Target achieved: Skylanders is a $1bn franchise

The Skylanders series has now reached $1bn in just 15 months.

That’s according to Activision, which has combined sales of toys, accessories, Spyro’s Adventure and Skylanders Giants.

It follows Activision chief Bobby Kotick’s pledge to create a new $1bn franchise out of the toy series.

The firm says its toy sales have surpassed those of Beyblades, Star Wars and Tramsformers.

The Skylanders franchise became the first kids’ video game IP to cross the $1 billion mark in just 15 months4, and I think we are still just starting to realise its potential,” said Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg.

We knew that the simple, but magical idea, of bringing your toys to life in a video game could change both the video game and the toy industries, and more importantly, change the way kids play. And this autumn, we’re looking forward to delivering to fans our latest break-through innovation, Skylanders Swap Force, which lets kids customise their own characters, bringing toys to life to a whole new level.”