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It’s events season!
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It’s been quite a long time since the last post, and I apologize!
Many things have happened around here at Square Enix, such as San Diego Comic-Con, so let’s do a recap.
Right now we’re in prime events season, which started with E3, or the Electronic Entertainment Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center. This is an industry professionals only event, so there’s no general admittance, but Square Enix Products did have presence there. We showed off a few new prototypes, like The Halo: Combat Evolved Play Arts -Kai- Master Chief, Street Fighter IV Play Arts -Kai- Ryu, and of course Dissidia Final Fantasy Play Arts -Kai- Cloud, Squall, and Gabranth. Here’s a booth tour by GameSpot, and Jessica Chobot was there too, and she was totally in love with the Deus Ex: Human Revolution Play Arts -Kai- Adam Jensen figure!
Just last week was San Diego Comic-Con, which is an event open to the general public. In recent years it’s not just about comics, but also anime, manga, movies, TV shows, video games, and more. We had a strong presence there with games, manga, anime, music, and of course our delectable merchandise! We had a slew of figures for sale from series like Halo, Metal Gear Solid, Assassin’s Creed, and Final Fantasy. We even took some Dragon Quest Slimes, and they were pretty popular! Plushies were also a big hit, and we completely sold out of them.
Aside from our usual fare, however, were the events exclusive Halo: Reach figures, Red Team and Blue Team Spartan Mark V [B]. They are limited color variations for Noble Six, and they looked great. We were completely sold out, and the fan reaction was great!
![Event exclusive Red Team and Blue Team Spartan Mark V [B] figures!](img/110808_02.jpg)
Along with products for sale, we also showcased upcoming products in prototype form, which are simply breathtaking. Batman: Arkham Asylum was naturally a huge hit with the Comic-Con crowd, with Batman and Joker in full color. We also had four Street Fighter IV figures: Ryu, Chun-Li, Akuma and Cammy, also in full colored goodness. Representing Sony, Drake from Uncharted 3 and Kratos from God of War III were also greeted with fanfare. Vanquish from Sega also had fully-colored Sam Gideon and Bogey figures, which had intricately detailed mechanical parts. Deus Ex: Human Revolution was also there, making its last appearance before hitting store shelves in September. Oh, and Lightning and Serah from a little game called Final Fantasy XIII-2 was there as well (which needless to say was beautiful)!
We also had a handful of voice actors visit our booth to check out their PVC recreations, like Nolan North (Nathan Drake from Uncharted 3), Robin Atkin Downes (Kazuhira Miller from Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker), Ali Hillis (Lightning from Final Fantasy XIII), and Molly C. Quinn (Eve from The 3rd Birthday). How awesome is that?
Up next is New York Comic Con, but more on that in a later post. Until then, check us out on the official Twitter@SQEX_MD_NA for the latest updates!
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PAL August 08 2011 |
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NEW YORK HERE WE COME…AGAIN!
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Our next big US event is the American International Toy Fair 2011, colloquially known by many as the New York Toy Fair (NYTF).
For those unfamiliar with the event, the NYTF is the largest North American trade show for the toy industry. Every year much of the world’s major manufacturers, suppliers, wholesalers, buyers and sellers make the trek to the big apple to brave the winter weather (if you’re not already used to it) and check out the latest toys and games for the upcoming year.
Unfortunately, this event is an industry closed event, so for most of us that means we cannot go inside. But if you happen to be in the New York area keep an eye out for new displays at local comic shops and figure retailers as we will be making the rounds with some of our latest display samples.
As is often the case, we will also have some first look prototypes on display at our booth so if you are industry/press we encourage you to drop on by and have a look. For everyone else we will do our best to keep you updated with our twitter!
NEW YORK TOY FAIR 2011
February 13-16, 2011 (Sunday - Wednesday)
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
Booth #4827
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NIKKU January 28 2011 |
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SQUARE ENIX PRODUCTS CLOCK BACK!
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We have decided to bring back the Square Enix Products Digital Clock promotion for this holiday season!
During the campaign period, US customers who make a purchase of $75 or more will receive a Square Enix Products logo digital clock included in their shipment free of charge.
See campaign details here.
This winter we have great selection of accessories and fresh stock of all new Play Arts Kai figures. For those expanding a collection or picking up a gift for a friend, we hope this extra bonus item will make your day.
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NIKKU December 14 2010 |
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NEW YORK COMIC CON RECAP
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Some of you may be surprised that this year’s NYCC was actually my first trip to both the event and New York. I have to say I was very impressed with the city, the fans (especially the Cosplayers) and the event overall.
Apparently, this year we had a much bigger booth and many more visitors than in year’s past. We had a few event “early sales” items such as Bleach Play Arts Kai which were very popular.
For the first time we also did a special registration for our online store mailing list with our purchase forms and I am pleased to announce 3 winners were selected last week and sent FFXIII PLAY ARTS KAI ODIN and FFXIII PLAY ARTS KAI LIGHTNING sets! For those who did not win, thank you for taking the time to fill out the form and we hope to give you a chance next year!
I know this event summary is a bit late but I wanted to give a special thanks to those who visited our booth at this year’s New York Comic Con. I am looking forward to seeing you next year!
In the meantime keep an eye out for new product announcements and images as we will be back in New York this February to attend New York Toy Fair.
NEW YORK TOY FAIR 2011
February 13-16, 2011 (Sunday - Wednesday)
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
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NIKKU November 25 2010 |
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NEW YORK COMIC CON PART 3 : Prototype action figure
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This is TAKA from the merchandising team from the JAPAN office.
It’s first time for me to write in this US blog!!
I’m in NEW YORK CITY now preparing for NEW YORK COMIC CONVENTION.
The show will start from this Friday to Sunday.
I actually took some prototype action figure samples from Japan with me by airplane.
At customs in JFK airport, I was checked by the customs officer because of the samples.
He asked me about the samples, about what they are or why I ‘m here, etc…
I’m going to display them at our booth #1723 in Javitz Center in NYC.
I’m waiting for you guys to visit our booth, and don’t miss seeing these special figures!
Thanks,
TAKA
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TAKA October 7 2010 |
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NEW YORK COMIC CON PART 2 : Preparing for New York Comic-Con
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Today was a big day for the Los Angeles office, as today was loading day for trucks leaving for New York. Display cases, partition walls, cash registers, display samples and more are now on the road to the east coast.
It was a lonely affair, since only a couple of us were downstairs yesterday to prepare the goods to be loaded onto the rollable cages and pallets. Being in the underground storage area can be a bit claustrophobic, since it's so quiet and completely cut off since there's no cell phone signal.
The storage area was a bit unorganized since we have been so busy since our last big US sales event, San Diego Comic-Con. It made it a challenge to get all the supplies together, but eventually everything turned up.
Maybe it will be different this time. Perhaps when New York Comic-Con is over, we'll organize the storage space for maximum efficiency and orderly harmony, making preparations for the next event that much easier. I can wish, can't I?
See you in New York!
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PAL September 30 2010 |
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NEW YORK COMIC CON PART 1
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Only 1 week left until I will be leaving for my first New York Comic Con. From what I have heard from previous attendees of NYCC, usually the event often occurs in the dead of winter which isn’t so pleasant. Fortunately this year NYCC is being held in October and hopefully that means more people will be making it out to the convention!
This year we are planning a much bigger booth and will be carrying a nice stock of sweet action figures, accessories, and plushies! It will be a nice chance for east coast fans to check out some of our prototypes and pick up Square Enix Products maker-direct.
Event Info:
New York Comic Con
October 8 - 10, 2010
Jacob K. Javits Center
http://www.newyorkcomiccon.com/
Square Enix Booth: #1823
Be sure to check out both our Games and Official Goods Shop Booth!
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NIKKU & PAL September 28 2010 |
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MANY NEW KINGDOM HEARTS AVATAR CUTE STRAPS
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As a dude, I am usually less inclined to use the word cute, but let’s face it these Kingdom Hearts mini avatars are ridiculously cute.
Square Enix Products has thus far released 3 volumes of the popular Kingdom Hearts Avatar mini collectable straps, and today we have 2 more volumes announced which are set to come out this year. The detail of the mini figures attached to the strap
KINGDOM HEARTS AVATAR MASCOT STRAPS VOL 4
Check out the SAZH avatar with mini chocobo! I would totally rock that on my “portable music playing device.”
KINGDOM HEARTS AVATAR MASCOT STRAPS (Kingdom Hearts BBS)
TERRA, VENTUS, and AQUA from Kingdom Hearts BBS make their mini figure debut as Kingdom Hearts Avatar Mascot straps! These are a nice addition for those of you who picked up the BBS keyblade key rings which went up for purchase this month.
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NIKKU & PAL August 26 2010 |
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Now that the dust has settled...
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With E3's wrapped up, here's a more formal introduction about me, Pal! I'm the merchandise guy in sunny El Segundo, California. Put simply, I'm the one that gets the beautiful Square Enix Products in retail stores across America. That's not all I do, nor is it all to my credit (not even close), but that's the gist of it. I also attend a lot of shows and conventions – like San Diego Comic-Con – so you can see me there. Nikku will be coming to the States for his first overseas convention, so be sure to give him a warm welcome when you see him!
Follow us on Twitter if you aren't already, and if you already are, you're our best friend.
If you haven't noticed the blue icon on the left side, feel free to click it to follow us on Twitter.
Until next time, over and out!
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PAL June 23 2010 |
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Dissidia Final Fantasy Trading Arts Vol. 2
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At this year’s E3 we announced the latest volume of our trading arts series, the much awaited Dissidia Final Fantasy Trading Arts Vol. 2. While Vol. 1 had an all-star line-up of some of our most popular heroes from more recent Final Fantasy games (Cloud, Squall, Tidus, and Zidane), I personally am very excited to see the likes of some of my favorite classic characters such as Terra and Cecil in vol. 2, not to mention the most notable villain of the series Sephiroth.
As often is the case, in Japan and Asia these figures are sold in blind box packaging with a bonus character. In other regions we will be these figures individually in blister packaging which is popular among our North American and European collectors.
Here are a few detailed photos of the new figures (Overseas Line-up):
Sizes range from 5.2-6.9 inches!
Release date and price is still TBA, so keep an eye on the official blog or twitter for official information as it is determined.
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NIKKU June 22 2010 |
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E3 Update 6/16
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Sorry for the late introduction, I have been quite busy this year’s E3 as a new member of the SQEX US merchandising sales team.
We had a terrific line up of figures to show off this year including Work in Progress figures like Dissidia Final Fantasy Trading Arts vol. 2 and Assassin’s Creed II Play Arts [KAI] Ezio in addition to soon to be released figures such as Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker Play Arts [KAI] Snake and Final Fantasy Creature [KAI] vol. 2.
I have tons more to say about these figures, but for now I will let the pictures do the talking. (1 more day to go!)
E3 2010 SQEX Merchandising Booth
Final Fantasy XIII Trading Arts Vol.1
Front Mission Evolved Play Arts [KAI] Zenith
Final Fantasy XIII Trading Arts Vol.1 (Serah)
PA KAI vol. 1 Lightning w/ her eidolon Odin in Gestalt Mode
Dissidia Final Fantasy Trading Arts Vol. 2 (a close up of Terra as requested)
Also I hear the US online store has had a bit of a redesign for the entry page, check it out. Square Enix Official Online Merchandise Store US Top Page
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PAL June 17 2010 |
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E3 Update 6/15
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Looks like our American team is a bit busy with the event, but we did get a few snap shots from the floor.
Dissidia Final Fantasy Trading Arts vol. 2
(Cecil, Firion, & Terra!)
…and the much awaited DFFTA Sephiroth!
List of new products unveiled:
*Assassin’s Creed II Play Arts [KAI] Ezio
*Final Fantasy XIII Trading Arts vol. 1
*Dissidia Trading Arts vol. 2
More images to come tomorrow…
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NIKKU June 16 2010 |
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Introductions Part 1: NIKKU’S DESK
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Greetings!
My name is Nick, but everyone in my office calls me “Nikku” which sounds a bit like the word for “meat” in Japanese. I am based at our headquarters in Tokyo and likewise surrounded by all sorts of interesting information regarding new products and special events in Asia.
Unfortunately I will not be personally attending this year’s E3 but our US staff are in full force so I will leave it up to our American team member PAL to keep you filled in with what’s goin on.
Be sure to check out our new twitter account for updates from the floor.
Also…we just received the new Japanese promotional posters for FFXIII Play Arts Kai Serah. This exceptionally cute figure is tentatively scheduled for an October release in Japan and November release in our overseas territories.
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NIKKU June 14 2010 |
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We’re back!
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The objective of the Square Enix Merchandise Blog was to keep our English speaking fans of the world up to date with the latest products and happenings going on with Square Enix Products. Unfortunately we have epically failed in our first attempt by well, not updating our blog since last year. Sorry!
This time we are back and will be providing you with updates on new product announcements, featured items at the
Square Enix Official Online Merchandise Store, international event recaps, and maybe a few translations from our Japanese blog.
PS. PAL is currently preparing the display items for E3 including some never before seen merch… be sure to look for updates directly from the floor.
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NIKKU & PAL June 11 2010 |
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