Rey is on her way

My son and daughter loved the new Star Wars movie and unanimously their favorite character in The Force Awakens was ... Rey - the young woman whose mechanical skills, piloting abilities, and aptitude for winning a brawl have made her role one of the most appealing parts of the film.  I've had to intervene a few times in battles between my kids when they both have wanted to play at the same time with the one Rey toy Santa brought for Christmas.  In fact there not being enough Rey toys to go around is a current complaint for Star Wars fans who can't find the sci-fi saga's new leading lady on store shelves.

For the first time ever, the Star Wars brand was featured in the National Retail Federation's top ten toys lists for BOTH boys and girls.  Realizing that Rey is a big part of the appeal for a new generation of fans and there is unsatisfied market demand for items featuring this character, Disney recently acknowledged in a press release that it is now making a concerted effort to get more products featuring her out to retailers.

According to Elissa Margolis, Senior Vice President, Disney Store, "Rey is a true break out hero in the movie and is proving a huge hit with our guests. Demand for Rey merchandise was strong even before the movie released, with products selling as quickly as we could restock shelves, and it is only growing with the success of the film."

Keep an eye out for new toys, clothing, collectibles, and home goods featuring Rey as they begin to roll out at Disney Store locations and other retailers nationwide.  Some items featuring Rey that are or will soon be available include:

Rey branded light saber toys from Hasbro 

A Nerf shooter shaped like Rey's blaster from The Force Awakens

A buildable figure from LEGO 

3.75 inch Rey action figure in her Resistance gear by Hasbro

Rey's land speeder from Mattel

Playskool Rey & Captain Phasma toy set

20-inch BIG-FIGS action figure from JAKKS PACIFIC

Exclusive Disney Store Figure Play Set

Exclusive Disney Store 6-inch Elite Series Die Cast  Action Figure

Disney Store Limited Edition Sculpture

Rey Pop! figure from FUNKO

Rey Build-A-Bear

Disney Infinity The Force Awakens Video Game

If you come across some Rey products not included in this list that you want our A Geek Daddy readers to know about shoot us some information in the comments section, tweet us the info or a pic to @Geekdad248 or let us know on our Facebook page.

Zen Studios adds The Force Awakens to its line of Star Wars pinball video games

Most Saturdays I have an hour to kill while waiting for my daughter at the dance studio during her ballet lessons and often find myself spending the time playing the Star Wars themed digital pinball tables from Zen Studios that I've downloaded on my iPad.  There are a variety of games available representing the movies and televisions shows from the Star Wars saga plus a few digital pinball tables dedicated specifically to some of the more colorful characters from the sci-fi franchise.  In addition to imitating the play of traditional pinball machines these video games also add buzz and whistles like digital special effects and video to enhance their entertainment value.  Plus you don't have to keep stuffing them with quarters while you play which is nice.  I also have a few of these Star Wars pinball apps from Zen Studios on my iPhone which are nice to play around with when I have some down time during the day.

In addition to enjoying digital pinball on tables based off the characters and events in the first six Star Wars movies, soon players will be able to add The Force Awakens experience to their game play. On January 12, 2016 Zen Studios is releasing a Star Wars Pinball: The Force Awakens Pack which will have two new pinball tables featuring art, models, and sounds directly from the film and will be available on Playstation 3, Playstation 4, Playstation Vita, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Mac, Windows 10, Steam, plus iOS, Android, and Amazon mobile devices.  The two new additions to Zen Studios video game pinball will be titled Star Wars Pinball: The Force Awakens Table and Star Wars Pinball: Might of the First Order which will allow players to choose whether they want to support the Light Side or the Dark Side of the Force.



With Star Wars Pinball: The Force Awakens Table players will team up with the Resistance and fight against the First Order alongside such heroes as Rey, Finn, and Poe Dameron. It features all-new table-transforming environment mechanics that allow players to visit locations from the film and twelve action-packed story modes that incorporate some of the most thrilling moments from the motion picture into the game play.

Star Wars Pinball: Might of the First Order puts players in command of the First Order, tasked with extending its power across the galaxy.  This digital pinball table features an innovative two-level playfield where you must use a special ball-lock system tied to Kylo Ren to crush the Resistance, as well as the ability to control your own Star Destroyer with the help of a special magnetic upside-down ramp!

While it is nice to see Zen Studios adding The Force Awakens to their pinball table themes, as a player who already enjoys these video games I'm even more excited that they are also adding new mechanics and elements that will provide different game play experiences. Star Wars Pinball: The Force Awakens Pack will be available as a digital download for console, PC, and mobile device beginning the week of January 12, 2016.  Visit starwarspinball.com for more information.

Topps promotes digital Star Wars trading cards with new ios app

For those folks who would enjoy the fun of collecting Star Wars themed trading cards without the hassle of having them pile up around the house, Topps recently introduced STAR WARS: CARD TRADER on the Apple App Store for iPhones, iPads, and Ipod touch which it bills as the "official Star Wars trading card app."  Star Wars: Card Trader provides the opportunity to collect digital reproductions of the physical Topps card board collectibles that have been produced for the upcoming The Force Awakens movie as well as those previously distributed from the original and prequel Star Wars films.  There will also be cards featuring characters, scenes and vehicles from the animated television shows Star Wars: Rebels and Clone Wars. This Star Wars effort ties into fan enthusiasm for the December film premiere of Episode VII and follows the company's success with a similar app for baseball cards for iOS devices BUNT: The MLB Digital Baseball Card Trading Game.

Star Wars: Card Trader can be downloaded for free.  One free pack of trading cards can also be opened every day once the app is downloaded.  For those who want to build larger collections credits can be purchased ranging from .99 cents for 3,000 credits to $100 for 900,000 credits.  What you can purchase with credits in the "Cantina" will vary from a basic pack of trading cards to unique exclusives.  Plus collections can be built by trading cards with other app users from across the country and around the world with a feature called "Trading Like a Jawa."

 “In the same way that digital media is transforming reading books, listening to music and watching television, Card Trader is revolutionizing Star Wars collecting,” said Michael Bramlage, VicePresident of Digital at Topps in a press release to A Geek Daddy blog. “Your favorite characters, vehicles and locations from the Star Wars universe can be collected and traded on your iOS device, from anywhere at any time.”

Here are a few of the features of the app #Topps promoted in its press release launching Star Wars: Card Trader:

 The First Cards From Star Wars: The Force Awakens: BB-8, Poe Dameron, Kylo Ren, Rey and other recently announced new characters from Star Wars:The Force Awakens are here! Go to the Cantina and blast open packs to try to find these exciting new cards, all released in vintage-inspired “Star Wars‘ 77” blue and red border designs.

Trading Like A Jawa: The Star Wars: Card Trader app is like a 24/7 Star Wars card convention that you can take with you anywhere you go. Meet real people, make friends, complete trades and build your collection with confidence using features like 9-for-9 trading and Trader Ratings to highlight your trading partner’s trustworthiness.

Classic Re-Releases: Only Topps brings you over 30 years of official-licensed Star Wars trading cards in new, high-definition digital format, from the vintage era to today.Haven’t collected cards in a while? Check out Topps’ state-of-the-art Parallax and Motion cards, innovations that could never have existed in cardboard!

The App Store description notes that there will be more than 1,000 officially-licensed Star Wars digital cards featured with some including futuristic special effects and enhancements.  CLICK HERE to download Star Wars: Card Trader.

This seems like a nice app to have some fun and goof around with, especially for casual collectors. I'd recommend if you are having your kids play with it that you make sure your parental control features are turned on and in-app purchases turned off though.  You'll probably want to stick with physical trading cards though if you are looking to pick up movie mementos, a long term collectible, or want some items you can use as potential financial investments. 

So while this app obviously isn't for the serious collector it does bring back trading cards to the attention of today's kids who are more interested in flipping through their tablets and smart phones than grabbing a piece of gum and some trading cards from a grocery or toy store checkout lane.  From a nostalgic perspective, as a kid myself that had shoe boxes full of Topps' Star Wars and baseball trading cards, it is nice to see the tradition of children and teens collecting trading cards for fun continue into future generations through the products changing with the times.  Most young people aren't collecting these things to try and make a profit off them someday and this digital app caters to those fans.