Asleep at the wheel... or, OMG its The Walking Dead Plug it in and Play TV Game

 

The Walking Dead Zombie Hunter Video Game from Jakks Pacific has hit shelves at last!

Toys R Us even has a customer review for it from a Plug n' Play fan--note that the same review appears on Amazon. And, it looks like TRU currently sells it cheaper than Amazon.

Jakks has yet to update their site with any details on the game, which I think it kinda funny given the potential cash this thing could pull in if its not a complete piece of junk. The planned two-player double pack doesn't seem to be out yet either.

I'm just glad they got this out before Halloween.

The ESRB gives us a little Jakks tease

Yes, I do have an unhealthy obsession with this game. The latest news around the interwebs is that the ESRB has set the Content Rating for Jakks' The Walking Dead TV Game. As you might suspect, its been toned back to a Teen rating:

Content descriptors: Blood, Violence

Rating summary: This is a first-person shooter in which players must rescue urban survivors from a zombie apocalypse. Players use shotguns, rifles, and crossbows to kill waves of zombies that lurch toward the screen; enemies emit green splashes of blood when hit. Bonuses are awarded for successful headshots (e.g., “Try to get 10 headshots in a row”), and players lose points for shooting/killing unarmed civilians. Red blood effects appear on screen when players' character incurs damage. 

Of special note, is the ESRB's "multiplayer" descriptor, meaning the game will continue the tradition started with Jakks' Big Buck hunting games and come in single player (1 light gun) and multiplayer versions (2 light guns). I wonder if both versions will release at the same time, or if Jakks might get a little tricky and delay the single player edition for a month or two and collect the windfall available from a higher price point.

BTW, you can order it at Toys R Us right now. They claim its "In stock for shipping," but I seriously doubt it. I'll still be driving by TRU on the way home after work though.

Plug & Play reloaded

photo shamelessly swiped from MTV Geek.

I can't believe I missed MTV Geek's coverage of Jakks Pacific's The Walking Dead Plug it in and Play TV Game. Jakks' had a fairly nice looking show display at Toy Fair 2012 promoting the game, complete with near-lifesize cardbord cut-outs of some of our favorite cast members and what look to be the actual controllers. MTV Geek also spoke with Jakks' own Jared Wolfson to get the two minute pitch.

photo shamelessly swiped from ChipChick

Tech Woman blog ChipChick got in on the action too, with some good pics like the one above showing us how big this controller actually is. Jakks often offers their gun games in 1 or 2 player sets, so I imagine the color difference is to accommodate the 2-player set, or maybe they just haven't made up their mind on the product's color yet. The size of the gun is actually pretty impressive, especially compared to how small their hunting game controllers usually are, and I feel are likely bigger to appeal to an older demographic. I love fake paper logo label on the side of the gun that is "not quite" color matched, nor well affixed along the bottom edge.

The funniest part of this item, other than the press release, is that the product does not show up on Jakks' website. Nor, are there any screenshots to be found anywhere. Like so many things, the fans are likely far more excited by this item than the company that makes it.

So far, the release is scheduled for holiday 2012. Let's hope they can bring it to us a little sooner than that.

Plug in your dead

I've been looking for a picture of this thing since the press release hit January 9. Thanks to this fine gentleman, I finally found what seems to be a package mock-up, that was likely featured at CES earlier this month.

Jakks Pacific, home of plastic Smurfs, Hello Kitty toys, Pokemon plushes, and the brilliant thing known as Plug it in & Play TV Games, announced January 9 they would bring us a Plug & Play game featuring The Walking Dead. Announced at CES 2012, Jakks is repurposing their Big Buck Hunter technology to bring us the Teen rated joy of shooting walking corpses, while tethered to your television, just like Rick Grimes does on your favorite TV show.

I have always had a soft spot for Plug & Plays, as they were a gateway device to introduce my kids to video games. I hope they can do the license justice.

EDIT Jan. 24: I Ran across this pic of Shane, actor Jon Bernthal, with what looks to be the model of the gun from the front of the mocked-up package. The "in use" picture of the teen with the plastic shotgun is likely from a Big Buck Hunter photoshoot, just with digitally recolored plastic. Its interesting to note that Jakks has moved this controller away from neon green and hunter orange to a more neutral blue, and has upgraded its form factor to a more realistic design.

I imagine they won't be using too many images of zombies on the packaging. The game's Teen rating should ensure its placement within the toy aisles of Walmart, alongside the latest SpongeBob  Plug & Play.