Archive for the “Neca” Category
NECA, Hillside, New Jersey.
Website
Licenses include 300, Conan, The Dark Knight, Highlander, Watchmen, Terminator, Twilight, The Princess Bride and Harry Potter.
While the reputation of Chinese manufacturers have certainly been at the very least respectable for those genre-collecting in recent years, it only takes something like NECA’s latest video-game tie-in Gears of War Lancer replica to remind that Chinese manufacturing is very much still capable of being just as they were in the bad old days.
If you haven’t checked out our massive review just below yet, here is a recap of shoddiness:
- Major defect in the battery compartment dimensions. Inoperable sound/vibration feature widespread
- A lovely rattle of indeterminate origin inside the prop itself
- Inaccurate stamping on shipping carton indicates batteries are included when it’s not the case
To NECA’s credit, they acknowledged the battery issue with swiftness, offering to send out metal conductor plates that remedy the problem (at no charge, of course). Don’t expect any sort of confirmation response after sending them your info. I didn’t, and yet the plate complete with instructions arrived as promised just days later. So go on.
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Review
Gears of War Lancer Replica | Artist: Epic Games | Edition Size: Unknown
It’s interesting to read some of the early impressions of this piece. It’s clear that there are two value systems at work here. For the gamer, this is ‘really expensive’. The seasoned collector sees it differently, as the price here equates nowadays to more or less that of a 1/6 figure. Knowing this, one should not go in expecting the kitchen sink. As both a gamer and a collector, I can see either side of the coin.
 I’m constantly amazed at how the two have intersected of late, and this, perhaps fittingly, is the most excessive example of a video game “pack-in” collectible yet. And with serious issues that accompany nearly all of them (broken Bioshock Big Daddy statues, malfunctioning Fallout 3 Pip Boy Clocks), one wonders how long this trend will keep up. Here’s how NECA’s take on Marcus Fenix and crew’s favorite chainsaw-tipped weapon of choice stacks up:
It feels plastic-y, it sounds plastic-y, mostly because it is plastic-y. Barring some of the dicier moving parts, it’s not particularly light or flimsy though, don’t let that fool you.
Yes, there are a surprising number of movable elements, and no, the chainsaw is not one of them. There’s a sliding handle and two other parts beyond my firearm knowledge to describe– latter of which actually make way for a removable ammo cartridge (sounds cooler than it is). And with zero instructions included*, it’s very possible that someone might own this for years without ever knowing.
(*barring the sizable blurb on the shipping carton pertaining entirely to batteries, which among other things, states that they are included when they aren’t. ugh)
What do you need batteries for, you say? To power the vibration and sound feature of course, which require three C Cells. Unfortunately due to my habit of not stockpiling C cell batteries, I have not played with these novelty features as of this writing. And there is a good chance that it might not have even worked: a high, high percentage of people are reporting failure on their Lancer, with however a relatively simple improvised fix involving tin foil or a paper clip. (Read the Amazon customer feedback for tips.)
[[Update]] NECA has issued a notice of this defect and are sending metal plates to those with issues.
How did NECA salvage this from a total disaster? With the solid design of the gun itself and the details they managed to preserve here in life-size form. I do recall reading that this was essentially spit out from Epic’s (developers behind Gears of War) 3D data, which makes it difficult to fault for consistency.
Paint is a mostly uncomplicated affair consisting of a base coat silver and black. There are no attempts at weathering or texturizing which in this case is probably just as well. With that out of the way, the rest of the effects are reserved for gore, and an appropriate chainsaw splatter cover the front of the piece. A fancy element like this is easy to guff-up but the result is surprisingly decent. Very Gears-like splash patterns though it must be said that the results still look mostly like matte red paint rather than the darker, more viscous and glossy stuff it’s aiming to mimic.
The remaining small patches of blue are meant to simulate the lights which are so pervasive in the GOW universe.
NECA treads the line between ‘toy’ and ‘replica’ pretty closely. I’m not sure the more delicate parts would survive Little Billy’s play sessions for long (assuming Billy can actually lift this thing), yet what kid could resist such a thing? It’s really like the ultimate Gears of War Halloween prop: inexpensive enough that you don’t mind toting around to fake-chainsawing people, but respectable in detail.
The Lancer replica comes as part of an unofficial bundle available only from Amazon at a total cost $140, including the Xbox 360 game, Gears of War 2. Factor out the cost of the game itself and you’re essentially shelling out $80 for this replica. Were the paint a little more sophisticated along with higher quality construction + materials– let’s face it, were it a full-on $400-$500 prop replica– it would’ve been something to behold. As is, it meets my expectations for the price point and acquits itself fairly well.
Information
- Gears of War Life-size Lancer
- Make: NECA
- License: Gears of War
- Artists: Epic and NECA
- Retail Price: $139.99 (with Gears of War 2)
- Edition Size: Unknown
- Scale: 1/1
- Type: Weapon replica
- Purchase Options: Amazon.com | Ebay
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To the dismay of many gamers, the life-size Spartan Helm replica that accompanied the Legendary Edition of Halo 3 was not functional (wearable). Fret not. Courtesy of the twisted guys from Epic, NECA, and………Amazon(!?), your happy make-believe time is about to get a lot more fun.
For Gears of War 2, due holiday 2008 on the Xbox 360, anyone can finally live out their Marcus Fenix- or Texas massacre- fantasies to the fullest with a life-size Lancer Assault Rifle replica– the massive, chainsaw-tipped machine gun synonymous with the video game series. And it’s exclusive to Amazon.com, which unlike the Halo 3 helmet, is not part of any official Microsoft bundle.
Just up for pre-order at the friendly internet retail giant, the $139.99 price includes a ‘free’ copy of the game, hence the ‘bundle’. Don’t worry, you can opt to have this served with the Limited Edition of the game for the requisite extra $10, allowing your chainsaw prop without sacrificing the art book, steelbook case and all that other goofy nonsense. Very nicely thought out. (see Amazon’s bundle explanation)
 I regret to say that I somehow missed seeing this at Comic-Con, and was not overly optimistic seeing the pics of ‘CliffyB’ (Epic Games design director Cliff Bleszinski) enjoying the piece. Really useful for scale and sense of overall ridiculousness, they don’t do much to flatter the replica itself. A little digging finds these show pics from gearheadsofwar.com and I’m actually pretty impressed with what NECA is putting out (subsidized by Amazon?) for $140, or $80 if you cotton to the idea of the game being free.
As a gamer and a collector, unfortunately I am rarely resistant to the increasing convergence of the two.
Gears of War 2 hits November 7 for the Xbox 360.
* Trigger Activates Motorized “Chainsaw” Sound and Vibration Feature
* Side Handle Folds In & Out and Slides Back & Forth
* Removable Clip
* Created from the actual 3D data used in the Gears of War 2 videogame
* Powered by 3 “C” Batteries (not included)
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 Closing out the week of Comic-Con coverage, here is a roundup of thoughts and recollections. First thanks to the great industry folk who all in some way made the con this year a memorable experience: Tim, Magnus, Linda, Greg, Martin from Weta; Jennifer, Corie, Dusty, Heath from Sideshow; Kevin from eFX. And also salutations to all the visitors from Statue Forum, Sideshow Freaks, The Shadow and Flame and across the net, I hope your visit was worthwhile.
| The liveblogging idea I tried this year simply did not pan out. Dead tired from the drive back to Los Angeles each night, the attempt was just a bit feeble in retrospect. The blog operates on the engine of one person, and unfortunately he suffers the pesky weakness of requiring sleep.
Another lesson learned: I sorely needed business cards. I didn’t have any. It sucked. Securing a press badge for next year would also be ace.
The Weta (and Gentle Giant/Dark Horse/Lucasfilm) party was exactly as intimidating as I thought it would be. I hardly knew a soul in there and seeing the likes of Richard Taylor, John Howe, and Rick Baker only immobilized me further into a slack-jawed stupor. |
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But I did catch up with my friend, Tim from Weta Collectibles. I have to admit to being impressed with his vision for the company under his management. He maintains a strong sense of awareness in what collectors are looking for, and is willing to broaden that knowledge, through chatter on forums, blogs, or face to face. In short, he recognizes the value of ideas from Average Joe collectors like you and I.
As a Weta collector, it will be exciting indeed to see just where the new team takes it.
Comic-Con 2008 Roundup
Everyone Wants A Piece Of: Bruce Lee
Sideshow, Cinemaquette, Enterbay, MINDstyle (and loads of others I’m sure) all had their own take on The Dragon. (Last year’s winner: Halo)
Most Improved Booth: Cinemaquette
They finally, finally, moved from the outer rim ’skid row’ where they’ve been eternally stranded. Much more plush, much less bright neon ‘Cafeteria’ signage reflections in photos. This relocation did cause me to nearly miss their booth on preview night. But I don’t hold a grudge guys. I’m happy for you.
Memorable Faces: Hot Toys and Gentle Giant
Hot Toys does it again with their Robert Downey Jr. headsculpt for their Iron Man Mark III figure. Gentle Giant had strong portraits with their Harry Potter line- their Weasleys (Ron, Ginny, Twins) were very lifelike. Cinemaquette’s Bruce Lee is certainly no slouch, but I have some reservation that the production statues will look the same. I hope they prove me wrong. (Last year’s winner: Hot Toys Elizabeth Swan)
Coolest Thing You Can’t Buy: Weta’s Unnatural Selector Raygun
It’s unclear whether this will be made available just yet. But sitting tantalizingly out of reach atop the Rayguns display case, it was certainly very popular with con attendees. (Last year: Lifesize Lord Cockswain and Moon Mistress display)
Longstanding geek-void filled: Pan’s Labyrinth
Gentle Giant took up the mantle with a big unfinished clay Faun statue and a con-exclusive Faun bust signed by Guillermo Del Toro. Prediction for next year: Firefly.
Most Detailed: Weta Dr. Who: The Cyber Controller
Eyesore: Medicom oversized VCD’s, GG Classics busts, GG LOTR Berserker busts
Best Action Figure: Hot Toy’s Iron Man Mark III
Best Mixed Media: Sideshow Thor premium format
Best Statue: Weta Cortana, Sideshow Species Sil (tie)
Best Diorama: GG Boba + Carbonite Han dio
Best Life-Size: Sideshow Iron Man bust
Best In Show: Sideshow’s Diablo 3 “OVERTHROWN” Diorama
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That’s right, our super-duper-mega-deluxe Comic-Con 2008 Gallery is now online! Marks the first time this site has gone down from traffic, a proud achievement! Come on in and see what the fuss is about!
(Over 200 photographs!)
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A country for old men
A sequel to our popular comparo, this time featuring the character most arguably synonymous with The Lord of the Rings– a fact you can clearly see is not lost on collectible-makers.If the 10-Aragorn-shootout had your head spinning, try the 13 wizards on for size. And that’s less one company, with the long-promised Cinemaquette Gandalf still a no-show.
Which company has best presented Gandalf collectively? Which collectible do you feel is the single best representation? Comment below and share your thoughts! |
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Note 1: I declined to post a ‘reference’ photo, as a single photo would not sufficiently represent Gandalf/Ian as he appeared throughout the course of the trilogy.
Note 2: All images are stock company photos
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Maybe it’s him, maybe it’s Maybelline
There exists a urban-lengend-y contention that Viggo Mortensen is ‘unsculptable‘. That clearly hasn’t deterred this lot. As a collective, which company has best presented Aragorn?
And the Oscar goes to…
And which collectible do you feel is the single best representation of this scowly man? Comment below and we’ll give one of you lucky buggers a Sideshow 2008 calendar. Let the games begin. |
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Note 1: I declined to post a ‘reference’ photo, as a single photo would not sufficiently represent Aragorn/Viggo as he appeared throughout the course of the trilogy– depending on costume, hair/makeup, expression, what he ate that morning, or a combination of.
Note 2: I tried to use stock company photos where possible- could not find a large enough image for Weta’s Elessar, so you get to see mine instead. Aren’t you lucky?
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The Best Buy Exclusive Spartan Helm set arrived unexpectedly today, so I now can compare it to the Immortal Mask proper. For the uninitiated, the Immortal Mask is also exclusive not only to Best Buy, but to Comic-Con 07 as well. (oooo, the elusive double-exclusive!!) It’s also actually limited to 4000.
It was obvious from the first glimpse that the SH is not to scale with the IM, as I’d hoped. Bummer. But turns out, the two still make a nice display together. The IM is certainly the classier of the two, and the truth is, it’s the black velvet-lined display box that really makes it, mystifying it in darkness. The mask itself is extremely flimsy, very ‘plastic’ in feel– though you might never know it from looking at it. It reflects light gorgeously. You can remove it from the base, but I’m not sure why you’d want to. The SH is not removable from the base, though the whole thing feels much more solid and is heavier. I recall numerous bashes on the SH when the DVD launched last week. I don’t know what that’s about; it is certainly not a face-melter but it is respectable. You can’t expect much more for $35 DVD gift set. The pictures will let you judge for yourself.
  
Both are manufactured by Neca, with the Immortal Mask in my estimation roughly 1/3 scale, and the Spartan Helm 1/4.
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