Seems to me that WOTC is missing out on a ton of money without doing these, or licensing someone like McFarlane Toys to put out a set of iconic figures (Elminster, Drizzt, Jarlaxle, Entreri, Zhengyi from FR, The Companions from Dragonlance, etc.), and iconic monsters (Beholders, Mind Flayers, etc.)
I for one would be all over it, and have sets all over my office and home. If only there was a toy company attached to WOTC somehow. *coughHASBROcough*
Anyone else think this should happen??
Synjin wrote:
I would be interested in the monsters and a line of Ravenloft Darklord figures, especially Jaqueline Renier 
Well, they are selling D&D branded Kre-Os. They aren't action figures, but you can use the bricks to make dungeons and the figures as minis.
Synjin wrote:
Kreo looks to be where they're doing D&D stuff, given traditional action figures aren't selling good at the moment
If they can't sell stuff based on the Marvel movies (The Captain America/Iron Man 3 lines failed, GI Joe is barely hanging on, and that's before you even get to stuff like Green Lantern being considered one of Mattel's biggest failures), then there's no way D&D stuff would move off the shelves. The only stuff that is moving for them action-figure wise is Transformers, and even that's having problems
Also kids these days don't know or care about who Dritz, Elminster or any of that are because anything involving them is, what, at least 20 years before their time? Unless something is constantly reinvented and made to be modern (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Transformers), you can't just resell it. That'll end up with a hilarious situation like He-Man and the fact they can only sell those as expensive exclusives because kids are more interested in modern cartoon shows with good writing as opposed to a 20 year old one without
Action figures are also an adult thing these days. 20 and 30 something dudes who 'collect' them.
Kids just want smart phones, tablets, notebook PCs, video games, internet access 24/7/365 etc. now. They don't play like we did, LMAO. Sure, they have dolls, toys, big wheels, etc. still...But as soon as they hit about 2nd-3rd grade now, they want tech, not toys.
You can't even get a decent toy* anymore...Aside from legos...And they're really upping their marketing towards the adult collectors too.
*Especially toy guns.
PS: I had D&D toys as a little kid in the early 80's. Some pally on a bronze dragon, some evil fighter on a nightmare, some lair that was a green head with lava pit stickers...And a cheesy hook horror. I also had GI Joe, Transformers, Star Wars...and most of all...Legos.
I'd definitely be grabbing up monster action figures from the MM if they made some of those.
seti wrote:
CCS wrote:
Mistwell wrote:
Venger action figure would be great.
I really feel for toy producers these days. On the one hand it's a business, and like any business the primary goal is profit. But by the same token, I don't suppose many of the people involved just flipped a coin one day and said "Hey, toys sounds like a lucrative career!" and, as such, probably have at the very least a passing interest in the quality of what they put out.
But today's super-sensitive overly-litigious society is enough to kill that love outright in many fields, and in some ways it seems to me that toys are yet another victim. Offend one person with a stack of Twitter followers and your career is in serious jeapordy. I certainly wouldn't want to be the person in charge of designing toys meant to represent heroes or monsters for D&D, because no matter how well you do, you're going to offend a huge chunk of people and odds are better than not that at least one subgroup of them is just itching to destroy not just your day, but your reputation, career, and livelihood and a decent chance they've got the followers to succeed at it. It's just not worth it anymore.
arnwolf666 wrote:
I still have a few of the old figures (Warduke, Elkhorn (the dwarf), the Titan, Barbarian). I should have kept the bronze dragon and nightmare (made for Warduke)!
But, yes, it is a different world for children these days (well, many first world children), see George Carlin's bit on "Kids".
Only if they also make a dungeon-themed wrestling ring. The ropes could be green slime.
Obviously the ropes have to stretch so you can launch your Dwarven Fighter at the Beholder.
alienux wrote: