PlaymoFriends
General => Brainstorming For Playmobil => Topic started by: cachalote on January 21, 2009, 11:29:43
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roberto_carlos in klickywelt was invited to a playmobil press conference taking place in a few days (28 jan.). :yup:
he is showing a leaflet that came with the invitation and, as far as i (babel-fish) could tell, our german friends are shocked with what it shows. :o
could this represent a trend in the new design ideas playmobil will be offering in 2009/2010? :hmm:
i hope not. :(
my main concern stays with pirates where this gothic/dark/fantasy design has alredy been introduced with the new "geisterpiraten".
will all the themes turn "geister" as this leaflet seem to suggest? 8}
will there be "geister"-firefighter sets and "geister"-supermarket ones? 8}
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To give you some hope, Cachalote, perhaps it will only be a "dragon theme ???
But I like to think that the magic theme will be revived, in a way. Somehow I have the feeling there will be three main themes:
- The world today (firefighters, dollshouse, ponyranch, etc...)
- Historical (Egyptian, Romans, etc. ...)
- Fantasy (Knights, Merfolk, Ghostpirates, etc. ...)
I for one realy like the new dragons - and I know someone else who will as well.
I think they open up a whole new world.
But then again; that's just me ;)
Bogro
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Interesting reptilian eye design on that shield...puts me in mind of the eye of Sauron.
I hope the dragons are better at keeping their limbs intact than the red chicken dragon.
I think someone has suggested this before, but maybe futuristic/fantasy combat is more palatable to some parents because it's more obviously not real.
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*LOL* your very fast Cachalote !!
thx for sharing this pictures here !!
greetings
Andi
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I think someone has suggested this before, but maybe futuristic/fantasy combat is more palatable to some parents because it's more obviously not real.
Oh, god, Martin, I hope the majority of people aren't that sissy. There is nothing like the hypocrasy of fools, soothed by euphemisms.
Seriously, I'd wager Playmobil is leaning toward fantasy because the designers perceive that's what is popular. Or, they believe the knight theme needs rejuvenation, and they have made the decision that the fantasy element, in line with fantasy fiction and video games, will draw more children than the historical realism.
I like the look of the new dragons, even if the theme itself strikes me as a little dopey. Playmobil excels at imitating things. When it imitates realism, it looks great. When it imitates other people's fantasy or science fiction worlds, it looks less inspired.
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Thanks for the pics - I can imagine that there is a mixed reception. It is just not what people hoped for but it is not completely unappealing. There is Barad-Dur mixed with Eragon and blended with Flash Gordon. I am putting my hopes on the smaller details rather than big sets. The tower maybe....but if this is it then, I will suffer no insomnia until September.
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i confess i am a bit sad with the way playmobil seems to take advantage on not-that-newly released movies. :'(
fantasy knights - lord of the rings... ;)
geisterpiraten - pirates od the caribbean... ;)
and they don't pay any kind of royalties to the people that really created the design atmospheres that they seem too much to be copying.
maybe when they try to produce an entire series od klickies dressed in bat costumes they will finally have to deal with a lawsuit. :yup:
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I too like the look of the new dragons...hope their wings and landing gear stay attached ;D
The castle-rock structure in the background is interesting as well.
Thanks for posting the pics, Cachalote
Best regards,
Jimbo
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Is that flying bat knight actually carrying a bazooka? :doh:
Gepetto
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Is that flying bat knight actually carrying a bazooka? :doh:
My thoughts exactly! ;D ::)
Jimbo
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everyone knows the bazooka is the last resort used by a decaying toy designer. :lol:
- "oh my god, i am dry of ideas, what am i to do?"
- "don't worry, there's always the bazooka."
- "that's right, it's a totally non-intellectual gadget and all the kids will surely love it..."
are we watching the dead of a great toy manufacturer? ???
sometimes i think we are. :hmm:
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..Yeah the bazooka is a bit weird. If it could be linked to something in Lord of the Rings, then it might 'fly', but it just looks silly.
LOTR is most likely what they are playing off of. The ball in between the horns is also probably supposed to resemble an eye. The dragon rider looks alot like a cross between the Nasgul dragon-rider and the eastern badguys from the movie. The tower, too...
As long as they are doing that...please make an Oliphant:)
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I do not know what to think about this yet ??? . I know there will be some or a lot of useful parts . Maybe Playmobil will have to make that little alien again . The trend that i find disturbing is the building system used . The tower looks like the system used for the light house and the new mini carry alongs . There will be no way of customizing it or adding to it . It will have to be a stand alone and that seems too fisher price to me . Are the masses that lazy that they are unwilling to spend 30 minutes with their children learning how to assemble a toy. Playmobil is marketed as an educational toy and now they seem to be loosing sight of the educational value of not only history but the critical path to building something .
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in playmobil official site we can read:"PLAYMOBIL is proud to finance an in-house development department with more than 60 designers, molders and crafters in addition to around 30 construction specialists and a mold-making staff of approximately 150 workers"
maybe the ony thing they are missing is a brain... :hmm:
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The brain have a Name "Hans Beck" but he not more work for playmobil.
He is a old man this year he have his 80. Birthday !!
We will see what Playmobil make more this year, but i dont happy about this one way buildings !
But i like to see the New Safari theme !!
world greets
Andi
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in playmobil official site we can read:"PLAYMOBIL is proud to finance an in-house development department with more than 60 designers, molders and crafters in addition to around 30 construction specialists and a mold-making staff of approximately 150 workers"
maybe the ony thing they are missing is a brain... :hmm:
I think the marketers and accountants are taking over .
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I do not know what to think about this yet ??? . I know there will be some or a lot of useful parts . Maybe Playmobil will have to make that little alien again . The trend that i find disturbing is the building system used . The tower looks like the system used for the light house and the new mini carry alongs . There will be no way of customizing it or adding to it . It will have to be a stand alone and that seems too fisher price to me . Are the masses that lazy that they are unwilling to spend 30 minutes with their children learning how to assemble a toy. Playmobil is marketed as an educational toy and now they seem to be loosing sight of the educational value of not only history but the critical path to building something .
I had quite a bit of trouble building the lighthouse, and more trying to take it apart without breaking it. I've decided I don't really like these buildings on bases that can't be adjusted in anyway, and won't be buying any more.
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I had quite a bit of trouble building the lighthouse, and more trying to take it apart without breaking it. I've decided I don't really like these buildings on bases that can't be adjusted in anyway, and won't be buying any more.
I have not attempted to take it apart , and hopefully will never have to. The set is always in the bath tub and it is quite a nice looking set, just a shame it had to be designed this way . An enjoyable part of buying toys for me is to work with the kids and put them together ( stecks or system X ) and now that is gone . I will just have to buy more Legos to fulfill this education .
DO YOU HEAR ME PLAYMOBIL, I AM GOING TO BUY MORE LEGOS NOW
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I really wish the lighthouse would have been compatible with System X as I'd like to create a fortress with it.
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Like Count Bogro, I like the idea too,
fantasy collection
historical collection
contemporary time collection
It's interesting ... There's a lot of literature on dragons, nowadays. It's good that we can have playmobil dragons, and not have to search for compatible dragons somewhere else. I'll need a dragon, soon. I'd like to begin with the traditional model, red* one. Lets see.
*Mine has to be red ... A "Smaug" influence ;D 8}
;)
Gus
:blackhair:
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I too really like the dragons.
I don't think that royalties have to be payed here as they don't have any direct link to any movies. And ghost pirates and dragons etc. have been around a lot longer before the movies.
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I have not attempted to take it apart , and hopefully will never have to. The set is always in the bath tub and it is quite a nice looking set, just a shame it had to be designed this way . An enjoyable part of buying toys for me is to work with the kids and put them together ( stecks or system X ) and now that is gone . I will just have to buy more Legos to fulfill this education .
DO YOU HEAR ME PLAYMOBIL, I AM GOING TO BUY MORE LEGOS NOW
I don't know, guys. I recently got hold of the original Dragon Knight Rock Temple.
Though the rocks follow PM's "rockies" construction concept, the bulk of the temple complex is three rock pieces that snap (permanently) together.
PM's snap-together building concept isn't completely new.
On the other hand, I also recently acquired the Pirate Harbor from the mid-2000s. Driving all the System-X fasteners into place took me over an hour and my lower back was sore by the time I finished. Same with the rock temple--after I drove all the "rocky" connectors together my back was sore.
Granted, this just reminds me about what an intuitive, child-friendly innovation that Steck was...
I'm betting System X pissed parents off, but the logic response, to revive steck, isn't crossing PM's mind.
Or the accountants have just taken over........... :'( :'( :'( :'(
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Just as a little remark.
The decision to go with System-X and to drop Steck wasn't one that was made the accountants nor the designers. In discussion we had with one of Geobra's designers we were told that that decision was made by Herr Brandstatter himself. The designers themselves were split over the discussion...
As to Dragon Temple - it's partly rockies and part steck. If you remove the golden parts and base it's actually compatible with steck.
Bogro
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As to Dragon Temple - it's partly rockies and part steck. If you remove the golden parts and base it's actually compatible with steck.
Bogro
After checking PlaymoDB, I have a few questions for you, those golden pillars are they the same height as a regular steck wall? And do they have female steck connectors on the inside?
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mmm - in my memory they are. They do have some sort of female slot on the inside.
I'll try and take some pics tomorrow, if I don't forget :-[
As always a picture says more then a thousand words.
Bogro
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The decision to go with System-X and to drop Steck wasn't one that was made the accountants nor the designers. In discussion we had with one of Geobra's designers we were told that that decision was made by Herr Brandstatter himself. The designers themselves were split over the discussion...
I fear the accountant in Herr B. got one over on the designers. Flexible system X may be; child friendly it isn't. I accept it and use it, yet even though I have no Steck castles, I still think it's a nicer and tidier building system.
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well i think we should give geobra a chance... its true those new sets are ugly as hell, but its different, and geobra still makes think we never think possible... like Egypt and roman theme, and who knows whats coming!!!
i dont whant sound too optimist, but at the end all this turns lead to something good...
i like the dragons, but the las one was made in china, looks good but quality is too bad, and i'll be worry about that... ugly lines with bad quality toys!!!
ps: if what you guys say is that the change between steck and "X" depended on one person everything can happend!!!
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... ps: if what you guys say is that the change between steck and "X" depended on one person everything can happend!!! ...
it can ;)
While there's life there's hope ;D
Bogro
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mmm - in my memory they are. They do have some sort of female slot on the inside.
I'll try and take some pics tomorrow, if I don't forget :-[
As always a picture says more then a thousand words.
Bogro
Please don't forget (as I forgot your survivors episode but remebered it now.)
Could you put the part on a regular steck piece like a castle wall?
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i am sorry to have lislead you all with the "NEW" word. :-[
maybe you can help me with a new word that can replace it. ???
these random facts might help. :yup:
- the playmobil lighthouse was released in 2007
- megabloks lighthouse in 2006 (see picture)
- playmobil's dragon kights theme was just released.
- megabloks has a plasma dragons tower assault since 2007 (see picture).
- playmobil is releasing now the geisterpiraten theme.
- megablocks has a dread eye's phantom ship since 2005 (see picture).
- disney's released the pirates od the caribbean movies 1n 2003 (and 2006 and 2007).
- in 2004 playmobil released the dino expedition theme and in 2006/07 the "pure" dinosaur complement.
- in an interview to the christian science monitor in 1997, hans beck says "No to dinosaurs: Human figures are central in the Playmobil universe, and there were no humans when dinosaurs lived"
- jurassic park iii was released in 2001 by IMDbPro.
after reading this maybe there are no doubts about who was the first to be born, the egg or the chicken (a free trnaslation form a portuguese expression "o ovo ou a galinha). :'(
any suggestions on a word to replace "new"? :hmm:
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Perhaps 'current'?
Gepetto
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In this day and age it would be called "Recycled"
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I never realized how much Megabloks was a mix of Lego and Playmobil, if their production values were better they could be a real player. They would always have to copy though and would lose it in the attention to detail that really anchors Playmobil.
Gepetto
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well gepetto, playmobil sold 430 million euros of toys in 2007.
the ugly megablocks represent a revenue of 525 million dollars in the same year.
they are a "real player" as you put it. :hmm:
like playmobil, they seem to be a "family" company but there are differences:
megabloks operates form montreal in canada
playmobil operates from zirndorf in germany.
megabloks makes poorly constructed (in my view, of course) toys that seem not to last for a very long time.
playmobil makes wonderfully engineered toys that last forever.
i too thought that megabloks had "to copy" but, looking at their release dates, i guess that if they copy, they are not copying from playmobil.
maybe, in their "current" (an excellent choice of word) design trend, playmobil is trying to follow mega bloks in their ""knowledge" of what north american kids like.
the result is that they are following an ugly and sad design trend. :'(
somehow, the word "greed" keeps coming into my mind when i think of some of the most recent playmobil themes (geisterpiraten and drachenritter).
if you look at the image with kids playing with these dragons, something looks so very much wrong. >:(
if you look at the same image for the firemen theme, with the same kids, everything look o.k. :)
maybe, with the firemen, the klickies are smiling back... ;)
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I fear you may be right cachalote, there is a dark edge to some of these newer designs, but things like the theater and Advent calendars give me hope.
Gepetto
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oh, come on guys!
The towers in the new Dragon Theme are indeed horrible; allthough I might change my mind once I see them for real (that wouldn't be the first time it happened). But the figures look nice and so do the dragons.
That theme isn't a totall loss yet. Besides, even the best of the best makes a mistake once in a while ;).
The fact that only one theme might be a bit ... er ... upsetting doesn't mean they've completely flipped.
After all - all the other themes look wonderfull and fantastic. ...
Give them a break, please ?
Bogro
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Is that red dragon in the fantasy theme different to the Chicken Wing-shedding dragon? He looks different, but I don't have a chicken dragon handy to compare.
I see a few more things I like there, like the wizard standing outside the right hand tower. Definitely elements of that theme I'd like to get, if not the towers and the bazookas. One great thing about Playmobil themes, you don't have to swallow them whole, and you can mix-and-match with your existing collection.
We've commented before on how Playmobil copy ideas from other companies and from recent films, and I think we should add LEGO into the research data, as they produce sets in similar themes. It's inevitable that some copying occurs, and if the market is there Playmobil are right to pursue it - I'd rather have Playmobil fantasy dragons than Megablocks ones.
We shouldn't overlook the fact them Playmobil also initiate new themes like Egyptians, Pony Ranch, Wedding, Fairyland and Harbour, that aren't copied from Megablocks or LEGO (afaik).
I can't help thinking that Megablocks outsells Playmobil because it's cheaper, not because children prefer it for its wonderful quality and attention to detail.
Parents here can advise us on the typical play-life of a toy, and how much they're willing to invest in something that might not still be played with in six months.
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you are right count bogro, most of the playmobil themes are great. :-[
and maybe that's the problem - when you sometimes see perfection, and get used to it, you tend to react badly when something "inferior" is offered to you.
i wished playmobil could be always perfect in what it does.
my original (un-posted) post had to do with good examples on past products.
but then, seeing that the beautiful lighthouse was preceded by the megabloks one made me mad.
i started doubting playmobil's ability to produce even some kind of original idea and the dragonknights "absurd" (i still don't like them) was "the last drop of water that made the glass spill".
maybe, what i am needing is to be re-assured that they can get back to their old smartness.
right now they are "hammering one in the nail and one in the horseshoe" (a translation from a portuguese expression "uma no cravo, outra na ferradura").
... but, if no-one complains, maybe they won't be able to do it alone.
... and the boxes will get bigger while the sets grow smaller,
... and there will be fewer and fewer parts in each set,
... and everything will be done with plastic, no string and no metal,
.. and everything will become mono-colour, so that the different families can be better identified.
but the theater, as gepetto very rightly puts it, still gives me hope that al least one of the designers doesn't come form the accounting department. :yup:
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i had the idea, martin, that megabloks sets were within playmobil's price range, larger sets costing around 90 dollars or euros. ::)
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Within, but I think Mega Bloks gives the impression you get more stuff for your money
(http://www.toysrus.co.uk/medias/sys_master/8609558647349376.jpg)
This castle set is currently priced at £70 for at Toys R Us UK website.
Maybe I'm wrong. I can't imagine why people would choose Mega Bloks over Playmobil except on price, it looks like it'd give you lead poisoning just by sniffing it.
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(http://www.toysrus.co.uk/medias/sys_master/8609558647349376.jpg)
This castle set is currently priced at £70 for at Toys R Us UK website.
:o :o :o
Why do people buy these things?
With that said they don't have many choices - 85 % of all the toys in DK are expensive junk.
Only Bruder, Siku, Playmobil and LEGO make products that are worth paying for (in my opinion).
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Why do people buy these things?
With that said they don't have many choices - 85 % of all the toys in DK are expensive junk.
Only Bruder, Siku, Playmobil and LEGO make products that are worth paying for (in my opinion).
I must admit that I've buyed a non Playmo Pirateset once (with ship island raft). I costed a lot less than Playmobil (wasn't a collector then) and now I'm sorry that I didn't opt for a more expensive or smaller Playmo set. As A lot of parts broke in a short time of play.
But I can imagine that when there isn't mutch choise you tent to go for the cheaper and easier obtainable stuff.
Luckily here in Holland we've got a lot of quality toys. Which doesn't mean that we've got a lot of junck as well.