You do get the figurine you purchased for in addition to what is basically an unlock key. As long as it's not something overpriced, I guess I'm okay with it (and think it's interesting myself). I don't think using 'commercial' products to unlock stuff in a game or the likes is something new, to be honest. "On-disk" like another GS article said, is just another method of distribution. It could be argued that unlocks like that would not have been made at all were the creators and publisher not working on the premise that people may buy real life toys for virtual unlocks, and money could be made out of it.
SkyWard20's comments