3D printing and retro gaming

[Cronozilla]

It's strange, most of the time I see people get excited about 3D printers because they want to replicate this stuff they already have ... if you want to make Saturn cases, for example, just mold and cast a Saturn case you already have ... It's not remotely expensive to do it at home. You make a silicon mold, use some release agent, and pour in the clear plastic. You can use better quality plastic than what the Saturn cases already are, as well.

3D Printing's real strength is being able to create things you don't already have that you can't, or don't have time, to mold with clay by hand.

I think, personally,

a really huge use is going to be ripping 3D models from games and, fixing them up and printing out the components to make figures. There's already some people online who order out some 3D prints of models and they sell them after painting them up and putting on decals.

I absolutely want to replace various board game pieces as well. Most of them don't already exist though.

Sadly,

the secret service and various other agencies are already trying to put things in place so consumer 3D printers will be locked out from printing non-signed documents and things like that. Company's fears are that you'll have pirate sites (I think pirate bay already has a 3D section) where they'll have these files which will just allow people to fabricate every piece of something and put it together.

I think, it's a little unrealistic, to be honest. The amount of effort of engineering to assemble the devices would be outrageous. Maybe the garbage plastic Only on TV market will take a hit ... but I doubt it'll affect others as negatively. Like J T is saying they're afraid people will just print out a car.

There's also other incredibly cool applications of this stuff ... like if you change it from plastic to organic materials, you can print organs. I believe there's already been a ear transplant done where the ear was printed. That is absolutely something we need to fast track.

[fastbilly1]

This is veering slightly off-topic, but I wonder what'll happen to tabletop gaming when more people will be able to print out their own miniature figures instead of having pay Games Workshop-level prices for them.

The profit margin on Warhammer figures must be disgusting. I love the Warhammer/Warhammer 40K universe but the price kept me from getting into figure gaming back when I was younger and enthusiastic about it.

Right now to print a 28mm figure roughly the same size of a GW one will run you about $3 at soso detail. To get GW level of detail in plastic it runs you about $6. To get the same detail in Pewter it costs about $20. I know lots of guys who do custom printing for X-wing Miniatures (mostly to get other versions of the Falcon/YT-1300 for multi ship loadouts) and to get decent detail on shapeways it costs about $40 shipped. The ship is roughly 4inch round.

I absolutely want to replace various board game pieces as well. Most of them don't already exist though.

Got any examples of what you are looking for? I am waiting for a decent design for units for Dune - better than the Risk 2210 figures.

[corn619]

3D printing is being used in classic car restoration. Also, there used for making specialized tools to make some car repairs easier. Most car collectors want quality parts when reproducing trim and other parts, so every millimeter counts. I don't see why this wouldn't be able to be applied to video game parts as well. Its probably cost prohibitive now, but in a few years when the nicer printers come down in price, I think the applications will be limitless. It probably won't tell anything that you guys don't already know, but here's a cool article from Popular Mechanics. http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/ja ... gy/4320759

[SamuraiMegas]

One day I will finally live out the pirate's dream of downloading a car!

I would download the shit out of a car.

[Cronozilla]

I absolutely want to replace various board game pieces as well. Most of them don't already exist though.

Got any examples of what you are looking for? I am waiting for a decent design for units for Dune - better than the Risk 2210 figures.

I was thinking of making some old board games I have better. I see people who make custom Settlers of Catan sets for example, they're just crazy nice.

I've got some games I'd like custom pieces for, like Arkham Horror or Omega Virus.

Then there's the ability to just invent your own board game, pieces and all, which would be lots of fun.

[ZeroAX]

DLC giving you the schematics to build something related to the game would be cool too .

Oooh, I have a great idea for using 3D printing with retro gaming: you get to print a 2 stick N64 controller that doesn't look like it's gone through a horrible mutation.

[Forlorn Drifter]

I can definitely see the uses here, with carts being the biggest one. Boards would still be needed, so as of current in might be a null point.

But yeah, I want to print out N64 controller sticks.