LEGO debuted its latest video game, "LEGO Dimensions," on September 27th. The toy-to-life game, which allows you to play simultaneously with characters from Batman, "Jurassic World," "The Lord of the Rings," and more, is going to be a must-have on children's holiday wish lists. While it's undeniably fun, parents are going to have to dig deep for this one. A starter pack for the video game, which comes with three characters, costs $100. While you can beat the game with the characters provided, there are plenty of locked items and areas you can't complete without other characters. 20 additional expansion packs, ranging in price from $14.99 - $29.99, were released at launch. Another 17 will trickle out in the coming months in several waves. In addition to the starter pack, if you were to purchase everything right now, there's $464.79 worth of "LEGO Dimensions" content available in stores. If you buy everything from now until next May, that will bring you to a grand total of $789.62 before tax.
Here's everything you'd have to buy to get the most out of "LEGO Dimensions." In total, 37 different playsets will be available over the course of the next year. The expansion packs are broken into level packs ($29.99), which come with a character, vehicle, gadget, and a new game level; team packs ($24.99), which come with two characters, a vehicle, and gadget; and fun packs ($14.99), which come with a character and vehicle or gadget. 20 expansion packs were released September 27. They include Homer Simpson and his iconic car. Homer will be available with his car, television set, and a new level. He has the ability to grow and have super strength along with sonar smash. A "Portal 2" level pack based on the game will come with character Chell. The set will come with Chell, a companion cube, and a Sentry Turret. It will unlock the "Aperture Science" level. If you're going to get a level pack, this is a good one to have handy, since Chell's the only character allowing you to create portals so far.
The "Back to the Future" level pack let's you play as Marty McFly. Not only does Marty rock out to his guitar but he also has the iconic DeLorean time machine and Hoverboard. You'll also be able to head to Hill Valley. The "Jurassic World" team pack let's you play as Chris Pratt's dino trainer, Owen, and one of his velociraptors. Owen and his velociraptor come with a gyrosphere and a member of the Asset Containment Unit who's responsible for keeping the dinos in check. Scooby-Doo and Shaggy are available in another team pack. The duo come with the Mystery Machine and a Scooby snack. 10 smaller "fun packs" are currently available, too. There's the "Wizard of Oz" Wicked Witch. The Wicked Witch comes with one of her blue winged monkeys and allows you to harness several abilities the main three characters can't like blowing up silver LEGOs and using mind control. Tech Insider was told this one was expected to be popular with collectors. A few "The Lord of the Rings" characters will be available.
There's a Legolas fun pack. It comes with Legolas and an arrow launcher. Gollum comes with Shelob the Great spider. Gimli comes with an axe chariot. There are also a few sets from LEGO's popular Chima set. Here's Laval and a mighty lion rider. Cragger and a swamp skimmer come in another pack. Eris and an eagle interceptor are also available. "The LEGO Movie" characters like Emmet are sure to be popular. He'll come with an excavator vehicle for digging. Benny will come with his spaceship. Good Cop/Bad Cop will come with his police car. There are also characters available from LEGO's Ninjago series. There's Zane and a ninjacopter ... ... as well as Nya and a Samurai Mech. Here's Jay and a stormfighter. In addition to Batman, other DC characters are available at launch including Wonder Woman. She comes with her invisible jet. Cyborg is also currently available. Actress Alison Brie reprises her role as Unikitty from "The LEGO Movie"
"Doctor Who" will be making his entry as a LEGO character! If you're going to get any expansion pack, this is the one. This will be the first time "Doctor Who" characters will be released in LEGO form. The BBC worked closely with developer Tt Games to make sure every detail of the character was perfect for fans. In addition to a LEGO version of the 12th doctor, voiced by Peter Capaldi, fans will also be able to play as every incarnation of the Doctor. Homer Simpson's son Bart will be part of a fun pack. Instead of his iconic skateboard, Bart will come with a gravity sprinter vehicle. Krusty the Clown will also come in a fun pack. Krusty will come with a clown bike. He'll have the ability to grow and clean up hazardous messes. Kai and Cole will be available in a LEGO Ninjago pack. You'll be able to play as Peter Venkman and the "Ghostbusters" gang. Venkman will come with a ghost trap, the Ecto-1, and a new level. The Joker and Harley Quinn should be another popular team pack.
The partners-in-crime will come with the Joker's copter and the Quinn-mobile. Sensei Wu will be available in a LEGO Ninjago fun pack. If you still don't have enough "Doctor Who," you'll be able to pick up a Cyberman and Dalek. Doc Brown and his time-travelling train will pair nicely with Marty. You'll have to wait until right before the release of "Batman v Superman" in theaters to get your hands on Superman. Aquaman will help flesh out the growing Justice League members in the game. Your "Ghostbusters" collection won't be complete without the Stay Puft marshmallow. Gamer Kid will give a nod to classic Midway Arcade games. Three sets are currently set for release May 10, 2016 in wave five. Lloyd will round out the Ninjago series. Batman nemesis Bane will join the DC Comics' villains. Finally, you'll be to get your hands on green ghost Slimer from "Ghostbusters," too.O), the world's No. 1 toymaker, offered to buy Canada's Mega Brands Inc MB.
TO for about $460 million to better compete with Denmark's Lego, the leader in the fast-growing market for building blocks.For the past three years, the demand for construction toys, especially Lego's colorful building blocks, has been growing at the expense of action figures and preschool toys - the forte of Mattel and its main rival Hasbro Inc (HAS.That pushed Lego's sales up 10 percent in a sluggish global toy market in 2013, helping it overtake Hasbro to become the No. 2 toy company by sales globally. Mattel's sales rose 1 percent and Hasbro's were flat in 2013.Mega Brands, founded in 1967, sells building blocks that directly compete with Lego, and will help Mattel garner a larger share of a market that Chief Executive Bryan Stockton said had some of the highest margins in the toy industry."Mattel currently has less than a 1 percent share in the category. This is the single largest toy category where Mattel does not play," Mattel's Stockton said on a call with analysts.Mega Brands, which sells construction blocks under the MEGA Bloks brand, estimated it has a 10 percent market share globally.
Shares of Mattel, known for its Barbie and Hot Wheels brands, were slightly higher at $37.13 on the Nasdaq.The company offered C$17.75 per share of Mega Brands, representing a premium of 36 percent to the stock's close on Thursday. Mega Brands' stock hit a high of C$17.89 in early trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange, indicating some investors were expecting a higher offer.However, analysts said there was minimal chance of a rival offer for Montreal-based Mega Brands, which has long been viewed by some as a viable acquisition target for Mattel."While the possibility of another offer exists, particularly in a toy industry dominated by giants, we feel it is unlikely," National Bank Financial analysts led by Leon Aghazarian wrote in a note to clients.Mattel's stock has fallen about 9 percent in the past 12 months. The stock trades at 13.86 times forward earnings, while Mega Brands' shares trade at 9.44 times. Mega Brands also sells construction sets under licensed brands such as HALO, Hello Kitty, SpongeBob SquarePants and Mattel's Barbie and Hot Wheels.
Lego offers toy sets based on Star Wars, the Simpsons and DC comic characters such as Batman.The deal will also help Mattel expand its arts and crafts offerings with the addition of Mega Brands' Rose Art collection.Sales of building sets as well as arts and craft toys increased in the United States in 2013, amidst a 1 percent fall in overall toy sales, according to market research firm NPD Group. The fall was driven by declines in sales of action figures and preschool toys.Both Mattel and Hasbro posted lower-than-expected results in the holiday selling season, when toymakers typically make about 40 percent of their annual revenue. Mega Brands estimated net sales of $405 million in 2013. Mattel said it expects the deal to hurt earnings in 2014, before adding to profit next year.Mattel said shareholders holding 39 percent of Mega Brands, comprising Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd and the company's founding family, have agreed to vote in favor of the deal.Fairfax, run by Prem Watsa, is Mega Brands' largest shareholder with a stake of 27.4 percent as of December 31.Mega Brands will pay Mattel a termination fee of $12 million if it accepts an unsolicited proposal, subject to Mattel's right to match the proposal, the companies said in a joint statement.