What's the next big innovation in action figures?
 

I got into collecting shortly before Marvel Legends started using face print technology. For MCU collectors, this had to be a game changer. Now, I'm wondering what's the next breakthrough for these little hunks of plastic. Is it seamless articulation? Probably not revolutionary for expensive figures like Hot Toys but could we see seamless articulation for mass retail six inch lines?

I am waiting on the person who figures out how to merge 3D printers and vending machines so you just push a button and the character of your choice pops out.


CCC.

Yeah, I can picture that inevitably happening. Maybe something like a cross between the Disney theme parks build a droid and the kiosks they had at Target a few years ago where people were scanned and turned into Stormtrooper and Jedi action figures.

I think the next big thing might be ridiculously ultra realistic clothing textures on plastic...like we've kind of seen already on the SHF old man Luke and prototype USO Captain America. A lot of people (myself included) thought they were soft goods at first glance. So yeah like an evolved version of that where it's rendered so finely that it almost feels like actual clothing as well.

I think the endgame for toys is when they look exactly like shrunken people, little rigor mortis homunculi things for us to rule over. That might be the point where it gets too creepy for me.

I agree on 3d printing. Made to order. Imagine no more peg warmers. No expensive molds. Supply exactly meets demand. Design time cut from years to weeks. NO Scalpers.
I would be very surprised if the Hasbro fun centers thry plan to open dont incorporate someform of this tech. They had a scanning booth and make your own statuette at the TRU in times square thr last time I was there. Theres a local hobby store using 3d printers to recreate old marx playset pieces.
Keeping in mind i expect retail locations ro be the exception moving foward. You go online. Order a figure and two days later it arrives.
Farther future,like 20 years, you order it and it gets printed on your home printer. (Not just toys)
Cynnical side? You font own the item, the plastic is designed to last x amount if time and then degrades, you only haveca limited license for the copywritten design.

Then everyone will start storming there collections in walk in freezers, or vacuum sealed rooms.

These ideas are ridiculous. Obviously, AI powered tiny androids are going to be a reality though.

British Airforce is using an industrial 3D printer in the field now. As for the vending application, I see it in Japan first. They love their vending machines and like to stay 6 years ahead of everyone else on tech, so there is your wait time.

CCC.

You guys may be on to something with the create your own figure idea. In fact, I can't imagine that it doesn't already exist in some form right now. There's gotta be specs for action figure pieces that you can download, print out and then put together.

Don't buy this guy.
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon....1cUvycfJYL.jpg
He's a dick.

Long as you get one of these you’re golden.

https://i.imgur.com/x4LDiC7.jpg

Boss Fight Blanks.


CCC.

I think Barbie dolls have "seamless" articulation -- the elbow/knee joints are covered with a sleeve of rubber. or were, I haven't been close to a Barbie doll out of package in 25 years.

Molecule 8 and their 1/6th scale figures with actual steel skeletons seemed pretty revolutionary when they announced in 2017:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUxceSSp_pM

The company announced major licensing acquisitions with likenesses for John Lennon and Gene Wilder in his role as Willy Wonka. All toys were to feature the endoskeleton along with multiple head sculpts, accessories and wardrobe items:

https://www.stereogum.com/1983667/wi...ule8/giveaway/

Molecule 8's goals were lofty and the follow through was more miss than hit, thanks to some very questionable business practices:

https://www.toyorigin.com/2018/10/16...s-in-disguise/

I don't collect 1:6 figures, so I cannot comment on how successful Molecule 8 was with the delivered product. Reviews appear to be mixed for sure:

Molecule8 John Lennon UPDATE 5/10/18 - SCAM COMPANY! - Page 691

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gvv5_ADRi0

I think I recall first reading about Molecule 8 here, but I can't seem to find the article, hence the multi-sourcing above. I'm not sure if I imagined seeing the news on the Ark, or if the content was scrubbed because of collectors leveling accusations of scam and impropriety at Molecule 8's founder, Vijay Chadha.

3d printing is going to change everything a few innovation cycles from now. Shapeways is workign on getting full color, smooth-surface printing with variable transparency together as an option in the next 12 months. At the start it will be niche and expensive, but with the ability to print the deco straight into the material you can do all kidns of things that would never be cost effective or even possible by other means.

I'd love to see 3d printing kiosks in the style of the old Mold-A-Rama machines you'd find in zoos and other tourist attractions. Speed is the real question there with how things are currently done.

Heck, Mattel was supposed to get a home 3d printer out on the market under the "Thingmaker" name, but they haven't quite gotten that together yet.

I think the best way is to have the figure drop out in a zip lock bag and you snap it together using a combination of ball/socket and Glyos joints.


CCC.

Probably see some sort of advanced AR where you look at your toy through your smartphone camera and it "comes alive" and can interact with other action figures... just more advanced programs of the things they can do now.... but that's probably more "gimmick" than innovation...

Hasbro's experimented with this too with that old "ironman" target kiosk.

So yeah, this is very true that 3D printers are going to impact toys in a big way in the future.

Also btw! Love your shapeways stuff! Was wondering why I recognized your name. Now I know why, I've ordered stuff from you plenty of times. xD

This is a great thread. Some really good ideas. I'd really like to see seamless wrist joints on 1/6 figures but i can understand the challenge there. Also a perfected material for seamless rubber bodies would be nice. One that never tears or cracks, doesn't stick to itself and can be pigmented accurately without needing paint, but it's a bit of a pipe dream. Fingers crossed for a breakthrough.

Also, when it comes to how business is done, I really think these companies doing high-end figures need to do more to deal with figures that break. They have gotten much better and I almost never have a broken figure, but I'd like to see more metal joints, or plastic joints that are easily removable and replacements can be bought from the company, indefinitely (the molds are just sitting there, after all). Even at a cost to the collector which I would have no problem with. For figures like hot toys, I want to be able to buy wrist joints directly from them, whenever I want for any figure. I think this is one area where 3d-printing can be utilized very soon, but not necessarily by traditional FDM printing as it is now.

Im kinda worried....it didnt turn out too well for homer when the krusty doll came to life. ;)

Boss Fight has done something cool that they really need to rethink and expand on. They have the basic Blank figure you can get for about $17 and repaint as you like, then they did 6 blind bags in 3 colors; white, black, and red, so a total of 18 possibilities. For example; in the Anubis bag you get a jackal head, cowl, skirt, crook, flail, and ankh. Problem is it is a blind bag, you don't know which one you will get unless you buy the box. Not practical. They need to market these openly so you can choose what you want, and then create more possibilities so that you can imagine whatever character you want and make it real.
This is like 2 steps below the 3D printer idea, you just don't get it immediately and you have to do some of the work yourself.


CCC.