The Cybercast interviews Rik Alvarez of Play With This Too

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On November 22nd, the Cybercast interviewed Rik Alvarez. Here is a summary of the information revealed...

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

http://www.playwiththistoo.com

Stuff talked about:

Play With This Toosday - They need to reveal things more regularly to get everything out before the Kickstarter, so reveals every Tuesday. This Tuesday they will reveal something that will appeal to Masters of the Universe fans. This figure idea was by Trent Troop and the design is by Aaron Archer.

Talked about being asked to help Brian Savage for 5 years because Hasbro said he didn't know much about Transformers (being a GI Joe collector). He then went to Haslab at Hasbro under Aaron Archer. Hasbro let the Haslab people go. Talk about Steve Redinger, Trent Troop and Simon Furman's background.

Asked why they went third party/independent rather than going to work for another company. They thought it was better to be in charge of themselves rather work under restraints. They have been working on this PWTT for a year and a half.  He thinks toys are splitting into 2 markets, the kiddie stuff and the collector figures. The name Play With This Too comes from the store Play With This Toys & Collectibles that Rik used to work for. The company was originally called Shantel's Tears, but they needed a better name. Scott Talis was the owned of the store (the company logo, Talix, is named after him, modeled after a Colorforms alien from the 1950s, with some influence from Hoist Goes to Hollywood alien mask).

The good guy faction is called Protectors, and the bad guys are called Heretics, but they are not a team, they are all independent.

Rik grew up plaything with a lot of toy lines... Masters of the Universe, GI Joe, Inhumanoids, Sectaurs, Silverhawks, Thundercats, stuff that inspires his toys.

Rik is most proud of The Mighty Muscules (rhymes with Hercules) Son of Tertosteros - Muscular guy with a mustache, wrestler, talks like Hulk Hogan, sash, strong arms, orange Tech Drone, wants to join the hero team. They will reveal him soon. He will be a Kickstarter exclusive. (sounds like Pretender Stranglehold to me).

Asked about his character names. He wants names that describe who they are in the fiction, with He-Man type names. The toys will have tech specs or bios, and a custom box.

The Tech Drones started as simple weapons that combiner into a scout vehicle. Mark Wong figured they would add some bits and they could combine into humanoid robots. They came up much later than the 6 inch figures.

Fan feedback is important. They do read it and use it. They changed the wrists to be 5mm peg/holes from a suggestion. They might make a cape series as a stretch goal. Rik reads most of the boards.

Cybercast asks if we will see Metalhawk or Grand inspired character. Rik  has a character name Ironflight or Ironstrike. Blue helmet, wings, big weapon covered in 5m ports. Designed by Mark Wong. Will show him on a Tuesday.

Cybercast asks if there will  be any beasts or vehicles. Rik talks about beasts after the Kickstarter is over. He has an idea for 4 characters that are from one body, just change the head. He does have a humanoid character name Tri-Gorr, who has an animal head. He is a Beast that likes to Battle! ;-)

Cybercast wonders if they will make a Modulok like character. Rik says they can swap limbs between figures.

The Play With Yourself box set. Enough parts to make 2 figures in white or grey parts, for customizers.

For fiction - Comic are expensive, so they can't start with those. Might be a prose story, there will be bio cards written by Aaron, Simon and Trent. There will be a digital book with bios, art, head shots bios, making of the figures.

Rik is asked about what toys need updates - Sky-Lynx. When at Hasbro Rik used to document third party toys. When he was let go he bought a lot of it. He mostly collects third party TFs today.

Cybercast asks him about Sectaurs - Both Josh the host and Rik collect them, and have almost complete sets. Asked if they will make a Sectaurs homage... Rik said all the brands mentioned before will be inspiration for PWTT. Micronauts and Centurions are mentioned. The host and Rik geek out over Captain Power for a few minutes. Rik loves Sauron the Sky Sentry.

Feedback from people has been positive. Some people online have had the opposite opinion. Rik's crowd funding consultant says he has never seen a campaign promote this early.

In the future they have a new thing planned, not transforming, that's very different. They also have licenses under works for figures in 2016.

Asked what happens if figures sell out. Some figures will be Kickstarter exclusives. Some reissues will be different from the original to protect their investment as original.

We will see prototypes in January or sooner. They had their first figure 3D printed and and it wasn't good enough, so they went out and recruited Christopher Dalhberg to make the digital sculpts, and Peer Brauner making tech drones and weapons.

Rik is a fan of Micronauts - Biotron and Baron Karza.

Then went into the Ken Christiansen Facebook Like Drive, talked about Hasbro vs. Takara for decos on Brainstorm, and some other topical news.

[mignash]

New image from Play With This Too for the upcoming TFcon 2015 reveal.
Of course the obligatory fan-made enhancement of the image using autolevel on a paint program so you can see the details.

https://www.facebook.com/PWTToo/photos/a.292919947560869.1073741828.264887950364069/423754427810753/?type=1&theater

[mignash]

We have our first look at a render of the second design for the upcoming Kickstarter Redux. Jetstrike is a foul-mouthed, bad boy fighter pilot in flying Protector armor in the Lost Protectors universe. According to posts by Play With This Too expect the Kickstarter to begin in September 2015.

[mignash]

We have full color painted prototype images of Jetstrike!

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.437321369787392.1073741835.264887950364069&type=3

Finally revealing our painted Jetstrike prototype. + New pictures of the painted Boneyard prototype. Also shown is the new torso with abdomen crunch action. Help make us a Kickstarter staff pick once we go live in September. Launch date coming soon!