Small Scale Military Headquarters

Was looking around on the internet tonight and it seems that Ultimate Soldier XD is back..... Just in Lego Form. They have a web site and here are some photos of their offerings.

http://ultimatesoldierxd.com/

At first I thought this was an early April Fool's post...
I wonder if there's any blood lineage to the original 21CT or someone just bought rights to the name...let's see where it goes from here...

Maritime, Currahee......... say its not true. Aha shit, I'm gonna be sick.................

Hmmm, if they do just figure packs I may be in. Looks like they're trying to innovate somewhat, but I'd much preferred seeing them go the route of mimicking Mega Blocks and what they've accomplished with video game brands like Call of Duty. The figures are more fun and interesting IMO, than trying to directly copy Lego guys and tack a knee joint onto it.

That said, they have my attention anyway. Lego is dominating... This makes sense, actually.

I honestly think it is just white noise in an already well represented market. Of course you have Lego leading the pack in building bricks; then you have Mega Bloks with the Call of Duty and other lines and finally you have Kre-O doing GI Joe and more. There are a lot of military building bricks on the market, which could make it really tough to get these into stores - if that is even their intent. You might get the kids on board with these, but as for more adult collectors I just don't know. Just unfortunate to see the XD brand reduced to building bricks, but at least they are trying something.

There is very surely a connection between these Lego-like offerings and 21c's former brand... 21c was headquartered in San Clemente, California, so is this new company, BH Toys. Also the language on the website: "It’s our company’s goal to carry on the Ultimate Soldier brand legacy established 19 years ago..." and "The Ultimate Soldier XD brand has been the Leader in Highly Detailed, Authentic and Top Quality Military toys since 1997." Seems very much like someone with a connection to 21c bought the rights to the Ultimate Solder line... and then bastardized it

As I look about my man cave filled with "proper" Ultimate Soldier XD models in scales ranging from 1:144 to 1:6, a part of me is disappointed with this new development...

" Our mission is to deliver high quality, safe and innovative toys to our customer. It’s our company’s goal to carry on the Ultimate Soldier brand legacy established 19 years ago, through the development of highly detailed , safe and authentic products with outstanding play value and customer satisfaction.

The Ultimate Soldier XD brand has been the Leader in Highly Detailed, Authentic and Top Quality Military toys since 1997. We pride ourselves on providing our customers with the highest quality and best valued toys.

Now in 2014, we are introducing military construction sets and cool customized figures. Our construction sets feature the same level of Authenticity, Detail & Quality you’ve come to expect from the Ultimate Soldier XD brand.

Our playsets are made from a safe High Quality ABS Plastic developed by SAMSUNG and are manufactured in South Korea. Our playsets are building toy compatible with most other brands.

For more information please contact us at info@ultimatesoldierxd.com. "





Wouldn't exactly call these " Highly detailed and authentic"

This is so far removed from the 1/18 model concept, but I guess what is left of the company has to do what it can to survive.

Lego is huge, but I stopped playing with it when I was 10.

I agree with it entering an already tough market... As always there is Lego. Hasbro has Kreo. Megablocks which used to be the knock-off brand has jumped into licensed (and pretty damn neat) lines for Call of Duty, HALO, etc. They've got a tough row to ho as they say.

But think about it... Hasbro, which is insanely large by comparison to a 21st or BBI, they are putting out figures for $10 now for collectors and struggling to make more affordable things for the kid/gift giver market that props up anything collectors want. Ultimately 4" for $10 and 6" for $20 isn't what Hasbro's pillar for Star Wars toys stand on is my point... Without kids and gift givers (mom/dad, etc.), toy lines fall.

Back when 21st came out, their figures were $4.99 and insanely cool, detailed, and expensive to produce... Planes, tanks... That stuff was pretty cheap at the time. Flash forward to now, you'd never get a $50 plane in 1/18. They'd be dumbed down, underscaled, poorly painted, simplistically designed... They'd be cheap to come in at prices they need to sell the volumes they need to sell, and "we" would be complaining for sure.

Now will we shell out $200 for a plane like we used to get? Probably but we're pretty picky and happy to pass on stuff too. We're not kids, or the driving force the line kind of needed to stay afloat. It launched at TRU and sold in the toy aisle with a hell of a presence for a reason. It really never was intended to be a niche thing for 20-30+ somethings.

Now looking at this, they're trying again to make a toy company... They know this is a route they can dip into where others have had success and where there's popularity in the toy aisle at this moment. Everyone wants a piece of Lego's pie.

What I personally find disheartening is they're doing something Mega Blocks has already done, but worse. No innovation, nothing. They'd have been further ahead trying to take a piece of Mega Blocks' pie, than Lego's. Lego doesn't make military stuff though, so perhaps that's the angle. It's an empty parking space to make Lego dudes (not the more realistic Mega Blocks figures) that look and blend more into the Lego world, than to try to glom onto what one or the other already have going on.

I'm sure that making these mini figs and brick pieces is also significantly cheaper than making highly articulated 4" figures. I wonder if whoever is behind this reinvention has some faint hope of turning this venture into a success and then turning it around into reviving the golden days of 21stC?

We can only hope & pray......
but in the meantime. I'll share my barf bag with ya', Normandy...!