Star Trek XI Action Figures

[MvRojo]

I am think it is on hold for Trek XI, but when Trek XII comes along, they'll release a line of figures, but do it differently for better profit. Again, pure speculation.

Yeah, I understand. I'm saying, from a contract-writing perspective, there should be a clause in there that results in the lapsing/ending of the contracted if there is a protracted period of time where Playmates is not producing project.

Otherwise, Paramount/CBS is losing money from the contract since they aren't getting any value for it.

 

[C.E. Evans]

I am think it is on hold for Trek XI, but when Trek XII comes along, they'll release a line of figures, but do it differently for better profit. Again, pure speculation.

Yeah, I understand. I'm saying, from a contract-writing perspective, there should be a clause in there that results in the lapsing/ending of the contracted if there is a protracted period of time where Playmates is not producing project.

Otherwise, Paramount/CBS is losing money from the contract since they aren't getting any value for it.

Nah, the only ones losing money is Playmates and some of the retail stores who might sell the toys at a loss. CBS didn't really have to pony up any money at all as it was their license to give, but they get paid whenever a toy is sold, IIRC. CBS may have already got more money with Playmates' failed line than they would have had they went with Art Asylum.

I think CBS awarded the Trek 2009 license to Playmates because they have the power to get toys in retail stores--and to more people--while Art Asylum can't (although some items do appear in Toys R Us stores and a few novelty shops via their boss, Diamond Select). There's probably more money to be made in the widespread retail market than in the more exclusive collector's market, and that's probably what CBS was looking at, IMHO.

 

[MvRojo]

I am think it is on hold for Trek XI, but when Trek XII comes along, they'll release a line of figures, but do it differently for better profit. Again, pure speculation.

Yeah, I understand. I'm saying, from a contract-writing perspective, there should be a clause in there that results in the lapsing/ending of the contracted if there is a protracted period of time where Playmates is not producing project.

Otherwise, Paramount/CBS is losing money from the contract since they aren't getting any value for it.

Nah, the only ones losing money is Playmates and some of the retail stores who might sell the toys at a loss. CBS didn't really have to pony up any money at all as it was their license to give, but they get paid whenever a toy is sold, IIRC. CBS may have already got more money with Playmates' failed line than they would have had they went with Art Asylum.

I think CBS awarded the Trek 2009 license to Playmates because they have the power to get toys in retail stores--and to more people--while Art Asylum can't (although some items do appear in Toys R Us stores and a few novelty shops via their boss, Diamond Select). There's probably more money to be made in the widespread retail market than in the more exclusive collector's market, and that's probably what CBS was looking at, IMHO.

Yeah, but Paramount is losing money they would have made on the aborted Wave 2 figures.

Also, that's how the Johnny Lighning license to make the little ships lapse...they stopped making product, and that's how Hot Wheels got the recent license.

I would expect Playmates' contract to end in 2010 if they do not release any new products relevant to their current contract. Especially since there is no reason for Paramount to let a contract languish for another 2.5 years until the next movie comes out when they can transfer at least something to DST who could probably push out some nuTrek related product by 2011.

This is just my lawyer perspective on things.

 

[C.E. Evans]

Yeah, I understand. I'm saying, from a contract-writing perspective, there should be a clause in there that results in the lapsing/ending of the contracted if there is a protracted period of time where Playmates is not producing project.

Otherwise, Paramount/CBS is losing money from the contract since they aren't getting any value for it.

Nah, the only ones losing money is Playmates and some of the retail stores who might sell the toys at a loss. CBS didn't really have to pony up any money at all as it was their license to give, but they get paid whenever a toy is sold, IIRC. CBS may have already got more money with Playmates' failed line than they would have had they went with Art Asylum.

I think CBS awarded the Trek 2009 license to Playmates because they have the power to get toys in retail stores--and to more people--while Art Asylum can't (although some items do appear in Toys R Us stores and a few novelty shops via their boss, Diamond Select). There's probably more money to be made in the widespread retail market than in the more exclusive collector's market, and that's probably what CBS was looking at, IMHO.

Yeah, but Paramount is losing money they would have made on the aborted Wave 2 figures.

Also, that's how the Johnny Lighning license to make the little ships lapse...they stopped making product, and that's how Hot Wheels got the recent license.

I would expect Playmates' contract to end in 2010 if they do not release any new products relevant to their current contract. Especially since there is no reason for Paramount to let a contract languish for another 2.5 years until the next movie comes out when they can transfer at least something to DST who could probably push out some nuTrek related product by 2011.

This is just my lawyer perspective on things.

According to the article at trekmovie.com, Playmates does want to keep the movie toy license and did have plans for 2010 and beyond--including releasing a series of mini-ships, "battle-lized" figures, and even 3.75-inch figures based on TOS (with rumored possible assist from Art Asylum as the two companies have worked together on Trek toys before). The future of Star Trek XI Wave 2 toys may be uncertain, but I don't think Playmates is going to let their license simply lapse if they hope to keep it for Star Trek XII.

I believe there's a good chance we'll see something from Playmates next year so they can keep the license, but I don't think we'll see them do the same thing they did with the current crop of Wave 1 movie figures.

 

[Devon]

Hopefully a company like Art Asylum will put out some premium statues or figures for Star Trek (XI).

Expect all three characters of figures to hit the shelves over the course of a year.

I think CBS awarded the Trek 2009 license to Playmates because they have the power to get toys in retail stores--and to more people--while Art Asylum can't (although some items do appear in Toys R Us stores and a few novelty shops via their boss, Diamond Select). There's probably more money to be made in the widespread retail market than in the more exclusive collector's market, and that's probably what CBS was looking at, IMHO.

Bingo!!!

 

[Shazam!]

Hasbro's stuff, apart from some Transformers, are only mediocre or sub par. Look at the crappy Star Wars figures they make

?

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I bought a ton of the Hasbro figures for AOTC. They are really wonderfully detailed. They seemed to go down hill for ROTS though that might be my imagination. Many of their SW series are excellent.

 

[Beyerstein]

The Playmates figures for the new movie were just really horrible. It's pretty mind boggling how bad they were

Even their TMNT or star trek figures from the 90s were much better.

also, tying to put out so many different scales didn't help, just made it confusing and lack focus. THey need to pic a size and go with it then maybe just have a few more deluxe 12 inches or something.

 

[The Castellan]

The Playmates figures for the new movie were just really horrible. It's pretty mind boggling how bad they were

Even their TMNT or star trek figures from the 90s were much better.

also, tying to put out so many different scales didn't help, just made it confusing and lack focus. THey need to pic a size and go with it then maybe just have a few more deluxe 12 inches or something.

The only good lines, I think, Playmates had were TMNT, Toxic Crusaders, and The Simpsons. When it comes to making really good human looking figures, Playmates simply does not do it.

 

[DaveyNY]

Playmates hasn't got a clue as to how to sell the Star Trek line... As Usual...

They are still making decisions based on toy sale statistics from the seventies and eighties.

Having large quantities at multiple sizes was started with the Transformer line over two decades ago and hasn't really helped that line either in the last several years. It was a complete FUBAR on Playmates part to go in that direction.

Star Trek merchandising will always be a niche market, trying to make it anything more than that is fool-hardy at the least.

They should have stuck with either the 3.4" or 6" line (or gone with 5") and started with the Complete Command Crew in the classic colors along with Old Spock and Nero.

Then with wave two started putting out the Academy uniforms and what not.

As for the 12" line, the Barbie/Ken-Kirk was one of the worst tie-in dolls I've seen in all my years of collecting. The Uhura doll was the only one of the three even worth bothering with.

The 12" Playmates version's had Un-collectible written all over them.

After several years of having good quality Art Asylum Trek figures available, putting out anything less was obviously a "They-Will-Buy-Anything" ploy and just plain stupid.

It backfired in their faces..., big time!

 

[Neumann]

Steenkin' Star Wars I say!

;-)

Bring on the Art Asylum / Playmates alliance!

 

[The Castellan]

There was a rumor about Charcter Options doing a size change for their Dr. Who line, making it smaller like the Star Wars figures by Hasbro and the Star Trek figures of Playmates, and the posters on several Dr Who forums were nervous if it were true, since it would kill the line. Thankfully, it turned out to be untrue.

Playmates is one of those companies that go for quantity over quality mentality.

Art Asylum, The Four Horsemen, and Character Options show that one can have nicely made, excellent looking figures for decent prices.
No need for the guns & butter mentality.

 

[Pauln6]

And yet Art Asylum is struggling for sales. If people like them so much, why is nobody buying? Come on people, their figures are cooool. Get buying!

 

[Wynterhawk]

Lord those Playmate things really irked me. The paint job was horrible and they didn't look remotely like the actors. What happened to that whole "scanning the actor's faces" to get the look for the figure? Weren't they doing that for some toy/movie tie in? I'm thinking it was LOTR?

What really bothered me were Kirk's crazy eyes. I mean there was one dot for the pupil was in the middle on one eye and the other dot was someplace high and away. Serious case of lazy eye, if I've ever seen one.

 

[MvRojo]

Lord those Playmate things really irked me. The paint job was horrible and they didn't look remotely like the actors. What happened to that whole "scanning the actor's faces" to get the look for the figure? Weren't they doing that for some toy/movie tie in? I'm thinking it was LOTR?

What really bothered me was Kirk's crazy eyes. I mean there was one dot for the pupil was in the middle on one eye and the other dot was someplace high and away. Serious case of lazy eye, if I've ever seen one.

While I wouldn't expect Playmates to do the actor scanning, they could have at least produced product at the same level that they were doing with the Trek line in the '90s. Those had way better sculpts and looked like the actors.

 

[C.E. Evans]

These figures were originally supposed to come out in November or October of 2008, IIRC. Makes me wonder if Playmates really had that much time to sculp these figures or even if they had access to anything more than early publicity stills to work from...

 

[MvRojo]

These figures were originally supposed to come out in November or October of 2008, IIRC. Makes me wonder if Playmates really had that much time to sculp these figures or even if they had access to anything more than early publicity stills to work from...

Well, they (and we) at least knew what the actors looked liked going back to the last half of 2007.

 

[Ziz]

What happened to that whole "scanning the actor's faces" to get the look for the figure? Weren't they doing that for some toy/movie tie in? I'm thinking it was LOTR?

It may have been done for LOTR figures but I didn't collect them. I do know it was used for the Star Wars Episode II figures, at least the earlier waves. Don't know how long beyond that they continued, though.

 

[MvRojo]

What happened to that whole "scanning the actor's faces" to get the look for the figure? Weren't they doing that for some toy/movie tie in? I'm thinking it was LOTR?

It may have been done for LOTR figures but I didn't collect them. I do know it was used for the Star Wars Episode II figures, at least the earlier waves. Don't know how long beyond that they continued, though.

AA did it for Nemesis and Enterprise.

 

[kes7]

^That's funny. I have a phaser that is kept in a drawer beside the TV. It is used by anyone to shoot at the TV when someone or something pisses them off. Last week, my youngest daughter pulled it out and shot me. It was late and she wanted to go out somewhere, I don't remember where - I said no - so I was shot.

My two year old does that with his toy phaser whenever we say "no" to him and my five year old always reprimands him if he sees it's set to kill (STXI version with red and blue lights).

My five year old asked for a Scotty action figure, but the ones at Target look nothing like him, and my kid is a stickler for details like that, so I'm thinking he won't be satisfied.