[Hasbro Review] Selfie Series Figure

One of the most exciting bits of news, in my opinion, to come out of San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) was the announcement of Hasbro’s Selfie Series line which would debut later in the year. The new line allows fans to get their face 3D printed onto a premium six inch scale fully articulated action figure from a range of Hasbro franchises including Star Wars, Marvel, Power Rangers, G.I. Joe, and Ghostbusters. The Selfie Series became fully available through the Hasbro Pulse App at the end of September during Hasbro PulseCon.

As I mentioned in my Hasbro booth Spotlight a limited number of attendees at SDCC including myself were given a first chance opportunity to go through the process and order their own figure. While it took a bit longer to come than originally stated I finally received my figure last week and I’m ready to show it off to the world!

Before I begin my review I do want to note, for full disclosure, that the figure was comped to me by Hasbro in order to review it. That said as always I will do my best to be as unbiased as possible.

So let’s take a look at everything from ordering the figure to what you get and some final thoughts!

How Do I Go About Ordering a Selfie Series Figure (The Process)

While the set-up for the Selfie Series was a bit fancier at SDCC the process for ordering the figure is the same as anyone ordering at home and is completed through the Hasbro Pulse App. So if you don’t have the app you will need to download it before you begin.  

Once you are ready to begin the first step in the process is to get a scan of your face. Since the better the scan the better the final product will be you’ll want to find a well-lit area in your home. A well-lit area is needed to reduce the number of shadows on your face and so that the app can pick up as much detail as possible. I would advise against going outside for the scan as I think it will result in a more washed out image of your face. At SDCC the Hasbro booth had a small kiosk with lights aimed inward to help with this.

After you find a good spot and are ready to begin the app gives you a set of instructions for scanning your likeness which includes centering your head into a specific area of the screen. You then begin scanning by turning your head in as steady a manner as possible to the left and back to center without pausing. The process then repeats with you turning your head to the right and returning back to center again in a steady motion. The app can be a bit particular so it may make you redo your scan again but once the app likes your image it will start generating a 3D model of your face. If for some reason you do not like the scan at any time in the process you can go back and redo it; I ended up doing that at SDCC myself. At this time the scan is just the outline of your head; hair styles and colors are chosen later on.

While at SDCC I had a member of the Hasbro team helping me with the process when doing it at home it may feel less intuitive so some recommendations I would give an individual to get the best possible scan would be to keep the same facial expression throughout the scan, keep eyes looking forward, and keep your head as straight as possible when turning it without tilting it. Also while you may have an urge to give yourself a more action pose face I recommend individual’s keep a neutral face when doing the scan. This also plays into my final thoughts below,

If you are happy with the scan it is time to move onto the next step in the process which is choosing which franchise you want for your action figure. Currently there are five franchises to choose from and each franchise offers both a male and female option with Star Wars and Marvel offering additional choices.

Unfortunately The app does not pick up an individual’s hairstyle and hair color and instead once you have chosen a body the next step is to choose from a selection of different facial and head hair styles and colors. I’m not sure if this is because the app can’t pick up hair well or if this is by design as having individuals choose from selected hairstyles makes it simpler to create the figures. In either case there are still a lot of styles to choose from in order to find a good representation of an individual’s current style.

It is now time to get one final look at your figure and if you are happy with everything go through the actual purchase process. The figures are priced at $59.99 which balloons a drop after tax and shipping are added.  Hasbro advertised a 45 to 60 day lead time though I do know some people who have gotten their figures quicker than that.

How is the Figure Boxed? (The Packaging)

Each figure comes with a Selfie Series branded slipcover with the back giving a brief sentence telling you your figure has arrived. There isn’t really anything spectacular about it but is part of the packaging and is part of the overall Selfie Series design theme.

Under the slipcover is a franchise branded box; since I chose a figure in the Ghostbusters franchise the design of the packaging has a Ghostbusters theme and logo. The front of the box has the Ghostbusters title running vertical along the left side of the package and the Ghostbusters logo in the bottom center underneath the display window. The top of the front of the box has a subtle vertical design similar to what is found on the ghost traps which carries over to the right side of the packaging which also features the spec layout of a Neutrona Wand. The back of the box features the back of an Egonesque Ghostbuster wearing a proton pack with the Ghostbusters symbol on the upper right corner. The left side of the box features a likeness of the four main Ghostbusters.

While the box packaging may not have the same flair as say the Star Wars Black Series line the box does have branded graphics around it which clearly shows which franchise the figure comes from. Additionally the figure sits nicely in the center of the display window.

One final thing I noticed with the box art is that regardless of which franchise you choose the box design does have elements of the Selfie Series graphics on it which ties all figures regardless of which figure you choose together. I also appreciate that the packaging features a plastic-free design and that the box design allows you to remove the figure without damaging the packaging. 

What’s in the Box? (The Figure and Accessories)

Within the Ghostbusters line there are two options for the figure one with a male body and the other a female body. While both designs are similar there are subtle differences in the uniforms with the male version having his uniform tucked in at the arms and legs therefore showing more of the figure’s gloves and boots whereas the female version has a buttoned up shirt and untucked gloves and boots. The uniforms also feature a belt with accessories attached to the figure, the Ghostbusters logo on the right shoulder, and a ‘Rookie’ nametag, though I do wish your own last name could have gone there.

The Ghostbuster figures come with a few accessories including a PKE meter, a proton pack with wand, and a plasma piece that attaches to the wand for when you are busting ghosts though it should be noted that a Twinkie is not an included accessory. Just be sure not to cross the streams; bad things happen when you cross the streams.

How Well Does the Figure Move? (Articulation)

As you can see from some of my photos the figures have a pretty good amount of articulation. I don’t recall seeing the amount of articulation listed in Hasbro’s specifications but each arm has at least five points (wrists, below elbow, above elbow, bicep, and shoulder) of articulation and each leg has five points (ankle, below knee, above knee, thigh, and groin) of articulation along with articulation at the neck and torso. This mirrors the level of articulation of the other six inch equivalent figures from Hasbro and gives you many options when posing your figure.

Overall I am pleased with the level of articulation though I wish the Ghostbuster figure included an upper torso joint similar to the Pink Power Ranger or Spider-Man figures. While I do think the Ghostbuster figure may not need that articulation point compared to the other figures and therefore understand why it isn’t included I still feel it would have been nice if it was there to allow for a bit more range of poseability.

Does the Figure Look Like Me? (Likeness)

Onto the biggest question; does the figure look like me? This is the Selfie Series after all and having a figure look like you is the whole purpose of the line. Well in my particular case the answer is a bit complicated.

Overall while I do think there clearly are elements of my face in the figure it may not be the closest representation of my actual face. There is however a caveat to this point and I want to clarify a few things with regards to this comment. As mentioned much earlier when I went for the scan I was trying to make more of an action face with a grimace as if I were exerting myself while firing a proton beam. However it appears the scan did not pick up that level of detail and what appears to have happened is the app smoothed out some of the features I was trying for.

For example, when I went through the scan my eyebrows were more furrowed whereas my figure has a more smooth line at my eyebrows and the furrowing details there were lost. That combined with my cheeks being more smooth in the figure while they were more emoted when I was scanning my face combined to create a printed face that had somewhat altered features.

Another factor that played a role is the choice of hair color and style. While there is a brown or a black option in the app my hair falls somewhere between the two. I opted for the brown option however that brown turned out to be a bit too light and I may have been better off going for the black option. Also since the app doesn’t pick up your current hair style I had to choose from a list of styles. While I actually think the beard option I chose is very close to my actual face with the exception that I let my beard grow a bit further down my neck none of the hair options were a great representation of my current hair style. I’ve gone into the app again and looked at the available options and while there is another style that might be a better fit there is again no clear winner when it comes to my hair.

All this ultimately combined to create a figure that has elements of my face but in this instance was not the most accurate version of myself which is why I have recommended to keep a more neutral face when scanning your face. If you look at other images from scans taken at SDCC, where the members of the team were on hand with their own scanned figures, you will see that the faces are more neutral but are more accurate. I also have a friend that kept a more neutral face and his Ghostbuster Selfie Series figure is also more accurate.

So Tell Me What You Really Think (Final Thoughts)

While $59.99 is a bit pricey compared to standard Star Wars Black Series or Marvel Legends figures, which start around $24.99, the Selfie Series is not your standard figure – it’s an action figure of yourself. Given the fact that you are getting a scan of your head on a officially licensed Hasbro product I don’t think the price is out of line nor do I think the price will stop most people from moving ahead and ordering one.

But should you? Ultimately even though the figure wasn’t the most accurate I am still happy with my first Selfie Series figure as I think part of my scan issues were due to my own fault and I do see parts of myself in the figure. This along with the fact that I have seen enough figures from others with accurate representations makes me feel confident to ultimately justify my in favor answer.

I’m actually planning on ordering another figure, implementing some of the changes I mentioned above, from the current Star Wars line (either the Mandalorian or the X-Wing Pilot) and p another one down the road if they eventually release a Jedi to the Star Wars line.

To me getting a quality made officially licensed figure of oneself is most people’s childhood wish and this is the perfect way to do it. As I mentioned back in July I can only see other companies trying to mimic this with their own properties going forward.

About the author

Media Journalist | Michael loves all things pop culture and has an opinion about everything whether you ask for it or not. Michael collects steelbooks, posters, convention exclusives, LEGO, Transformers, and everything in between.