Okay. The Toys. They are exactly what they are supposed to be ,toys for kids and firmly marketed towards that age group. Disney has expertly targeted Christmas 2015 in an effort to capture a sizable portion of the spend on boys toys. Or so they hope. Obviously theres been a huge effort to have something in the shops in time to capitalize on the films release date. Given the tight timelines I'm actually rather impressed with how much they've got out there, if not in the actual quality of it.
The question is how is it affecting what we'll see in the film? And why have we've got what we've got at this exact moment?
First off indications are that alot of the more complex concept work that had to have been finally converted into on screen visual effects simply wasn't avialable or anywhere near completion for the toy firms to manufacture in them time by the release date. Not with any accuracy anyway given likely changes to them in production. So it hasn't happened yet. These will obviously be second wave releases, probably in time to coincide the DVD coming on sale.
This seems true to me. Its probably why Maz and alot of the aliens are missing and what we've basically been left with the key hero/villain humanoid figures as they had already been costumed and completed for the actual film shooting on set and location . Its already been stated that we probably won't see Maz in the trailer or until the actual release date and given the complex effects work I think that makes total sense . And it obvious pays to get the key characters out there and selling before the less well known one role out through the manufacturing process.
Anyone whose read my previous posts knows I had a few issues with the rather weak craft designs. Again its mostly the actual physical stage models that were already built early to fit in with the live shooting schedule that we have got, which is why we've seen what we have seen , one or two space craft (most notably the X wing) and a load of ground vehicles, speeders etc . Again these were signed off early for use during filming and so were the first to be ready to be converted into toys.
Again that makes total sense , with all the necessary visual modelling and rendering effects work to be completed right up to the deadline. I'm assured there are actually many more new and some classic designs that we may yet glimpse shortly and obviously in the completed film. The odd looking distant Walkers that we've glimpsed are apparently at rest, and when powered up, the joints and body shell articulate into something more like the tradition model we'd expect.
This stuff is all "Phase One".
The more adult targeted props that I'd collect are a way bit down the line and given the complexity in manufacture coming to us at no time soon. And that's no shock at all. In terms of bulk sales we are not an important early market.
So the message is don't panic , all is well. What we've seen is just the early stuff they were able to get made quickly enough and shipped into the stores for Christmas. The better, more complex elements will obviously be seen after the films release. I am guessing Easter, when the sales figures before and after Xmas can be better understood and future demand estimated. There so obviously going to be a huge spike after the films release.
Meanwhile rejoice!!! Its only going to be a very short period until we get the new trailer. They've got to do something pretty spectacular to get all those people into the stores at midnight.