3D printed toys are the new frontier of promotional gimmicks!

The world of 3D printing is full of a lot of unjustified hype and a lot of more realistic scenarios. But one industry that has been making use of 3D printers since before you even heard of them is the toy industry. There is nothing like quickly producing a 3D prototype to find out just how your figures will look, as opposed to a time consuming wait for a physical sculpture (which you can always do later after you get the general look down, but things are increasingly being done via 3D tools)

To wit this pair of current promotions from the two biggest science fiction franchises. First up, you can send in some photos of your head and get yourself a 3D printed Star Trek figure of YOU! A company called 3D Systems is making this happen through a store on Cubify. There are a variety of poses and genders available, though currently all figures are The Original Series uniforms. You can be pointing phasers, running a tricorder, or just telling someone to live long and prosper while sporting Spock ears. This will run you $70 per figure.

Now, if you are a fan of that other gigantic franchise, Star Wars, then you are also in luck! But only if you can get to Disney Hollywood Studios in Disney World after May 17th, when is when the D-Tech event begins that will scan your face and 3D print you a Star Wars figure! You can either be a stormtrooper or be frozen in carbonite. This action will cost you $99.95 plus shipping, as you don’t get it until it is mailed to you weeks later. In any event, expect more of these promotions as they are great ways to get blogs to write additional articles about movies. Hey, wait a minute!!!