Thank you, tonguello, for bringing this topic to the poll; it should be one that captures our imagination! I have read this tread with interest, and would like to thank Birdie in particular for contributing a very important observation:
Playmobil is moving towards ever younger target groups it seems, and so a lot of the newer sets look like Fisher Price toys meant for toddlers. I understand why they do this, from the company's point of view, trying to make money. Kids stop 'playing' with toys a lot sooner nowadays. When I was a kid, my best friend and me enjoyed Playmobil most when we were 10 to 12 years old. The target audience is now 4-year-olds. It shows. For a collector the half-a-buildings, the preschool look and preschool colours, the weird facial expressions, the lack of fine detail and the heavily printed faces and clothes for clickies are a real shame.
This is hitting the nail on the head! Playmobil is an old toy brand, and it is quite remarkable that it has been able to survive for over 40 years when so much is changing all the time: the age of children playing with Playmobil, parental participation (or lack of it), gift volume, life expectancy of toys, etc. I suppose many in the collectors community approach the brand with a different attitude than the contemporary target audience. But we cannot expect that the company will develop new products with collectors' wishes in mind, simply because our purchases are insignificant for the overall turnover (it needs to be said that Geobra is doing
a lot for collectors - DS, PCC, etc. Collectors have every reason to be grateful). I wish collectors would be less critical of modernization, and simply support the brand's innovations and adaptations to a changing market. I think the newest products still have a lot to offer for more conservative tastes, especially in bringing original new parts. What should matter most to us all is that the brand will thrive for years to come. Going back to basics is therefore not an option.
Having said this, and returning to the poll, I have picked the following:
1) [two choices that for me mean the same thing]:
Expand the Super 4 Franchise with more episodes, new sets and a movie
Expand to the movies franchise business (like LEGO)
The reason for my choice is that younger children need more guidance in their play than 10-year-olds. Back in the early eighties I was very happy to develop my own scenarios when playing with Playmobil, and I guess that many of you may have similar memories (perhaps not so long back, though!
). But then I was relatively old (ca. 10 years), and in my experience younger children get easily lost without a story to follow. Hence it would be good if attractive storylines can help young players to engage with their toys. It is too early to judge the Super 4 line (and I haven't seen any shows to tell for myself), but I appreciate the initiative. More steps in this direction would be welcome, but I emphasize the need for
good storylines: Super 4 is heavily geared towards confrontation and combat (at least the comics that I have read), so a more diverse array of scenarios should be offered (with due attention for equality issues, etc.). I don't mind whether this should be as a movie franchise or in developing their own products (which is how I see Super 4).
2) More electronic gadgets, apps and technological/internet feature
For the same reason as laid out with my first choice: young children need guided play, and a lot of play nowadays involves screens. Playmobil has launched at least one toy in this direction, the Pirate App Cannons (6162-6165), but the game seems to have suffered some flaws (judging from Amazon reviews). I trust the next product will be better designed, and I wish it a lot of success.
Finally, I do like the idea of a re-design of the legs (I always envied Lego for mini-figures that can actually walk!) but don't see how this can be done for Klickies. I guess they should then come with a support? Removable, perhaps, so that they can still sit? Would be great, but my choice has been made.
StJohn
Poll
