Ahead of the big reveal for Disney's Infinity initiative next month, the stage has been set through details leaked to Polygon. The game -- which is being developed by Avalanche Software, the studio behind Toy Story 3: The Video Game -- appears to be an extension of that title's well-received Toy Box mode. According to the outlet, Infinity has been described as a "gaming platform" that will pull from both Disney and Pixar properties long-term.

"What we saw of the game shows players controlling well-known characters from a collection of Disney movies, exploring wide-open expanses in cars, on foot, or by flying," reports the outlet. "The game, which seems to include split-screen mode, will support a plethora of ways to play including racing, shooting, building and destroying. In the videos, players ran around together as different Disney and Pixar characters, hopping on top of structures, using ray guns, driving tanks in impromptu battles."

This already sounded fascinating to me, but there was one description in particular that made my face light up. "In one scene, Toy Story's Woody uses a "sticky hand" toy, Disney Infinity's version of Just Cause's grappling hook, to grab a passing plane being flown by Buzz Lightyear. The stretchy, neon-green leash attached to the sticky hand elongates, dragging Woody off his feet and into the air behind the plane. It's one of many examples of Disney Infinity's emergent gameplay."

You really ought to read the full article to get a sense for what Infinity is actually about (many different things, it would seem). It sounds like Disney is putting a lot of time and energy into making something special here. If the end result matches what I'm picturing now, it very well could be.

Disney Infinity leak details bold cross-platform gaming experiment [Polygon]