From Disney, a Video Game Universe on One Platform

Disney Infinity will start with interactive figures and play sets based on “Monsters University,” “The Incredibles” and “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchises.

Disney Interactive Studios went to great pains to lay out its new multiplatform gaming initiative, Disney Infinity, and with good reason. Infinity, which is to be released in June, will have a lot of elements at the start, and has the potential to grow into a behemoth.

As a new platform for Disney video games, Infinity will incorporate Disney franchises and characters, similar to Kingdom Hearts, a series of video gams that was first released in 2002. Any property from the Disney vault, including Pixar characters, could be included in the Infinity platform.

But Disney upped the ante by adding physical toys, like those used in the Skylanders video game, which has been a hot seller for Activision. Toys will include collectible figures based on popular characters and hexagonal discs that offer special powers or gadgets that can be used in the games. The games will be sold as virtual play sets that players unlock by placing a figure on a specially designed base.

Infinity will initially be compatible across all gaming consoles, and will eventually be made available online and on mobile devices. Disney plans to start the line with 17 interactive figures and three play sets based on “Monsters University,” “The Incredibles” and “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchises.

The Infinity play sets will have typical story-driven challenges in which players solve puzzles and defeat enemies. Along the ! way, players can collect characters, vehicles and gadgets and save them in a virtual “toy box” for later play.

The toy box was inspired by the “Toy Story 3” video game, which included a toy box mode that allowed customized play, similar to the way a child would play with toys: by pulling them randomly from a toy box. Recognizing the popularity of the toy box mode, Disney Interactive sought to expand that no rules mentality. With Infinity’s toy box, Sulley from “Monsters University” can fight alongside Mr. Incredible, for instance, or the pirate Jack Sparrow can take a ride in Lightning McQueen from “Cars.”

In an unprecedented move, Disney will allow Infinity players to create their own games, similar to Minecraft, and share them with the community of other Infinity users. Players can use their imaginations to create new terrains, buildings and roadways, and then add interactive experiences, like plates that trigger explosions or robots that spawn enemy fighters.

The price will be comparable to other new video game releases, with the starter pack costing $75. New play sets will be $35 each, and the collectible figures will run about $13 each, or $30 for a set of three.