First pic of *edit* full-sized toy props....

[judexavier]

Here's all I find objectionable about the current phaser. The rotating emitter. It just seems kinda silly to me instead of thumbing a control on it to change the setting.

Agreed. Too frickin silly if you ask me. I wonder how many redshirts will accidentally vaporize themselves when the phaser malfunctions and shoots out of the rear facing nozzle instead of the forward facing one!

LOL, I thought the same thing. One little firmware bug, and zzzzzzap.

"Urgent Consumer recall on all phasers made between Oct. 2256 and Jan. 2257."

"Have you or a loved one been injured or killed by a faulty phaser?
if so, you may be entitled to compensation. Call the law firm of...."

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

You know, there are so many things wrong with previous phaser designs - especially from the POV of safety - that complaining about this rotating barrel assembly (and there's no reason, BTW, to think that the entire power-generating unit is in the barrel) is really trivial.

Hey, do you suppose maybe this version of the weapon finally enables the user to switch power settings without lowering it and fiddling for a moment with buttons and dials? How many redshirts have probably been killed in firefights while adjusting the power settings on their "damn-all-those-controls-look-cool-so-put-lots-of-glowy-LEDs-on-it" guns?

Quite a few, no doubt.

Well, okay, none since this is all make-believe. Got carried away there.

 

[NiteTrek]

You know, there are so many things wrong with previous phaser designs - especially from the POV of safety

Yeah, the biggest one I saw on the TOS pistol phaser was the trigger. It just seemed to stick out there without any type of guard begging itself to be accidentally pressed.

I suppose there could have been some type of "grip" safety, where you had to squeeze the handle a little before it would fire.

 

[bigdaddy]

Phaser looks like a sex toy.

Wow....

Sex with you must really hurt.

 

[MisterPL]

The Playmates Phaser looks like a phaser to me, and probably will to general audiences.

Can't help thinking the nitpickers can't see the forest for the trees. Which is nothing new for this fandom, I know. I've been as guilty of the same thing.

 

[Vektor]

I think the phaser would look fine without the chrome. Seems silly to use such a smooth finish, especially on the grip. Must be a bitch to get rid of the fingerprints for weapons inspection. I could really do without the red and blue emitters as well, though it wouldn't surprise me if those clear plastic parts are unique to the toy and not necessarily authentic to the movie prop. Anybody confirm that?

 

[NiteTrek]

I could really do without the red and blue emitters as well, though it wouldn't surprise me if those clear plastic parts are unique to the toy and not necessarily authentic to the movie prop. Anybody confirm that?

I'm willing to bet they are like that in the movie. More dramatic that way. Kirk points a phaser at a bad guy and then swaps the nozzle from blue (stun) to red (vaporize-your-ass) in order to get his point across.

 

[Captain Robert April]

I see no advantage to switching the barrel around instead of a setting dial. And I definitely see the possibility of the wrong barrel going off and some poor redshirt vaporizing himself.

Just a stupid gimmick to sell toys.

In fact, that probably sums up the whole movie. Just a stupid gimmick to sell toys.

Yeah, Roddenberry must be reallly proud.

 

[Tom Servo]

I see no advantage to switching the barrel around instead of a setting dial. And I definitely see the possibility of the wrong barrel going off and some poor redshirt vaporizing himself.

Just a stupid gimmick to sell toys.

In fact, that probably sums up the whole movie. Just a stupid gimmick to sell toys.

Yeah, Roddenberry must be reallly proud.

Yep, Im sure he is freaking out at the moment, all because of some cosmetic changes to his universe 40 years after he started it.

Yep, he is really proud.

 

[JuanBolio]

I'm not convinced the barrels will rotate the same way in the movie version.

 

[Tom Servo]

Well according to someone at the the RPF who has seen a cut of the film, the rotating barrel gimic, which not great sounding, actually is really neat when seen on screen.

 

[JuanBolio]

Well according to someone at the the RPF who has seen a cut of the film, the rotating barrel gimic, which not great sounding, actually is really neat when seen on screen.

Oh, I don't deny it probably rotates. Just not in the same way.

 

[darkwing_duck1]

i would have been pleased with this. http://images.google.com/imgres?img...q=star+trek+3+phaser&um=1&hl=en&safe=off&sa=N

at least this was in keeping with the original design.

Did you scroll all the way down? They have the phasers from OGAM...DAMN that's a nice weapon!

Something close to the OGAM phaser would have been a nice "shout out" to the phase pistols from Enterprise and would have made a nice "missing link" between the phase pistol and the "assault phaser" from ST V!

 

[darkwing_duck1]

A newer, better pic of the phaser has come to light:

Looks a lot better with the chrome photographed in a decent manner.

That second, backwards-facing barrel really looks...off. For kicks, I quick painted it out:

So that didn't really help, but there's the basis of a good, serviceable phaser here. I'm waiting to see what it looks like in the film.

Oddly enough, I think your Photoshopped version DOES look better than the original...still don't care for it as a phaser, but it does look better...

 

[darkwing_duck1]

I see no advantage to switching the barrel around instead of a setting dial. And I definitely see the possibility of the wrong barrel going off and some poor redshirt vaporizing himself.

Just a stupid gimmick to sell toys.

In fact, that probably sums up the whole movie. Just a stupid gimmick to sell toys.

Yeah, Roddenberry must be reallly proud.

To be fair, CRA, you are talking about the same GR who shoehorned in the IDIC into "Is there in Truth No Beauty" just so he could sell them via his merchandising company. In "The Making of Star Trek", he is also noted to have discussed the possibilities of the tricorder being a nice "play type item for girls"...

 

[Kirby]

So you're sneaking around on some planet in daylight, trying to avoid being seen by the bad guys and the sun glare off of your chrome phaser gives you away and gets you all killed. Nice job Starfleet!

 

[Gepard]

So you're sneaking around on some planet in daylight, trying to avoid being seen by the bad guys and the sun glare off of your chrome phaser gives you away and gets you all killed. Nice job Starfleet!

Again, the phaser is not chrome in the movie. It has a steel handle and details, but most of it is weathered blue-gray like the TOS phaser. We can assume the chromed toy is an attempt to capture the metal look of the steel parts as cheaply as possilbe. And that is too expensive to paint over the rest of the body.

 

[C.E. Evans]

Isn't there some kind of safety regulation now that toy guns (even if they're laser guns) are required to look like toy guns, especially if they're recommended for kids? It may suck for serious Star Trek collectors who want stuff to look as authentic as possible, but I don't think these toys are aimed at them anyway, IMO.

I think most kids would find the chrome-plated phaser cool, but then most toy laser guns are chrome-plated too with lots of bits that light up, so this would be perfectly in keeping with that...

 

[ancient]

The two glowy bits somewhat remind me of the "Cage" cannon barrel, which also had two glowing "things" as part of the barrel.

The only real problem I have with this design is that it looks too stylish as opposed to functional - which is no different than most other Trek phasers, so it's not a serious problem or anything.

 

[Kirk1980]

Well, it's not even so much that as the simplicity factor. It's far more intuitive (at least to me) to reach a thumb up, rotate a wheel until I hear a click indicating it's on the next power level and then pressing the trigger.

Why have something which LOOKS like it could easily get jammed or broken or gummed up with the rotating bit there?

Again, I'm not saying I'm the end-all, know-it-all here, just thoughts that cross my mind.