3D printing is undeniably one of the coolest technologies to reach the consumer market in the last five years or so. And yet, on the surface it’s not one that has a lot to do with gaming. While there may well be substantial overlap between gaming enthusiasts and people with interest in 3D printing, there aren’t that many direct ties between the two. That said, there are plenty of reasons for gamers to love 3D printing, and we’re touching on five of them below.
1. You Can Build Unique Figurines
The clearest appeal of 3D printing for gaming enthusiasts is that it can produce figurines that don’t otherwise exist. This is perhaps most relevant to games that have similarity to tabletop hits, such as the ’5 Incredible Games Like D&D You Should Definitely Play’ that we highlighted in another recent article. Where these games are concerned, you can design models of characters (or download them, if you can find available designs) and print them out — either as memorabilia or to design your own tabletop version of a game.
2. You Can Do It Quickly
Something like the idea just mentioned can be done quickly, too. If you encounter a new game you like, or you’re in a rush to complete tabletop gaming project based on a favorite video game, you have options that can lead to quick production. First and foremost, professional 3D printing services have gotten a lot easier to access and make use of. A look at manufacturing methods by Fictiv such as 3D printing and a few similar options reveals that products can now be acquired “at unprecedented speeds” — sometimes going from design to completion in just a day or two. Alternatively, if you invest in a 3D printer of your own, you can naturally get designs going right in your own home — though good ones aren’t cheap, and you’ll have material costs to consider as well.
3. Your Gaming Room Can Be Incredible
Beyond figurines or game adaptations, 3D printing also opens up a world of decorations and furnishings to you. Whether you use existing designs or learn to make your own, you can use the technology to fully personalize your gaming space. For some, that might mean augmenting console or television setups with cool features; for others, it might mean printing out significant symbols or objects from favorite games to adorn shelves, walls, and tables; and for others still it might even mean printing replicas of old consoles, purely as decorations. Whatever the case, 3D printing (and a little creativity) gives you just about all the options you could hope for.
4. Gaming Accessories Can Be Customized
Similar to décor, gaming accessories can also be customized via 3D printing to suit your preferences. The best example of this idea in action might actually come from IKEA. CNET claims the company’s Uppkoppla line, which essentially features a series of bizarre but helpful 3D-printed innovations meant to make gamers comfortable. The product line includes things like wrist support and softer keycaps for PC gamers, and may just inspire you to think up a few printable designs of your own that can keep you comfortable. Meanwhile, you may also consider customizing more essential gaming accessories, such as your own keyboard, gamepad, or mouse.
5. You Can (One Day) Bring Games To Life
This is more of a near-future concept than a current idea. But one day, you might actually be able to 3D print gaming figures with electronic capabilities, such that in some ways you can bring games to life. Right now, while technically doable, this would take a lot of technical know-how. However, 3D printing is already progressing to support projects with more advanced functionality. Digital Trends’ article on 3D-printed prosthetics highlights perhaps the most interesting examples. Basically, we’re now seeing artificial limbs being 3D printed, and built to enable various physical capabilities. Clearly, this is a far more important application of the technology than anything to do with gaming. Yet one can also see that it’s not a huge leap from printed prosthetics to gaming figures with the ability to imitate human or animal movement. In a few more years, gamers might be able to stage Super Smash Bros. battles with physical figurines, or even build little platformer levels for characters to run through.
Most of these ideas still require a fair amount of effort. 3D printing design isn’t something you learn overnight. However, from figurines, to decorations and accessories, to some exciting future possibilities, there’s ultimately a lot of a tech-savvy gamer to get out of this technology.
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