The future of Playmobil

[tonguello]

We haven't had a poll in a long time so I thought it would be nice to have one.
Here's a list of moves Playmobil could make in the near future, what do you think are the top 3 steps they should take?

(Rants are not allowed  )

[Rhalius]

Well Hans Beck designed the clickies this way for a reason. It would be silly to tamper with that after all these years. They have just the right amount of movement.

All the internet stuff and gadgets are just distractions from the actual toy. Better to innovate with new themes, parts and not trying to make a clear division between boy and girl themes.

And please no more super 4 sets. They look like fake playmobil and remind me of all those fake lego brands.

[tahra]

I voted for "other" - as in none of the above..

Cause..

(Rants are not allowed  )

Oh. 

[skypurr]

I voted to go back to basics as far as klickies are concerned. 
I don't like many of the new klickies - like Rhalius I think the super four figures do look like fakes.
I don't mind the klickies from the fashion sets where the dresses can be changed because once the dresses are on they do look like 'normal' klickies.
Whilst klickies with bent arms and legs would be useful at times, I worry that if they do produce more of these they will stop producing the klickies we have all grown to know and love.

[tonguello]

I understand your points and at some level I agree, but I think everyone would also agree on the movable hands being a SUPER awesome move on the evolution of the clickie in the 80's.
So why not independent legs or something else in the same direction of the rotating wrists?

On the other hand I think a brand that has been around for 40 years NEEDS change. Because the public and the buyers interest and way of playing change. The creation of PM itself comes from this. If Geobra had stop at the Hula hoop we wouldn't be here.

[tonguello]

I voted for the legs and "other".
"Other" being the creation of very expandable and very comercial themes as Halloween/Monsters and Xmas among others and a real explotation of the brand in the form of MERCHANDISING.

Also and very important, the inclusion of ADULT COLLECTORS as a SPECIAL public with products produced and directed ONLY to them.

[Rasputin]

I voted for "other" - as in none of the above..

Cause..

Oh. 

Not even an itsy bitty rant ....

[bonniebeth]

I voted for gadgets and other.

Gadgets as in more and better video games and mobile games. Maybe something simple like a three-match or marble-shooter type game, though I'm not sure how you would make it playmo themed... Unless it's one of those things where you play three match to earn resources to build a medieval town, or city, or something like that.

Other is I would like to see more playmobil movies, like the pirate movie though hopefully way better. But not like Super 4. I liked how in the pirate movie the characters looked like actual klickies, rather than changing the klickys to look more like the cartoon.

Also I would like to see more themes being expanded over time, rather than themes being replaced every couple of years. Design it right the first time, then add sets. Rather than a whole new western theme, lets see some other buildings that go with the current one. Rather than a new zoo in a couple of years, let's add to the current one. Invent a new expansion to add to the current mall, and some new shops, maybe even some less girly ones. Come out with some more fair rides. It might make the typical family buy more playmobil the next year and the next, without having to start on another theme.

[Rasputin]

I want to see plYmobil brand become an internationally recognized brand of civility, tolerance, education, and to share the smile.

Civility in the form of portraying humans as doing their daily grind as the brand does so well. It just needs a few adjustments in the department of gender respect, cultural respect, ethnic respect. Move away from divisive elements such as blue for boys and pink for girls.

Tolerance in the form of not only making a ballance representation of the world, but also in how they are portrayed. Make sets that not only have the good whites with large castles but make sets that have the opposit. Have the whites in a smaller castle angry, while the happy darks are enjoying their festivities in a larger fancy castle. Put in Asians in fancy cars, they too like fancy expensive cars. Show the world what religon means to others. Geobra has done pagan, some native, lots of Christian, but isn't there more?

Education, similar to the recent space theme, why did it have to have a war going on, where there was the solar fan, metal detector type science. Show women in labs working with males. Have sets that show science doing science things. I am not a scientist if you noticed.

It's a toy for kids that will be adults tomorrow, best to give them the toys for the future we all want

I know what future I do not want, swat police, divided population, only one race can be good, ethnic/culture other than your own just needs a token representation

[Rhalius]

Great ideas Bonnie!

They actually did expand on themes in the past, and it is a shame they dont do it anymore. Problem is that they dedicate either just one or two pages to a theme while some themes used to have more pages in the past.
So maybe they should focus on adding less new themes each year, and instead divide that attention between new themes and adding to whats already in the catalogue.
If they planned to release 10 themes in a year (I include returning themes in that) then five of them could expand on existing themes. Or it could be a new subtheme like releasing a medieval theme in one year, and the next year a medieval village theme that features the occasional soldier that matches the castle of the previous year.

And making better videogames could be neat, if Lego can do it I am sure that Playmobil can do it as well, they just need to employ the strenghts of playmobil and embrace its endearing appearance.

Could be fun if they made some sort of age of empires style game with playmobil. Could work fine with any of the historic themes, but the focus could be less on combat.

Clickies could build up a town and gather food from berries, hunting and fishing, they could chop trees for wood and mine gold. They could add little touches like clickies giving a little wave when passing another clicky worker.
Goals could focus more on fighting bandits, gathering resources to host a feast, have a knightly tournament where each player sends a knight to compete, build a grand structure to win the game, etc.

Instead of killing the clickies of other players, they could be captured. If all your clickies are captured you would lose. In various ways you could try to free your captured clickies.
Workers could be captured without a fight so would need to be protected, and soldiers could be defeated first and then captured if there are enough enemies to capture them. They could try to sneak off when defeated to avoid capture.