1. A multi-platform gaming system for amusing or entertaining one or more game participants playing a game on a gaming platform comprising one or more video game consoles, home game consoles, hand-held game units, computer gaming devices, internet gaming devices or live-action gaming facilities, said gaming system comprising: a plurality of collectible toys depicting or representing one or more game characters or objects relevant to a game adapted to be played on said gaming platform, each of said plurality of collectible toys comprising: an RFID tag comprising: a corresponding unique tag identification number at least one antenna; integrated circuitry comprising instructions to wirelessly transmit and receive information to and from an associated RFID tag reader; and non-volatile memory storing game-relevant information including at least one of skills, abilities or attributes associated with one of said game characters or objects, wherein at least a portion of said game-relevant information is encrypted; wherein game participants develop said skills, abilities or attributes of a particular game character or object represented by said game-relevant information stored on one or more collectable toys of said plurality of collectible toys while playing a first game or first game session on said gaming platform and subsequently use said one or more collectible toys to wirelessly communicate said game-relevant information to the same or a different gaming platform and play a second game or second game session using said particualar game character or object with some or all of said developed skills, abilities or attributes; a reader device comprising: an RFID tag reader comprising: instructions to wirelessly power and communicate with each said RFID tag when a corresponding one of said plurality of collectible toys is presented within a readable range of said reader device, thereby enabling the reader device to wirelessly transmit and receive information to and from said corresponding one of said plurality of collectible toys; and instructions to communicate with said gaming platform such that said game-relevant information is communicated to and from each said presented collectible toy and said gaming platform, wherein said communicated information includes at least said unique tag identification number; and a non-transitory medium storing game instructions to be executed by said gaming platform to carry out said game, said game instructions comprising: program instructions to instruct said gaming platform to conduct an interactive character-based game in which said one or more game characters are visually and aurally represented by computer animation, wherein said one or more game participants advance in the game at least in part by finding clues, solving puzzles or completing challenges presented by said game; and wherein said one or more game participants develop through game play progression skills, abilities or attributes associated with said one or more game characters or objects; program instructions to cause said gaming platform to communicate selected character or object information pertaining to said developed skills, abilities or attributes to said reader device; program instructions to cause said reader device to store corresponding character or object information or other game-relevant information in the memory of a corresponding collectible toy; and program instructions comprising an encryption algorithm to encrypt at least some portion of said game-relevant information prior to said reader device storing said game-relevant information in the memory of said corresponding collectible toy.