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Das Tal launches merch while making a Greenlight push
If you're excited for Das Tal, now's a fine time to vote with or without your wallet. Yes, both work here. Voting without your wallet is as simple as moving over to the game's Greenlight page on Steam and supporting it if you haven't already; the developers have issued a statement claiming that the game is close to getting Greenlight status and just needs a final push. How can you vote with your wallet? Well, you can grab some Das Tal apparel, coffee mugs, or the like. The merchandise features art from the game's art director, so it's a good way to show off your affection for the game in physical form. You can also check out a video of the game's most recent test update just past the break, although you can't buy that on a shirt. It's hard to display video on a shirt. (It's the same video we covered recently, though, so if you saw it then you can safely skip it.)
Enter to win exclusive Comic-Con prizes from Blizzard
If you aren't lucky enough to be heading to San Diego for Comic-Con 2014, good news -- you can still get yourself some Comic-Con goodies. Blizzard will be giving away 25 Comic-Con goodie bags chock full of cool and exclusive Blizzard merchandise. To enter, simply follow the link provided on the official announcement post, and earn entries by completing a variety of social actions using the contest app. Winners will receive a Heroes of the Storm T-shirt and lanyard, a Diablo Whimsyshire Treasure Goblin, a Starcraft Cute But Deadly Cloaking Zeratul, a Starcraft Funko Pop! Vinyl Primal Kerrigan, and a Warcraft Nether Faerie Dragon Plush. The contest runs until July 27, so you have plenty of time to get plenty of entries in. For more information, and the official rules, head to the contest app page. Good luck to all who enter!
Thief, Deus Ex-branded apparel, merch in Eidos Montreal online store
Gaming-themed apparel can be great when done well, but a healthy love for the involved series certainly helps, too. If you're a fan of Thief or feel inspired by Adam Jensen's fashion sense, Eidos Montreal launched an online shop this week full of t-shirts and other apparel. The selection of shirts is joined by a Crippled Burrick cap and pilsner glass, recalling the pub from the original Thief. Initiation hoodies and iPhone cases are available if you're keen on joining The Watch. There's also a Deus Ex-themed coat, lined with the golden triangle design prevalent in Deus Ex: Human Revolution's menus. If you need something to decorate the walls, pre-sales have also begun for two lithographs that recall the Thief and Deus Ex universes. The earliest estimated shipping date for either one is February 26, but since they're from a batch of 250 limited-edition prints, you'll want to place an order sooner rather than later if you're interested. [Image: Eidos Montreal]
Mario licensed golf bag is certainly a golf bag with Mario on it
For years, gamers have struggled to reconcile their desire to show their love of a video game franchise and their desire to play golf. Well fret no longer comrades, because the Mario golf bag is here, and it looks ... um, it looks ... well, it certainly is a golf bag. It's got pockets and slots and everything! Golf players are somewhat known for their interesting choices in fashion, and what better way to complement the loud colors and patterns of players' clothing than with an equally ... uh ... provocative golf bag? A provocative golf bag that will cost you 48,500 yen (about $473) when ordered through the Enjoy! Caddie Bag Store. In all seriousness, it's not like we haven't seen stranger things, and there's no mistaking this bag for anything else out there. If the greens are where you want to show your love for all things Mario, who are we to judge? [Image: Nintendo]
Rockstar Warehouse offers up plush version of GTA5's Chop for adoption
Did you find yourself falling in love with Franklin's misbehaving Rottweiler in between heists in Grand Theft Auto 5? The Rockstar Warehouse is now offering a cuddly Chop plush toy for $30, complete with a bullet-shaped dog whistle. Chop comes equipped with a removable leather collar, along with "a secret stash pocket - conveniently located in his undercarriage." The Rockstar Store added a selection of other merchandise as part of its GTA5 Collection this week, including a logo-emblazoned hoodie, a black cotton beach towel, and a leash and collar for real-world Rottweilers.
Spotify tries to win over artists by predicting their future royalties
While Spotify has shown that a streaming music model can be successful, it's consistently come under fire over an apparent lack of financial support for new artists. To boost that relationship, the company has launched a new website, Spotify Artists, with the intention of cutting through the noise to explain how much musicians could be paid if they decide to stream their music. Spotify uses real-world, albeit anonymized, examples to demonstrate how its business model works and details how it calculates royalties, which have already passed the $500 million mark this year. Spotify realizes it can't do it all alone, so it's brought on board two new partners to provide some additional muscle. Next Big Sound's Artist Analytics dashboard processes Spotify's music metrics to track how music spreads and who's listening to it, helping artists decide when might be the best time to embark on a tour or new promotional campaign. With support from Topspin, you'll soon be able to grab yourself a branded tee or limited-edition vinyl along with your gig tickets, directly supporting your favorite acts from within the Spotify app. While most of its free features are already available, Spotify says we can expect to see its new ticket and merchandise listings go live "in the upcoming months," giving it some additional ammo in the fight against streaming non-believers.
Get 15% off all WoW products with the J!NX Critical Hit sale
If you've ever wanted to don an epic item in real life, now's your chance. To celebrate BlizzCon, J!NX has launched their Critical Hit sale on Blizzard clothing and accessories. All World of Warcraft products are 15% off, and a few select Diablo and StarCraft products are 20% off. Whether you want to show off some faction pride, or prefer something a little more subdued, there's probably something for you. The sale on WoW merchandise lasts throughout November, and the 20% off Diablo and StarCraft products will rotate every week. Visit the J!NX site to check out the sale.
Psychonauts figurines now up for grabs at Double Fine's store
If your friends came home from PAX Prime with an armful of Psychonauts figures and didn't give you a single one (the jerks), Double Fine has put the full set of ten up for sale at its online store, marking the first time the collection has been available to the public at large. Featured characters include Whispering Rock campers Razputin, Lili, and Dogen, along with agents Sasha Nein, Milla Vodello, Coach Oleander, and Ford Cruller. The set also features Boyd Cooper, Dr. Loboto, and Sheegor (with bonus Mr. Pokeylope in tow). Double Fine is selling blind-packaged figures at $7 a pop, or you can purchase the complete set for $70.
New items for sale at J!NX
Looking for the perfect WoW-themed hoodie, t-shirt, cap, or accessories? If you've recently given up on finding what you want, it might be time to give J!NX another look. They've got a selection of new, never-before-seen stock for Blizzard games that could well be worth a look. In addition, pre-orders are open for the upcoming Horde and Alliance themed track jackets, which I think look pretty slick. Lastly, there are also new t-shirts available featuring some of the classic art from Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo II. If you've always wanted something featuring the games of times gone by, now's your chance to pick one up, whether you remember playing them the days they came out or if you're newer to the charms of our digital predecessors. Happy shopping!
Blizzard releases event schedule for San Diego Comic Con 2013
If you're headed to the San Diego Comic Con this year, make sure to take time for Blizzard! The official blog has just posted the schedule of events for SDCC 2013. Blizzard will be located at booth #115 this year, and will have plenty of books for sale right along with the merchandise we saw previewed last week. Along with the Blizzard booth, the Funko Booth (#5343) will have the Shadow Illidan figure for sale, Sideshow (#1929) will have a fully painted Diablo statue on display as well as a first look at Deathwing, and Insight Editions (#1134) will be holding a daily random drawing to give away a copy of The Art of Blizzard, as well as showing off spreads from the upcoming Diablo: Book of Tyrael. Of course SDCC is all about the panels -- there will be a Blizzard Licensing Panel from 2:15-3:15 pm in Hall 6BCF on Thursday, July 18. At the panel, Chris Metzen and a variety of guests will be talking about upcoming licensed products and plans for 2013/2014. This is your chance to get a sneak peek at what's on the horizon for Blizzard entertainment -- and there will be a Q&A during the panel as well. If you're planning on attending the panel, one word of advice: Arrive early. It fills up fast! In addition, there will be book signings galore all throughout the convention itself, including Mike Stackpole, Micky Neilson, Sean Galloway, Chris Metzen, Mike Costa, Wei Wang, Glenn Rane and more! For the full schedule of events and signings, check the official website -- all events should be in the official schedule for the convention itself as well.
Exclusive Blizzard merchandise available at San Diego Comic Con
Blizzard is making a splash this year at the San Diego Comic Con, July 18-21 in San Diego, CA. Those attending the convention will have a chance to snap up some collectible goodies sold only for the four-day event, available in limited numbers. If you're going to be at the convention, I'd suggest grabbing what you want ASAP -- SDCC collectibles never last very long! On the list are a selection of unique and adorable items -- some Warcraft, some dedicated to other Blizzard games. If you've ever wanted a cuddly plush Zerg of your own, a transforming zerg/baneling plush will be available for purchase in limited quantities. The color scheme is specific to SDCC, and is limited to 2,000 pieces. In addition, a mini-Sylvanas action figure, a vinyl Shadow Illidan toy, the hardcover UDON World of Warcraft Tribute Art Book, and some adorable Blizzard-themed papercraft products are also available, all in limited quantities. Take a look at Blizzard's official announcement for more information on the products. Blizzard will be at booth #115 in Hall A at the convention center. For those familiar with SDCC, head into the first lobby entrance near the Marriott and take a right to find the video game pavilion. If you're headed to the convention, don't wait to pick up the goodies -- once they're gone, they're gone!
The Secret World offers snazzy game apparel [Updated]
It's often seemed unfair that we were able to dress up our characters in The Secret World with all manner of fashionable attire and yet couldn't be that cool in real life. That's about to change, as Funcom's partnered up with WeLoveFine.com to offer a line of official TSW gear. As you might expect, t-shirts make up a bulk of the store's offerings. These include straight-forward logos of the game's factions as well as humorous mock-ups of in-game places. Fans of the Innsmouth Academy can now register for classes with an official hoodie of this fictitious school, and there are two messenger bags that would be perfect for toting your homework around. [Update: WeLoveFine has pointed out for us more TSW goodies, including two posters designed by Steve Thomas. The company also promises to add more women's tees (thanks for that!). If you decide to pick up some goodies, use MASSIVETLYTSW when you check out to snag a 20% discount. No, we don't get anything if you do, but you get to spend less money. Win/win.]
Epic's online store covers you in Gears, Fornite and Infinity Blade
If you were worried by the permanence of a "Crimson Omen" tattoo on your chest, you may wish to consider the less drastic measures to support of just getting a shirt with Gears of War: Judgment on it.Epic Games' online store has products covering Infinity Blade, Gears of War, Fortnite and the Unreal Engine – just wait a few seconds for the colors and logo to fully load before you walk out the door.
WoW Archivist: WoW's zaniest merchandise
WoW Archivist explores the secrets of World of Warcraft's past. What did the game look like years ago? Who is etched into WoW's history? What secrets does the game still hold? With only five shopping days left until the Feast of Winter Veil, it is officially holiday crunch time. To inspire you in your shopping goals or maybe point out the perfect gift for that special raider in your life, WoW Archivist presents the zaniest WoW-themed real-world merchandise of all time. Strange swag Every BlizzCon has its swag bag, but 2008's edition, celebrating the Wrath of the Lich King expansion, has to be the zaniest ever. In addition to Diablo III "sinamints," a can of "zerg creep" goop, and a pandaren beer cozy, the bag included an inflatable Frostmourne or an inflatable "Bubble Hearth Beach Ball." The latter is a Divinely Shielded dwarf using an uninterruptable hearthstone -- in beach ball form. The bag also included a package of tissues labeled "QQ noob," masks of Azeroth's races (reminiscent of the Hallow's End in-game versions), and a Frostmourne keychain. The keychain is notable for its several outward-facing spikes. It takes falling on your keys to a whole new level of pain. The full-size Frostmourne replica is more dangerous, but you're also not carrying it around in your pocket mere centimeters from your genitals. Or are you?
Doodle Jump getting an Arcade version, plushies via licensing deal
Doodle Jump has been moving along at a much slower pace than Rovio's Angry Birds lately, but of course it's one of the other early success stories from the App Store. Developers Lima Sky have updated the game almost constantly since its launch (including just recently to make it compatible with the iPhone 5), and as a result, it's a hugely played and downloaded game. Lima Sky has now turned that success into a major licensing deal with a company called Innovation First International. Thanks to this new deal, you can expect to see all sorts of Doodle Jump merch available soon, from plushies and collectibles to robotic toys and other merchandise offerings on the brand. In addition to those toys, Lima Sky has also teamed up with a company called Innovative Concepts in Entertainment and a game developer named Raw Thrills to create Doodle Jump Arcade. That's an HD version of the game, played in arcades on a 42-inch HD monitor (similar to Fruit Ninja's arcade version, as well as the Infinity Blade arcade spinoff that appeared recently). That sounds fun! The Doodle Jump arcade game should be in Dave and Buster's and other similar places soon, and I'm guessing we won't have to look too far for that merch when it's finally ready. Update: @wildcowboy on Twitter notes that Doodle Jump Arcade is already out and about in the wild. So if you want your Doodle Jump fix on the bigger screen, there's no need to wait!
EVE Online store closing on October 31st, will reopen in 2013
Are you the sort of discerning individual who needs to make it clear when not playing EVE Online that you are still a fan of EVE Online? Do you display this with your personal apparel by sporting shirts and hoodies from the EVE Online store? If so, you'll want to stock up on any new items you need before the end of the month, as CCP Games has announced that the store will be closing temporarily as of October 31st. The current plan is for the store to open in a revamped capacity in 2013. Of course, there's a lot of stock still sitting in the warehouse, so the store has seen massive price reductions on all current items with discounts of up to 50%. Supplies are limited, so if you're the sort of discerning individual we mentioned in the introductory line, you may wish to head over early to avoid the rush.
Guild Wars 2 shirt designs up for voting
Guild Wars 2 fans have been clamoring for a few things over the years. The first repeated request, a release date, was granted just last week. Two other things -- a way to turn into walking billboards for ArenaNet and a way to give the company more money -- are soon to be realized as well. Until now, Guild Wars 2 clothing has been reserved only for the lucky and dedicated few who can get themselves to conventions. Soon shirts branded with the awesome art associated with Guild Wars 2 will be available for the masses. Better still, you can have a say in what shirts get made. There's a small gallery of possible designs hosted on the Guild Wars 2 Facebook page. Check it out, pick your three favorites, and vote for those favorites. The poll is only open until 3:00 p.m. EDT on July 6th, so don't deliberate too long.
New Windows Phone store lets you wear your 'I heart WP' on your sleeve
So you love Windows Phone, but how can you let the world know? Until now, you'd either have to wave your object of desire around, or keep showing colleagues those "Smoked by Windows Phone" YouTube videos. Now, you can simply wear your alliance across your chest, or favorite beverage, thanks to a new CafePress store. Revealed in a Windowsteamblog post, the shop will let you grab mugs, t-shirts, stickers, magnets and more emblazoned with "I Heart Windows Phone" in icons. Not only that, in case all those soccer moms didn't know which side of the fence you stood, you can clear up the doubt by snagging a bodysuit for your youngest. Credit card at the ready? Jump on that source link for the goods.
CCP contemplates selling more EVE Online physical merchandise
Fresh off a successful attempt to sell graphics cards for virtual currency, CCP Games is mulling over additional in-game sales options in EVE Online for real-life merchandise. Senior Producer Jon Lander said that this will be the beginning of a trend: "It was an interesting experiment and one we're going to follow up." The studio recently made 100 Nvidia graphics cards available to players in the game for 20 Plex apiece and sold out of them in two minutes. In addition to items like graphics cards, CCP is looking into ways to create and sell EVE Online merchandise. "We need to just look at what the right opportunities are now," Lander said. "We've got lots of people beavering away trying to work out what the right thing to do is." Due to players' ability to buy and sell Plex for other in-game goods, Lander reports that 25% of EVE Online players are able to enjoy the game for free.
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]
