With the Force Friday countdown to midnight in full swing as we speak, sneak peeks at tie-in items from Star Wars: The Force Awakens are being unveiled. I’m sure this insanely cool remote control BB-8 droid will make it near to the top of many Holiday Wish Lists.
Ever since we got the first glimpse of the next generation Astromech droid in The Force Awakens teaser trailer and learned the little guy was a practical puppet on the set and not an all-CGI creation, the question following “How’d they do that?” was “When does the toy hit shelves!?”
The first toy out of the gate looks like a winner. This app controlled droid has a magnetically attached headpiece that allows the orbs to patrol your home just like the actual version used on the film.
Check out the announcement video below:
From Sphero:
Meet BB-8™ – the app-enabled Droid™ that’s as authentic as it is advanced. BB-8 has something unlike any other robot – an adaptive personality that changes as you play. Based on your interactions, BB-8 will show a range of expressions and even perk up when you give voice commands. Set it to patrol and watch your Droid explore autonomously, make up your own adventure and guide BB-8 yourself, or create and view holographic recordings.
It’s now possible to explore the galaxy with your own trusty Astromech Droid by your side. BB-8 is more than a toy – it’s your companion
When I caught up with Steve Sansweet yesterday to discuss what he was most looking forward to as far as the next generation of Star Wars tie-ins go, he told me items based on BB-8 would be the ones to watch, and he was right on the mark:
What really excites me is BB-8 and the technology. I was very curious when I saw the first teaser trailer and they showed BB-8 and I thought ‘Well wait a second, they’re pushing the whole thing about real. Why are the they showing a CG droid?’ And then it rolls out on the stage at Celebration. I just went ‘Oh my goodness, that’s amazing.’ So they’re actually gonna be producing various sizes and various types of BB-8. That’s what I’m looking forward to. I’m excited by that character. R2 is gonna be there but this seems to take technology to a new level and it’s fun and its cute but it’s gonna have a role and a personality and I’m looking forward to seeing what that is.
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