It appears as though 3D printing is getting bigger and bigger with promotional media!
According to Product Design & Development, the popular video game Rock Band is striving to bring the 2D character-based Rock band characters that you create into a third dimension!
Gamers who play Rock Band on a network enabled Playstation 3 (PS3) and XBOX 360 are not just virtually strumming, banging or singing along with the music. Gamers have the ability to create an avatar in the game, and as he/she becomes better at the game he/she earns money to buy accessories to outfit their rock star, such as clothes, shoes, haircuts and every other manor of decoration. A player can even draw logos for T-shirts or tattoos.
The gamer can then load their character information up to the internet and visit the Merch Booth on www.rockbandstore.com where he/she can pull their customized avatar up, pick a pose and order a 3D printed figurine that is about 6” tall and weighs 10 to 12 ounces (the collectables are dense, it’s like picking up a ceramic piece in similar dimensions).
With latest partnership between Harmonix and Z Corporation, the video game developers are collaborating with MA-based manufactueres with 3D printing to create fully customized 3D-printed figurines.
Using methods done with prototyping, The Harmonix team translates the video game data into 3D printable data. The orders are then sent to Z Corp’s facility electronically (like in a CAD-based file) where they use rapid prototyping and 3D printers to print out the designs. Like us, they print it out and then ship it off to the customer!
“All of the color data, including the avatar’s tattoos and insignia that are created within in the game, are applied to the character during the printing process,” says Scott Harmon, vice president of business development with Z Corp.
“We definitely are not advertising these as being toys, they are figurines, collectables,” adds Harmon. “They are durable enough that they can be shipped around.” According to Harmon, the rockers can be handled, but if you whack them hard enough on the counter top you could critically damage a Mohawk or custom guitar. Here’s to hoping the characters are placed in proper homes so any fatal blow to a pair of studded pants can be avoided.
The market for consumer printables is seemingly endless – with nearly every new video game environment operating in a virtual third dimension. With the current state of the economy, people have been hesitant to spend the $80 to $100 that it takes to make a figurine.
“We ship thousands of these things across the whole business, but it is clearly a consumer electable purchase,” says Harmon. “It’s not a must have, it’s a want. The market is potentially millions of pieces, but there are definitely sensitivities around how much people are willing to spend for them.”
Although they are still putting the finishing touches with aesthetics, figurine durability and safety issues, Harmonix and Z Corporation are looking forward to the eventual release of these consumer-customizable figures. It’s as if they are connecting the gaming world with human preference and actual 3D printing design!
“The idea that you can get something that is fully customized to the individual is a pretty novel concept so awareness is still quite low,” says Harmon. “There are customizations that you can make to hair, body type and apparel, but to get a real representation of yourself — you then start talking about scan data or 2D photo to 3D mesh conversion technology and in the not-too-distant future. You’ll soon see services where you can take photo data and get a 3D character out of it.”
We’re looking forward to the future with this one!
Credit Sources: pddnet.com | wb-3d.com
