Giant Killer Robots - Upcoming game by Weta Workshop [Update Feb 23: KS live]

[Cherno]

[Update Feb 23 2016]
GKR: Heavy Hitters Kickstarter
[/Update]

The year is 2150. A devastating world war has left Earth's major cities in ruins, where mega corporations scrap it out for the salvage rights.
Well, you know what they say. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. Gather your army of Giant Killer Robots and face your rival in the ultimate robot rumble. Because, in the world of GKR, war is business... and business is booming.

I just stumbled upon this yesterday. Weta Workshop, famous for working on the props for various Hollywood Fantasy and Sci-Fi blockbusters (they produced hundreds of sets of armor and weapons for Lord of the Rings, for example), will release a miniatures game. In Giant Killer Robots, players use their war machines to fight over salvage rights in what's left of mankind's cities after the citizens moved into massive megacities, leaving their former homes ripe for the taking by corporations interested in old industrial plants or just raw materials.

They aim for a Kickstarter in the near future, and the miniatures (around 16 total at the moment) look gorgeous. I hope they won't be too pricey, and I'm also not sure if these will be pre-painted or not.

http://gkrgame.com/

Here's a video of Adam Savage, formerly of Mythbusters, visiting the small team at Weta working on the game.

[Malebolgia]

Models look awesome...board a bit lackluster though. But will follow this one. Thanks!

[Vanvlak]

Intriguing.
Thanks for posting this. 

[Jagannath]

These are a bit exciting - looking forward to this. Bit worried it has the potential to become a monster kickstarter though.

[dwbullock]

Saw the models at Gencon.  They didn't have a demo as the rules weren't ready yet.

The models, though.  Wow.

[Elbows]

Yeah I could see using these models for a variety of other things...almost zero interest in the game though.

[tomcat51]

Isn't Peter Jackson heavily involved with Weta Workshop? He's a big fan of miniature gaming, I think he had the Perry brothers teach him to sculpt.

[Dentatus]

Not like I need another game and I'm not keen on backing another KS, (esp if it inflates and takes 12-14 months to arrive)  but man, those are nice mechs.

[Cherno]

Well, we have to keep in mind that these are studio-painted models What's interesting is that they use state of the art 3d printing and CAD to produce the masters, at least that's what they say in the Adam Savage video. What the final models will be made of, I don't know. I assume these will be multi-part plastic kits, or maybe pre-assembled/pre-glued ones.

And yes, I've also heard about Mr. Jackson's connection to miniature soldiers. I think he was involved in the restoration or even creation of teh New Zealand Gallipoli diorama?

[Elbows]

That would make sense since he's a huge WW1 nut...in the extreme.  He founded or at least funds the terrific NZ-based WW1 plane restoration group:

http://thevintageaviator.co.nz/

He also did a small promo for a WW1 film so he could use/examine a special HD camera which debuted.



With all the love for WW1 and movie magic, I do imagine PJ's a miniature nut as well.

[rwwin]

Saw the Tested video a couple of days ago and was pretty intrigued, but then found out it was Weta working for/with Cryptozoic and it would be a Kickstarter.  These would look stunning in hard plastic, but all signs seem to be pointing to boardgame PVC.  If that's the case, it's probably a pass for me.

If they have some production samples available for the campaign and they look good maybe I'll take a chance, but probably it'll be a pass.

[Manchu]

I am the odd man out on this one, I guess. The bot designs look something like 3D scribbles to me. They make me feel like I need glasses. In the pics, I'm seeing a mass of orange stuff and a mass of blue stuff and I guess these abstract shapes constitute robots, if you say so.

I like the pillars, however. 

[Cherno]

The Kickstarter for GKR: Heay Hitters is live:

GKR: Heavy Hitters Kickstarter

Funding goal of$100,000 reached in 4.5 hours, not bad. Price for the core box is $99 plus shipping.

[Vanvlak]

I still like the designs (except for the thick blades and opaque bases on the reconnaissance fliers), but have a spot of bother with the fact that the 'painters' set' (which has unpainted models which are not assembled costs $150 as opposed to the $99 for the basic set. Granted, they also have the pilots, but these are gamepieces and not to scale with the robots, so less interesting to me. It does appear that the material for the painters' robots is different from the (I believe) PVC of the standard sets, but that's dampened my enthusiasm. If you could get the models alone I might still be tempted, but that option is currently not given.

[rwwin]

It does appear that the material for the painters' robots is different from the (I believe) PVC of the standard sets, but that's dampened my enthusiasm.

The FAQ stated that the unpainted models would be unpainted PVC, so definitely not worth the extra $50 for me.  I agree if there was a minis only pledge for just the heavy hitters I'd probably give it a go, but I'll pass on the full game.

Seems an odd choice to provide the four big mechs painted and plain plastic for the other figures.