Another Spore model; get your own "for a fee" [update 1]
Randall wasn't the only Joystiq special correspondent to get his virtual Spore creation brought kicking and screaming into physical space. C.K. received his figurine and managed to throw 65 images onto his Flickr account. He writes:
"I designed a Spore creature while I was at E3, and the nice people at EA were kind enough to make it into a little 3-D figurine like the ones they had sitting around their booth and ship it to me. It has two heads, one bird-like and the other more like a moose, with large fighting arms."
Three readers also tipped us off to three separate works discussing the future availability of mail-order Spore creatures. Clayton sent in a link to a Discover Magazine article that reveals, "In Spore, a player can animate any creature imaginable; for a fee, it can be made into a three-dimensional reality." For a fee, eh?
Darius pointed us to Next Generation, who speculate "it is likely that a model-making service (which will probably require payment) will be available when the game appears." So don't be jealous. If the stars align just so, we'll all have our very own Spore figurines come Q2 2007.
Matt noted the following paragraph while readingThe Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More by Wired Magazine's Chris Anderson: "Will Wright, the legendary video-game designer, is putting the finishing touches on his next game, Spore. In it, you'll be able to evolve your own creature, imbuing it with traits and characteristics of your own design. If you like your work, you'll be able to upload your creation to the Spore servers. And then, for about $20, you can have it 3D printed onto a real action figure – colors, texture, and all. Each one is unique and will show up at your front door in a week or two." This is the first time we're seeing a price ... and $20 sounds reasonable to us. Does that include shipping, guys?
[Thanks for the links, Clayton and Darius ... and Matt!]
[update 1: Added the bits from The Long Tail. Thanks, Matt!]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Ryan Williams @ Jul 30th 2006 8:32PM
You realise of course that this could put the filthy toys industry out of business. >:)
Psaakyrn @ Jul 30th 2006 8:52PM
to #1 Ryan Williams
The toy industry not only offers more than just static models, it also have copyright backings of companies with major IP.
Sid @ Jul 30th 2006 9:15PM
Heck, I thought it was a cool promotion for the E3 attendants, but an open service for players is just plain awesome. I know I could definitely make room on my desk for some figurines of my to-be awesome world-conquering Spore guys.
Rock on, Wright.
Ryan Williams @ Jul 30th 2006 9:17PM
I was kidding.
It's a slightly exciting prospect though, assuming the creature editor ends up being as flexible and easy to use as it looks (a pretty damn good looking Carebear was made in an old demo).
I just hope they don't stop me from having model headcrabs and goombas made! :)
Derick @ Jul 30th 2006 9:40PM
Somebody should make the pictures into a 3-D model and complete the cycle.
mark @ Jul 31st 2006 3:09AM
its called 3d art to part
http://www.3darttopart.com/
fairly cheap rapid prototyping from a 3d model.
John @ Jul 31st 2006 4:39AM
I, for one, welcome our new digitally evolved, plastic overlords...
Frexy @ Jul 31st 2006 6:50AM
Yeah, there's something called 3D printers =)
Our school doesn't use them yet, but I think they're gonna use them in the near future (architecture)
I thought it worked with droplets of some kind of plastic brought together and building up the model, any kind of model, as you can see.
Anyone can confirm this?
Ello wikipedia ^^;
Of course, you need the right software the printer'll recognise, prolly build in in Spore =)
RickDom @ Jul 31st 2006 8:52AM
There are quite a few rapid prototyping technologies. This would likely use, what is essentially an inkjet printer, but instead of ink, it squirts out resin. They do have full color versions of these printers. It's really amazing what can be made with them, including working mechanisms. If they wanted to get really fancy, they might even be able to offer articulated figurines, but I’m sure that would cost way more.
MacD @ Jul 31st 2006 12:22PM
I did my workiing study at a company which used/sold those printers. That was a few years ago, but they were single colour. I can get into multicolour (just use a different coloured resin for the next layer), but the process doesn't really lend itself to 'full colour', I'd think....but tech /could/ have gotten much better in the meantime.
There's also the wetbaths: basically a bath of resin with a platform which goes down layer by layer with a laser which hardens the layer before the platform goes dopwn yet again, allowing more liquid resin to cover the top, forming the new layer when lasered.
Somehow I think this model is made with the latter machine, as the former leaves a very layered model (kinda like a stepped pyramid), which needs to be sanded down quite a bit (expensive and fidly).
Marc @ Jul 31st 2006 4:10PM
You know, eventually someone out there is gonna make a world full of videogame characters within this game. I shudder to think that some kid out there is gonna have a world full of Pokemon.
Actually it would be pretty funny to see a Pikachu-type character get eaten by that Carebear that Will Wright's team made.
Jesufication @ Aug 1st 2006 4:24PM
$20 seems pretty steep for the size I imagine this figurine to be. I'll still probably end up getting one made of my favorite spore creature.
Torley Linden @ Aug 9th 2006 5:17PM
US$20 is a lot cheaper than I was thinking, but... maybe that's because it seems so limited-edition to me. I was thinking more like US$50--no doubt as this type of thing catches on more, prices will go down.
And what about life-size figurines? :)
Lemmy K @ Jan 17th 2007 2:13PM
I used to work for the company that got this contract... I won't say who or where (not sure if it's public info), but they are using full color rapid-prototyping machines that build in very-very small layers - thing of a 3d ink-jet spitting glue onto paper like material. Diff color glues give it it's color. It's actually very simple yet very ingenious technology. Colors are very close and amazing.
Only downside is each piece needs to be individually "sealed" (epoxy) after building, and in development it is difficult to expertly do this without it showing "spots" (basically drips of epoxy).
I figured $50 per once I realized they were doing this, $20 is very reasonable. Materials/machine/labor isn't cheap - the machines have the ability to print several at a time, but runs around 1" (vertical) per hour.
I'll get mine - heck I may just go directly to the source :)