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Why not take this Fable 3 merchandise survey?
Remember when Lionhead and Microsoft decided to make the collector's edition of Fable II much, much less appealing by removing the sweet little Hobbe figure? Now is your chance to make that right, thanks to a Fable III merchandising survey posted by Lionhead. The survey asks users to rate different categories of merchandise, based on how much said merchandise is desired. Do you want book? Coffee mugs? A nice T-shirt, perhaps? Of course, the answer is no. You don't want those things. What you want is collectible Hobbe figurines. Preferably with mix-and-match accessories. Also, just remember that we would never influence our readers for personal gain. Now go ask Lionhead for some Hobbes.
Dress like AiAi for Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll
Though you could just buy a Chiquita banana and call it authentic Super Monkey Ball: Step & Roll merchandise, Sega Europe has created some new swag that won't rot and won't result in any comedic pratfalls. The publisher has printed up some replica shirts as worn by AiAi, complete with printed backpack, as a promotional item for Step & Roll. The only known way to get hold of one of these delightful items is through Sega's Free Stuff Friday contest (follow @sega on Twitter and message back key phrases at the right time on Fridays). Just add some cinnamon roll ears and a giant plastic bubble, and you'll be all set for Halloween!
Professor Layton looking smart in figurine form
If there's one enigma we can't wrap our heads around, it's the one involving the rather curious naming of Japanese figure manufacturer Revoltech Yamaguchi. Revoltech? It sounds like they should be making soggy clumps of hair -- not these rather dashing and highly positionable approximations of Professor Layton. As noted by GundamLunatics.info, the quick-witted puzzle buff features 14 points of articulation, a jacket made of a soft material and loads of apt accessories, including a puny pen and a tiny teacup. Of course, every piece of merchandise has a price, and you'll look to spend 2,400 Yen (roughly $26) when he arrives on March 15. For more info and images, hit the source link. [Via Examiner, Kotaku]
Final Fantasy XIII sweepstakes offers up merch, still no English demo
There's nothing quite like being placated by material things -- it's what gets us by in this cold, Capitalist world. Knowing that us North Americans are heart-hurtin' over the lack of a localized Final Fantasy XIII demo, Square Enix recently announced plans to give us merchandise based on the upcoming game though a sweepstakes, as teased by Square's Sonia Im on her Twitter account recently. Starting December 23, the contest website will open for entries and 13 "lucky winners" will get their hands on the FFXIII-inspired merchandise seen in the gallery below. More specifically, four people will get their necks adorned with one of the four pendants while nine others will get an "accessory" (keychain or card holder). Sure, you might want to play the game instead, but isn't getting stuff nice? %Gallery-80563%
Hot Topic introduces new WoW merchandise, cute model
Following on the heels of J!NX's new winter line of WoW merchandise, Hot Topic has released a new line of Blizzard-themed apparel just in time for the holidays. Included among the many newcomers to the line are "spray-painted" Alliance and Horde logo shirts, faction insignia wallets, Starcraft II and Diablo III shirts, hoodies with a neat piece of art depicting an Alliance/Horde battle (replete with male model rocking a worrisome mustache) and, for the ladies in your life, a cute purple "Fight Like a Girl" t-shirt with a set of the highly feminine night elf hunter and blood elf paladin. That's right -- now you too can have a qtbelf on your chest, or the chest of a female WoWer near and dear to your heart. As long as she's a size small or medium, anyway. The other sizes are sold out. Speaking of near and dear to my heart, that model! Aye aye aye. For her, if that shirt was available in mens' sizes, I'd buy it even if it said "I play as a female character in World of Warcraft." I mean, I do. Several of them, but. You know. Still. All the new pieces are available at HotTopic.com or at your local Hot Topic store. Remember, those places are guarded by level 14 elite scenesters. Bring friends.
EU-exclusive Frostmourne mug and keychain set now on Blizzard store
You lucky European ducks may just have finally gotten that one thing you can hold over the heads of those Americans with their superiority complexes. The official online Blizzard store is now offering, exclusively for Europe, a set of Frostmourne-themed merchandise. Enclosed in a special box, the set contains one Frostmourne hilt keychain and one insulated metal mug with Frostmourne's runic engravings on one side. Steely-eyed readers may notice that the keychain is the same one as, or at least identical to, the one that came in your BlizzCon '09 goody bag. Of course, this one is "made of rhodium, a rare metal offering even higher quality than silver." The mug, on the other hand, is a never-before-seen piece of merch. The set is, of course, limited edition, so if you want to make this the perfect gift for the burgeoning death knight in your family, you'd best act quickly. Then again, I don't think they like warmth very much. Maybe an insulated mug isn't the best gift idea. I'm thinking -- hear me out -- macaroni necktie.
Go clubbing with new GTAIV Gay Tony tees
Rockstar has unleashed some brand new Grand Theft Auto IV T-shirts, giving fans of The Ballad of Gay Tony a reason to hit the floor show off their best moves. Available for $20 each, the shirts depict the logos of two of the DLC's nightclubs, Hercules and Bahama Mamas. If you've been looking to make a super hip fashion statement ... well, you probably shouldn't be buying video game T-shirts. If, however, you're looking for some inoffensive gaming apparel -- which can be hard to find -- go ahead and take a look.
Print Warcraft opens its doors
The newest in Blizzard's ever-expanding line of customizable merchandise, Print Warcraft just opened its doors to the public. Like FigurePrints, the site allows you to create merchandise based on your in-game characters, this time art like posters and prints. While we've been having a bit difficulty accessing the site, likely due to launch-day growing pains, we know that the service allows a ton of customization options. Start by selecting your character, realm, and print size. Then choose from a number of templates, borders, backgrounds, character poses, pets, and more! The prices range from $17.99 for a 12x18 print to $29.99 USD for a 40x27 poster. If you're actually able to place an order, please let us know how it comes out when you get it in the mail! If the price is right and so is the quality, it might be a decent Winter Veil gift to deck somebody's walls with. Or yours.
This Tekken 6 merchandise is pants
No, really. We're not just using awkward British slang -- Namco Bandai is really offering a series of licensed Tekken 6 underwear, perfect for the man whose underwear isn't threatening enough. The three designs, created in collaboration with an underwear shop called Luscious Tokyo, retail for ¥4,200 ($46) each. Other, somewhat more sensible Tekken 6 merch includes a line of t-shirts (¥3,150, or $34), Jin and Lass rings (¥10,500, or $115), and Devil Jin lighters (¥13,650, or $149). It's no Sega console lighter, but it'll still light your Yankee Candles for just the right ambience for a King of Iron Fist tournament. %Gallery-76838% [Via Andriasang]
The Daily Grind: MMMerch
You'd be hard pressed these days to find a popular item that hasn't had its brand expanded with a bunch of new products for consumers to snatch up. Games certainly follow this trend; for example, games that were originally planned as standalone works might suddenly spawn sequels if sales are higher than expected. Then there is merchandise. If you fall in love with a game's world or its characters, you might feel tempted to buy figurines, posters and the like to demonstrate your fandom. To see the kind of items that are out there, just look to Square Enix, one of the biggest providers of game merch (due to Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest in particular). That little slime is so darn cute.So, if you're an obsessive collector, now's your chance to brag about it. Do you have any MMO merchandise you're particularly proud of? Got a famous MMO mascot figurine on your desk keeping you company this very moment? How about non-MMO game merch? Or would you never, under any circumstance, pay for this stuff?
TGS 2009: Tokyo Game ... Shopping
click to enlarge Aside from hosting playable game demos and extravagant cosplayers, the Tokyo Game Show offers up something for those less-than-frugal attendees on the prowl for nerdish knickknacks. Consider doing some window shopping (also Mac compatible) in our gallery below, perhaps lamenting the fact that: A) you're not here to buy that Aloha Slime shirt. B) somebody will actually pay $75 for the Cloud Strife Eau de Toilette. %Gallery-73993%
3 Point makes a real-life Tankard o' Terror
3 Point Entertainment (makers of the official World of Warcraft steins) has released a brand new stein, modeled after the epic Brewfest mug the Tankard o' Terror. As you can see above, this beauty of a brewholder is much different from the other mugs -- it's made to look exactly like the ingame item, even though that means it's more angled than curved and a little bit primitive-looking. It's also a huge piece of stoneware, standing over nine inches tall and weighing four pounds. I don't know that you'd ever want to drink anything out of it, but I guess, fittingly for a tanking tankard, if you hit someone over the head with it, they'd feel it.Alex will be able to tell us what that's like, as he's already got one ordered. This mug is also much cheaper than the other mugs -- it's only $39.99 (as if "only" was a fitting adjective for a purchase like this), which means that 3 Point has probably heard your complaining here in our comments sections and decided to offer up a lower price point option. I won't be going for this one, but the idea of replicating Azerothian cookery in real-life is intriguing. I might buy a Cookie's Tenderizer if I had the chance.
Capcom launches multistage assault on TGS attendees' wallets
While we're sure there will be plenty of video games and stuff to cover, it's going to be difficult for us to spend our time at Tokyo Game Show doing anything but documenting Capcom's wonderful shop offerings. In addition to the tiny Chibiterasu paw screen cleaning straps seen here, Capcom is offering a shirt with Okamiden art.There's also the requisite pile of Monster Hunter and Sengoku Basara gear, as well as Resident Evil (the zombie shirt!) and Lost Planet 2 stuff. The real big-ticket item for us (in terms of both interest and, unfortunately, price) is the Ace Attorney jacket, featuring a Blue Badger graphic.[Via Andriasang]
BlizzCon pre-sale starts Wednesday
If you were lucky enough to go to last year's BlizzCon, you'll know that the lines for the shop were insanely long. People stood for hours in them waiting to get their merchandise. That meant a lot of time away from all the rest of the exhibits, and a lot of frustration if you just gave up waiting in line for three hours.This year things are being done a bit differently, in that you'll be able to preorder all the stuff you want and have it shipped right to your home. There are a lot of special BlizzCon only items, so it's worth taking a lookThe pre-order online sale will begin this Wednesday at 10:01 a.m. PDT / 1:01 p.m. EDT. It will last for 48 hours, which means it ends on Friday at 10:01 a.m. PDT / 1:01 p.m. EDT. If you know what you want to buy before you get to BlizzCon, take advantage of this and do it now. I know that I'm going to pickup a poster I wanted.Because I really need to make my office more nerdy. Seriously.The announcement email and additional details after the break.
Monkey Island shirts fail to capitalize on the obvious
Don't get us wrong, the Monkey Island shirt above is pretty boss (apart from the unnecessary game title on the sleeve). The Guybrush vs LeChuck shirt is pretty nice too. Hell, even the Monkey Island buttons are decent. But there are T-shirts just waiting to be made in the actual game. Where is the "I beat the Sword Master" T-shirt? What about the "I found the Treasure of Mêlée Island™ and all I got was this stupid T-shirt!" T-shirt? Come on, LucasArts! Get with the program. [Update: Apparently LucasArts is more on the ball than we initially gave them credit for ... you see, they did hand out "I found the Treasure of Mêlée Island™ and all I got was this stupid T-shirt!" t-shirts at E3 this year though, perhaps conspiratorially, your old pals at Joystiq here didn't get one. Our old pal Snorre, from Norway's Dagbladet newspaper, sent us a pic of his tee which we've included for you after the break. Alright, LucasArts. We give up. Uncle. Just take our money and give us the E3 tee.]
Blizzard starts selling gold (coins)
I don't have a lot of detail on this, but the news from Comic-Con is that Blizzard is finally starting to sell gold! Collectible WoW-inspired gold, silver, and copper coins, that is. What did you think I was talking about? They'll come in both Horde and Alliance versions, and are being made by DC Unlimited. DC also handles the WoW comic, so that's unsurprising. If we hear anything more on pricing and/or availability, we'll be sure to let you know.
Breanni of WarcraftPets.com closes store, posts apology to Blizzard
The amazing Breanni of WarcraftPets.com, once loved so much by Blizzard that he got immortalized in the game, has apparently gotten another of Blizzard's C&Ds. First, we saw iPhone apps pulled off of the App Store with what seemed like legal action, and then we heard that webcomic Shakes and Fidget was contacted by Blizzard legal, and now Breanni has pulled down his merchandise store, as well as posted a "formal apology" to Blizzard. Breanni doesn't say exactly what happened, but he says that he "became aware" that what he was selling was violating Blizzard's trademark policy, and calls the store a "lapse in judgment," and says that he hopes to "continue to recieve Blizzard's blessing." It's almost like hearing one side of the conversation -- we don't know what Blizzard said to him (if anything), but he definitely sounds spooked.This is a slightly different issue from the other C&Ds we've seen -- Breanni was making money from selling what we presume were actual images of Blizzard's copyrights and trademarks, so a store like that is pretty plainly in violation of copyright law (Mania's Pets calendar, for example, uses fan art rather than actual screenshots). But what's interesting here is, if they did contact him, why Blizzard has decided to do this now, and why they've only moved against Breanni. There are certainly lots of other places to find Blizzard art printed on products for sale. We're not suggesting that Blizzard should just let it all go, obviously, but why now?We've had requests for comment out to Blizzard ever since the first few iPhone apps were pulled off of the App Store about all of this recent C&D action, and we've added this one to the stack. If we hear anything back from them, we'll let you know.[Thanks, John E!]
New World of Warcraft stein features Lich King
Remember those World of Warcraft steins you thought were way too expensive and passed on buying? There's another one. Three Point Entertainment has released a new stein, this one featuring everyone's favorite bad guy, the Lich King himself, brandishing Frostmourne and leading an army of the Undead in the way he's apt to do. We have to admit, it does look cool and all, but at $90, we'll be drinking our ale from the usual sippy-cup, thanks.And just in case you happen to be burdened with too much money in this horrendous economy, you can get a "Legendary Collection" version for $175 that's signed by the artist, is limited to only 750 steins worldwide, and includes "premium hand painting throughout." No idea why you'd want your hands painted, but if you're really spending $175 on a World of Warcraft mug, you're already nuts.The new steins start shipping in late April and May. Considering all of the bailouts lately, your house will probably have regained its value enough for you to afford one of these, right? We say go for it.
Get your TUAW gear at CafePress
For those of you wanting shirts, hats, mugs or even a Flip Mino with TUAW on them, here's our CafePress store. Big thanks to Robert, who created the swirly logo version (shown above on the Mino), the "comment troll," "fan club" and "I already read about it" designs and the "command-escape" piece with Moses.
Cheyenne Mountain opens merchandise shop for Stargate Worlds
Ordinarily, the opening of an online merchandise shop for an MMO wouldn't exactly be news, but there are two reasons why the new Stargate Worlds store raised a few eyebrows: The game hasn't been released yet, and the recent rumor of unpaid employees has fans worried (we're at 34 days now!).It has been speculated already that this store may be a "last ditch effort" to fund the Stargate MMO, but we'd hope that's not entirely the case. Regardless of how you would view preliminary funding through the sale of merchandise (even if it is on CafePress), this could actually be seen as a good thing. What's really wrong with helping to support a game you'd really like to see make it to launch, and getting a pretty sweet t-shirt in the process? Well, unless the game never launched...[Via FileFront]
