BURLINGTON, Mass., USA - Z Corporation today announced it is working with Harmonix and MTV Games to transform Rock Band™ 2 players' electronic alter egos into real-world 3D rock star figurines called "Bandmates."
Players of Rock Band 2, the second edition of one of the world's most popular video games, can visit rockband.com and order five-to-six-inch-high 3D physical models of their in-game Rock Band avatar creations that reflect players' animated digital rock persona, style and musical instrument.
Rock Band 2 avatars are ZPrinted on demand, thus creating Bandmates, and shipped to the owner. ZPrinting is a new technology that creates a physical object from a 3D digital image, much as an office printer creates documents from electronic text.
Bandmates are available now, just three weeks after the release of Rock Band 2 by Harmonix, the world's premier music video game company, and MTV Games. Rock Band 2 takes the groundbreaking Rock Band music platform that forever changed the face of music video games to the next level. As the next evolution of the franchise, Rock Band 2 will continue to give millions of players a new way to enjoy the music and artists they love.
"The Rock Band figurines are astonishing," said Harmonix Vice President of Product Development Greg LoPicollo. "Giving players the opportunity to create models that reflect their very own rock star personas is an incredible way to extend the Rock Band experience. They're colorful, accurate, and seemingly ready to rock the stage. We are pleased with how Z Corporation's 3D printing technology has delivered an impressive level of quality and accuracy."
How it works
To get a Bandmate, Rock Band 2 players visit rockband.com, select from an array of poses, then place their order. The ZPrinted models ship shortly thereafter for $69 each.
"Rock Band allows players to bring their Rock ‘n Roll dreams to life. Now they can bring their Rock Band characters to life as well," said John M. Kawola, Z Corporation CEO. "That's where we come in. We've done this for product designers, and we've done this for architects. Now we are honored to do it for Rock ‘n Roll."
Z Corporation makes the world's fastest 3D printers and the only ones capable of printing in multiple colors. A 3D printer is an output device for 3D data in the same way that a 2D printer is an output device for the words and pictures on a computer screen. The primary difference is that a 3D printer produces 3D models and prototypes in composite material.
Entertainment is an emerging market for Z Corporation, which built its reputation enabling traditional manufacturing companies to create 3D printed concept models and product prototypes. ZPrinter use is also growing in architecture, civil engineering, reverse engineering, education, geographic information systems (GIS) and medicine. Z Corporation customers include 3M, Black & Decker, Hasbro, John Deere, New Balance, Ohio State University, Timberland and Walt Disney Imagineering.
The Z in Z Corporation refers to the third dimension in the Cartesian coordinate system: x is the horizontal axis and y is the vertical. An oft-overlooked third axis representing depth is the z axis. Just as the z axis adds depth to a geometric figure, Z Corporation adds the crucial third dimension to printing.
Rock Band 2 platforms
Rock Band 2 made its debut on the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft on Sept. 14 and has an exclusive launch window in North America. Rock Band 2 will be available for the PlayStation® 3 and PlayStation® 2 computer entertainment systems and Wii™ later this year.
About Rock Band
Rock Band is a platform for music fans and gamers to interact with music like never before. The game challenges players to put together a band and tour for fame and fortune - all while learning to master lead/bass guitar, drums and vocals. Built on an unprecedented partnership with artists, record labels and music publishers, the music featured in Rock Band spans the full range of rock music and include original master recordings from the greatest songs and artists of all time. For more information, visit www.rockband.com.
About Harmonix Music Systems, Inc.
Harmonix Music Systems, Inc., based in Cambridge, Mass., and established in 1995, is the leading developer of groundbreaking music-oriented videogames. Harmonix was founded by Alex Rigopulos and Eran Egozy, who formed the company to invent new ways for non-musicians to experience the unique joy that comes from making music and have pioneered music and rhythm gaming in the US. For more information please visit: www.harmonixmusic.com.
About Z Corporation
Z Corporation makes products that enable users to capture, edit, and print 3D data with unprecedented speed, ease, versatility and affordability. These products include the world's fastest high-definition 3D printers — machines that produce physical 3D models from digital data in full color - and uniquely portable 3D scanners - handheld machines that digitize 3D surfaces in real time. Z Corp. technology is enabling a wide range of applications in manufacturing, architecture, civil engineering, reverse engineering, geographic information systems (GIS), medicine and entertainment. For the latest news and information from Z Corp., visit www.zcorp.com.