Author Topic: Articulation at a Price?  (Read 3230 times)

Offline JesseVader08

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Articulation at a Price?
« on: October 15, 2005, 06:29 PM »
I think that most people would agree that Hasbro has come a long way in 10 years since the days of the POTF2 line.  We started with bulked up bodies and little poseability with POTF2 and improved to movie accurate sculpts with incredible articulation as we finish off ROTS and move into TSC.

However, the articulation has come at a price -- durability.  How many times have you been playing with posing your ROTS figures and popped an arm off? Or even a leg? 

As much as I love articulation, I think Hasbro needs to find a way to improve how they give us that articulation. 

Offline Reid

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Re: Articulation at a Price?
« Reply #1 on: October 15, 2005, 06:33 PM »
Yea, my AT-TE Driver's legs are pretty loose.  :P But no popping off of the limbs. :)

Offline Nicklab

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Re: Articulation at a Price?
« Reply #2 on: October 15, 2005, 07:12 PM »
Yea, my AT-TE Driver's legs are pretty loose.  :P But no popping off of the limbs. :)

I had a Clone Wars 2-pack Clone Commander's arm come off.  I wasn't doing anything crazy with the figure, either.
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Offline JesseVader08

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Re: Articulation at a Price?
« Reply #3 on: October 15, 2005, 07:27 PM »
I think a lot of my frustration comes from the angle-cut elbows.  If you don't rotate them perfectly, off pops the forearm.

If I was playing with this when I was a kid, I'd have lost those pieces in no time.  It's hard enough to keep track of the weapons - a person shouldn't have to worry about losing limbs.   :-\

Offline Gatillo

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Re: Articulation at a Price?
« Reply #4 on: October 15, 2005, 07:30 PM »
Damn straight about angel cut elbows.

And although I love clone commandes whether they are red, green or the clone evo one, if you force a weapon into their hand, boom, the hand flies off.

It reminds of Mazinger Z...maybe that makes me too old to play with toys.

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Offline Jesse James

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Re: Articulation at a Price?
« Reply #5 on: October 15, 2005, 11:11 PM »
If it pops right back in, then I can't say I have much of a complaint really...  If it falls off on its own though while displayed on your shelf then there's a gripe.  I'd take the Imperial Officer's arm falling off when I tried posing him, but I can pop it right back on, over the Imperial Officer having no arm articulation.

That said, they can do better...  Other companies do, they can, but I'd say a larger gripe is with plastic quality.  Figures with thinner legs fall prey to flimsy plastic.  From battledroids to some of the female figures in the line, the cheap plastic being used has gotta go...  I dream of someday an apology staff for Amanaman being offered as a mail-away, haha.  I'd even pay for the thing, I just want a staff that'll hold up over time for that figure.
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Offline Darth_Anton

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Re: Articulation at a Price?
« Reply #6 on: October 16, 2005, 10:27 AM »
I would definately agree, mainly because while I was visiting on the east coast, I got to see my good friend's son's figure collection. He's 5 and his figures were well played with. Most were missing limbs and hands were broken off.
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Offline DoctorPadawan

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Re: Articulation at a Price?
« Reply #7 on: October 16, 2005, 01:25 PM »
Yesterday I was checking out Target's massive restock of the AT-RT Driver wave (is it August?) when a woman sidled up to me and asked if I had seen a Plo Koon figure hanging around since she was buying her son the JSF and wanted the figure to go in it.  Since I had found the figure late last week to put in my own JSF, I knew there were a few more around, so I attempted to find another one (sadly, they were all gone).

Anyway, the reason I bring this up is for background.  We were talking about her son's toys and who he was looking for (she said he had yet to see ROTS due to the rating but that he had several of the toys) and I asked her if she had heard about the Bail/Leia and Ben/Luke two packs yet.  She was very excited about them and when I told her that the Bail was the same one already released, she said, "I hope they make it out of a better quality this time."

Apparently, their son really wanted Leia's step-dad back in May and saved his allowance to buy him on a trip to Target.  She said he was really sad when he opened the figure and Bail's arm kept falling off.  She said they ended up returning it the next day, and her son has been hoping another Bail would be made so he could get a "good one."  I told her that had been a big problem lately with a lot of the figures (the Plo Koon I bought a few days earlier's forearms are pathetic) and she said that for what they are charging, they should be of a higher quality than what they are.  Overall, it was a great opportunity for me to see something from both a parent's and a child's perspective, as opposed to my usual cynical adult perspective as a collector.

All I have to say about the articulation costing Hasbro more money is this: I grew up collecting the 3.75" Joes, and they were articulated as well as the current crop of SW figures, and I NEVER had a problem with an arm falling out of a socket.  Hasbro is being cheap, pure and simple.

Offline JesseVader08

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Re: Articulation at a Price?
« Reply #8 on: October 16, 2005, 01:43 PM »
Great story.  Sad to hear, but like you said, it's nice to hear it from a kid's perspective.

Many people have stated their discontent with the soft plastic for a number of reasons in the past, and I think it's the source of the problem here too.  If the plastic was harder, the joints would be stronger because they would "snap" into place better. 

Offline Ben

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Re: Articulation at a Price?
« Reply #9 on: October 16, 2005, 04:28 PM »
I keep having the Tank Gunner's arms pop off, plus the legs are loose.

But that's the only figure I have this problem on. I must be lucky.  :)
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Offline TheBlackDog65

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Re: Articulation at a Price?
« Reply #10 on: October 16, 2005, 10:11 PM »
All I have to say about the articulation costing Hasbro more money is this: I grew up collecting the 3.75" Joes, and they were articulated as well as the current crop of SW figures, and I NEVER had a problem with an arm falling out of a socket.  Hasbro is being cheap, pure and simple.

I think you make a very valid point here. I am 40 and I am going to be cutting way back on my collecting (though not quitting). Part of this is a space issue, part of it is that I am wanting to redirect some of my collecting funds for other interests I have, thus achieving more of a balence in my life with my personal interests. I think that is common for someone my age. My point is that Hasbro has the opportunity to capture a young person who will collect potentially for 20 to 30 years (given the right circumstances). This is someone who could take over for me as I transition from a very aggressive collector to a very casual collector, getting only what I like and want. I know that not every kids will end up becoming a collector, but Hasbro is losing reoccurring sales because of quality.
« Last Edit: October 16, 2005, 10:12 PM by TheBlackDog65 »
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Offline Gatillo

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Re: Articulation at a Price?
« Reply #11 on: October 16, 2005, 10:17 PM »
Quote
This is someone who could take over for me as I transition from a very aggressive collector to a very casual collector, getting only what I like and want. I know that not every kids will end up becoming a collector, but Hasbro is losing reoccurring sales because of quality.
Quote


So true.  Hasbro turned me into a casual collector about 3 years ago.
« Last Edit: October 16, 2005, 10:18 PM by Gatillo »
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Offline SpudTrooper

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Re: Articulation at a Price?
« Reply #12 on: October 17, 2005, 01:50 AM »
my Sandtrooper's (from the EVO pack) snapped off once i tried to move it to hold the gun. i super glued it back  :-\