PlaymoFriends

General => News => Topic started by: Gustavo on March 13, 2010, 14:04:32

Title: March 2010 Ritter page Playmobil.De
Post by: Gustavo on March 13, 2010, 14:04:32
You know what?

I happen to like the Knights section in the Playmobil.De site ... It's becoming diversified, keeping a few elements that are supposed to be there, and sending fantasy theme into the Drachenland "neighbour" ... It might be a good sign that they have been hearing us, after all.

http://www.playmobil.de/

Gus
:blackhair:
Title: Re: March 2010 Ritter page Playmobil.De
Post by: Gustavo on March 13, 2010, 14:15:32
I happen to like these new knights ... Wonderful colours!

I think I'll use this fellow (attached) as an "avatar", as soon as I get one, and it's very likely that I'll manage to send for at least three (or four) of them, even being currently without a job! 8}

(It's the traditional "1 klicky" blue box.)

This new medieval collection even _looks_ (& feels) medieval .. =P
I'm happy in advance!

It's really nice!
Title: Re: March 2010 Ritter page Playmobil.De
Post by: WarriorOfToys on March 13, 2010, 16:20:23
The new knights do seem nice,
but its the castles that I dont like.
I admit, I will probably get a few of them because their armor does look really nice... ;D
Title: Re: March 2010 Ritter page Playmobil.De
Post by: flatcat on March 13, 2010, 16:30:23
The new knights do seem nice,
but its the castles that I dont like.
I admit, I will probably get a few of them because their armor does look really nice... ;D

Same here ;)
Title: Re: March 2010 Ritter page Playmobil.De
Post by: Martin Milner on March 13, 2010, 16:55:33
I do like the castles, I just don't like the construction system they've chosen to adopt.  ::) ::)

I don't like the fantasy multi-barreled siege engines in 4867 and 4868, but I like the figures in those sets. If they'd gone with realistic siege engines (when are we going to get a trebuchet?) I'd get 4 or 5 of each, but with the fantasy siege engines, just one of each to get the figures.

The fantasy screen in 4869 is not quite so bad, and can probably rendered reasonable by leaving off the metal spikes altogether.

The guns and figures in 4870 and 4872 are great and I'll get multiples of these. The 4874 Treasure Transport I'll want just one, as the same gun appears in 4871 which will be a multi-buy set.

Overall the figures are good (apart from the mad eyes) and the gunnes are a nice addition, but there's still a slight fantasy element in the siege engines that smack of copying Lego, Fisher Price, Mega Bloks or one of the many similar knock-offs. Mega Bloks, by the way, have a Dragons theme out which Playmobil's Dragon World bears a striking resemblance to.

http://www.megabrands.com/en/kids/dragons/

It would be nice if Playmobil could get back to being a market leader rather than a market chaser.
Title: Re: March 2010 Ritter page Playmobil.De
Post by: Richard on March 13, 2010, 18:11:33



Mega Bloks, by the way, have a Dragons theme out which Playmobil's Dragon World bears a striking resemblance to.




Nice graphics, Martin!

see attachments
Title: Re: March 2010 Ritter page Playmobil.De
Post by: Justindo on March 13, 2010, 19:09:22
I'm with Martin.  I really like the new knight klickies, many of the accessories, the cannon, and the looks of the castles, but I don't like the fantasy artillery or the castle building system.  They should have stuck with System X or gone back to Steck.
Title: Re: March 2010 Ritter page Playmobil.De
Post by: WarriorOfToys on March 13, 2010, 22:35:13
I do like the castles but not the building system.
The fantasy artillary is just plain wierd...
Title: Re: March 2010 Ritter page Playmobil.De
Post by: Gepetto on March 14, 2010, 00:15:47
Maybe this is a "classic coke" tactic to make embrace system-x.  8}
Title: Re: March 2010 Ritter page Playmobil.De
Post by: Martin Milner on March 14, 2010, 01:53:56
Maybe this is a "classic coke" tactic to make embrace system-x.  8}

Hah, well as Classic Coke was the result of a major marketing own-goal by ther Coca-Cola Company that cost them millions of dollars when they tried to reformulate Coke, a parallel might be desireable as long as it doesn't bankrupt the company.
Title: Re: March 2010 Ritter page Playmobil.De
Post by: AndrewL on March 14, 2010, 17:04:58
Hi All,

I was watching the football (soccer) highlights last night, for the English Premier League, and noticed something that seemed slightly familiar... Have a look at Burnley FC's crest (here: http://www.liveburnley.com/ (http://www.liveburnley.com/)), and then a look at the new Lion knights emblem.

It's not an exact copy, I know, but the similarity brought a smile to my face  ;)

Is somebody in Zirndorf a Burnley supporter?

[And for the record, I'm not. A Burnley supporter, that is.]

Cheers,

AndrewL
Title: Re: March 2010 Ritter page Playmobil.De
Post by: flatcat on March 14, 2010, 17:45:22
Hi All,

I was watching the football (soccer) highlights last night, for the English Premier League, and noticed something that seemed slightly familiar... Have a look at Burnley FC's crest (here: http://www.liveburnley.com/ (http://www.liveburnley.com/)), and then a look at the new Lion knights emblem.

It's not an exact copy, I know, but the similarity brought a smile to my face  ;)

Is somebody in Zirndorf a Burnley supporter?

[And for the record, I'm not. A Burnley supporter, that is.]

Cheers,

AndrewL

That's one scary resemblance :o

Have Playmobil done what they did with their logo and not actually designed one properly for themselves ::)

I do like the castles and agree that it is just the construction system that lets them down and makes them look a bit cheap and tacky >:D

The fantasy weaponry looks quite cool, and I love the colour schemes and dress :love:
Title: Re: March 2010 Ritter page Playmobil.De
Post by: Martin Milner on March 15, 2010, 05:00:44
Is somebody in Zirndorf a Burnley supporter?

That is a remarkable similarity!

Now you need to see if the other new Knights' heraldry is also a football logo!
Title: Re: March 2010 Ritter page Playmobil.De
Post by: playmomac on March 15, 2010, 09:24:03
I find the look of the new castles preferable to the system x ones (I was never a fan of the color scheme and thought it looked "unrealistic").  The new ones seem a little closer to the original castles, although the construction/system does look cheap. Nothing beats the steck buildings.

I am not a fan of system x, and with good reason.  I was helping a friend's daughter put together 4190 Riding Stable, and I was so frustrated at how easily everything fell apart.  And if an adult finds this frustrating, how is a child supposed to enjoy a building system that is so flimsy?  I had a similar experience with Lego this weekend.  My son and I were putting a truck together, and while we enjoyed the building of it, it does not stand up to play (especially from a younger child).  My son ended up getting more and more frustrated with it as the pieces just kept falling apart.....how is that supposed to be fun?!!!!

I think that the more stable a buidling system is, the better, especially for younger hands.  PM really had a great thing with Steck, and I don't understand why they got rid of it.  Perhaps these new buildings are an attempt to correct the problems with system X, but they really just need to smarten up and bring back the Steck!!! So many problems (not to mention desires of the collectors) would be solved!!  Shame shame shame!
Title: Re: March 2010 Ritter page Playmobil.De
Post by: Giorginetto on March 15, 2010, 12:06:03
Steck , steck , steck ..... best constuction system epxecially for mediaval sets where lots of walls and fortifications are involved . i have mixed feelings abouth the new knights all togeher. Knights on horses with a almost laser looking gun and no shield or no sword ?? nope , too GI Joe for me if you ask me and another indication of the way PM is moving forward  ( see new spy sets with planes and cars , look like the GI Joe sets of the 80s !!!!). No realistic mediaval sets such as the many houses / stores of hte past , no inns , no smitheys etc etc . I dont like at all the new castel sets or the system X so personally i am buying more and more steck instead and older sets befor ehtey become extrinct , they already carry a premium on ebay anyway !!!! New dragons are amazing and so do many other details but these sets miss a lot in buiding  bespoke and large designs and have too many types of volleys  etc , what on earth is PM turning the medieval sets into i dont know.. steck , steck , steck  and only steck for me people  :wave: :wave: :wave:
Title: Re: March 2010 Ritter page Playmobil.De
Post by: Martin Milner on March 15, 2010, 14:05:01
I find the look of the new castles preferable to the system x ones (I was never a fan of the color scheme and thought it looked "unrealistic").  The new ones seem a little closer to the original castles, although the construction/system does look cheap. Nothing beats the steck buildings.

I am not a fan of system x, and with good reason.  I was helping a friend's daughter put together 4190 Riding Stable, and I was so frustrated at how easily everything fell apart.  And if an adult finds this frustrating, how is a child supposed to enjoy a building system that is so flimsy?  I had a similar experience with Lego this weekend.  My son and I were putting a truck together, and while we enjoyed the building of it, it does not stand up to play (especially from a younger child).  My son ended up getting more and more frustrated with it as the pieces just kept falling apart.....how is that supposed to be fun?!!!!

I think that the more stable a buidling system is, the better, especially for younger hands.  PM really had a great thing with Steck, and I don't understand why they got rid of it.  Perhaps these new buildings are an attempt to correct the problems with system X, but they really just need to smarten up and bring back the Steck!!! So many problems (not to mention desires of the collectors) would be solved!!  Shame shame shame!

Experiences like yours, relayed back to Geobra Central by anxious parents and frustrated children, may have helped prompt the rapid dropping of System X for the click system. It makes me wonder just how much product testing is done with actual children, and children with their parents, before a new line is developed.

Unfortunately the clip system, while much more stable than system X or even steck, has the new problem of how do you put the blasted thing back in the box when playtime is over? Few children or parents want a toy on permanent display (unless they are lucky enough to have a nursery or playroom) and this problem seems to have been overlooked by Geobra.
Title: Re: March 2010 Ritter page Playmobil.De
Post by: CountBogro on March 21, 2010, 09:16:44
In the past they used to play test new ideas and sets in a special room that was connected to the play area in Zirndorf.

I don't know how it's today, though.

Bogro