Developing System X - or "Don't bring back Steck..."

[bonniebeth]

I'm totally with you Sir Pleamo! I think the main reason system x has not been more popular with collectors is the aesthetics of it.... mostly plain white walls, rather than the variety of framework walls, stone walls, wood plank walls that are available with steck. If system x were more developed in more pleasing colors and textures, it would open up so many possibilities for creating structures other than just modern ones. I will say there is some signs of movement in that direction, with the 5302 having clapboard-looking walls, and the 4857 summer house, which I see you used parts from, having beautiful stone walls, plus the lovely trellis. I'd like to see more in this direction, and incorporating older themes. Your design for a sys x framework wall is brilliant!

[PrimusPilus]

Any system can be bad or good, it all depends on how you implement it. If no parts are supplied or the variety is poor no system will ever be considered good.

[Wolf Knight]

I came to the conclusion some time ago tha I love bith steck and system x! Both have many possibilities and capabilities! and lets face it both are playmobil 

Magnificent designs Sir Pleamo! Looking forward to the rest of your project!!!

[Ace]

Sir Pleamo, I think that System-X is a FANTASTIC building system  ! It's only drawback is the lack of castle and framework pieces, and you've shown that those problems can be easily be solved  !
Ace

[BlackPearl2006]

while playmobil does involve some assembly, my guess is the intent was not to really market it as a building toy (i.e. lego, megabloks, duplo, kinex, etc...).  They only come unassembled for packaging and perhaps savings on assembly costs.  Steck lent itself to the release of different castle sets using the same moulds just in different combinations.

If Playmobil really played up the whole building aspect, they would be able to add extra appeal to their toys as also a building toy as steck lends itself easily as an interchangeable building piece from which you can create many custom designs.  They might likewise do the same with system x.  But as we know, some system x parts leave little or no room for customizing.  The 3268 castle, for example, can be expanded with extra walls and towers, but cannot be built upwards (vertically) in different configurations.

Playmobil should explore the whole building toy concept further.  I mean, it pretty much already is a building toy....perhaps they just don't realize it yet.

[PrimusPilus]

Maybe Geobra wants exactly that, to avoid that PM is seen as a "building toy".

[BlackPearl2006]

Maybe Geobra wants exactly that, to avoid that PM is seen as a "building toy".

why not?  whether they know it or not their main competition is probably legos.  Most stores I know stock the playmobil next to the legos.  Most people I know mistake playmobil for lego.  Lego itself seems to even mirror playmobil's themes (at the exact same time Playmobil releases them, coincidentally).  Even lego has expanded....once they just produced the lego bricks that could be built into anything; now they produce pre-moulded parts that just happen to have lego ports that allow them to be built onto regular lego bricks (like system x).  Most of the toy's shape is already moulded into place while you simply add lego parts on top of it on some of their sets now.

Playmobil can expand its market likewise, but from the opposite side of the spectrum:  starting out as premoulded sets, it can incorporate the idea of buildability into it.

It wouldn't take much, other than a marketing shift.  As far as steck goes, they already have the parts to do it.  System x can also be adapted in future sets.  Wider market base would result.  Better sales.

Happier collectors and kids alike.

I don't see a downside to it.  I don't even see an added cost to the company, as I said, the parts already exist.  They wouldn't have to develop anything new, other than an added marketing angle.

They could sell sets.  They can sell building parts (add-ons) in generic form.  (I know they already sell steck add on parts, but they're made to form specific buildings and such....better if they sell add-on steck that can be formed into anything....much like sets of train tracks which can be configured in any way the buyer wants)

[PrimusPilus]

Market identity.
Lego is the archetype of a building toy world round, so Geobra may not want that their product be confused with Lego. Obviously I'm just thinking out loud here, but the corporate world is a strange place, where not always the rain falls down, if you catch my meaning.

[bonniebeth]

I wouldn't call playmobil a building toy. I think we would all be playing with legos if we just wanted a building system. Most of us choose playmobil instead because klickys are so much cooler and more appealing than little yellow lego dudes. So IMO playmobil is not primarily a buiding toy, but rather the main focus is the people, and everything else is secondary... we are building worlds for the little people, as opposed to lego which provides little people as an afterthought to stick in the worlds you build.

However this doesn't mean that geobra couldn't put a little more thought into having a consistent and effective (and more aesthetically pleasing than lego ) building system. System x is so incredibly versatile, and has so many possibilities. With just a little more thought put into it and some "prettier" parts, it could be an absolutely fantastic system.

[playmogal]

BB: Very well stated! I agree, Pgal!