Playmates Toys wins STAR TREK XI license.

[Tomalak]

God Magnus said:

cardinal biggles said:
I'm sure you can play with them, but who'd want to? They're $15 a pop, maybe more depending on who you buy it from. Don't tell me you wouldn't shit a brick if the kiddies took your Art Asylum figures out to the backyard to have them explore the deadly jungles of planet Epsilon 3.

Considering kids nowadays buy $40-90 Transformers and do the same thing with them, no I wouldn't. $15 is nothing for an action figure nowadays.

If they want to do a mass market toy line, like the successful Star Wars or Trek at it's peak, they need to be relatively cheap and fun. The AA figures are excellent quality, but expensive - they seem to retail here for a tenner (about $20). I thought the Lord of the Rings figures were a good mix of playable toys and appealling for collectors, and they retailed at about £7. The same with Character Options Doctor Who figures, which have been phenomenally successful. It's clear that technology have improved substantially since the first Playmates line in 1992 - it's possible to pump out some high quality toys at pocket momey prices.

It's not like AA/DST are losing the licence. They will still be producing their figures from the old series and films to appeal to the niche market. Judging from the number of figures they have been making, they've got the balance just right.

 

[ancient]

I want my bucket'o'redshirts.

 

[debush24]

the scales are 4" and 7" roleplay and 2 playsets and 2 ships with a larger 1701 to follow plus larger figs with fabric clothes,nero was the collest of all,and spock with grey hair!

 

[Therin of Andor]

cultcross said:
I don't care that much if the likenesses suck

Did you realize that Art Asylum staff were the sculptors of many of the coolest Playmates figures? eg. 4.5" and 12" Andorian, 4.5" and 12" Gorn, 4.5" Species 8472, the popular battle action large Borg and Klingon, and others.

 

[MisterPL]

Therin of Andor said:
Did you realize that Art Asylum staff were the sculptors of many of the coolest Playmates figures? eg. 4.5" and 12" Andorian, 4.5" and 12" Gorn, 4.5" Species 8472, the popular battle action large Borg and Klingon, and others.

To be fair, Art Asylum also hires freelance sculptors the way Playmates does based on the needs of the project. I know they hired the same sculptor who worked on the Applause line of static figures to do the portraits for the first TOS figures. As I recall Gentle Giant provided digital scans of the main cast for the ENT figures.

Not trying to diminish the outstanding talent of AA's in-house staff, just saying they do what needs to be done to make the sculpts look as good as they should. If anything I think working with AA will raise CBS' expectations of Playmates.

I'm looking forward to seeing the 4-inch line if only for custom fodder. Always wanted some Klingon Jedi in my ranks.