They've finally built a life-sized BB-8 toy

Best start making your excuses now.

"It's for my nephew/niece/younger brother/dog," anything that's going allow you to indulge in buying this life-sized, voice controlled BB-8 from Spin Master.

When Sperho's miniature BB-8 companion trundled into our hearts last year, we thought it was the zenith of toy design - but this new design, set to be unveiled at February's New York Toy Show, takes the obsession up a level. 

Standing at 40cm in height (48cm if you include the antenna), Spin Master's model is controlled via a handheld joystick remote rather than a smartphone. The droid also responds to voice commands, allowing you to call BB-8 to your side and issue instructions including "Follow Me" .

In addition to rolling around just like the real thing, Spin Master has packed its droid with a full set of lights and beeps. It's as close to owning a "real" BB-8 as you'll ever get - without sneaking into Disney's highly-guarded prop store and absconding with one of the filming models. 

Set to cost in the region of £125, you'll have to wait until autumn before Spin Master releases their "toy". 

Looks like your Christmas list is starting early this year.

[Via: Gizmodo]