Have you ever wanted to be your own action figure? I had the chance to do so at CES, where Hasbro was demoing its Selfie Series, which lets you put your 3D-printed head atop a Ghostbuster, Star Wars, Power Ranger, GI Joe, or Marvel action figure for $60.
Hasbro partnered with the 3D printing company Formlabs (which makes some of the models on our best 3D printers list) to make customized action figures with some of the most valuable IP out there.
So, is it worth spending $60 to get a personalized action figure for you or someone else? I went through the whole process, so you can see the results for yourself.
It starts with an app...
Here's how it works: Within the Hasbro Pulse app (Android, iOS), you scan your face by turning your head to the right and left; it's a bit like setting up Face ID with an iPhone.
Then, the app generates a digital image of your head. From there, a series of screens lets you adjust your skin tone, and then select the action figure you'd like to be.
At the moment, you can choose from the following, which is somewhat limited, but not too shabby considering the service started this past fall.
Star Wars — Mandalorian, Storm Trooper, X-Wing pilot, or Princess Leia
Marvel Legends — Spider-Man, Iron Man, Black Panther, or Black Widow
Power Rangers — Red or the Pink ranger
GI Joe — Snake Eyes or Scarlett
Ghostbusters — Male or a female Ghostbuster
Despite my lifelong affinity for Star Wars, I opted to go with the Ghostbuster body, as I had received the Ecto-1 Lego kit as a Christmas present, and thought that it would complement it nicely. (As an aside: The Ecto-1 Lego kit is a pretty fantastic build, with some really clever moving parts. Thanks to my wife and sister for getting it for me!) The Ghostbuster figure also comes with some nice accessories, including a proton pack and a P.K.E meter.
A note to would-be Stormtroopers, Mandalorians, Iron Men, Spiders-Man and Black Panthers: Those figures don't come with helmets, so you don't necessarily get the full effect of the whole outfit. As you're going through the process, you can see what accessories each figure comes with.
Next, you choose your hairstyle, of which there are 48 to choose from, as well as five different hair colors. After, you can give yourself facial hair, and choose its style and color.
And then you wait...
Then, go ahead and order it. At CES, I was told the typical turnaround is about 45 days; it took a slightly shorter amount of time to get to me (mine arrived in late January), but when I went through the process of making a new action figure on Feb. 9, it said that the estimated delivery would be March 26.
So, if you're planning to give this as a gift to someone (you can send it as a gift code via the Hasbro Pulse app), just let them know that it'll be a while before they receive the finished product.
The results
And when it arrived? It had a passing resemblance to me, in that it had hair and a beard. The color of both was a bit lighter than my actual hair color, but ultimately, I think it looked more like Jake Gyllenhaal than myself. Which may not be a bad thing.
Still, there's lots of great detail in the costume itself, and the figurine is very adjustable. All of the joints are articulated, so you can pose it in just about any way you choose. The only quibble (aside from the likeness) is that the hands had trouble keeping the proton gun in place.
If you're worried about Hasbro saving your face data, a company rep told The Verge that it would be deleted 60 days after the ship date of your action figure.
Would I get this as a gift for someone? Definitely. I have one cousin who has a basement full of action figures, bobbleheads, and other assorted toys for whom this would be a perfect present. I wish it would look a bit more like me, but the novelty of it outweighs the lack of verisimilitude.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to make like Dark Helmet and play with my dolls again.
