Status of McFarlane DSC Action Figures & Toys?

[drt]

Hasbro basically did the same thing. Obtained the master Trek toy license, everyone got all excited, then they only released Lego knock-offs and those tiny rubbery figurines that were all the rage with kids for about six months.

I'd say the problem is multi-fold: 1) the toy-buying segment of Trek fans is obviously not very large; 2)we've lost ToysRUs, where a lot of these lower volume, more collector oriented lines would be sold; 3) bigger box stores like Walmart and Target realize #1 above and are probably gunshy placing orders after being stuck clearancing the crappy 2009 toys; and 4) CBS licences too broadly, there is really no difference between the Mcfarlane figures and the DST ones, hard to do well when your competitors are allowed to sell what are essentially the same niche products.

 

[Jadeb]

Don’t forget that Discovery is now “adult” and confined to a niche streaming service that reaches a tiny percentage of the U.S. population. That can’t make the toy potential look very appealing to mainstream retailers.

 

[Mudd]

Yeah. As others have pointed out, All Access is selling their ad time to push Old People products.

Hiring young actors to front the show is not fooling too many people - this is "your father's Star Trek," albeit a little bit dumbed down.

 

[BillJ]

...albeit a little bit dumbed down.

I don't know if its any "dumber" than its collective predecessors? I tend to think TOS and early-TNG get a lot of slack because they were inventing the wheel as they went. Though I am disappointed that Discovery isn't smarter than what came before, especially with so many really great shows that are tightly plotted with great dialogue on now.

Though I'm hopeful that with a new showrunner, that Discovery finds its footing.

 

[Mudd]

I don't know if its any "dumber" than its collective predecessors?

I do, and yeah...it is.

 

[KennyB]

Hiring young actors to front the show is not fooling too many people - this is "your father's Star Trek," albeit a little bit dumbed down.

Green 34
Wiseman 33
Mount 46
Rapp 47
Isaacs 56
Yeoh 56
Jones 59

Unless your pretty old, this cast ain't that "young".

 

[XCV330]

Don’t forget that Discovery is now “adult” and confined to a niche streaming service that reaches a tiny percentage of the U.S. population. That can’t make the toy potential look very appealing to mainstream retailers.

My suspicion on all this is that that whatever better toy deal might be in the worka is going to wait, and should wait, on the Nick cartoon. That's their future market, and that show should have the potential broadest reach.

 

[fireproof78]

I don't know if its any "dumber" than its collective predecessors?

It's not. Despite all the arguments to the contrary, there are plenty of examples of Star Trek being dumb, super serious, over the top, melodramatic and ridiculous. It has great stories, and terrible ones and all the ones in between.


DSC is no better (and no worse) than other past Treks. Enjoyability will vary from person to person, but let's not pretend that somehow Star Trek was this incredible, unassailable, masterpiece before Abrams Trek and Discovery came along.

Don’t forget that Discovery is now “adult” and confined to a niche streaming service that reaches a tiny percentage of the U.S. population. That can’t make the toy potential look very appealing to mainstream retailers.

Which is why I see all this "Walking Dead" merchandise in the toy aisle when it was at its zenith?

Who was this meant for? Adults?

 

[BillJ]

...but let's not pretend that somehow Star Trek was this incredible, unassailable, masterpiece before Abrams Trek and Discovery came along.

I do think the original was, to some degree, a masterpiece. A flawed masterpiece, but one nonetheless. That is why we continue to talk about it so fervently and it is an ongoing entertainment concern fifty-five years after "The Cage".

 

[fireproof78]

I do think the original was, to some degree, a masterpiece. A flawed masterpiece, but one nonetheless. That is why we continue to talk about it so fervently and it is an ongoing entertainment concern fifty-five years after "The Cage".

The key word is "unassailable." I absolutely agree that TOS was a masterpiece in terms of uniqueness and concepts, acting and design.

But, I'll not pretend it was perfect, nor do I think that DSC has somehow violated that legacy.

 

[BillJ]

But, I'll not pretend it was perfect...

Definitely not perfect.

 

[fireproof78]

Definitely not perfect.

And I won't demand DSC to be so in order to live up to some magical standard that is Star Trek. It's Star Trek, dumb science and all

 

[Kor]

It's not. Despite all the arguments to the contrary, there are plenty of examples of Star Trek being dumb, super serious, over the top, melodramatic and ridiculous. It has great stories, and terrible ones and all the ones in between.


DSC is no better (and no worse) than other past Treks. Enjoyability will vary from person to person, but let's not pretend that somehow Star Trek was this incredible, unassailable, masterpiece before Abrams Trek and Discovery came along.

Which is why I see all this "Walking Dead" merchandise in the toy aisle when it was at its zenith?

Who was this meant for? Adults?

I remember it was similar with all those kids' toys for "Terminator 2."

Kor

 

[Awesome Possum]

I remember it was similar with all those kids' toys for "Terminator 2."

Kor

There were RoboCop toys. You could put caps, like for cap guns, in them and they’d shoot guns that made popping sounds.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

There may have been a toy based on the guy who gets melted by the toxic waste, but I could be misremembering.
Aliens too.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

Although this was supposed to get an animated series until some exec decided a cartoon about nightmare fuel was a bad idea.

Although I had seen both movies at least by age 6 because my dad wanted to see them and didn’t really have any concerns over what’s appropriate for children. It did give me some interesting tastes in movies though.

 

[fireproof78]

Although I had seen both movies at least by age 6 because my dad wanted to see them and didn’t really have any concerns over what’s appropriate for children. It did give me some interesting tastes in movies though.

Saw Alien at 8 years old. Still avoid it to this day and cannot stand it to this day.

Also, what about all the Jurassic Park toys?

 

[drt]

Jurrasic Park was PG13, so maybe a bit different situation.

Plus, kids love dinosaurs.

 

[Awesome Possum]

Saw Alien at 8 years old. Still avoid it to this day and cannot stand it to this day.

Also, what about all the Jurassic Park toys?

Jurassic Park was practically marketed to kids. My parents took my brothers and I to see it and I was 8. It’s full of wonder, magic and there are a few scary bits but they aren’t too scary and it certainly isn’t gory.

The Dennis Nedry having removable arms was fucked up though.

 

[fireproof78]

Jurassic Park was practically marketed to kids. My parents took my brothers and I to see it and I was 8. It’s full of wonder, magic and there are a few scary bits but they aren’t too scary and it certainly isn’t gory.

The Dennis Nedry having removable arms was fucked up though.

Well, Star Wars has a burned Anakin toy so there is that.

Also, I recalled another one- "Starship Troopers." That is not a series for kids (no, it isn't) but a nice toy line came just the same.

http://projectswordtoys.blogspot.com/2010/04/prepare-to-drop.html

 

[Therin of Andor]

I finally saw a McFarlane Kirk figure in the flesh and I was going to buy it but the paint application on the eyes were off center and bad. Ugh.

All the ones I've seen (and the two I bought) have looked great.