From the first meeting with executives at Blizzard Entertainment, it quickly became apparent the passion for their franchise was like no other Licensor we’ve worked with in our four decades of licensing. As with any collectible, it’s all about the detail. Their design team’s dedication to detail – down to the minutia, compelled us to break one of the golden rules in product design – cost reduction. To retain their detail, we did the exact opposite and began adding parts.
Stormwind Keep was originally constructed simply out of four parts; two roto-cast main castle parts, and two ABS bases. It was without doubt, the cheapest and easiest solution. However, to retain the highest level of quality, detail, weight and feel, we kept adding more until it was right. Stormwind Keep is now constructed out of 29 parts. All surfaces including the bottoms are sculpted for authenticity. We also added 125 magnets to register each game piece to the playing surfaces.
The Gates of Orgrimmar now total 38 parts making up this single iconic landmark. In all, there are over 600 assembled parts making up just one Vault. A total of 65 steel injection molds will be tooled up. No small feat, and all coming with an enormous cost impact, essential to a collectible of this caliber and size, weighing in at over 16 lbs.
The gluing jigs and the assembly process of 600+ pieces are just as critical and time consuming. And, while some toys and games are clocked in mere minutes to assemble – from start to finish – the factory has timed molding, assembly, and painting at just over 8 hours of labor per Vault. Another crucial process adding to the product’s complexity and cost.
Just as beautiful as the Himalayas, our ultimate goal is to make a visually stunning hybrid, combining this centuries-old gameplay into a high-end collectible.
