[AWOL]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MFJayman

Eh, they seemed intent on changing the scale anyway, so, I'd say at least they should have made them 6", at the most.

Or at least have given us 4-inch figures instead of these 2.5-inch ones.

[Jymree]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AWOL

Or at least have given us 4-inch figures instead of these 2.5-inch ones.

totally. If S6 had been remotely size-compatible with my existing collection I'd still be snatching them up. I love their designs, articulation, and accessories.

[MFJayman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ColonelJack

It's a really angular artistic design, both in the figs and the animals I've seen like timber, are they robotic, is it some alternate reality? Is it ever explained why the legs look skinny and angular and the wolf looks like it's from a stylized sci-fi computer game?

Thanks

Getting back to the OP's original question - it seems that there was a line of modular/buildable figures called STIKFAS in Japan(?) which was then licensed to Hasbro, who used that figure style to create their own line called Xevoz in 2003/4.

The same guys, Tucker Johnson and Wayne Losey from Dynamo Development Labs, developed and designed both Xevoz and, shortly thereafter, Sigma 6.

Thus, some of the similarities of stylization, modularity and accessory styles, between the two lines.



Xevoz:
























Sigma 6:




























Also, apparently a lot of the modularity and the port holes for plugging in accessories was inspired by the 1980s toy line Centurions:











.

[AWOL]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MFJayman

it seems that there was a line of modular/buildable figures called STIKFAS in Japan(?) which was then licensed to Hasbro, who used that figure style to create their own line called Xevoz in 2003/4.

The same guys, Tucker Johnson and Wayne Losey from Dynamo Development Labs, developed and designed both Xevoz and, shortly thereafter, Sigma 6.

Thus, some of the similarities of stylization, modularity and accessory styles, between the two lines.

Thanks for sharing that. I love going down these type of rabbit-holes. :-)

Quote:

Originally Posted by MFJayman

Also, apparently a lot of the modularity and the port holes for plugging in accessories was inspired by the 1980s toy line Centurions

Even as a kid, I wasn't a fan of the larger scale action figures.

[MFJayman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AWOL

Thanks for sharing that. I love going down these type of rabbit-holes. :-)

I know, I do too

By the way, I learned a lot of this information from Justin Bell's work on generalsjoesreborn.com (formerly generalsjoes.com)




Interestingly these Xevoz/Sigma 6 designers Tucker Johnson and Wayne Losey tried a Kickstarter back in 2012, for their own toy line that had direct parallels to Sigma 6. Here is an example (unfortunately the Kickstarter was not successful):










.

[AWOL]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MFJayman

Interestingly these Xevoz/Sigma 6 designers Tucker Johnson and Wayne Losey tried a Kickstarter back in 2012, for their own toy line that had direct parallels to Sigma 6.

The audience for that concept must've been too niche.

[MFJayman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AWOL

The audience for that concept must've been too niche.

I think so. The 8" scale may still have been an issue, and honestly, the focus on mythical heroes (like the Rama shown) probably didn't help. Perhaps if there was more of a sci fi theme (like in Xevoz or Sigma 6) and a 6" scale, it would have done better. Who knows.