Is it KRE-O, or Crap-o?

[baxart]

The more I see of the upcoming Kre-o Trek stuff, the less and less I think I'm going to want it.

Is it just me? Or does this stuff really look disappointing?

http://www.startrek.com/article/first-look-hasbros-star-trek-toys-revealed

 

[C.E. Evans]

Star Trek Kre-O won't be for everyone just like Star Wars Lego isn't for everyone.

I actually think the Trek Kreo-O looks fun, but I'm not into building stuff anymore.

 

[CorporalClegg]

Is it sad that until 30 seconds ago I had no idea there was such a think as Kre-O?

 

[baxart]

I just think that Lego would have done a much better job. The mini ships look okay... but the square secondary hull & nacelles on the big Enterprise just look... well...

 

[bullethead]

Star Trek Kre-O won't be for everyone just like Star Wars Lego isn't for everyone.

I actually think the Trek Kreo-O looks fun, but I'm not into building stuff anymore.

I don't think the problem is the brand or the building blocks idea, it's that the kits are absurdly simple in construction, which makes them less accurate and satisfying to own. Part of the charm of Lego is the satisfaction of building these complicated kits and customizing them with parts from other kits or making whole new things out them. These Kreo-O kits look like they could be built in five minutes because they are mostly giant parts that can't really be mixed and matched because of how huge they are.

 

[C.E. Evans]

Star Trek Kre-O won't be for everyone just like Star Wars Lego isn't for everyone.

I actually think the Trek Kreo-O looks fun, but I'm not into building stuff anymore.

I don't think the problem is the brand or the building blocks idea, it's that the kits are absurdly simple in construction, which makes them less accurate and satisfying to own. Part of the charm of Lego is the satisfaction of building these complicated kits and customizing them with parts from other kits or making whole new things out them. These Kreo-O kits look like they could be built in five minutes because they are mostly giant parts that can't really be mixed and matched because of how huge they are.

I don't think there's really a problem with the Kre-O stuff at all. It's probably aimed more towards kids, though (most of them are aimed at ages 6 & up like the more simple Lego kits are).

As far as mixing and matching parts, that might be a case of the particular designs not lending themselves to cool kitbashes, IMO.

 

[cooleddie74]

These are aimed at kids, no adult collectors and enthusiasts. Spot-on film accuracy is not going to be a factor here. These are building block construction toys designed for youngsters.

I don't see the big deal. We're not the target demographic.

 

[YellowSubmarine]

Too small. I'm not buying that's not a scale model. That flies.

 

[SeerSGB]

The more I see of the upcoming Kre-o Trek stuff, the less and less I think I'm going to want it.

Is it just me? Or does this stuff really look disappointing?

http://www.startrek.com/article/first-look-hasbros-star-trek-toys-revealed

I like the shuttle kit and the mini-kits, the rest isn't that interesting. Did I miss something, no role(cos)play toys this year?

 

[cooleddie74]

It's a real shame all the rumors and stories of a Hasbro line of 3.75” action figures never materialized into reality. It would have been fun to see the spin Hasbro would have put on a Star Trek action figure line using their pretty impressive sculpting and articulation.

It would have likely left the 2009 movie toys in the dust.

 

[C.E. Evans]

I like the shuttle kit and the mini-kits, the rest isn't that interesting. Did I miss something, no role(cos)play toys this year?

In Hasbro's initial press release after securing the Star Trek license a year ago, there was mention of a "robust line of roleplay toys for kids and fans to act out the intergalactic saga as well as select new figures."
http://toynewsi.com/news.php?catid=311&itemid=18270

But to be fair, the press release didn't actually say if they would coincide with Star Trek XII, though. Hasbro may have a long-term strategy for Trek and a Kre-O line for Star Trek XII could be either just a first step or a testing of the waters to see if they should go further (give it the Star Wars treatment).

 

[cooleddie74]

It'd be positively fantastic if Hasbro were to introduce a super-articulated line of Trek figures and other toys (including role-play items) that covered the entire expanse of Trek lore, from TOS all the way up to the Abrams films. This topic came up in another thread and we had some fun coming up with ideas for figures of classic characters and special two-pack "theme/scene" sets highlighting moments in the history of the franchise.

I don't mind Hasbro crapping out on fans and collectors this year if they have some truly special and fun things planned in the near future with the license. Remember, the 50th anniversary of "The Cage" hits around Christmas of 2014 and the half-century mark for TOS itself arrives in September of 2016. Lots of opportunities there!

 

[Green Shirt]

They did a good job on Kirk. The toupee look and smirk are right on.

 

[Therin of Andor]

It'd be positively fantastic if Hasbro were to introduce a super-articulated line of Trek figures and other toys (including role-play items) that covered the entire expanse of Trek lore, from TOS all the way up to the Abrams films.

"Super-articulated": so ironic, since many avid collectors refuse to take their figures out of the mint condition packaging.

I'm an opener, but once I've moved my old Mego, ERTL, Playmates, Art Asylum and DST figures into the desired pose, I don't usually ever repose them.

Not sure it would ever be viable to start all over again!

 

[Allyn Gibson]

Star Trek Kre-O won't be for everyone just like Star Wars Lego isn't for everyone.

I actually think the Trek Kreo-O looks fun, but I'm not into building stuff anymore.

I don't think the problem is the brand or the building blocks idea, it's that the kits are absurdly simple in construction, which makes them less accurate and satisfying to own. Part of the charm of Lego is the satisfaction of building these complicated kits and customizing them with parts from other kits or making whole new things out them. These Kreo-O kits look like they could be built in five minutes because they are mostly giant parts that can't really be mixed and matched because of how huge they are.

If the Star Trek sets are anything like the Transformers KRE-O sets, then, no, that's not what they're like at all.

Hasbro's Transformers Built to Rule sets were like that. The Built to Rule sets were a joke; yes, you could affix LEGO-like pieces to them, but the custom parts weren't useful in any other context.

The Transformers KRE-O sets, on the other hand, are very much like the LEGO Star Wars sets. There are some custom pieces, true, but you have the standard LEGO 1x2 and 1x4 pieces and you build the Transformers layer by layer.

I like the look and feel of KRE-O. I'm really looking forward to the Star Trek sets, especially the ships.

 

[Saul]

I think Lego would have done a better job of it considering some of their star wars stuff.

 

[cooleddie74]

No arguments there. Still, Kre-O knows it's not going to win the battle of the marketplace with such an established giant and they're probably content to carve out their own small niche in the toy building block industry.

Realizing they won't be top dog probably frees them up a little. They have lower sales expectations to meet to be happy.

 

[C.E. Evans]

It'd be positively fantastic if Hasbro were to introduce a super-articulated line of Trek figures and other toys (including role-play items) that covered the entire expanse of Trek lore, from TOS all the way up to the Abrams films.

"Super-articulated": so ironic, since many avid collectors refuse to take their figures out of the mint condition packaging.

I'm an opener, but once I've moved my old Mego, ERTL, Playmates, Art Asylum and DST figures into the desired pose, I don't usually ever repose them.

I'm from the original Kenner generation of Star Wars 3.75-inch action figures which featured basic 5-point articulation (head, arms, and legs), which was always good enough for me. Hasbro and Mattel have been recently moving back to that basic articulation with their newest comic book superhero-based figures of late (primarily to make them more affordable).

 

[cooleddie74]

And Star Wars. Starting with the 2012 Naboo and Bespin Battle Packs and the Clone Wars figures with sharply reduced articulation the folks at Hasbro have been shifting back in the direction of fewer joints to save on tooling and manufacturing expenses in a time of rising labor costs and a lackluster economy. The upcoming Saga Legends line of lower-pricepoint figures aimed primarily at younger collectors and kids will feature an average of just five points of articulation each. It'll be the nineties all over again, only with vastly improved and accurate character likenesses.

There'll still be super-articulated figures marketed to adult collectors but fewer of them as Hasbro tries to streamline things and cut costs in the slow buildup to the inevitable Episode VII blizzard.