As a Rock Band and figural toy devotee, I was intrigued by the idea that my customizable Rock Band character could be made into a three dimensional figure though an on-demand process, via Harmonix and the Rock Band website. Made-to-order figures surely represent a whole new frontier in customizable, creative toys. What could be cooler than a mini-replica of myself staring at me while I sleep? I mean, one that I didn’t have to feed and buy school supplies for.
While the idea is still an interesting one, the results seem to be troubling, according to the 9 pages of complaints on the Harmonix forums. Using a 3D printer and a computer model, Z Corp will print out your own unique creation, using a predetermined library of costumes and poses. Unfortunately, our current technological abilities are still limited to grainy, slightly ambiguous products made of fragile plaster when using rapid prototyping, and these prototypes are almost always meant to be sanded, smoothed and refined before they even come close to representing a final product.
Not to be outdone by McFarlane’s Guitar Hero action figures, Harmonix is still selling these $75 customized (but static) figures as Rock Band Bandmate action figures. If you’re daring and have an extra $100 to burn for a uniquely designed figure, swing on by the Rock Band website for full instructions - but proceed with trepidation.
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