3d Printers + WoW Characters = Profit

[Xzin]

I spoke with a friend of mine today and was informed that in the next few weeks a company is coming up with a way to print YOUR WoW characters.

They have not launched yet and I am not affiliated with them but if they can do it well, it would be pretty amazing.

Fabjectory.com is doing this now but the results are kinda.... so so. And they are delicate. Drop them and they break. Plus, no WoW characters. This new stuff purports to be quite the durable material. When a sample gets here, I will know more but figured you guys could appreciate this.

I explored this well over a year and a half ago and decided that the technology was not ready for prime time just yet. Plus there were some IP issues. The tech was there though.

Glad to see somebody is making a go at it. The market is huge if they can keep prices reasonable.

See my prior post here: http://www.dual-boxing.com/forums2/viewtopic.php?t=1041

[The IT Monkey]

While a great idea I don't see blizzard allowing this unless they make a dime from it as well.

All those images belong to Blizzard... they own the rights to it all. So they may launch in a few weeks but would bet if they see any kind of action they will be getting shut down rather quickly.

[Shogun]

Looks good, be great if they provide them unpainted as blanks as well as painted, miniature painting is fun

[empeha]

While a great idea I don't see blizzard allowing this unless they make a dime from it as well.

All those images belong to Blizzard... they own the rights to it all. So they may launch in a few weeks but would bet if they see any kind of action they will be getting shut down rather quickly.

I think this would be no problem if they only sell a 3d-printout of a picture...
Its also no problem to go to any printshop an print out a 2d picture of a WoW Char.

[Shogun]

If they advertise themselves as providing 3d printouts of "game characters" and other items, and not "We make World of Warcraft figures" they should be ok, as they're not directly using the WoW name to make profit. But then I'm no expert, so what do I know? :P

[Xzin]

This company has already made licensing agreements with Blizzard. Bliz will be making a pretty penny from it. They are going to "authorize" it if you will. Maybe even integrate it in game. Think dressing room but adding a print button.

[Xzin]

More like I need an Army Stat! "File - Print"

--- two hours later.....

Army!

But yes - the general concept is there.

But don't think ultra detailed ultra glossy full color 1200 DPI pewter hand painted figures. At least not yet. Think like the above. Resolution is good but not GREAT. Cost is higher too of course. But give it a few more years to trickle down. These used to be printed on 1 million dollar machines. Now they are 50k.

[Xzin]

Right off the machine? With this particular technology, throw them on the ground and they would shatter.

You can infiltrate them with various epoxies, glues, etc to make them FAR harder. That was the key that I was missing a year and a half ago when I first got started toying (heh) around with this idea for a potential business.

In that time, they have come out with ways to make the material so stiff, you could ride it like a skateboard if you printed out a skateboard.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXza4usjgrc

It requires some vacuum and heat post processing, but nothing TOO complex or costly.

[unit187]

after all those low-poly figurines look weird :roll:

[Zseth]

The cool thing about this is that it just takes the model and cut it out accordingly. A more quality machine is the Parts Fabricator that Ford is starting to place in all of its dealerships. It receives a digital blueprint, not much different than is used for the original to be made and it will laser out the part into solid steel, carbon, plastic, etc. The machine costs an arm and a leg, but image the solid steel wow figure. That thing would last a while.