Lego Minifigures Copy-Cats?

[Nuvaguy]

I've looked over BZPower's rules and guidelines, and I'm pretty sure that it's OK to mention licensed companies, as long as it isn't advertising them. But, If I'm wrong, please tell me. Anyways, the other day, my little brother purchased something called 'Playmobil Fi?ures' (the question mark is supposed to be there.) It kind of bothered me how similar they were to the LEGO collectible minifigures line. They came in packages that showed the figures you could get from inside, but you had to guess which one it was. The bags are slightly larger but the same material and shape as LEGO's are, instead of the small cardboard boxes that Playmobil usually uses. Some of the characters you could get were the same, too, like the mummy, cavewoman, and soccer player (with a silver trophy.) The picture on the front even had the same silver outline that the LEGO minifigure packs do. The checklist that came inside the bag was very similar to the LEGO figures, as well. The only big differences were that they had a 'boy' series and a 'girl' series, and there were 12 figures in each series. I guess Playmobil saw how popular the LEGO minifigures were, so they tried making their own version. But I think they should've made it less obvious. Has anyone else seen these in stores?

[Laughing Man]

Why should it bother you? It's nowhere near an original concept to release blind-bagged collectible figurines, and LEGO certainly wasn't the first.Even so, it should be unsurprising that Playmobil (and their fellow LEGO competitor company, MegaBloks) have followed suit and jumped on the bandwagon. They're businesses. They want to make money. And capitalizing on the success of another business's product is a common (and effective) strategy in doing so.

Edited November 29, 2011 by Laughin'Man

[P962]

Wow. I mean it's one thing to make a similar product, but if it uses the same exact figures, wouldn't that be flat out copying?

[Aanchir]

Wow. I mean it's one thing to make a similar product, but if it uses the same exact figures, wouldn't that be flat out copying?

But they don't use the same figures, just some of the same archetypes. It would be silly to say that any toy company that releases a mummy figure is "copying" LEGO.I think it's nice to see LEGO "leading the charge" on something like this. It shows that their market research and stuff is still top-notch and that they're determined not to be "just a building toy".

[Nuvaguy]

Why should it bother you? It's nowhere near an original concept to release blind-bagged collectible figurines, and LEGO certainly wasn't the first.Even so, it should be unsurprising that Playmobil (and their fellow LEGO competitor company, MegaBloks) have followed suit and jumped on the bandwagon. They're businesses. They want to make money. And capitalizing on the success of another business's product is a common (and effective) strategy in doing so.

I don't mean the fact that they're 'mystery figures' bothers me. I'm fine with someone using the same idea. It's just the fact that they're so similar is what bothers me. I just noticed that the packs even have a 'series 1' logo that's styled almost the exact same as the LEGO version in the top right corner.So, yeah, it's not the idea in general, it's the fact that they very closely resemble LEGO collectable minifigures in most aspects.http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Nuvaguy/Computer/comparison.bmpThat'll show you what I mean by 'it looks so similar.' Edited November 29, 2011 by Nuvaguy

[Brikman McStudz]

Well, it has worked for LEGO and other companies are simply following suit. It happens all the time, such as many companies jumping on the Tablet-thing Apple created. They all basically the exact same thing and they (mostly) get away with it.Though I can't explain Playmobil's basic carbon-copy of LEGO's CM packaging.It doesn't really bug me, but I can't help but nerd-rage when I go to my local Walmart and see the MegaBlok Halo mystery figures and find no LEGO Collectable Figures.

[Zarohum]

They do look suspiciously similar. However, I've seen lots of logos modelled after more popular brands. There used to be a bar by my dad's house called "Wendt's" using the same font as the fast food chain "Wendy's." It's just to catch your eye.But Mega Bloks used to make Pirates of the Caribbean, and now Lego is making them. If things like this are true, they're both at fault. Let Playmobil try to be as good as Lego. It's like training in Karate, Tae-Kwon-Do, Kung Fu, and Ju-Jitsu for 30 years, and then trying to beat Chuck Norris.

[Nuvaguy]

It's like training in Karate, Tae-Kwon-Do, Kung Fu, and Ju-Jitsu for 30 years, and then trying to beat Chuck Norris.

That's such a great analogy. And now that I think about it, you're probably right about the fact that they look the same is so that they catch people's eyes. That explains why they are the same shade of blue as series 5 minifigures, which are currently out at the same time as these 'series 1' Playmobil figures. My guess is if series 6 LEGO figures are in red (for example) packages, then Playmobil's figures will be in the same color of packaging.

[Gatanui]

I saw these in Austria this summer and immediately noticed the obvious similarity to the LEGO minifigures. Well, I doubt LEGO is going to bother about it, and justifiably. There is no way these can even remotely reach the success of LEGO minifigures. LEGO minifigures are legendary, and they have the advantage that you can actually customize them completely freely. ~Gata.

[Manducus]

The other companies are probably just trying to gain popularity like Lego, but their efforts are probably futile

[Nuvaguy]

I saw these in Austria this summer and immediately noticed the obvious similarity to the LEGO minifigures. Well, I doubt LEGO is going to bother about it, and justifiably. There is no way these can even remotely reach the success of LEGO minifigures. LEGO minifigures are legendary, and they have the advantage that you can actually customize them completely freely. ~Gata.

My little brother showed me that you can actually detach the figure's head, arms, and legs from it's body, so I guess Playmobil is trying to get the same level of customization as LEGO already has. But it is very difficult to put the figure back together once you've taken it apart, so obviously they still have a ways to go before they're as awesome as LEGO.

[Lyichir]

I don't really see why people are worried about these. Besides both being well-established European toy companies, Playmobil and Lego are quite different from one another; Playmobil is less about building and more about role-play. I don't collect Playmobil myself, but I have a few Playmobil products, and am happy with their ingenuity and quality. So while others worry about Playmobil "stealing LEGO's ideas", I see it more as Playmobil seeing how well the blind-bag business model worked for LEGO and trying it with their own products. After all, LEGO really just adapted the idea from trading cards, so it's not like they're the first ones to try this method of sales. And regarding folks who dismiss this as an attempt to steal LEGO's thunder, think again. Playmobil has been around for some time, and has always been more of a niche product than LEGO. Playmobil fans are going to flock to these the way LEGO fans flocked to the collectable minifigs, so Playmobil is getting all the business they need.

[jamesster]

I haven't seen the Playmobile ones, but I did see the Mega Bloks Halo figures... And promptly began searching for a trash bin, toilet, or something else to barf in. >_>

[T3CHn0-LAz0oRZ]

it's horrible, i go to walmart, and find nothing but playmobil and megabloks figures. well, i did find ONE series 5 bag in the pile of HF 3.0 canisters, but still, that's just stupid how they're trying to rip off lego!

[Gatanui]

it's horrible, i go to walmart, and find nothing but playmobil and megabloks figures. well, i did find ONE series 5 bag in the pile of HF 3.0 canisters, but still, that's just stupid how they're trying to rip off lego!

I doubt LEGO is going to suffer the least bit by the rivaling figures. Most people buying LEGO minifigures are probably not interested in Megabloks figures and vice versa.~Gata.

[Toa Zaz]

The resemblance is vague enough to avoid a lawsuit or whatever.

[NorikSigma]

The figures were probably just similiar as it was quite a generic theme. I got seven of the fi?cures or something. It my be similiar in idea but just similiar. Also, TLG probably doesn't own a copyright of the idea, right? I could make a checklist and figures like them if I could. But you are right in the similarity. Besides there are much, much, MUCH more brands which directly copy the Lego brick, stories and all that. There even has been sets modelled after Hero Factory sets. So this isn't much but there is a vagueness that avoids lawsuits. Also, TLG probably does not own a copyright of the idea or layout. Legal stuff is really wishy-washy so it's hard to decide if they are liable.

it's horrible, i go to walmart, and find nothing but playmobil and megabloks figures. well, i did find ONE series 5 bag in the pile of HF 3.0 canisters, but still, that's just stupid how they're trying to rip off lego!

Besides, megabloks and playmobil are the big rivals. There are more brands ripping off TLG by copying the brick design. I've seen it lots of times. Fortunately those copy-brick brands do not sell much or at all. Edited December 23, 2011 by Norik Ta Hagah

[NNH]

LEGO tends to set off trends with big brands like Mega Bloks and Playmobil, and of course the very low quality, more direct rip-off "brands" that spring up all the time. It's unfair when any good ideas get copied but as others have said this collectible mystery bag thing isn't exactly a brand new concept and it's impossible to say who came up with everything first.LEGO simply have more of a focus on innovative ideas and quality products as opposed to short-term massive profits, which is why I think most of us love them. They aren't really threatened by copycat products, so whilst it can be annoying to see them... well, never mind. :)NNH

[Aanchir]

it's horrible, i go to walmart, and find nothing but playmobil and megabloks figures. well, i did find ONE series 5 bag in the pile of HF 3.0 canisters, but still, that's just stupid how they're trying to rip off lego!

I don't see why you're upset. The fact that you saw that means that the LEGO collectible minifigures have been more successful than their imitators. ;)Overall, imitation of this kind is just the nature of business. I would be a lot more upset if TLG were somehow stifling competition by stopping other companies' attempts to move into the blind-packaged collectible figures market. They have no monopoly on that concept, after all.It should also be noticed that the Playmobil figures' packaging being blue is likely just a coincidence. The female "Fi?ures", after all, are in pink packaging, something TLG has never used. Playmobil, by comparison, has used blue packaging for years and years, with pink being the color for girl-oriented toys like dollhouses. So the only thing Playmobil really copied was the concept of blind-packaged collectible figures-- the color was just a result of them following the spirit of their traditional packaging designs.