Disney revealed that it is bringing Toy Story to life yesterday with Disney Infinity – a game combining real toys based on Disney and Pixar characters and a console game.

Kids will understand the concept immediately.

But how does the developer explain Disney Infinity to someone who doesn't play games: the mums and dads actually buying it?

"Disney Infinity is a game that allows you to play with all of the different Disney characters together for the first time," John Blackburn, studio vice president at developer Avalanche Software, told GamesFIX.

"There’s a physical component that is very important. We’ve got physical toys that come along with it – you can collect new Disney figures, which are your favourite characters, and also Play Set experiences. You can think of those as the way that kids play with a LEGO play-set," said Blackburn.

Jack Sparrow, Mr. Incredible and Sulley all come with the game. Image: Disney

A "Play Set" is a collection of character figures designed to interact within the same universe in Disney Infinity.

Physical toys modelled on the Disney and Pixar universes appear in the virtual game world of Disney Infinity when players connect them to their console.

From there, imaginations can run wild.

“We’ve got this idea of a toy box, where if you had a Star Wars LEGO set and a Harry Potter set [in real life] you could combine them together and see what cool new things come from that," explained Blackburn.

Disney Infinity does just that by combining real toys from different universes in the virtual game world.

Buzz Lightyear and Captain Jack Sparrow can team up by creating your own world in the in-game toy box, if you own both the figurines.

Alternatively, the game can be played as outlined by Disney, in which Captain Jack would remain in the Pirates of the Caribbean universe.

It's essentially bringing the Toy Story movies to life.

"That's exactly what we're trying to do! It's very much like Toy Story 3," Blackburn told us.