Bandai's Gundam robot gets human-sized

Japan's largest toy manufacturer is about to get life sized with the unveiling of a 5-foot tall Gundam. Bandai feels the worldwide recognition of the hit show Mobile Suit Gundam will garner big interest from "20- to 40- year old men," i.e. fanboys, otaku, whatever you wanna call 'em. The 77 pound robot has 14 movable body parts right down to its finger joints, and emits a plethora of sound effects (yes, the Vulcan fires too) while you remotely control his fear-inducing flashing eyes. Marketed as a "sophisticated plastic model" (kind of like its companion to the left), Bandai hopes to ship over 1,000 of these behemoths to living rooms and anime stores everywhere when they drop this December. If this has instantly skyrocketed atop your holiday wish list, you may want to reconsider -- the ¥350,000 ($3,000) pricetag and the giant hassle of self-assembling over 250 parts might just deter all but the most hardcore fans who won't even get the pleasure of mounting up and wearing it around the house, shooting at imaginary Gundam Wings.

[.:Gravity:. @ Aug 4th 2006 3:19PM]

NOOO!!!! My childhood dreams... sold to the highest bidders.

[Ndric @ Aug 4th 2006 3:20PM]

"Marketed as a "sophisticated plastic model" (kind of like its companion to the left)"

Lol!

[John Doe @ Aug 4th 2006 3:23PM]

Sorry to nit pick but that ain't life size.

[the lopper @ Aug 4th 2006 3:26PM]

That's obviously just the tiniest person ever.

That thing is 3' tall, Max.

[Tracy L @ Aug 4th 2006 3:31PM]

That definitely looks like 77 pounds of pure fun and I would like to try out all the sound effects and movable parts.

Now can somebody get that stupid robot out of the way?

[Jeff Foster @ Aug 4th 2006 3:35PM]

5 feet tall may qualify as "Life Size" over in Japan, but i think i'll wait for the 8 foot version. :P

[Jean D @ Aug 4th 2006 3:37PM]

This would make for some pretty interesting Stop-motion Animation.

[Jean D @ Aug 4th 2006 3:39PM]

This would make some fun life size Stop-motion animation. I wonder if you put it in the passanger seat if you can go through the car pool lane?

[nimro @ Aug 4th 2006 3:43PM]

I, for one, welcome our robotic overlords.

[Tull @ Aug 4th 2006 3:43PM]

Marketed to the same group or guys that buy those "other" lifesize dolls...

[Jeff Foster @ Aug 4th 2006 3:44PM]

i was totally thinking about the same thing - stop action movies! hell yeah, Jean D.

hahah.

[JoeC @ Aug 4th 2006 3:44PM]

Check out the picture from Hong Kong Comics Festival. The Gundam custom is awesome!

http://image.lik-sang.com/content/hkcomicsfest/DSC00632.jpg

[Desides @ Aug 4th 2006 3:45PM]

""20- to 40- year old men," i.e. fanboys, otaku, whatever you wanna call 'em."

Try "members of the Japanese public who grew up watching Mobile Suit Gundam and/or its reruns, who have disposable income, who buy Gundam models." Though I bet the biggest buyers will be shop owners who want to set this guy up in the corner or windows of their shops. It'd get the attention of passers-by, no doubt.

It's also not really life-sized... it'd have to be 18 meters tall for that. And Gundam Wing is a different series, ergo this guy won't be shooting at any of those (inasmuch as there's only 1...)

[Phil Barnes @ Aug 4th 2006 3:50PM]

'garner big interest from "20- to 40- year old men,"' ... who wouldn't be interested in the cute woman standing behind it. The REAL men would prefer her in an instant!

[James @ Aug 4th 2006 3:52PM]

If that thing actually had a brain, walked and had a real gun I'd be the first to buy it.

[Rai... @ Aug 4th 2006 4:03PM]

Meh, I'll keep saving until they make it 1:1 scale... and functional cockpit system... that'll be the day..

[vlangden @ Aug 4th 2006 4:12PM]

I would wait on buying this as well...until they build a 1 to 1 scale size RX-78, just like the one they had at the Bandai Gundam Museum in Chiba a year ago. (Not the entire thing, just a bust model):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandai_Museum

Damn, need a much large apartment!

[mike. @ Aug 4th 2006 4:34PM]

I think you mean (small) "human-sized", NOT "life-sized". A truly life-sized Gundam RX-78 model would be 60 feet tall. Not that I'm a dork or anything.

[OmegaX123 @ Aug 4th 2006 4:36PM]

Not lifesize. Human-size, maybe, but Lifesize, for a Gundam? It'd be over 100ft tall.

[Guinnis @ Aug 4th 2006 4:41PM]

So who is going to Mod this with a flame thrower coming out of his Gun

[_man1c_ @ Aug 4th 2006 5:16PM]

pretty darn kewl....

[Asher @ Aug 4th 2006 5:32PM]

Where's the robot? I don't see it...the girl is a cutie, though...

[Perrey Z. @ Aug 4th 2006 5:57PM]

Hey that girl sure love her hunk of plastic i see a caption here:

Girl: "GunDAMN! ladies this is a BIG and long gun."

G-unit: "Yes it is, babe. It shoots 1,000-loads per minute."

[Unknown @ Aug 4th 2006 6:40PM]

Has anyone (ahem, engadget master editors, notice the sly but deliberate attempt to get you attention) noticed the blog www.cesweb.org ?
The site is by some guy who literally says he's going to provide Consumer Electronics news that is far better than boring old engadget, but he has literally ripped, word for word no less, their posts for the last four or five days (even the "thanks to ****** for sending this one in" parts).
Funny thing is, he also says that he's got a background in copyright law (i think he missed a lesson or two).

[Finished.Law.School @ Aug 4th 2006 7:11PM]

If they are going to have a Gundam like that then they need a quality Asian girl with the proper physical attributes that can be found in Asian girls in anime. With this photo we are all just being ripped off.

[Chris @ Aug 4th 2006 8:03PM]

You sure could scare the living shit out of a lot of people with that gun.

[RickDom @ Aug 4th 2006 10:34PM]

Not new....they've made a Zaku version of it before. Wizzy Wigg in Ann Arbor has one.

[Pal @ Aug 4th 2006 10:36PM]

Life-size? More like human-size. This is a 1/12 scale kit, and there were green and red (Char's) Zaku kits available in the past. It's in this scale so that the weapons are in scale with us puny humans.

Also, this kit isn't that much of a hassle compared to a Perfect Grade kit (1/60), with over 700 parts. This kit probably has around 50. This thing probably doesn't require painting either.

For those who want to see a true 1/1 scale Gundam, you can visit the Bandai Museum in Japan...though it's only a bust.

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/3503/2kf143qx6.jpg

If you like Z Gundam, there's a 1/1 behemoth in Japan was well, complete from head to toe.

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/6236/z1nv9.jpg

[Keith @ Aug 4th 2006 10:43PM]

They better put some hair on that thing with pigtails and a school girl skirt if they want to sell any in Japan.

[robothouse91 @ Aug 5th 2006 12:30AM]

Uhhh...how is that lifesize? I'm pretty sure the average American male couldn't fit into a 5 foot suit.

[PatHaugen @ Aug 5th 2006 12:55AM]

To all those that find that girl 'fine' 'hot' etc.

She's like 12.

I just hope y'all are registered.

[Anonymous? @ Aug 5th 2006 2:35AM]

That girl is not 12.

[azero @ Aug 5th 2006 8:16AM]

yah, that azn chik is hawt. lawlers but fo'-chisel.

[Chakrisu @ Aug 5th 2006 8:19AM]

Can it walk? I wanna have a robot battle!
Where would you put it though, seems big

Wouldn't mind having one, I'd take the model too!

[ric @ Aug 5th 2006 9:45PM]

asianphilia is disgusting here

[Andrew @ Aug 6th 2006 3:10PM]

"To all those that find that girl 'fine' 'hot' etc. She's like 12."

She has to be at least a teenager, if not an adult. Come on... Asian girls don't get that tall at 12 years old. And asianphillia isn't that bad. Of course they make up the majority of the pop. where I live...