We were invited by the team at JediBusiness to participate in a roundtable discussion with a few of the other collecting sites and friends on the web today. We were asked a few brief questions regarding our thoughts on what collectors can expect for 2015 and The Force Awakens. Click on over to JediBusiness for the article and thanks to Chris Bortz for including us.
According to Mark Hamill in an interview with Yahoo, BB-8 aka ” the Ball Droid”, the small droid is not CGI (computer generated imagery)* but “a live prop”. All the more reason to like the little guy/girl. Head on over to read more including his reaction to the teaser and is thought on the sequel in general.
There’s no doubt that there will be a CGI version at some point in the film(s) but having a physical model will surely help “ground” the actors in the scenes.
The Yakface Toyguide updates resume with the addition of the 6″ Deluxe Jabba the Hutt from The Black Series.
PROS: Hasbro surprised the collecting community when they announced that they’d be tackling “beasts” in the 6″ scale and they got things very much right with Jabba. The sculpt is the best likeness yet with exacting details in the skin – right down to the obligatory tattoo. Hasbro also added a fun bit of interactivity as you can recreate Jabba signature belly laugh by way of rotating the arms up and down to open and close the mouth. Unfortunately, you’ll have to supply the sound effects yourself.
CONS: For an original retail price of $40 (US), this seems really overpriced and overwhelmingly bland when in its retail packaging. Many collectors found themselves frustrated in that the support accessories were only available through the SDCC exclusive. Tough to argue with those sentiments.
Head to the toyguide for the full image gallery and to judge for yourself whether this figure is worth adding to your collection.
You can also weigh in with your impressions on the figures we add to our toyguide on facebook and in our forums.
Our friends at DorksideToys alert us to a few new product announcements (via ToyArk) from Funko. In the works for next year are Star Wars themed Wacky Wobblers for The Force Awakens and also a series of Hikari Star Wars figures that include Greedo, Clone Trooper, Wampa, Boba Fett, Bossk and more. Head over to DorksideToys blog to check out the news.
The Hero Series X-Wing that Hasbro thought would inspire kids is now on clearance at Target, just two weeks before Christmas. If you want this item, chance are it will be able to be had for less than one Andrew Jackson bill soon.
DorksideToys has updated today with a daily deal for the Black Series 6″ Clone Trooper for only $12.99 – a perfect price for customizers and army builders.
StarWarsUnderworld.com has and exclusive report that Star Tours is currently working on expansion that will include elements from The Force Awakens. Head on over and listen to their podcast for the exclusives details!
Next week, Gentle Giant will be refreshing their website featuring an all new look, new features and new URL, but more interesting is that they plan to offer (in the future) an avenue for talented 3D model builders a place to sell their designs.
The new website will not only showcase our Gentle Giant collectibles, but it will also offer 3D digital downloads. We hope that you enjoy the new look and feel, and we also hope that over time we are able to support the 3D Designers in our community with creative content and a platform to offer your designs for sale to the public.
A few weeks back we shared an article from JediDefender about new S.H. Figurarts figures on the way from Tamashii Nations including a Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker. It looks like they will also be offering a very cool Death Star II Throne Room Diorama as well. Click on through for the full screen shot. Thanks to Sith_Fire30 for the intel.
Continue reading S.H. Figuarts Death Star II Throne Room Diorama
New images for Bandai’s Movie Realization Samurai Stormtrooper have turn up online courtesy of S.I.C Lover on Facebook. Click on through to check out the gallery. Thanks to Brandon Flores for the heads up.