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'Overwatch' action figures and Monopoly are coming this spring
Hasbro is about to give you many, many ways to flaunt your Overwatch fandom beyond the occasional Nerf gun. It's launching a series of toys and games themed around the character-driven shooter, including Monopoly Overwatch Collector's Edition. The $50 board game turns maps into properties, cards into loot boxes and player pieces into familiar characters like D.Va and Winston. However, that's really just the start of the collection -- the action figures in particular stand out.
Clementine action figure from McFarlane Toys coming soon
A new action figure from McFarlane Toys was announced today at New York Comic-Con, and it's one bound to make fans of Telltale's The Walking Dead happy: say hello to the miniature, plastic version of Clementine as she appears in The Walking Dead, Season 2. Developed as a partnership between McFarlane Toys, Telltale and The Walking Dead comics publisher Skybound, the figure will be available in "clean" and "bloody" versions. As for when we can expect our favorite, most adorable zombie-slayer to patrol our desks and bookshelves, the only word is "soon." [Image: McFarlane Toys/Skybound]
Samus and Link Figma figures articulating stateside this fall
Remember that totally boss Metroid: Other M-style Samus action figure that Figma put into production last year, and how it was only sold in Japan? Well, no longer will you have to go to great personal expense to buy one in a used games store in Akihabara – not that any of us have done that or anything. Varia Feature Samus, fabric-doesn't-work-that-way Zero Suit Samus and Skyward Sword-era Link are all receiving new production runs for sale in the US this fall, though no specific release date has been given. Varia Samus and Link can both be pre-ordered for about $50 a pop, while Zero Suit Sammy rings up at a whopping $100.
DC promises Injustice action figures among us this summer
NetherRealm's interpretation of select DC comic heroes and villains in Injustice: Gods Among Us are being turned into action figures. Twelve different figures are coming in the first run, available only in pre-determined two-packs for $29.95 each.Each figure stands 3.75 inches and has over 20 points of articulation. On May 31, the first two packs will ship: Wonder Woman vs Solomon Grundy and Green Arrow vs Deathstroke. The other packs – Superman vs Nightwing, Flash vs Raven, Aquaman vs Black Adam and Cyborg vs Harley Quinn – will have staggered releases, available this summer on through September.With Batman conspicuously missing from the list of figures, we're left wondering if he's the action figure we want, but not the one we deserve.
McFarlane making Assassin's Creed 3 action figures
Ubisoft has announced a partnership with McFarlane Toys, worldwide purveyors of articulated, authorized licensed memorabilia, the result of which is a forthcoming line of Assassin's Creed 3 dolls action figures.The first series, available at retailers sometime this summer, will include Conner (in both traditional assassin and Ratonhnhaké:ton flavors) and Haytham Kenyway, among others. Figures are six inches tall, give or take, and feature an average of 25 points of articulation. No word yet on when subsequent series will be released or what other characters will be part of this initial run. Personally, we're hoping for a moose.%Gallery-178142%
Team Fortress 2 Demo and Pyro action figures now available
If your childhood was/is anything like our own, a good majority of it was probably spent blowing up and/or incinerating action figures that totally had it coming, on account of being found guilty of being the bad guy or belonging to one of our siblings. Valve and NECA's shiny new Team Fortress 2 figures follow a somewhat similar theme, though they typically prefer to be on the giving end, rather than the receiving. Available at Toys 'R' Us, Amazon or directly from Valve's own store, both Demo and Pyro figures measure 7 inches tall, feature 25 points of articulation, include codes for in-game goodies, are individually numbered (1 to 10,000) and cost about $22.%Gallery-177568%
Gallery: The Tokyo Game Show 2012 Square Enix/Play Arts Booth
So, I'm not a professional photographer or a professional action-figure critic or anything, but I am a professional Video Games Person, so I was duty bound by my strict code of VGP ethics to take a lot of pictures of some pretty awesome looking stuff at Square Enix's Play Arts booth during this year's Tokyo Game Show.Prototype figures from upcoming Halo, Batman and Mass Effect figure series can all be seen in the gallery below, as can my inadvertently-captured pasty reflection and a few bonus slimes that were thrown for good measure.%Gallery-166319%
AdventureQuest Worlds releases its first two action figures
Action figures are a great accessory for any video game. Sure, most of us have passed the point when we would use them to stage elaborate battles in the backyard, but it's nice to have something on hand to play with during load times. That's part of the reason that AdventureQuest Worlds is getting into the market with its first two figures, representing Artix and Sepulchure, available in Toys'R'Us stores nationwide starting on May 23rd. Even if you're not normally the sort to buy action figures, Artix Entertainment has sweetened the deal by making sure that each figure comes with a special in-game house, special armor and weapons, and five playing cards for the game's tie-in card game. If you don't want to wait for them in stores, you can also purchase them directly from the company's online store starting May 18th. The team put together a small stop-motion animation piece as well to celebrate the upcoming figures because honestly, if you've spent this much time thinking about buying an action figure, don't you deserve a toy commercial to cap it off? [Source: Artix Entertainment press release]
Qumarion 3D modeling mannequin coming soon for $750, still won't play with your kid (video)
Trying to get convincing, natural poses out of 3D models can be tricky, so it's a relief that two Japanese universities' joint ventures, the University of Electro-Communications' ViVienne and the University of Tsukuba's SoftEther, are close to wrapping up work on their posable mannequin. Now called Qumarion, the model formerly known as QUMA uses 32 sensors across 16 body joints to translate the humanoid statue's pose to the computer screen simply by bending limbs, much like you would the legion of action figures you had when you were eight. Neither you nor your kids will be using Qumarion to storm Fort Barbie anytime soon, but the 120 frames per second sample rate over USB does mean that poses are mirrored in your modeling tools almost instantly. You also won't have much longer to wait to buy one for your fledgling anime production: the mannequin and custom modeling software from Celsys should be bundled together sometime within the summer for a comparatively frugal $750.
Borderlands action figures from NECA are looking nice-a
Borderlands is getting the Barbie treatment with its own line of action figures from NECA, starting with Claptrap and the Psycho Bandit. The Borderlands Series 1 figurines are painted in an homage to the game's cel-shaded cartoon style, and while we wonder how the Psycho Bandit's pants can possibly stay on his hips even with that belt, the simple, chunky designs have grown on us.Claptrap stands 4.5 inches and looks especially canon, featuring an extendable antenna (making him 6 inches), a wheel with shocks, hinged shoulder and eye flaps, ball-jointed shoulders and hinged, swiveling elbows, along with a display stand. The Psycho Bandit stands 7 inches and includes a buzz axe accessory, ball-jointed head, shoulders, elbows, thighs, feet and wrists, a hinged torso, swivel waist and hinged knees.Check out a few photos here and look out for Series 1 figurines to be available in May, with Series 2 to debut in August with Zero the Assassin and Salvador the Gunzerker.
Check out the DC Series 8 and Premium Series 4 action figures
Blizzard sent the WoW Insider offices a batch of the brand new DC Series 8 and Premium Series 4 action figures to play around with. As a guy who is currently typing words on a World of Warcraft blog, you can imagine that I appreciate the occasional action figure. I've been impressed with the detail on the DC series in the past, especially the Garrosh and Lady Vashj figures, and was excited to see these up close. Check out this gallery of shots that I took at an expensive studio space in a trendy area in Brooklyn. DC WoW action figures series 8 includes: Confessor Dhalia Brink Spannercrank vs. Snaggle The Black Knight DC WoW premium series 4 includes: Moonkin: Wildmoon Hallow's End Nemesis: The Headless Horseman %Gallery-150480% Also, since I used to be a huge fan of ToyFare magazine and Twisted ToyFare Theater back in 1999, I went ahead and did my own.
Arkham Asylum action figures coming to Japan
Not to be confused with the upcoming line of DC figures based on the Caped Crusader's escapades through Gotham and its related institutions, these new figures from Square Enix recreate Batman: Arkham Asylum's Harley Quinn, who happens to come with her own little Scarface, as well as a new armored Batman variant.Each toy comes with interchangeable hands and accessories and will be available in Japan this May for ¥5,800, or about $76.%Gallery-146507%
Arkham action figure line includes Titan Joker, Killer Croc and the Bats
DC Comics is releasing a new line of action figures based on the lead and supporting casts of Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City, though you'll have to wait a while to get your hands on them. The line is segregated into regular and "deluxe" figures; the five regular figures (Batman, Ra's Al Ghul, Azrael, a Clown Thug and The Penguin) will find their way to comic shops and toy stores this September.Two of the deluxe figures, Mr. Freeze and Killer Croc, will launch this June, while Titan Joker -- everyone's least favorite part of Arkham Asylum -- won't be available until November. %Gallery-145681%
Mass Effect action figures include ME3 DLC
Mass Effect action figures, available in April or May, will include DLC codes for Mass Effect 3. As Game Informer points out, both BigBadToyStore.com and the BioWare Store say each figure in the set of eight contains in-game bonus content, exclusive to the North American release.The BioWare site also adds: "They are slightly randomized during the registration and could include powerful new weapons and new characters. The pack could also include character boosters, weapon modifications, and weapon upgrades to make your multiplayer squad stronger."The bundled DLC is only available for Xbox 360 and PC. Mass Effect 3 will launch on March 6, so the game will be out way before the DLC from these action figures makes a difference on your third (maybe fourth?) playthrough.
Blizzard job listing mentions 'product placement' within its next MMO
When details of Blizzard's upcoming casual MMO, code-named Titan, are incredibly scarce due to the developer's ironclad secrecy, it falls to enterprising fans to ferret out any scraps of information that may exist. One such player on the NeoGAF forums was combing through a Blizzard job posting for a Franchise Development Producer and noted an interesting line that indicated the studio could be mulling over the idea of in-game ads for its next MMO. The line in question specifies that one of the duties of the position is to "work with major consumer brands to facilitate product placement and licensing within the world of Blizzard Entertainment's next-gen MMO that enhances the gameplay experience." Whether this is a sign that we'll be seeing billboards for Skittles while we raid or that players will be able to get endorsements and decorate their outfits a la NASCAR cars is anyone's guess. It's important to note that the rest of this position entails a number of efforts to promote Blizzard's "next-gen MMO" outside of the tight-knit gaming sphere, including comics, action figures, and short movies.
McFarlane's sixth Halo: Reach action figure series drops in February
Another platoon of Halo: Reach action figures from McFarlane Toys is set to be deployed to a toy store near you. Microsoft has revealed the Series 6 figurines, which include new individual Carded Figures and Deluxe Boxed Sets, will be available in February 2012. New individual figures include Noble Team members Kat and Jun, an Elite Zealot, Brute Major and the Team Objectives set seen above. Finally, Kat can live forever in both our hearts and our toy display case!
The making of a McFarlane Halo figure makes us feel old
Video games are great and all, but most of us at Joystiq HQ still harbor a penchant for action figures, born from youthful days and being forced to play outside now and again. As we've matured, however, so has the toy industry, and action figures these days are way more awesome than the stuff we had growing up. Kids these days don't know how good they have it, either. The above video, for instance, showcases the state-of-the-art rapid prototyping technologies used by McFarlane Toys to create their hyper-detailed Halo figures. Back in our day, action figures took months to prototype, and we were happy about it! And another thing! Back in our day, the words "3D" and "printer" would never share space in the same sentence, let alone be used in conjunction with one another to describe an actual thing. Get off our lawn!
You'll never geth how this Mass Effect action figure was made
Go on, take a guess at the starting point for this custom made figure. If we tell you that the link came from Halo.Bungie.Org, does that help? If you guessed a Covenant Elite, you're right! The core body of this Mass Effect inspired geth consists of two different Convenant Elite figures from McFarlane's Halo line. If you then went on to guess that the modder also used shot gun parts from a Gears of War accessory, that the pulse rifle was made from spare Halo parts, and that the hoses on his back came from a Mr. Freeze action figure, well then we'd say you know a little too much about your various action figures there, Kreskin.
DC Unlimited releases Killzone 3 action figure line
If a Killzone enthusiast wanted to recreate the action of his or her beloved shooter franchise on the carpeted floor of their living room, their only option used to be the one and only action figure that came in the Killzone 3 Helghast Edition. We suppose they could have also strapped a tiny gas mask on a Barbie and used their imagination as well -- thankfully, that kind of roleplaying is no longer necessary: PlayStation Blog has announced that a line of two new figures have arrived from DC Unlimited. The intricately decorated and articulated figures are modeled after the Helghast Assault Infantry and Helghast Sniper, and are pictured above. If you like what you see, you can grab the toys at your local toy retailer -- or on Amazon, which is kind of like a universally local toy retailer.
Mass Effect 2 action figures delayed, second set potentially canceled
According to a now deleted forum post on BioWare's official site, Mass Effect 2's action figures have been once again delayed, this time until April. Google, however, caught the quote from a BioWare spokesperson, who said "Once we get the ME2 Action Figure shipped we will not be working with DC Direct again ... Their handling of this issue has been extremely unprofessional and disrespectful to fans." It also appears that a proposed second set of characters from Mass Effect 2 that were on-track for action figure treatment have been canned, as the figures have been removed from DC Direct's website. As such, the continuing battle for Planet Your Shelf will only be fought by Default Shepard, Grunt, Tali, and Thane when the figures launch on April 27. [Thanks, Ryan]
