Rome-Egypt

[Wesley Myers]

The Eagle opens Feb 11th, but it's not for kids.

Yeah, I saw that.  I was looking forward to it - Rosemary Sutcliff's 'The Eagle of the Ninth' novel was a favourite of mine while I was in grade 4 or 5.  That's the book this is based upon. 

What is not fine is portraying the Picts as having mohawks in some attempt at some type of post-apocalyptic punk dystopian tie-in with 'Mad Max Road Warrior' and 'Doomsday' with outrageous Hong Kong action movie inspired acrobatics (which are good in their own genre).  Not to mention the Picts being painted green!

Pict means 'painted people' and they got the name because they would cover their bodies in tattoos - which the Celtic peoples throughout Europe also did, but not to such a complete extent as the Picts. 

It's as bad as that horrible Hollywood attempt at a pollitically correct "Robin Hood" movie with Kevin Costner in which they had the Welsh supposedly splashed with blue paint!

From what could have been a magnificent movie that would be raved about for generations (ala Ben Hur), we have the makings of what will surely be a mere flop.

[Justindo]

I had no idea that the Romans were a flop until, I think, macgayver mentioned it a year or so ago.  (Supposedly he had some inside information regarding this.)

The Roman theme was the one that got me back into Playmobil seriously.  I have purchased about 500 Roman klickies (as well as hundreds of Egyptians, Vikings, and Specials to fight them) and at least one of each of the sets in the theme and from what I've seen on these boards and others, it seems the theme was very popular with adult collectors.  I guess, however, the Romans didn't resonate with children.  I'm not sure a lack of buildings and/or civilian sets were the reason for this either but, selfishly speaking, I wish Playmobil had produced some.  If they do introduce a Greek theme, which might do okay because of 300, I can only hope they'll have at least one building (the Parthenon?) that one could adapt into a Roman temple.  As it is now, I've had to rely on DS to acquire parts to create some Roman buildings, and with US DS, that's not easy.  (Just ask me how many uncompleted structures I have. )

By the way, I am looking forward to The Eagle, although it will probably flop and be no Ben-Hur or even Gladiator.

[Bolingbroke]

300 was released four years ago - most children wouldn't know, or care, about a film that 'old'.

Forget about PM ever giving us an ancient greek theme - it's just fanboy wishthinking. Same goes, as far as Im concerned, for Asian sets. It's good to dream of course (like I dream about my Zulu wars sets) but I just dont see it happeing EVER.

I think the thing that ticked me off the most about the Roman sets was the tower. What was that supposed to do? I can understand one in the knights theme because you can use it as a siege weapon, but what are you going to besiege in the roman's theme?

[Martin Milner]

There was also the Clash of the Titans Movie last year, PG-13.

I'm going to keep hoping for an ancient foe for the Romans, and for a Japanese or Chinese Feudal theme, even if it's just a few specials. The samurai special is a start. It's a shame Playmobil don't have a level between "couple of Specials" and "whole theme of 6-7 sets", or if they do that they don't use it more.

I agree the siege tower was going nowhere. I only ever bought one as the set was so expensive, though Rona kindly gave me a couple of towers she had spare. They've never yet been used in battle. I only ever bought one ship as they too were expensive. The General's tent was also a lot of money for not much content. The figures I wanted from these sets I got off an eBay seller in Malta, though that source has now dried up.

The Arena was a nice set for a centrepiece for a town, but what we really needed was a building to live in and build the rest of the town with. Done the right way (i.e. modular) it could have served as houses, temples, shops or public buildings. That should have sold in multiples to collectors, but alas it was never produced.

Like Justindo I only got back into Playmobil through the Romans, so every penny I've since spent on Playmobil should be attributed to the Roman theme. For some it went too far (and was not successful), for others it never went far enough. At least the Egyptians had somewhere to live as well as somewhere to go after death.

[Elric]

I was thumbing through the collector book and noticed that there were viking specials years before it was a theme.  I also see there were eygptian specials before it was a theme.  There are quite a few oriental style specials.  Cossack, mongolian special and egg, samurai just to name a few.  We also have the asian zoo.  I believe there could be an asian theme in the future.  I may be wrong.

[Wesley Myers]

You see the Romans having no civilian dwellings or foes and I'm sure that played a part in the limited aspect of the theme. However, when one looks at the knights you see two castles (both currently and in the recent past with two castles) and some knights but not a thing else - no civilians, no houses and/or farms, etc (at least on the mass market, you can get some through DS, but they are unfurnished and unpopulated).

I personally believe it is streaming for boys. They don't think boys will play with domesticated sets.  I don't know if this is based on play-testing or past sales or round-table discussions of executives or what but the knights theme has not dried up and been phased out.

While there have not been a lot of medieval movies out - and I do not think a movie for adults like 300 that a child would never have seen nor movies like Clash of the Titans which would have been too violent for young people to go to or Gladiator (same reasons) or The Eagle, Centurion, etc, etc, etc - same reasons - there is a prevalence in children's literature about knights and castles.  

There is no widespread amount of children's literature anymore regarding ancient civilizations.  Yes, you can find it, if you look.  But you have to look.  It's not something that is prevalent by any means.

Princesses - prevalent.  Farms and Horses - very much so.  City themed stuff - most live it and it is also prevalent in things aimed for and at little children.  Pirates - prevalent.  Construction - same thing.  

It is good Playmobil takes chances and tries new things.  Of course not all of us will agree as to what was a good new thing or not but every one of us has found some things they like in at least one theme.

If you want to find out what's going to sell, look at what is prevalent for children.  Right now.  Not several years earlier (ie Pirates of the Caribbean). Not last year 0 that's already WAY to late to interest children.  But right now for what is being realease right now.  What is going to be popular in a year or two for what is being released in a year or two.

Not easy to try to figure out the future, is it?  

[Rasputin]

HI

Just a heads up for Egyptian collectors. The Pyramid is on sale at TRU for 30% off to bring it down to $73. Our local store had 4 now 3 

Rasputin "The Mad Monk"

[Wesley Myers]

HI

Just a heads up for Egyptian collectors. The Pyramid is on sale at TRU for 30% off to bring it down to $73. Our local store had 4 now 3 

Rasputin "The Mad Monk"

I've always wanted the pyramid.  I love ancient history and I was pretty excited when I first heard they were going to make a pyramid in the first place.  I just don't know if I have room for it ...  Honestly, I don't even know if I would ever use it.  Maybe build it once and that would be it. 

[Justindo]

As with Martin, every Playmobil item I've purchased in the last five years, except for the Viking ship, is a direct result of the Romans.

I'd forgotten about the Roman siege tower, as that was the one Roman set I never purchased due to, in my opinion, its poor design.  (I think Playmobil's medieval siege tower, however, is magnificent.)  I agree that the Roman siege tower raises a question mark in the series as there is no fortification in the theme to lay siege to.  I would have liked to have seen a Roman watchtower instead of that siege tower.  Having a few Roman buildings, maybe one or two military and one or two civilian, available, even via DS, would have really been a nice thing for adults.  As Martin writes, one could adapt these sets to create a fort and a town.  The latter might have brought in the girls, although I agree with Wesley that the knights, pirates, and Romans probably only appeal to boys and they have no interest in domestic items.

Like Martin, I too hold out hope for a Greek and Asian theme or at least a few sets from each theme.

As for the Egyptian pyramid, it's an impressive looking set, but I don't plan on "using" it for anything except as a backdrop for dioramas.

[Wesley Myers]

HI

Just a heads up for Egyptian collectors. The Pyramid is on sale at TRU for 30% off to bring it down to $73. Our local store had 4 now 3 

Rasputin "The Mad Monk"

Toys r us in canada have egyptians on sale too:

http://www.toysrus.ca/family/index.jsp?categoryId=3828793

at least the temple and the sphinx.