a little more attention to indie game development, particularly when a title as fresh and exciting as Replaced is heading our way. This is a dystopian side-scrolling action platformer with a retro look and a vibe straight out of Ridley Scott’s seminal Blade Runner. Gamers play as artificial intelligence (AI) trapped in a human body, wearing a killer long coat, sporting a cyberpunk ponytail, and fighting through layers of pixelated techno tough guys in an alternate ‘80s sci-fi epic.

Another indie game, which has been sourced by the curation wizards at Devolver Digital, is The Plucky Squire. In this one gamers play as a cute little 2D character named Jot who — what’s this? — has the ability to completely change the plot and jump from his 2D storybook confines into a 3D “real world” environment and then back again at will! It’s entrancing to witness and Jot and his pals are incredibly endearing and could make great toys. Hint, hint.

The final gaming juggernaut that I’m convinced will have a host of great toys to accompany it is Square Enix’s Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth. In fact, some collector-focused products are already in the works and available for preorder on the Square Enix website. The game picks up right where 2020’s Final Fantasy VII: Remake left off and is the second part in a modern trilogy that reimagines the original 1997 RPG classic for the very first PlayStation. Cloud, Aerith, Tifa, Barret, Sephiroth, and many other Final Fantasy characters have graced toy shelves for years, and that continues.

These are just a handful of the great video games in store for players this year. The worlds we’ll explore and the characters we’ll meet in 2024 will take our breath away and then the cool toys they inspire will help us relive these awesome interactive experiences for years to come. It’s that symbiotic reciprocal circle that exists between toys and video games that leads me to my motto: Play Forever!

A version of this feature was originally published in the February 2024 edition of The BIG Toy Book. Click here to read the full issue! Want to receive The Toy Book in print? Click here for subscription options!