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A life-size Gundam statue will be completed outside of Japan in 2021
A 59-foot-tall Gundam statue will be built outside of Japan in 2021 -- but you'll have to visit Shanghai to see it.
Japan's life-size 18m Gundam statue can move (a little)
Besides Fila apparel capsules, the 40th anniversary of Gundam is also being celebrated with a life-size, moving statue. While it won't go on display for the public until later this year in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, a recent media tour visited the Gundam Factory and saw the latest version of the project. There they saw the internal frame of the Gundam under construction and it... moved as if it could make a step. It's pretty far from the real-live mecha action we'd like to see, but still impressive, and only possible by using materials to shave tons from its weight, and replacing hydraulic actuators with electrical ones. It's far more action than the 30th anniversary statue saw before its parts were scattered across an artificial island, or even the impressive 2017 model.
Make your 'Halo 5' Spartan into a 3D-printed trophy
Halo 5's campaign is hot garbage if you're playing through it solo, but the multiplayer suite is pretty much the opposite if you're into competitive shooters. It's a likely reason why Microsoft is shifting its latest ad and PR focus around the mode -- pre-release hype centered on the game's flaccid story. The latest step in that? Bringing your customized Spartan soldier into the real world via 3D printing. Redmond has aligned with custom 3D printing house Sandboxr and printer manufacturer 3D Systems to put your unique Slayer combatant (sorry, Kerry King) in the palm of your hand. Using the web interface, Xbox Wire says you can choose from 175 armor and helmet options, over 30 color variants and five different poses with a quintet of weapons. The classic "teabag" pose isn't one of the available selections, however, but you can make an 18-character moniker for the statue.
PSY is finally getting the monument he deserves in Seoul
PSY's "Gangnam Style" is so recognizable, the second it starts to play people know what to do. To commemorate the track that broke YouTube's view counter, the Gangnam District Office announced that it will be erecting a statue in PSY's honor because, why the hell not? The structure will be two interlocking wrists symbolic of the song's horse-riding dance move and will contain sensors in it that will trigger Gangnam Style to play when you're standing under it. It will be built in the eponymous upscale Seoul district, so if you're ever in the area make sure you stop by and check out a ridiculous statue commemorating an even more ridiculous tune.
Did you get a World of Warcraft anniversary statue?
The World of Warcraft community is abuzz with the revelation that Blizzard is sending out a special thank-you to its most dedicated fans for its 10th anniversary: a physical 9" statue of an Orc. Only fans who have been with the game for the entire ride are eligible to get the statue, however,. According to Blizzard's qualifications, "A player must have created a World of Warcraft account within 60 days of the game launching in the NA or EU regions and maintained their subscription or game time for all 10 years." Our question today is, if you qualify for this, have you indeed received your spiffy statue? And do you have a picture to prove it?
Report: Blizzard sends statue to 10-year WoW veterans
We know you play World of Warcraft. It's okay, millions of people do. But have you been touring the world of Azeroth since the beginning? If so, you might be in for a treat from Blizzard, according to posts on the MMO Champion and Battle.net forums. MMO Champion has posted an announcement attributed to Blizzard regarding a "tenth anniversary physical gift" which would be sent to eligible players of the game. Who's eligible, you ask? According to the post, "to be eligible for this gift, a player must have created a World of Warcraft account within 60 days of the game's release in America or Europe." (That's November 23, 2004 and February 11, 2005 respectively). MMO Champion reports that the post originated as part of a support article from Blizzard, which has since been taken down. Meanwhile, WoW player Smitti over on the Battle.net forums has posted a picture of the supposed gift, which is a small-scale version of the orc statue seen on Blizzard's campus. We've also posted the image after the break so you can see it for yourself. The image you see above is the underside of the statue's base. Smitti claims to have not had a lapsed subscription since December of 2004, but it's unclear if an uninterrupted account is a requirement or simply makes you more likely to receive the gift. We've reached out to Blizzard for official confirmation and eligibility status.
First 4 Figures teases a Wind Waker Ganondorf statue
First 4 Figures, makers of highly detailed - and highly priced - video game collectibles, has set its eyes on the Triforce of Power wielder, Ganondorf. Specifically, the villainous version which originally appeared in 2003's The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. Though maybe you prefer the 2013 HD remaster? The company released a small teaser image to whet fans' appetites via their Facebook page this week, and those so tempted to make the evil-doer a part of their collection will be able to pre-order the figure starting on January 20. The figure's price has yet to be revealed. [Image: First 4 Figures]
The making of Grommash Hellscream
If you've ever been to BlizzCon, you're probably familiar with the super-detailed character statues that adorn the show floor, including Illidan, Tyrael, Jim Raynor, and Kerrigan. This year, a new statue joined the ranks, welcoming con-goers on to the show floor: Grommash Hellscream. Towering over spectators, with one foot resting on Mannoroth's still-smoking head, this larger-than-life orc was more than a little threatening -- with much more of an intimidation factor than anything we'd seen before. However, Grommash is somewhat less threatening when you see him in pieces in the video above, which explores how the statue was created, from the tiny maquette model to the full-sized sculpt we saw at BlizzCon. Interested in going behind the scenes to see just how this vision of Grommash came to life? Watch and learn.
Buy the Steve Jobs monument that was too gay for Russia for $95,000
The iPhone-esque Steve Jobs tribute statue that was unceremoniously dismantled in the wake of Tim Cook's public acknowledgement of his sexual orientation is now up for sale in Russia. The statue, which was originally erected in 2011, was designed to honor the accomplishments of Steve Jobs and is aesthetically similar to the iPhone. The monument is being sold by the Russian Holdings Company and has a price tag of 5 million rubles, which comes out to roughly US$95,000. That's a heck of an asking price for what is essentially a large LCD display, but proceeds from the sale will reportedly go to aspiring Russian IT developers. There have been a few conflicting theories as to why the statue was in fact taken down in the first place, though several reports out of the country have claimed it was due to Tim Cook's BusinessWeek piece announcing he is "proud to be gay." Russia's homophobic history speaks for itself, and the sale of the statue seems to further support this theory, as some stipulations on the monument's sale include that it must be taken out of the country immediately and never again erected on Russian soil. [via Vocativ]
Evolve's Goliath statue is small child and down payment-sized
Sure, it's not the ridiculously huge monstrosity that loomed over us at E3, but this statue of Evolve's Goliath from replica specialists TriForce might be the next-best thing: standing tall at two and a half feet and weighing 35 pounds, this beast is one heck of a set piece to consider adding to your home. It's also one heck of a set piece to consider taking out a small loan for. The standard edition - which is limited to 500 copies - is a hefty $750, with $187.50 of that price being a non-refundable deposit. The Savage Goliath variant, which is colored with red stripes and limited to 150 copies, is $800 and can only be pre-ordered next weekend at New York Comic-Con. That may sound like quite a lot of money to spend on a collectible piece of art representing a game that hasn't come out yet, but hey: its eyes light up, and that's pretty cool. [Image: TriForce/2K Games]
Dark Age of Camelot builds statues of King's Tournament champions
Have you ever fancied the notion of having a giant in-game statue erected in your honor? This egotistical dream may come true for you in Dark Age of Camelot... if you are one of the winners of the October's King's Tournament. This brand-new event in DAoC kicks off tomorrow to commemorate the game's 13th anniversary. Each of the three realms will be tracking RvR stats for everyone in the game, and at the end of the month the top two players from each realm will be crowned champion. These six winners will have a statue of their character constructed in their realm's capital city. To track the progress of the tournament, players can check out an in-game leaderboard which will be updated on an hourly basis.
Seen@PAX: A girl and her adorable teddy bear
There are some video game characters and props we don't mind seeing transformed into life-sized statues - Evolve's Goliath monster is undeniably cool, and seeing the Batmobile at E3 made our feet yearn to press pedal to metal - but sometimes things you find cute and cuddly from a distance turn out to be chilling and creepy up close. Such is the case of League of Legends' Annie, a little girl who can transform her teddy bear from being a huggable, wuv-able wittle fwend into ... well, just take a look. They call him Mister Tibbers.
This Skyrim Nightingale statue has 100 points in Awesome
Say what you will about the Daedric Princes of The Elder Scrolls games, but some of them have a keen eye for fashion. Case in point: Nocturnal, lady of night and darkness, clads her servants - the Nightingales - in the kind of outfit we imagine Batman would wear if Batman were a medieval fantasy character. Soon, you won't need a copy of Skyrim to admire said outfit, as Gaming Heads is producing a 1/6 scale statue of a Nightingale as they appear in Bethesda's epic roleplaying game. Bethesda revealed the 16-inch tall statue via its company blog earlier this week and we have to admit, he's a spiffy-looking fella. And he ought to be, as a standard edition of the statue costs $300, while a Gaming Heads-exclusive edition costs $330. The statue won't ship until early 2015, but pre-orders are now live. You can snag the standard edition straight from Bethesda's store, or get one with a light-up base from Gaming Heads. There are only 1,000 standard editions being produced, while the light-up version will only number 500. [Image: Bethesda]
Celebrate 10 years of Monster Hunter with a $29,213 Felyne
After a decade of swinging massive weapons at unfeasibly large dinosaur creatures, Capcom has decided to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of Monster Hunter with a 24k gold statue of the series' adorable Felyne mascot. According to Siliconera, the anniversary statue depicts a Felyne wearing full Rathalos armor and smirking in that simultaneously adorable and infuriating way that only bipedal cats can. It stands 3.5 inches tall, 2.16 inches wide and has a depth of five inches. Despite only weighing about a quarter of a pound, the miniature statue is made of solid gold, which means this little Felyne has an asking price of 2.99 million yen (about $29,213). It's currently unknown if the statue will remain exclusive to Japan or if it will also be available in other regions. If you desperately need gold Felynes in your life and would rather import than wait, keep in mind that Capcom has instituted a strict "10 statues per customer" limit. [Image: Capcom]
Kingdom Hearts dev's Batman comes from a canceled project
Whether you love it or loathe it, the Batman Play Arts statue dreamed up by Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts designer Tetsuya Nomura is a curious beast. After revealing the very dark knight yesterday, Nomura told Siliconera the design goes far back in time to a "game-related" project that was eventually canceled. It goes so far back, Nomura said, that it began before Kingdom Hearts was even conceived. So if you're seeing a bit of keyblade armor in there, that's because the canceled project went on to influence the Disney series and its armor design, and not the other way round.
Final Fantasy's Tetsuya Nomura envisions a new Batman
Square Enix unveiled a new Play Arts Kai statue that provides a glimpse of what a Batman game might look like in the hands of Tetsuya Nomura. The figure is one of a new Batman line dreamed up by the Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts designer, and it's on display at the San Diego Comic Con, which kicks off today. The word that springs to mind for us is sharp, literally. The cape looks sharp, the horn-like ears look sharp, the additional claw things look sharp - generally the caped crusader looks dangerous to even touch. The most surprising aspect? We can only see the one belt. Check out a larger shot of the very dark knight below the break. If you prefer your Batmen more 8-bit and purpley-blue (who doesn't?), take a gander here.
Is your name written on this giant EVE statue in Iceland?
EVE Online developer CCP has revealed an outdoor sculpture featuring the names of all active players. Designed by artist Sigurður Guðmundsson, the five-meter (16-foot) tall monument was presented before the company's annual Fanfest. If you were an "active, paying player" as of March 1, 2014, your name should be somewhere on the statue. Our own Xav deMatos is on plate row 3, column 5, line number 76. If you're an active player, you can find your name on the monument here. [Image: CCP]
CCP Games reveals big plans for EVE Fanfest 2014
The universe of EVE Online may be best known as a crazy virtual galaxy full of back-stabbing pirates and political betrayal, but for a few days each year it becomes something altogether more tangible. At the annual EVE Fanfest, hundreds of the game's most devoted fans make the long pilgrimage to the game's birthplace in Reykjavik, Iceland. In addition to the official talks and reveals on the game's future from developer CCP Games, Fanfest plays host to charity raffles, roundtable discussions with developers, and informal get-togethers for players to share their stories. Last year's 10th anniversary Fanfest was the biggest one yet, with information included on World of Darkness and DUST 514 and the official reveal of Oculus Rift-based dogfighter EVE Valkyrie. This year's attendees can look forward to the first ever live demo of EVE's yet-to-be-revealed summer expansion, hands-on experience with the next major evolution of DUST 514, and playtests of a brand-new build of the virtual reality dogfighter EVE Valkyrie. This year's Fanfest will also see a special monument dedicated to EVE Online players revealed to the world; The "Worlds Within a World" monument will be installed in Reykjavik Harbor and will be etched with the names of all active EVE subscribers on March 1st. It's also hoped that crowdfunded EVE Online documentary A Tale of Internet Spaceships will be premiered during the Fanfest weekend, and we'll reportedly hear the latest on CCP's new EVE comic book and live action TV series. The event takes place from May 1st to May 3rd, and I'll be attending this year's event on behalf of Massively to bring you in-depth first-hand coverage of all the big reveals. Stay tuned!
Assassin's Creed 4 updated to 1080p on PS4; drops anchor on PC, Xbox One today
The piratical, bloody adventures of Edward Kenway can now be found on the PC and Xbox One. As we stated in our review, Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag is "a vibrant historical adventure, drawn from bold characters and edge-of-your-seat sailing." It offers a massive variety of things to do, from hunting iguanas with a sword to swinging from one ship to another like Errol Flynn. Obviously, there's quite a bit of high seas assassination as well. Three versions of the game are now available on PC: the Standard Edition, the Gold Edition and the UPlay Gold Edition. That first incarnation includes only the game, while the latter two offer players access to the game's Season Pass and a host of exclusive downloadable content. The Xbox One game only offers two variations, the Standard and Limited Editions, though the latter offers far more booty than any other version of the game. If those extras aren't enough to satisfy your rum-swilling, plank-walking tendencies, McFarlane Toys has revealed plans to launch a 1,000-piece set of Edward Kenway statues. The images on the company's site look stunningly detailed, but you'll have to shell out $295 for that level of craftsmanship. In related news, a patch has just been released for the PlayStation 4 version of Assassin's Creed 4 which allows it to display its already-attractive graphics in full 1080p resolution. Like all PlayStation 4 game updates, this patch will be automatically downloaded to your system.
The Titanfall Collector's Edition statue isn't 'something that you'd find in a kid's meal'
The Titanfall Collector's Edition statue is so big it needs its own trailer. In the above video, Respawn Entertainment Lead Artist Joel Emslie describes piece-by-piece the limited collectible, sharing behind-the-scenes info for fans. The titan, for example, is posed in mid-run to reflect the "dynamic" nature of the game, where "things are always in motion." Although the official press release and accompanying image from the Titanfall Collector's Edition announcement both mention a height of 18 inches for the statue, Emslie mentions in the video that's only where the production team started. "We kinda crept up a little higher," Emslie says. "He's almost pressing 20 inches with the pilot on the back." Well, you know what they say: "The bigger they are, the harder they Titanfall." We may have messed that one up.
