Playmates Launches Star Trek Movie Toy Website w/ Full Wave 1 Details & TV Commercial

On April 19th the first wave of Playmates Star Trek movie related toys, figures, and playsets will hit stores. This morning Playmates is launching a site dedicated to their Star Trek line (including their TV commercial). TrekMovie was given an early preview. See below for details about the website, including some news and last minute clarifications about the diverse and exciting line from Playmates Toys.

 

Boldly Go to Playmates Website
When Playmates Toys was the Star Trek toy licensee during the 1990s, the Internet was just beginning to be an everyday presence in people’s lives. Now, in another sign of just how big the new Star Trek film is going to be, Playmates Toys has created a true Star Trek first, an entire website dedicated to the Star Trek 2009 movie toy line by a major company.

The new site can be visited at startrek.playmatestoys.com


Main page of new Playmates Star Trek site

The Playmates Toys Star Trek website features five sections, each detailing a different type of toy. Each section provides the chance to zoom in on the toys, and many feature multiple views and front and back packaging images. Also, there are downloadable versions of instruction sheets for some of the toys available if fans misplace their copies that are included with the items. Here is a preview of each of the sites and some neat things to be sure to engage.

Section #1: Figures
This section includes a comprehensive look at the first waves of the various sized action figures. You can check out large images, plus images of packaging. Each character gets a description plus details on their accessories. The three lines of figures are:

  • The Command Series features six 12" action figures with detailed cloth uniforms, display stands and accessories (Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Sulu, and Pike all in Enterprise Uniforms, and Original Spock). The Sulu and Pike action figures are Toys R Us Exclusives. Note that originally Nero had been planned to be included in this wave (and he is pictured on the website) but the figure is now set for wave 2 which will be out later in the summer.
  • The Warp Series features ten 6" action figures with flexible PVC shirts, display stands, and accessories (Kirk, Spock, Sulu, Pike, Uhura & Scotty in Enterprise Uniforms + Chekov & McCoy in Cadet Uniform +  Nero and Original Spock). Of special interest is that the two Spock action figures include an interchangeable "Vulcan salute" hand for wishing other figures "Live Long and Prosper!" Another cool feature is that Nero includes his Romulan Teral’n weapon, something seen in the new comic prequel comic, as well.
  • The Galaxy Series features ten 3.75" action figures sized for the playsets and including display stands and accessories (Kirk, Spock, Scotty, Pike, & Sulu in Enterprise Uniforms + Uhura, Chekov & McCoy in Cadet Uniform +  Nero and Original Spock).


Galaxy series Spock — Get all the details on each figure at the new Playmates Star Trek site

Each Galaxy figure includes a part of either the USS Enterprise Bridge Playset and Transporter Playset to build out the entire play environments. By getting the figures, fans will also be getting a piece to add to their starter playsets that will help add more fun and playability. The Enterprise will require 18 pieces to complete, and the Transporter has 4 additional pieces. There are ten characters included in the first wave of this sized figure each with a specific playset piece included. Wave 2 will include more of these extra playset pieces. The cool thing about the website is that by clicking on the images of the front packaging of the 3.75" line, fans see not only nicely detailed images of the cool assortment of action figures, they also get to see which playset piece is included with which figure.


Galaxy series Pike Packaging — site helps you identify which figures come with which playset components

Section #2: Vehicles
The first of Playmates Toys Star Trek vehicles is appropriately the new U.S.S. Enterprise. There are many detailed images of the ship with some good angles for starship aficionados. Of special note is that toy will come with both authentic lighting and sound effects (including Kirk and Spock lines from the film) and a display stand that allows for 360 degree viewing of the Enterprise. The site offers multiple angles of the ship and the box, and you can even download the owner’s manual.


The USS Enterprise – detailed with many views on new site

Section #3: Role Play Toys
Role play items are some of the most popular selling toys now for lines such as Star Wars and superheroes. Now, Star Trek is back in the action with Playmates trifecta of the communicator, tricorder, and phaser (featuring stun and the less harsh, toy-friendly, phrased "vaporize" settings).


Back of Phaser pack shown on site – most products have backs shown
(you can also see choice to view the manual as a PDF)

Section #4: Playsets
It is here that fans get a good look at two playsets of the Enterprise Bridge and Transporter Room. Each set comes with a mat and ‘core’ components, plus a figure (Kirk w/ Bridge, Scotty w/Transporter). The website shows floorplans to help guide fans as they collect the additional pieces for these starter sets, showing where each of the additional pieces are connected.


New Playmates site includes playset diagrams to help put together your sets


Section #5: Cool Stuff  w/ TV Commercial
This section includes news, including an enticing promise of even more toys from Playmates Toys this late summer and autumn! This is a good location to check frequently for store events and news.

Playmates will be airing a TV commercial for their first wave in May, but you can watch it now on the site. The commercial gives you an idea how the transporter playset works, and for the first time you can hear some of the sounds of the Enterprise vehicle toy.


Playmates commercial shows toys in action

Playmates Toys will be available starting April 19th at stores such as Toys R Us, Walmart, Target, KMart, and Amazon.com. What is especially nice about the startrek.playmatestoys.com website is that for ‘completist’ collectors, it works as a kind of official checklist of what to look for this April and as the line continues to grow. Also, it gives more casual collectors, shoppers, fans, and parents a really good look at the items. This is the first time a company has dedicated an entire website to Star Trek toys, and it helps to add to the excitement of both the movie itself and the excellent variety of toys available in about four weeks! .

And there is more to come. The website is clearly made to accommodate more toys then just what is coming out on April 19th, and there is a note in the news section that "Additional waves of figures and product will be released in fall. Announcements will be coming." So stay tuned

Pre-order Playmates Star Trek Wave 1 at Entertainment Earth
The entire first wave of Playmates Star Trek movie toys are available for pre-order at our affiliate partner for Star Trek toys, Entertainment Earth (who have a low-price guarantee). Reserving your items now can give you peace of mind that you will get what you want. All items should be shipping around April 19th.

Figures

Playsets

Role Play Toys:

Vehicle

 

 
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Yes! I was waiting for this. I’m getting the Enterprise and maybe the phaser or tricorder. I want to get one (can only spend so much) of the figures, but not sure which one yet (likely Kirk or Spock).

I asked people in a toy store here in Munich, and they said they don’t know if they’re gonna get them.

Stupid Munich…

@2…

I know what you are talking about ’cause I heard the same answer last friday. So, whenever I think about Germany, Luke Skywalker comes to my mind (I know, it’s pretty un-Trek-like): ‘If there’s a bright center to the universe, you’re [in the country] that it’s farthest from’…

Why am I not 6 anymore??

5 – are kids actually gonna want any of this stuff though? im of the impression alot of the sales will be from trek fans who have bought all the previous trek toys…

Can you turn the emitter 90° and fire two beams?

Is 42 too old to buy this stuff?

What is Cornelius from POTA doing in there?

Oh wait, that’s Kirk…

#6—I’m curious as to how the sales of these toys turn out as well. My guess is that, prior to May 8th, only established fans/collectors will purchase them.

If the film is a hit with kids, though—who knows what will happen with these after the film’s release?

6 –

I can’t speak for all children, but these definitely have my 6-year-old nephew’s attention. Then again, he is a boy of refined taste… ; )

I’m very excited to see the movie, but that is a truly ugly ship.

That’s actually kind of interesting.

#8

No.

Is anyone else having trouble watching the commercial? Because it ‘aint happening on my ‘puter.

OK it really hit me that this movie is gonna be cool when I saw the playmates commercial…. made me feel like a kid again!

How cool is old Spock’s tunic!

Here we go!

‘U.S.S. Enterprise Vehicle’? Uh. It’s a STARSHIP!

I shall boycott this movie.

Anyone want about a hundred Playmates Next Gen figures???
NEVER AGAIN!!
(But gotta have the bizzaro phaser, at least.)

My intention is to stick with the 3.75″ and maybe a phaser. I am still debating on the Enterprise itself. Looking at the site though, I may have to make Kirk my Chekov and Pike my Kirk… I hope when they hit stores the rather garish lip paint is less severe.

I want to first say that I am very excited about this movie and mostly like what I see, including the Enterprise, but I don’t really like this phaser and am having trouble getting used to a tricorder without a viewscreen of some kind. Maybe that design will make more sense in the movie.

Dangit!

If you look at the Toy version of the Enterprise, you’ll see that behind the bridge are two buttons on the gray strip that leads to the neck. Now the darn thing is a “Press Bridge” format that Diamond Select uses! Argh!

I want my Photon Torpedo button!

I love Trek and I love Action Figures.. but Playmates really dropped the ball on these. The old 90’s Playmates line eats these alive. The 6″ are awkward, clunky and the textured shirts look horrible. The 3.75″ line is out of proportion with every section; the legs dont match the torso and the torso doesnt match the arms and the forearms dont match the upper arms.. they both have maybe five points of articulation and i really hope that bridge starter set is $10 considering I have to buy — and open — one of each figure in the galaxy series [and there are 18 parts to the bridge and ten figs in the first series…] to complete the bridge. I’ll probably but the spocks, a kirk and a nero.. otherwise I’ll enjoy my old school trek toys. and please please spare me the “dont complain” or “what do you expect” comments, as if I should be accepting of whatever playmates does to cut costs and raise income at the cost of my fondness for action figures.

10 – i cant get past the feeling that bar to odd exception, kids are gonna be like ‘meh’ to the film and trek in general – kinda like Superman Returns…and that trying to appeal to them with loads of toys will be a bit of a lost cause

i do get the feeling the movie will do very well at the box office for a trek film ($300m-400m range) and will have trekkies and movie fans in general raving….just not have kids jumping up and down in glee pestering mom and dad to see it over and over and to get all the toys like a Pirates of Carabbien, Transformers or Spiderman etc

The Pike figures kinda look like Shatner!

#22 –

It’s got spaceships and phaser guns. What’s not to like for a kid???

16
Vehicles, derived from the Latin word, vehiculum, are non-living means of transport. Most often they are manufactured (e.g. bicycles, cars, motorcycles, trains, ships, boats, and aircraft), although some other means of transport which are not made by humans also may be called vehicles; examples include icebergs and floating tree trunks.

Speaking as a fan of the previous playmates line of trek toys, I welcome every last little bit that they’re doing. This is an element of the movie I really have been looking forward to: adding to my figure collection. Where to put it all? Or at least where to put all that my sometimes paltry disposable income will allow. Damn adult responsibilities! (of course I’m also talking about buying lots of star trek toys so “adult” might not apply) And remember, these are TOYS. So if they’re not exact replicas, that’s ok. They still look like plenty of fun to me!

The TV Commercial + Available at Wal-Mart, Target, K-Mart, etc is one of the many reasons why they were wise to go with Playmates for toys over DST for collectors.

I want to see the Playmates StarTrek Iceberg & Tree Trunk

As an avid toy buyer, I think a lot of these will be peg warmers- I could be wrong, and maybe the movie will pull in kids like flies to sugar (thought I was gonna say somethign else, huh?), but I bet you’ll get these on clearance soon. I agree with Adam that these are not as appealing as they could be. If you look at a lot of new toys, these look more than a bit clunky. I do however like the fact they look “playable” whereas a lot of the current figures aimed at older audiences are not (they are more made to hold a pose than be played with, i.e. Indiana Jones and 25th Anniversary GI Joes). Three and a quarter inch is my favorite scale though, and I have been waiting for years for Classic Trek figures that scale. These are close enough to the original designs I can squint and fake it even if the new movie isn’t very good. Might have to build my own bridge though…

Yikes April 19th!

-cs™

Is there going to be a model of the new Enterprise that we can buy, build, and paint?

Some kids will buy them, but not many — which is OK. The toy market nowadays is primarily aimed at 30-somethings+above who can’t handle growing up (like me!).

These look to be finely crafted and I look forward to having Kirk guard my computer at work from the time-traveling Romulans I know work on the same floor. Just have to prove it.

Am I just an angry old man, or does it bother anyone else that they’ve decided to sell Kirk-era Star Trek” toys with the phrase “where no one has gone before” on the back.

Enough of this PC bullshit, America! History is history and that history is where no MAN has gone before.

I just got my Original Communicator from EntertainmentEarth. Man oh man is that thing sweeeeeet!! I’m for sure gonna get the nuTOS phaser and communicator. I’d like to thank Anthony for posting this toy news, otherwise I wouldn’t have a clue where to get this, my local area doesn’t seem to get all the new stuff.

#33-

C’mon, is it that hard to comprehend that the original phrase was created before the advent of women’s lib and female astronauts? I don’t think it’s “PC bullsh*t” at all. If anything, the phrase “where no ONE has gone before” is more inclusive and makes more sense.

#8

God, I hope not…seeing as I’m 46. lol

OK, the idiot in me figured out how to work the commercial link.

Does anyone else think the Enterprise looks , well………..kinda small? The toy appears to be in the hands of a kid so it appears to be under 12 inches. Looks to be about 10 inches or so.

So this begs the question I have asked over and over (like #31 above) and nobody ever answers:

Is there going to be an accurate version of the Enterprise available, like a model or DST type collector item? And not a zillion dollar MR masterpiece. I mean, Harry Knowles at AICN was sent a version of the Enterprise to paint and he is only mildly into Trek. At least we know that there are accurate versions of the ship out there. Will we, the average, dollar spending (or whatever form of currency you use) public get something that doesn’t necessarily fit into the hands of a 10 year old?

Oh wow, seeing that commercial gave me a RETRO feeling, I remember seeing commercials for the TNG toys, and now seeing this brings back those memories.

i HATE HATE HATE THAT HIDEOUS PHASER!! It looks as if it was designed to be a toy from the get-go. The designers may feel that the original phaser needed a change, but at least it looked like a functional device!

Do kids sitll play with action figures? I ask cause they just seem so sophisticated compared to the dark ages when I was one. ;) And I had this interesting chat with a TRU employee when I was out searching for the DST figures last month. He was saying that ADULTS bought more of the SW figures than kids nowadays which made me smile. I believe it.

It’s funny how toy ads have not changed since the ’70s.

39. Yeah a functional PHASER. the “innards” are all that matters in real tools. I have a BRIGHT ORANGE cordless drill. it doesnt drill any worse than the black one which looks more “Functional”

OCH, ME BAIRNS!!!

Lest we forget. “Functional” has nothing to do with Aesthetics, unless the Aesthetics have crazy non-ergo parts to them.

40:

My kids (8 and 6) have no interest in action figures. My 8-yr old girl is not a ‘barbie’ fan, but my younger son may yet convert.

All they care about is what they can play on a screen.

It’s good to see the Roleplay items.

Those are on my Must Get(tm) list, to go with the Uniform I’ve pre-ordered.

I might get one item per month for 3 months, starting with the Communicator, then Phaser, then Tricorder.

Finances and Taxes for you :-)

#35 “If anything, the phrase “where no ONE has gone before” is more inclusive and makes more sense.”

It’s hard to get more inclusive than mankind…and that’s what the “man” was inferring.

The no “one” crap IS 80’s PC nonsense that is a remnant of the 24th century that hopefully will NOT find its way into this movie.

And as far as the toys go, count me in for the landing party “exlporation” set and the ship. Whether or not kids will buy the stuff or even want the stuff, I don’t know. Seems to me it will take at least for the summer and then repeated DVD viewings for the kids to even get aquainted with it enough to want to “play” it. By then, they may not be on the shelves anymore.

Some new angled shots of the E – it looks alarmingly awful from some of those angles. It’s the first time I won’t be getting a new starship version model.

I want to know if the Enterprise “vehicle” will be of the same quality as the DST model “toys”. I currently have the TOS, TMP, and TNG Enterprise ships. If this isn’t the same quality detail I hope DST will release this ship soon!

@#47 I have to disagree. The shot of the underside of the Enterprise really reminds of TOS. Another has a striking similarity to TMP blended with TOS. Yes, the angle from above looks awkward mostly because the size of the nacelles, but I think they did a great job with this ship design.

I agree 39. Even the laser used in the TOS pilot looked better than this.