Erector® Unleashes Its Gears of War Collection

PARIS, Oct. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Fans of the Gears of War™ franchise will now be able to bring the game to life as they build model vehicles offered by Erector®, a division of Meccano®.  The brand is set to release four buildable models inspired by Microsoft's billion-dollar franchise, one of the most popular video games of all time.  The Gears of War Erector sets are available now exclusively at Toys 'R' Us and toysrus.com.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121002/NY85150)

Enthusiasts can now build the most popular vehicles and recreate the Locusts vs. Delta Squad Battle with these highly detailed sets.  With the expertise of the iconic Erector brand, the precision construction and attention-to-detail will engage the older fans and collectors, while the easy-to-follow instructions and cool vehicle designs will make it a fun experience for younger fans who haven't yet played the video game.

"Erector's take on the Gears of War games brings the digital action to life," says Jeff McKinney, videogame editor for TimetoPlayMag.com.  "The toy collection offers the broader Gears of War audience an engaging element of positive construction play."

Unlike traditional Erector 'kits', these models are one-off builds recreating realistic sets from the Microsoft game:

• C.O.G Armadillo - Designed for fast transportation, the C.O.G Armadillo features three rotating gun turrets, a trap door, six wheels and a mobile front tread.
• C.O.G King Raven - This transportation and assault helicopter for the C.O.G army features rotating propellers, two mobile doors and retractable landing gear.
• C.O.G Centaur Tank - This authentic C.O.G tank has a hood-mounted 360° rotating turret with a mobile cannon, four real-working large wheels and a mobile front tread.
• Locusts vs Delta Squad Battle Set - Recreate a battle scene between the C.O.G Delta Squad and the Locusts, including a watchtower, tanks and crates. Then choose your side: the C.O.G. army with the Armadillo and enter the battle!

Ranging in price from $24.99 to $59.99, for ages 8+, the models feature 80 to 300 pieces and all models will include character figures, building instructions, stickers and tools.

"With its collection of futuristic vehicles, Gears of War gives us an opportunity to create a new dimension of construction play," says Florence Pilard, Meccano marketing communications manager. "This new collection gives Erector fans an outlet to play their favorite videogame, outside the digital realm." 

Erector:

First introduced in 1913, the highly-valued Erector® brand was bought by the Meccano® company of France during the 1990s.  In addition to reinvigorating the traditional construction system that made the Erector brand internationally famous, Erector/Meccano continually moves toward innovation with imaginative assembling systems it devises using the latest materials for modern creations. With its clever system of plastic parts that are easy to use, Erector/Meccano has always been able to keep up with and anticipate what children want in a toy through cutting-edge design and the integration of new technologies in its toys.  With the brand Erector for the U.S. market, and Meccano for the rest of the world, the group has a presence in more than 50 countries and earns 70 percent of its revenue outside of France.

Gears of War:

Published by Microsoft Game Studios, the "Gears of War" franchise has won over 30 "Game of the Year" awards, sold more than 12 million copies worldwide and redefined the third-person shooter genre for this console generation. The game has also inspired a full line of toys and collectibles, apparel, an upcoming film, graphic novels and a book series by New York Times best-selling author Karen Traviss. The "Gears of War" series is exclusive to the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system and its riveting multiplayer action makes it one of the most popular titles on Xbox LIVE. More information can be found at http://www.gearsofwar.com.

Note:

© 2012, Epic Games, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Epic, Epic Games, the Epic Games logo, Gears of War, Gears of War 2, Gears of War 3, Marcus Fenix and Crimson Omen Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Epic Games, Inc. in the United States of America and elsewhere.

Dan Perlowitz/ Lauren Lorenzo
Freeman Public Relations for Erector
973-470-0400, ext. 14/ 973-470-0400, ext. 46
[email protected]/ [email protected]

SOURCE Erector