'Skylanders Imaginators' lets players 3D print custom toys
In Skylanders Imaginators, players have the ability to custom create their own Skylanders for the first time. Now Activision confirms that they'll be able to buy 3D-printed versions of those creations as toys.
The feature is made possible by the newly announced Skylanders Creator app, coming to Android and iOS on Oct. 12. Players create their character inside the game and then beam it into the app using an audio code.
It's similar to a QR code, except it relies on sound rather than an image. The game spits out a series of bleeps and bloops -- think R2-D2 -- and the app listens, then converts that sound into your character data.
You May Also Like
Once that info is in the app, you can then beam it over to whatever storefront is responsible for selling you your figurine. All 3D-printed creations will be affixed to a base and wrapped in a plastic dome, and they're fully functional with Skylanders,
Players also have the option of having their Imaginators creation turned into either a T-shirt or a collectible card. Like the toy, the card can be used with your Skylanders Portal to activate the character in the game.
The Creator app's 3D printing option comes as a surprise, after Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg suggested at E3 that the technology wasn't quite there yet.
"You can't not connect those dots, right? Obviously ... we wish that every house had a 3D printer or that it could be fulfilled on a much larger scale more quickly than it can today," he told Mashable.
"But technology moves fast and if this thing takes off it's something we'll keep looking at."
Topics Gaming
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
