Busts of popular video game characters are now available for collectors to add to their collections. Fans of popular video game franchises such as Halo, Call of Duty, Overwatch, and others are always on the lookout for new collectables, such as statues, stickers, and shirts. Those familiar with the gaming world will be familiar with the concept of high-quality collector’s items.
An enormous variety of video games, each with its own distinct style and look, allows both small-scale designers and large-scale corporations to make high-end merchandising based on well-known franchises. With rare Pokémon cards and Funko POP! figurines selling for thousands of dollars apiece, these items of merchandise may be exceedingly pricey. Collectors frequently purchase items in the hopes that their value will rise in the future, which leads to a lot of speculation in these marketplaces. It appears that the online retailer FantasyToys is adopting a different approach from companies like Funko, which have found success with gamers by manufacturing minimalist copies of well-known video game characters.
FantasyToys is already offering lifelike 1:1 busts of characters from titles like Final Fantasy, The Last of Us, and God of War, as reported by prominent content creator The Sphere Hunter on Twitter. Silica gel and clothes fabric are employed in the creation of these busts, but the artist who created them has chosen to remain anonymous about the materials he or she used. The Sphere Hunter tweets that the busts are pricey and some are astonishingly life-like, which she describes in her tweet. Seeing characters who were previously only seen in 2D on a TV or computer display in full 3D may cause some viewers to feel the same way.
It’s also worth mentioning that while many of these busts are incredibly close to the characters’ on-screen portrayals, others are somewhat off. For this reason, some collectors may be disappointed. Although Arthur Morgan and Nathan Drake’s in-game depictions of themselves are similar, their busts are quite different. Despite this, collectors are sure to be interested in these outstanding works of art. FantasyToys will have to wait and see how corporate giants like Sony and Square Enix perform when it comes to copyright and marketing rights. Perhaps the artist (or artists) responsible for these creations can reap the benefits of their labour without a lot of fuss. Hopefully, though.