Todd McFarlane Does Halo 3 (UPDATED)

Update (original story below): Spawn.com updated today with a small news piece about the Halo 3 controllers and mini-figures. I was right in assuming that there would be two different figurines. Both are of Master Chief, but one has an assault rifle and the other is running with the shotgun. They worthily capture the Chief with McFarlane Toys hyper-detailing. They don't, however, reveal the size of the figures. Since McFarlane Toys is calling them mini-figures then they could be in the same scale as the three inch Spawn figures. Either way they are pretty damn great. Here is a quick picture of the Master Chief figures. Head to Spawn.com for bigger images.

Two Chief enter! One Chief leave!

As for the controllers, Spawn.com also has bigger and better pictures of each controller, though not of the original art pieces themselves. Even if you didn't like the controllers you could always buy both packs, keep the figures, and throw the controllers on eBay. I'm digging the Master Chief / Spartan controller, but I'm still kind of on the fence about the Covenant one. I'm sure package specs, pictures, and a possible feature about the Halo 3 goodness will be en route to Spawn.com in the near future.

- Shawn - 06/13/07

Dual-wielding is not an option.

Original: As we inch closer to the anticipated and expensive release of Halo 3, additional Halo related merchandise appears, trying to tempt out wallets out of even more money than what we already thought we'd be spending. Probably one of the most unexpected Halo 3 items coming out was discovered on GameStop's website today. GameStop will have two exclusive Halo 3 Xbox 360 wireless controllers adorned with Todd McFarlane Halo art. Through his big business deals, Spawn promotions, and ball tours, McFarlane still finds time to do the random Spawn cover, album cover, or even two pieces of Halo art wrapped around Xbox 360 controllers.

Appropriately, one controller features Spartan art while the other has Covenant. The controllers smartly have a scratch and water resistant surface to help preserve the art from sweaty-palmed gaming sessions and Death Match eruptions of anger. As an added incentive to plop down your cash (and a cooler Halo goody if you ask me), each controller will also come with an exclusive Halo 3 figurine by McFarlane Toys. Unfortunately, there are no pictures or any kind of description for the figurine, but I would expect the same kind of ultra-detail that McFarlane Toys is known for. There is the possibility that there are actually two figurines: one Spartan an one Covenant. That would make sense and would be sure to please fans of Halo and McFarlane Toys. Each official Microsoft controller (the good kind) will run $59.99 and wil be released on September 4th. Considering that the 360's wireless controllers are already $49.99 and these feature McFarlane art and a McFarlane Toys style Halo figurine, ten extra bones really isn't that bad of a deal.

I tend to keep up with all the news and features on Spawn.com and there haven't been any announcements or bits regarding these whatsoever. This leaves me wondering if GameStop jumped the gun and put these on the site too early. Or perhaps this is just to invigorate our Halo juices even more when Spawn.com unveils pictures of the figurine(s). Spawn.com usually updates on Fridays, so maybe we'll see more about this in a few days. The available pictures of the controllers are small, so passing judgment on them now may be a little early, but from this angle they are simultaneously cool and gaudy. Hopefully we'll see some better visuals of these or the full, non-button cluttered versions of McFarlane's art. Also, if McFarlane Toys is making a Halo figurine or two, then this just opens the door for them to produce a line of Halo 3 figures. It could just be wishful thinking, but McFarlane Toys Halo figures would thoroughly kick awesome's ass. Hey, they did it with Metal Gear Solid, so why not?

- Shawn - 06/12/07

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