After teasing the images and announcement across the web earlier this morning, McFarlane Toys is finally sharing details of its latest licensed toy lineup: Call of Duty: World at War. Scheduled to be released this fall – alongside Treyarch's latest take on the venerable franchise and McFarlane's other Activision-enabled lineup, the Guitar Hero figurines – the World at War figures can be described with superlatives like "highly detailed," "game-accurate," and "for sale."

Speaking of for sale, four figures will be available for $10 to $15 including the Marine Infantry soldier (includes M1 Garand rifle and bayonet, pictured above); the Marine Corps soldier (packing the flamethrower, just like in the game); another Marine Corps soldier (with machine gun, pistol & holster); and lastly, the British Special Ops soldier (includes adorable accent).

You have room on your desk, right? Right there between the Varia Suit Samus statue and Battle Armor Skeletor sits a space just begging to be filled. Now, McFarlane Toys, whose figs have more in common with plastic sculptures than actual toys, has announced plans to fill that space on your already crowded desk with figures based on Guitar Hero this November.

Already known for creating figures based on other video game properties such as Metal Gear Solid and Halo, McFarlane Toys has announced a manly lineup of four Guitar Hero personalities, each featuring 15-18 moving parts and a price between $10-15. The first wave of plastic rockers will include Johnny Napalm, Lars Ümlaut, Axel Steel, and God of Rock, while Casey Lynch and Judy Nails cheer lead the first wave from the sidelines.

We remember Zoids as those little motorized plastic dinosaurs that He-Man and his motley band used to pummel into submission as Duke and Chitara quietly watched on from the safety of the bean bag chair in the corner. Ah the 80s ... twas a simpler time of action figure mayhem. However, Atlus has again given us reason to wax nostalgic, announcing plans to bring Zoids to the Xbox 360 on August 26 as a Japanese-style strategy RPG, a genre for which the company has shown increasing affection on Microsoft's console.

Released last year as Zoids Alternative in Japan, the renamed Zoids Assault promises "gritty" gameplay and "tons" of options, most of which revolve around customizing and arming robots with various means of blowing stuff up. We suppose it's interesting to see Tomy's toy and anime license to continue to endure, though we imagine when the game ships the Starriors in our office toy chest are going to feel more than a little left out.

CEO Ray Muzyka and President Greg Zeschuk of Bioware, a company founded on narrative-centric RPGs, can't seem to decide if the Wii is a game (as opposed to, from what we gather, a toy). In an interview with GameDaily, Zeschuk said, "If gaming is defined by story, then generally Wii may not be," though he immediately expands on that, "The game [4 to 5 people together are] playing is actually very different than the rest of us. What they're doing as a company is like a different flavor."

Providing a counterpoint, Muzyaka noted that the Wii experience is "more toy-like" but also said, "there's also a narrative between the players outside the game and kind of fulfills the same things games do. Games are 'toys' in the sense that they're fun." Warren Spector had made a similar designation in an Escapist piece last year, categorizing games like Tetris and Madden akin as "retold" narratives. The above is a rather bare-bones highlight of their discussion, so check out the full interview for more.

Developer Load Inc. has a thing for bite-sized vehicles, having already released the diminutive XBLA racer Mad Tracks, and while that failed to inspire much interest from the gaming press there's something to be said for a company that sticks with its passion. Now the studio is working on a second toy car-based project called Things on Wheels, which will be published by SouthPeak Games over Xbox Live Arcade and the PC this summer.

Details are light, though SouthPeak notes that the game will feature "non-linear track design," as players race radio-controlled cars from room to room in an "expansive virtual house." It all sounds interesting, though honestly, when it comes to games based around toys, these sorts of announcements just remind us how much we want a sequel to Toy Commander.

ToyFare Magazine recently did a feature on the 50 greatest fictional weapons of all time, listing the Gears of War Lancer chainsaw gun among the ranks of the Green Lantern's ring, Thor's hammer, and Megatron (you know, when he's in gun form).

And when sexy bachelor designer CliffyB learned that one of his weapons made the list, he did what any of us would have proudly done: totally geeked out and sent in pictures of his toy collection.

A brief interview with Mr. Bleszinski reveals his favorite items in the collection, the all-importance of combining chainsaws and guns, as well as the undeniable truth that nothing is worthwhile until they've made action figures of it. So true, CliffyB. So true.

We've been enjoying having our mini-Big Daddy stare down at us from his desk perch with those cold, dead eyes for two months since BioShock was released. But others have not been so lucky, having to make due with Daddies with broken drills, or, as they prefer, Drill Dysfunction.

Now, according to 2K, replacements for the broken figures are finally heading out the door. "The BioShock figurine replacement program is nearing completion after some delays due to production of the replacement figurines," wrote 2K to some DD sufferers. Not only can they expect a new figure and the promised art book over the next couple of weeks, but (contrary to what they were previously told) they won't have to send in their old busted Daddy. That said, they may still want to turn him away from his new brother, just so he doesn't feel inadequate.

[Thanks to all the Big Daddys and Little Sisters who let us know]

Objection! This Phoenix Wright Munny doll is guaranteed to represent you in court should someone decide to sue you over its existence. Check out the highlights for today:

Joystiquery
DS Fanboy Lite: Nov. 3 - Nov. 9
Japanese hardware sales, Oct. 29 - Nov. 4: Once in a life cycle edition
Joystiq Podcast 024 - Hobo edition
Last week in Warcraft: November 4th - November 10th
Today's IP-never-dies video: Lucy and Honeymooners
Today's bone-crushing video: Pain
Weekly Webcomic Wrapup: I can has webcomic?

News
The Simpsons Game: Glancing a mainstream review
Wireless Guitar Hero 3 controller functions with PC version
New Burnout trailer welcomes us to 'Paradise'
Xbox 360 outsold PS3 in Japan last week
Mark Wahlberg to play Max Payne
PAL Uncharted demo coming Nov. 22; US region lock a mistake
40GB PS3s have 65nm Cell chips, 90nm GPUs
Sony, MS downplay high-def movie war
Nine things you may not know about Rock Band
Assassin's Creed ad perfects macho slo-mo walk
Japanese Wii Fit trailers show snowboarding, jogging, more
New 'No More Heroes' spots show off coconut, garbage collecting
Edge: Animal Crossing Wii is a social networking MMO
Mass Effect ad talks choice, we choose Oprah
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney gets 'early 2008' release
Beat Portal's final challenge in one minute
Updates for Bungie.net, Halo 3 Matchmaking, DLC on their way
Uncharted demo fixed for European PS3s
NGamer rounds up first WiiWare titles
Mass Effect launch trailer elevates excitement to critical mass
Take Two chairman clarifies statement on GTA IV release date
Wii Guitar Hero III outputs only mono sound
Check out Wii's "Check Mii Out" Channel

Rumors & Speculation
Rein: UT3 PS3 likely for this year (in America)
Devs think Fox could get back into gaming
Rumor: BioShock on PS3, new Metal Gear on PSP
Kmart reportedly breaks Mass Effect street date
Rumor: Rock Band delayed in Canada until Dec. 19

Culture & Community
Anatomy of a disaster: Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness
Gamer nabs his Mistress Chief with Halo 3 proposal
Nominees for Spike TV's 'Video Game Awards 2007' revealed
Gary Coleman's GameCube for sale on eBay
President Bush plays video games with injured soldiers
God destroys young man's PS3 with dust
Issue #0 of World of Warcraft comic online
Control the Wii with your fingertips
Make your own Blu-ray phaser

Go on, admit it. You're with friends here. When fast food chains run video game promotions, including game-related toys with their child-sized value meals, you order an extra meal for yourself just to get the toy. Or perhaps you're more brazen, buying the toy outright to add to your collection. It's perfectly fine to admit you have a problem. We won't judge.

If so, you'll be happy to know that Wendy's is hitching its Kids' Meals onto the coattails of Krome Studios and Amaze Entertainment's The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night, offering a set of five toys based on the latest in the miniature dragon's trilogy of games. The trinkets run the usual gamut of weirdness, including a Spyro-themed game of checkers and a Spyro keychain, which simply pushes the notion of "toy" beyond all measure of credulity.

As pack-in freebies go, these fall well below that of the competition, however random seems to be a running theme with Wendy's these days. To sweeten the deal, each Kids' Meal also includes a $5 off GameStop coupon for any version of The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night, though given the painful experience it was to play the last game this is simply not enough to make us go through the drive thru.

If last year's advergaming love affair between Microsoft and Burger King made you at all uncomfortable, you might want to leave the room, because the pair are at it again, though this time things are are a lot less interactive, and a bit more, well, plastic.

In the march up to the October 30 release of Microsoft's 'family friendly' party game-montage, Viva Piñata: Party Animals for the Xbox 360, Burger King has made available a collection of Viva Piñata toys for customers with kids in tow (or adults with more shelf space than sense). The set includes a total of eight different colorful toys, including Horstachio, Sparrowmint, Elephanilla, Fudgehog, Macaraccoon, Fizzlybear, Cocoadile and Goobaa, with each packed with a 'surprise in every piñata,' such as a flying disc or every parent's favorite, a kazoo. Advil not included.

[via Xbox 360 Fanboy]

According to a press release issued today, McFarlane Toys will be producing a line of Halo 3 action figures and vehicles, as part of a licensing agreement with Microsoft. The line is due in Spring 2008.

Included in the lineup will be Cortana, Grunts, the Brute Chieftain and, of course, Master Chief, standing proud at five inches tall. Announced vehicles include the Warthog, Ghost, and the new Brute Chopper. No Mongoose yet, but here's hoping everyone's favorite ATV will eventually make it on the list.

McFarlane Toys is known for creating high-quality figures from a number of movies, television shows, and comics. Todd McFarlane, CEO of McFarlane Toys and the dude behind Spawn, is also designing special edition Halo Xbox 360 controllers and a headset, as reported earlier. McFarlane also produced a series of figures for Soul Calibur II, and designed the character Necrid for inclusion in the game. Let's just hope that Master Chief is the only big green guy around this time.

Details of the figures and vehicles from the press release, and a nice shot of the prototype MC figure after the jump.

[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]

Hasbro has unveiled a series of "Real Gear Robots" as a tie-in to the Transformers universe. What caught our eye particularly is the POWER UP VT6 who, when not moonlighting as a Decepticon, spends its days as the hybrid of a Sega Game Gear and the bottom half of a Nintendo DS.

At $6.99, we're pretty sure it's neither a functioning handheld game system nor a functioning micro killing machine. Drat.

(Rest assured, our headline writer has been sacked. Those responsible for sacking the people who have just been sacked, have also been sacked.)

[Via Engadget]

Previously, we showed off Wendy's new Wii-based toys, part of their kid's meal and, as GamePolitics shows us, this is the last thing we would have seen coming. Turns out Jack Thompson doesn't like Wendy's working with Nintendo because Manhunt 2 will be distributed on the Wii console. Thompson says, "A dear friend of mine worked for Wendy's and with Dave Thomas closely for years. From that I know that Dave Thomas never would have tolerated the use of Wendy's good name to promote Nintendo's Wii, not with this game available on the Wii platform."

Here's your six-degrees of murder simulation:

• Manhunt 2 is what Thompson calls a "murder simulator"
• Manhunt 2 will appear on the Wii (among other systems)
• Wendy's is promoting the Wii, therefore;
• Wendy's is promoting Manhunt 2, which promotes murder, and;
  
• Bacon is in the Wendy's burger
• Bacon is last name of actor Kevin Bacon (oops, forgot what we were doing here)

Thompson is not suing Wendy's, nor Nintendo -- he's merely making it known that Kevin Bacon is connected to a "murder simulator." What won't he think up next?

MediaCom's highly collectible Kubrick figures are getting a Halo 3 upgrade. These 2-1/2" tall Spartans, imported from Japan, come in blue, red, green (Master Chief's favorite color), and Active Camo flavors. The four pack will set you back $18 and is scheduled to be available November 2007. If you've already preordered the Legendary edition, what's another $18, right?

[Via Bungie.net]

Man, we can't wait for ... whatever the hell these Wendy's Wii toys are. Seriously, we have no idea what these toys are supposed to be or do, except for the limited information what we can glean from the picture over at the Wendy's Kids meal site. That one on the bottom left looks kind of like a puzzle, and the one on the bottom right is obviously an Excite Truck, but we have no idea what the other things are supposed to do. Is that Wii remote at the top supposed to be a disc shooter? A laser pointer? A pog case? We just don't know.

Until that "Coming Soon!" becomes an "available now" we're opening up the floor to theories. How in the world do these Wendy's toys work? The five best commenter responses based on humor, cleverness, relevance, plausibility and use of massive damage jokes will win ... the hearty respect of the Joystiq staff. Hey, it's harder to get than you might think.

[Via Wii Fanboy]