Are you a "Star Trek" fan? Of course you are; who isn't? But, are you the kind of Trek fan who longs for total immersion, who's ready to join Starfleet and boldly go where no one has gone before? If so, I can't get you a seat on the bridge of the Enterprise, but I can tell you how to get as close as possible to owning a working phaser - all without having to transport yourself to the 23rd century or swear to uphold the Prime Directive.
The folks at The Wand Company, who two years ago produced the stunningly realistic Dr Who Sonic Screwdriver Universal Remote Control, are back with a new gadget: the Star Trek Phaser Remote Replica. A promotional partnership with ThinkGeek has resulted in The Wand Company geniuses - Chris Barnardo and Richard Blakesley - being able to debut this "working model" of the classic Trek phaser at this year's Comic Con. Showing for the first time ever on the con floor Wednesday night, the phaser remote is mighty impressive.
It employs the same technology that The Wand Company used for the Sonic Screwdriver remote, so it's a gesture-based control that "learns" handheld commands based on user actions.
Wand Company co-founder Chris Barnardo was at Comic Con during Wednesday Preview Night to showcase the new remote, and his passion for all things Trek is obvious. Dressed in the gold uniform of Starfleet Command circa The Original Series, Chris talked about his background as a die-hard Trek fan. He even wrote and submitted a script for "ST:Voyager" once upon a time. It wasn't accepted for production, but that didn't dampen the would-be writer's enthusiasm. "CBS, which handles Trek licensing in the UK, saw the Sonic Screwdriver and liked it, and they approached us about doing a phaser. I said to (co-creator) Richard, it's Star Trek! We can't not do it."
Passion for the world of Star Trek and a desire to do right by fans and collectors led Chris and Richard to do painstaking research in order to reproduce every detail of the phaser as accurately as possible. Steve Zimmermann of ThinkGeek, which is marketing the remote in the US, notes that the Wand Company fellows "scanned the original (phaser) prop" in order to reproduce every detail. "It weighs the same as the original prop, and when you hold it, it feels the same way that the props felt to the actors who were using them (to film the show)." Chris points out that in addition to functioning as a high-tech remote, the repro phaser also comes with an optional FX mode, so it can be used for gaming or cosplay as well as to control your media setup. And the effects are quite impressive: the phaser "fires" in four different colors to replicate the original phaser beam shades from classic Trek, it vibrates in order to simulate firing action when the trigger is pressed, and it includes a library of over 100 authentic sounds. The remote even has an overload mode and features an embedded dilithium crystal. It's so lifelike, you may be tempted to keep it handy at all times in case you run into an aggressive band of Klingons.
The remote will be available for purchase through ThinkGeek starting in November, and will retail for $150. The initial release will be several thousand units, with the expectation of additional production based on sales success. The remote comes with several acoutrements, including a molded carrying case and a magnetic display stand. Part of The Wand Company's inspiration, according to Chris, was to create a product that would provide an entrée into the world of collectibles for fans who might not otherwise be interested. If the sales figures for the Sonic Screwdriver remote are anything to go by, The Wand Company is likely to have another huge hit on their hands - and a legion of eager customers who will line up excitedly to have a little piece of the "Star Trek" universe to call their own.
Want it? Can't wait? Put the Star Trek Universal Phaser Remote on your wishlist here.
Learn more about The Wand Company.
