Author Topic: The Playset Thread  (Read 84719 times)

Offline Daigo-Bah

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The Playset Thread
« Reply #105 on: October 3, 2007, 06:48 PM »
Since my job workload has ramped up, I've gone into semi-retirement with dio-making  :P and I'm pulling in a better paycheck, so I'd go for a couple of really well-made dio scenes by sideshow per year!
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Offline ruiner

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The Playset Thread
« Reply #106 on: October 4, 2007, 09:13 AM »
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Offline CHEWIE

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More Playset talk...
« Reply #107 on: November 12, 2007, 04:26 PM »
I know what you think, Chew':  You think that because I bitch about other people bitching about the AT-TE, or other vehicles, or playsets, or whatever, that must mean that I'm against the AT-TE, or other vehicles, or playsets, or whatever.  And that isn't the case at all.  I want all those things to happen.  I want people to get what they want.  I want them to be happy with what they get.  I want you to be able to get your $200 Random Death Star Hallway Playset, if that's what you want.

I never really knew if you were for or against things like that being made - usually I just see your comments replying to people that are wanting them.  So now I do have a better understanding of where you're coming from.

Personally I think that Hasbro's got the resources to be able to make a lot of things happen that they claim they can't do.  I understand that most of the higher end items are things that need to be targeted towards a certain niche.  Hasbro has seemed to have a philosphy of thinking that they need to go with lower priced items that they can mass produce - and that has been a formula that does make sense.  But I also think that they can also market towards the people clamoring for larger items being made...

In terms of vehicles, they should be able to pull this out on their own.  AT-TE, Juggernaut, whatever.  Make it look cool and leave out the electronics, and you're going to have a lot of people buying it.  Some people will never be happy if it's not 100% to scale (I'm not one of those) and they can pass if they don't like it.  But something like a to scale AT-AT would cost probably $500.00 (plus where can one even fit it?).

In terms of playsets, this is something I do hope they outsource to a company like Sideshow.  Let the people like me who've been starved for large environments put their money where their mouths are.  Modular would definitely be the way to go... I'd love to see something like this old Bespin set, but in the 3-3/4" line. 



I'm sick of having to display my stuff on wooden shelves or spend hours on end trying to make something on my own, so I'd like to see Hasbro (or an outsourced company) capitalize on the possibilities of realistic looking Star Wars enviroments. 

Offline ruiner

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playsets...
« Reply #108 on: November 12, 2007, 04:42 PM »
Devil's Advocate:


Personally I think that Hasbro's got the resources to be able to make a lot of things happen that they claim they can't do. 

Having the resources and being able to maintain a preset level of profitability / ROI is another.

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Hasbro has seemed to have a philosphy of thinking that they need to go with lower priced items that they can mass produce - and that has been a formula that does make sense. 
  It not only makes sense, but also works. 

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But I also think that they can also market towards the people clamoring for larger items being made...
  Again, they can, but does it fit their business model?  Probably not.  Obviously they are looking for mass retail placement and I think we can safely say that $100+ items do not work in the action figure aisle.  Maybe I'm wrong here but I cannot think of one $100+ in-line item (this excludes store exclusives) that was successful.

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But something like a to scale AT-AT would cost probably $500.00 (plus where can one even fit it?).
  And where is MR these days? 

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In terms of playsets, this is something I do hope they outsource to a company like Sideshow.  Let the people like me who've been starved for large environments put their money where their mouths are.  Modular would definitely be the way to go...
  You're probably right here.  SS could most likely pull it off...but you're going to pay for it. 

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I'd love to see something like this old Bespin set, but in the 3-3/4" line. 



Chewie - there's a reason they chose the scale they did....

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so I'd like to see Hasbro (or an outsourced company) capitalize on the possibilities of realistic looking Star Wars enviroments. 
  I don't know if I'd use the word 'capitalize.'  I don't think the demand is there for modular, high end playsets.  I also think SS could use some help in product development.  Their 12" SW line was a HUGE announcement - and IMO they dropped the ball big time in regards to character selection. 


Offline Adam_Pawlus

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playsets...
« Reply #109 on: November 12, 2007, 07:57 PM »
I'm sick of having to display my stuff on wooden shelves or spend hours on end trying to make something on my own, so I'd like to see Hasbro (or an outsourced company) capitalize on the possibilities of realistic looking Star Wars enviroments. 

*puts on buzzkill hat*

Cost cost cost cost cost.

I'm just happy the AT-TE is supposedly on track.   Environments make me squeamish... aside from cardboard I don't see it as a viable option.   Although I do think you can get people to shell out more for vehicles because if their "personalities" in some cases.   That or maybe someone out there is looking forward to the prospect of a $200 Sideshow Hasbro-compatible snow drift.
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Offline CHEWIE

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playsets...
« Reply #110 on: November 13, 2007, 10:27 AM »
I suppose we really won't know unless a company actually does put some sort of 3-3/4" environment out that actually looks like a movie setting.  Until then we can speculate whether it would work or would not.

Offline Jesse James

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playsets...
« Reply #111 on: November 17, 2007, 02:00 AM »
I suppose we really won't know unless a company actually does put some sort of 3-3/4" environment out that actually looks like a movie setting.  Until then we can speculate whether it would work or would not.

Oh sure we will!  ;)

Clearanced...

Clearanced...

Clearanced...

And, clearanced...


And the sculpting/paint on these was OUTSTANDINGLY done, there were opening doors, etc.  The detailing went down to individual bullet holes in mortar and wood, grain on wood beams and floor plans, multiple paint applications for ultra realism...  And in the grand scheme of things (compared to Hasbro), the prices were excellent...  $40 for the biggest sets, and lower for each of the smaller sets.

21st Century Toys made them, and their reaction when asked for more (becuase a full set of Series 2 playsets was planned, even grander than the first series) was, "The costs involved in making these sets, and the cost we must put on them for a MSRP, isn't feasible for us, so we're scrapping our series 2 playsets"...  More or less.

I honestly don't mean to be a wet blanket either, but there is some proof in the pudding there...  These are along the lines of what everyone's asking for, and these are things that came in at prices that sort of undercut what Hasbro probably would want...  And they didn't sell.  I bought mine...  I put my money where my mouth was on these, but they still didn't sell to the majority, and it wasn't like they were oversaturated either... 

Now 21st's found they can sell $40+ vehicles to their targeted market just fine, but the playsets, not so much...  And they were (and still are) highly demanded items.  I love the ones I have, I'd buy more, but at the end of the day I think I'm the minority ultimately...  And I have little doubt Hasbro delivering the same thing to us, but in a Star Wars theme, would cost at least 50% more...  Not good.
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Offline jedi_master_sal

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playsets...
« Reply #112 on: November 17, 2007, 11:15 AM »
The problem with the analogy Jesse is that these sets are not Star Wars. I don't see people clamoring for these military sets like we see many SW collectors asking for playsets.  Granted those sets where nice, but they weren't based on anything from a movie and could be made up without thought to accuracy/comparison to a movie.

SW sets have been and continue to be a desired product by many fans. I do venture to say that if they were made they'd sell. Yes, there are a lot of factors going into how well they sell. Accuracy and price being the biggest two, then size and availability, as well as cost to produce them.

The key for hasbro is to come up with sets that people want, sell them for a fair price that people won't look to wait for clearance, and dare I say it, NOT flood the market with them. Make them more difficult to get and demand will stay high.

While I'd love to see these at retail, I don't think it would work unless each retailer gets an exclusive set, each set is modular, and the only way to complete larger sets is by having to get each set from each retailer. I know that's not a popular idea among collectors, so that really leaves us with Internet sales. Problem there for some is buying sight unseen. No matter how good it may look on the net, it may not so in person.

So I do think these need to be done and there's a market for them. Hasbro just has to put some effort into and do the market research necessary to determine which is the right course of action to take (not making them not being an option...).
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Offline Jesse James

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Re: The Playset Thread
« Reply #113 on: November 18, 2007, 04:03 AM »
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I don't see people clamoring for these military sets like we see many SW collectors asking for playsets.  Granted those sets where nice, but they weren't based on anything from a movie and could be made up without thought to accuracy/comparison to a movie.

That's because you aren't in the circles of people that are INTO these toys...  Believe me, they're being begged for, and it's the same basic "I'll pay 3 billion if they do it right" mantra too...

But first, the reply was based on what CHEWIE said, "we haven't seen this played out in reality to know that it would happen either way", (paraphrasing), which clearly we have in a current, and incredibly popular toy line that routinely DOES promote "big ticket" (at least by Hasbro's standards) toys...  $40 and $50 are common sights is my point, but even these sets didn't sell, and this line's bread and butter (as most line's are) is its basic figure line-up ultimately.

As far as them being based on anything...  Well, this line's popularity spurred from films such as Saving Private Ryan, or Band of Brothers...  So there's some film basis for these items too, as I know for a fact some of the Series 2 sets (at least) were sculpted with impressions from the films, and their accuracy/detail clearly surpasses anything Hasbro ever did. 

As I said though, these are everything everyone here has said they want in a SW playset, but they're for a different toy line is all...  One though that's got equally ravenous fans, and a toy line that supports no less than THREE major companies producing figures, vehicles, and such for it too...  So it's impossible to say that military 1:18 toys don't have the popularity thing going for them.  Secondary prices are INSANE on some things, with upwards of 250% increases (or more) in value too, depending on the items.  Modern SW can't say that  for the most part.

It's just an example playing devil's advocate is all though.  CHEWIE said there wasn't a premise and I'm showing there is, and it's to a similar (adult/disposable income) market, and it's in similar styling to what's requested (hyper realistic, detailed, semi-complex, etc.).  Like others have said, I'm all for playsets, and I shelled out the bucks for the above playsets...  All of them, and only ONE I waited on clearance for, and that was the fountain as I'm not overly fond of it myself.  Otherwise I paid the full $40 for the two larger sets and full price on the other set.

To me, it helps root the precedent that Hasbro sticks by, but that's me...  It's a toy line where guys routinely shell out $40, $50, $60, and even $80+, for stuff...  We don't do that in Star Wars, at least not at one time, so I dunno...  I really do begin to believe Hasbro's stance on the whole playset thing after a while.  Was the Theed Generator set REALLY that bad?  I didn't think it was, actually, and as a display for Maul/Obi/Jinn, it's not bad, but it flopped...  I dunno guys.
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Offline jedi_master_sal

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Re: The Playset Thread
« Reply #114 on: November 18, 2007, 01:11 PM »
You're right Jesse, i don't know that line like you do. And I'm not on any message boards that pertain to that line, so I don't see a market for them. As well I never see anyone looking at them when I'm in a toy aisle.

"Real world" stuff might have a broader appeal, I'm just saying in my experience, I'm not seeing it at retail.

Yet everyone knows Star Wars.

The Theed set wasn't bad. However I think it's the gimmicky things that ruin those sets. I think what Hasbro should do is leave the imagination up to the consumer. Meaning, make a decent looking playset, but leave it to us (collector/kids) to play or display it as we see fit. Besides, it's less moving parts, therefore less cost.

I wasn't really trying to disagree with you Jesse and I know you're passionate about the military lines. I just don't see the direct correlation to the SW line as it have a different fanbase. Yeah, there are similarities, but at least for me, not enough so to compare.

I still think Hasbro can get these done, their just too gunshy over past results. They need to think a bit more out of the box with this. That's something I don't think they are willing to take the risk on.
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Offline CHEWIE

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Re: The Playset Thread
« Reply #115 on: November 19, 2007, 01:47 AM »
I don't compare the two lines, but I do see where you're coming from and your point of view Jesse. Those sets were awesome, but didn't sell well.  Very true.  In my area though, the vehicles always hit clearance at Walmart and the figures don't move too well either and very often end up on clearance (sometimes very quickly) - I do check that line quite often because I look at that stuff for custom fodder a lot.  That whole line doesn't seem to have nearly the mass appeal that Star Wars does.

Offline clonebuyer111

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Re: The Playset Thread
« Reply #116 on: May 14, 2008, 04:44 PM »
do you think they will do a playset of the death star ever again?
hopefully they will
since the vintage one is expensive

Offline CHEWIE

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Re: The Playset Thread
« Reply #117 on: May 29, 2008, 06:41 PM »
do you think they will do a playset of the death star ever again?
hopefully they will
since the vintage one is expensive


I'd think anything these days would cost more than a vintage one actually... especially if done "right."

Offline Darth_Anton

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Re: The Playset Thread
« Reply #118 on: May 30, 2008, 09:19 AM »
I think the Larrs Homestead BP is the closest thing we'll be getting in a while. Although, I also thing the BMF might qualify too.
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Offline CloneF13Y35

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Re: The Playset Thread
« Reply #119 on: June 1, 2008, 12:08 PM »
I keep making up rough drawings of several playsets I'd like to try and make out of boxes. No, they won't look anything like owens' customs - dang those are SWEET! But it'd be something my son would like. I keep toying with how to do a death star playset, mostly taller, with some kind of elevator and the floors/scenes from the movies (ep4&6). Plus he wants some kind of hoth set I thnk i could easier than anything else except I don't have the bacta tank luke, deluxe reikeen with display console or the wampw but I know I can get em ff ebay.
Plus something from maybe kamino, or the jedi temple or even a tatooine layout.
I even thought up a few modular sets that could go together or be seperate scene-specific displays. oh well, that's what the summer is for.
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