Tuesday, December 15, 2015

New Glyos release TONIGHT!

You want it.
You need it.
The GLYARMOR debuts tonight in the Onell Design end-of-year release!

If you aren't following the blog today, you are missing out on a ton of story content that you need to know.
There would be no Toyfinity without Matt Doughty, so make sure you jump over there and get some Glyos tonight 9:30 pm EST.

Saturday, December 12, 2015

Change to MYSTERY EGGS

Hey Mordle Fans!
Wanted to notify you of a change to our Mystery Eggs product - due to the popularity of Mordles, I don't have enough Mordles in unique colors to include all ten species in ten different colors.

The eggs will still contain one of each Mordle species, but some Mordles may have matching colors.

There is more Mordle fun coming in 2016 - stay tuned!

Friday, November 6, 2015

The Ancient Constructs are here!

 
When Maxx Zero finds these ancient robotic entities, will it mean the end of the Robo Force?
Or the beginning of the reign of IMPERIOUS MAXX?
Stay tuned for the story - but jump over to the Toyfinity store to get your Ancient Constructs RIGHT NOW!
Limited quantities available!

Thanks to Matt Doughty of the mothership GLYOS for the fantastic pics in Block Base!

Sunday, October 11, 2015

Glyos release - TONIGHT!

The mothership over at Onell Design has an all-new release tonight at 9:30 pm EST!

Lots of fantastic choices in this round - if you have never bought a Standard Pheyden, he's back in an all-new edition.
I took this pic from the blog because with both of these characters, you can build a new version of one of my all-time favorite Pheydens, Andromeda Pheyden!

Be sure and check it out.

Monday, September 21, 2015

CRUEL thanks you!

CRUEL lives again!

Thanks to each and every person who ordered for another successful pre-order for Robo Force product.
There is no Robo Force without the fans.
I expect Cruel and Brutal to arrive in late November/December.

The next product will be up for sale next month. It's a very straightforward offering...and it's not a pre-order! Start speculating now.

I've been getting new Robo Force pages by Jerzy Drozd and these are some of the best yet. Can't wait for you guys to see them.

The rest of the fulfillment items for Club Zeton are progressing nicely and some will be arriving this year.
Mystery Maxx is one item I am specifically looking forward to getting into your hands. It is shaping up to be pretty...esoteric.

The Robo Force lives!

Monday, September 14, 2015

BRUTAL AND CRUEL - the adventure begins!

 The boys together! Brutal and Cruel are a devastating team. Formerly Construction Class Zetonian Robots, their fusion with Monkaa technology has given them incredible strength and weaponry!
(the actual colors will be a mix of purple and off-red - shown here in their builds using existing kits)
 Brutal can deploy a long-range visor from his head unit, allowing him vision beyond most other Zetonian robots.
 
 Brutal's face is a simple windowed panel...
But the variable weapon system located behind his face gives him a mask of lasers to wear in combat.
 
 The various weapon ports located in his arms and back allow him to manifest additional appendages for combat with multiple opponents.
The pre-order closes this upcoming Sunday - don't miss out on Wrecker's blood enemies CRUEL and BRUTAL!

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

The life and times of CRUEL THE DETONATOR and his friend, BRUTAL THE ACTIVATOR!

It is time for the next Robo Force pre-order, bringing you the master of destruction, CRUEL THE DETONATOR!

When it comes to the characters beyond Maxx Zero and Hun-Dred, I feel that the presentation has to be really strong. We aren't in the days of Hasbro circa 1985 when they could release fifty-five new Joe Team members and set up the internet feuds of 2007 about how Mutt and Junkyard are better than Blowtorch. Each figure has to be something special, especially if we are only doing a few releases per year.
Sentinel is the second-in-command, Maxx's best friend other than ZEM and a master of driving vehicles.
Vanguard thirsts for combat, wielding triple the power of a standard Robo Force member in his quest for glory over the Cult of Dred.
Enemy is insane, the act of reformatting twisting the military computer inside his body into nearly a force of nature for chaos.
Battlestar is the specter who serves the will of Hun-Dred, protecting the cities of Zeton with the rebuilt Guardian Robots and his haunting laughter.

When it comes to Cruel the Detonator, we have only his file card to go on:
With his terrifying crushing grapplers and abilities in demolition that match even WRECKER, his counterpart on MAXX STEELE's team, CRUEL™ is the equal of any robot in individual combat. Nearly indestructible, he is silent, save for menacing grunts that often accompany his wicked acts. In order to keep up-to-date with his evil master NAZGAR's strategies, CRUEL™ has two communication antennae on the upper sides of his head. He also carries two evil weapons for fighting the Robo Force team. (thanks to my friends at I-Mockery for having that typed up already!)

I like the idea of this silent goliath who doesn't speak - who cannot speak - carrying an immense amount of power into combat with the heroic members of the Robo Force. He is a master of destruction, crushing anything put in his path...relentless and nearly indestructible (note: these old bios were really  into the idea of indestructible robots!).
One of the defining characteristics of Cruel was his immense fists. To provide him these parts, we've cooked up a crossover with the Weaponeers of Monkaa to provide those essential bits for Cruel.

To give you, the fans of the Robo Force Glyos Compatible figures, the maximum amount of options for building, I present the pre-order for CRUEL THE DETONATOR:

Option 1) Ultimate Cruel and Weaponeer Solider
You will get a standard Robo Force kit with all of the parts normally included (shown here in Maxx Zero configuration), along with an extra arm set in black to replicate the classic toy, as well as a Cruel Red Weaponeer Solider who has been fused with Cruel to unleash his unnatural strength and power.
These figures are 100% detail lined, and will match nicely with your other Ultimate Robo Force editions.
Having both of these figures allows you to build Toyfinity's CRUEL!
 (the above is a photoshop mock-up of the official Cruel build. The final figure will not be metallic, and will have grey detail lines. The purple and the red are intended to match the vintage Cruel.)

You also have the option to purchase Ultimate Cruel or the Weaponeer Soldier separately.

Option 2) Basic Cruel
You will get a standard Robo Force kit with all of the parts normally included (shown here in Maxx Zero configuration), along with an extra arm set in black to replicate the classic toy, as well as a select few Weaponeer parts to give him the massive fists of the original figure.
There are no detail lines on this edition.


Option 3) Unpainted Cruel Purple Robo Force kit

For the customizers out there, a standard Robo Force kit in Cruel Purple kit for your use!


Now, Cruel has always been thought of as a partner to VULGAR THE DESTROYER...but in the new Robo Force tales, he had a different partner at first - BRUTAL THE ACTIVATOR.
Brutal is the perfect match for Cruel's talents - talkative, brash, angry and strong, he always has Cruel's back in the fight with the Robo Force! His ultimate fate is still a mystery...


Ultimate Brutal and Weaponeer Solider
 
 You will get a standard Robo Force kit with all of the parts normally included (shown here in Maxx Zero configuration), along with an extra arm set in black,  as well as a Cruel Purple Weaponeer Solider who has been fused with Brutal to give him mastery over combat!
These figures are 100% detail lined, and will match nicely with your other Ultimate Robo Force editions.

You also have the option to purchase Ultimate Cruel or the Weaponeer Soldier separately.


 There is also an unpainted Cruel Red Robo Force kit to purchase.
And finally, a black Extra Set providing extra detail-lined black arm parts and a black detail-lined chest for further replication of the classic Cruel look.

Pre-orders will be open until September 13th. He may only be available through this pre-order, so don't wait!
Add Cruel and Brutal to your collection today!

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

He's finally here this week! FANGAR lives!

This week, Toyfinity is proud to present a crossover with Mecha Zone, the popular master of 3D printed action figures such as the Mechanauts!

Orders open on July 30th (Thursday) at 9:00pm East Coast US time for FANGAR THE CONSPIRATOR!
The Mecha Zone store is located here: http://mechazone.storenvy.com/

THE DETAILS:
  • Only $24.99
  • 3 1/8" (approx 8cm) tall
  • 22 points of articulation
  • Includes carded bag and sticker
  • 3D printed designer toy intended for adult collectors
  • Limited to twenty-five units.
  • An homage to the unreleased FANGAR THE CONSPIRATOR from the vintage ROBO FORCE® toy line!

ABOUT MECHA ZONE:
Mecha Zone, AKA David A White is a freelance illustrator, toy maker, and designer of giant robots. He also sells mecha themed art books, stickers, and other goods from his store. You can follow his 3D printing adventures or check out his sketches by following him on Instagram and Twitter @mechazone as well as the Mechanauts Universe Facebook page: 


 

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

MANGLYOS!

Did you get your Manglor-inspired Glyos Skeledens on Sunday?

It's too late for the Manglor warrior purple and green one, but get over there and get some of the others right now!

CLUB ZETON members - check your e-mail!

Imperious Maxx is ready to ship!
Check your e-mail for important info about this shipment.
Hit me up if you did not get an e-mail from me today.

Also, CRUEL is coming!
Pre-orders for Cruel the Detonator open early in July.
More information soon.

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Glyaxia Maxx has gone back to Zeton!

Glyaxia Maxx is now 100% sold out!
New Robo Force pre-orders in June! THE COMING OF...CRUEL THE DETONATOR!

Friday, May 22, 2015

Saturday, May 9, 2015

THE TRIBE OF FIRE IS HERE!

The Tribe of Fire is here!
It is a special 12 pack of Mordles, including two of the Hunter (white and blue) Mordles!
Available in the store now for only $12.
You also have some new Hunter $1 Mordles and a new "freebie: Hunter Mordle to choose from.

Come back next week for the beginning of the all-new text story TALES OF THE HUNTERS.

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

CROSSOVER TIME! Meet the Gendrone Force Defender!


Toyfinity is proud to show off the first crossover with Onell Design - the Gendrone Force Defender!

From the Onell blog:
"This wave has a few special points of interest, a major one being our first crossover production run of Toyfinity's Maxx Zero, from their Robo Force line. Due to the combined creative development of Maxx Zero, the core figure was loaded with many hidden configurations while being prototyped by Ron and I at the shop. One particular build, the Gendrone Force Defender, was designed to eventually surface in our ongoing story arc. The idea behind this specific form centers around a lost piece of Old War technology discovered by Argen while mining the database of a prototype Buildstation located in the Sendollest Drifts for information. Argen soon puts the Gendrone Force Defender into full production, pulling it from obscurity to join the ranks of the Gendrone Rebellion. Special thanks go out to John Kent and the Toyfinity team for sharing the mechanical madness that is Robo Force with us!"

From the earliest development stage, I told Matt that he should incorporate as much of his potential future figures into Toyfinity products as possible. Tooling is ridiculously expensive, and I'm happy the rebirth of Robo Force has helped grow the mother Glyos universe in some way.




The sale is TONIGHT, Tuesday 3/31/2015, at 9:30 PM EST.
Toyfinity will NOT have any quantity of these to sell, so please pop over to Onell Design and buy some tonight!

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

The Robo Force comic is updated!

http://toyfinity.com/comics/?c=3
Learn the secrets of Maxx Zero!
Witness the nightmare of Hun-Dred!
Watch NAZGAR make his first appearance!
And what dreaded force for evil will Nazgar unleash upon the Robo Force?
ALL THIS AND MORE RIGHT NOW!!!!!
Just click Nazgar above to relive the entire saga!

This marks the end of our current comic - let us (myself and Jerzy Drozd) know if you would like to see more~!

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

WE DID IT!

 

It's taken me a couple of days to get my thoughts together on Club Zeton...but the important thing is WE DID IT!
Club Zeton is a go! We needed a minimum of 100 people to make the club go forward, and there were some hairy times along the way, but in the end, a surge in the last two days pushed us well over the 100 member mark. There was no number fakery along the way - no mysterious meters popping up nebulous "progress" which means nothing. I had no reason to - it was you guys and girls who held the fate of the club in your hands.

I feel a lot like I have after past San Diego Comic Cons or an NYCC - the adrenalin rush when the outcome is unclear is something I wouldn't recommend to everyone.

I want to send a thank you out to everyone who decided to join the club (including those of you who bought multiples), everyone who helped promote it, and all of you who put up with my promotion of the club along the way.
I truly appreciate the feedback received during the membership period. To those that suggested Kickstarter, I'm taking that under careful consideration for future projects.

I want to reclaim the concept of a club being a fun thing and not just a pre-order system/pain to deal with.
It's why Club Zeton is structured as it is - there has to be some MYSTERY in the mix!
If you love Robo Force or Glyos, you are going to have a fantastic time over the next year as the full scope of Club Zeton is revealed - Imperious Maxx and his Demonslither cronies, the stickers, an all-new Zeton figure later this year, Mystery Maxx...and that's just what you know about right now!
We have many aspects of the club planned out to give you an enriched experience over the next year or so - and I'm sure there will be things I haven't even thought of yet that will add excitement along the way.
(Club Members, look for an email in the next two weeks to talk about some changes in the way I communicate with all of you directly that I think will streamline some of the issues I've had with Club Mordle.)

This week I nailing down a few of the production aspects, and will pass along an eta of when you can expect the club assets as I have the timeframes solidified.
I want to especially thank everyone in the Glyos creator family for their support and assistance with the process. The kindness that everyone shows as we continue to create a universe together is always a surprising revelation to me that humanity doesn't always have to be about "me" - and for this I am grateful and humbled.
To my brothers Matt Doughty and Jesse Moore, I can only hope to someday live up to your examples of family support. Your generosity will not be forgotten.
So, once again, thank you.
I promise to give everything I can to make this the best club you've ever been in.

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Glyos drop tonight!

NEW GLYOS RELEASE TONIGHT!
You will want some of these guys - they are in "Maxx Grey" colors!
Great for a team-up shelf between your Maxxes and the Glyos universe.

Friday, February 20, 2015

Imperious Maxx...is not alone.

This just in - Onell Design will be contributing a Glyos item to the Club Zeton package!

With a retail value of $12, this new addition to the package will remain a mystery for now, but joins Imperious Maxx, the lenticular stickers, the test shot, the Mystery Modules, and everything else to make Club Zeton an unbelievable value for your money!
And that's saying something in 2015- Toyfinity and Onell Design care about the fans, and want to give you something fantastic!

What will it be? What effect will it have on the world of the Robo Force - and beyond?
Stay tuned!

(this doesn't have anything to do with the above, but my all-time favorite Onell teaser was on this page)

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Club MORDLE packet update!

You should begin to see shipping confirmations for the Club Mordle packet this week!
I have to figure out a way to make shipments that go beyond the 45 day limit on PayPal easier - been taking all of the info from my e-mail into PayPal and it is slooooooow going.

Let me know what you think when you get them!
And enjoy the "sneak peek" of the next Mordle edition - they'll be on sale next month.

Prototypes - what are they and why are they important?

In my brainstorming for Club Zeton - and my desire to make it something actually CLUB-LIKE and not just "give me money so you can maybe sorta buy everything unless it sells out!" like some other clubs - I thought about things that would actually give you a good experience for your bucks. Of course, it had to be something I could ACTUALLY provide to you. It sounds fun to own a chunk of a steel tool, until you realize they are hundreds of pounds and it would be impossible to get a good, recognizable part.
"Chuck, why do you have a shard of metal in your display case?"
But that was a good line of thinking - what can I get people from the production process that would normally cost them big bucks, without going through a secret underground network of dealers and friends? Not that I know anything about all that... #shiftyeyes
After checking in with HQ, one thing became apparant that we could get to you - a "test shot."

In the picture above, you see seven different things. From left to right:

- a "pre-paint" sample of the Geihoza Mordle. This is from the actual production run, just without any paint applied.

- orange Maxx bits. These are scraps from what is called a "first shot." the tooling is created, and then a small sample run (less than five) created to make sure everything works properly. You'll note this orange was from something else being made at the time - a stronger Glyos historian than I could tell you specifically what it was from. Now, first shots are important because they aren't always reflective of the final product. At times, a product makes it all the way through the process of being sculpted and parts make it into the intial tooling, but some issue is found with the parts and they are removed from the final product. Or it may be that the details change a bit - there is actually a small series of differences on the first shot Maxx in the tread area where some of the sculpt detail was changed.
Additionally, in some circumstances, products are canceled at the first shot stage, so these are the only way to ever get these figures. One example that comes to mind is the Napoleon from Kenner's Bill and Ted line which was floating around on eBay for years at a ridiculous, near $1000 price.

- Gi Joe Extreme test shots. As I don't own Kenner, I can't say 100% what stage these figures are from. I know they are very similar to the final production figures, just without paint and in strange colors. One thing to note: the tooling may have had multiple limb sets in one block, as the arms on Stone and Metalhead as shown are the exact same color. This can be done efficiently if the limbs are all needed in the same color; otherwise you'd be throwing away parts.

- green and red test shot Mordles. The green Mordle is a pre-paint sample from the normal run, where the red Mordle is a first-shot. Fun fact - we tightened up some detail on the Mordles from first-shot to the finals, so the red Mordle is a little softer in detail.

- pink Manglor egg. The Manglor eggs are actually created from the original 1980s tooling!
They may have been used as easter eggs for children south of the border, but I have not been able to confirm this for sure yet. So, the pink egg - I asked the factory for a sample run, and they ASSUMED I wanted them for easter eggs. I have a bunch of never-to-be-made eggs in blue, yellow, pink...a full pic is on the Toyfinity Instagram for those interested.

The process is an interesting one. This was one potential Maxx Zero from the drawing phase...
...before we arrived at the Maxx you all know and love.





There are hidden modes in Maxx that we considered building more pieces to accentuate...

...but were perhaps too "out there" for Robo Force.

Concept work is done just to see if things will work in a variety of directions...

....that never come to fruition in those forms.


With all of this in mind, what Toyfinity will provide as part of the Club Zeton membership fee is a "first shot" to every club member for the figure we intend to create this year. Potentially the figure will never be released beyond the first shot - if I get hit by a cement mixer, for example. There's a chance that parts seen in the test shot won't make it to the final figure without changes, if not outright deleted.
 As it is still in development (and based on the information I've shared above), there isn't something concrete to show you right now...but I can tell you that it is from the Zeton franchise that includes Robo Force, Zeroids, and S.T.A.R. Team and is not a "head pack" for the existing Robo Force figure.

Thank you for your indulgence. I'm really hoping the Club goes forward so I can provide you with the experience of the first shot. I've been lucky - my figures so far have come out very close to what was sent to China. But you never know what you might get back...imagine you went through the whole process and THIS is what you received back:
More on the Mystery Modules this week.

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

IMPERIOUS MAXX Mock up! And a club member number update!

Enjoy this mock-up of IMPERIOUS MAXX kindly provided by the Toyfinity graphics department i.e. my buddy Joe.
Not shown in the tampo which will be on the chest of IMPERIOUS MAXX.
Keep in mind, this is only a photographic mock-up of the figure. Color of actual figure may vary a bit.

To update everyone, we are at sixty-one members! 39 more to go and we are a club!
Thanks to everyone who has signed up so far.
Check back later today for info on the test shot process and why test shots are important.

Ah, one last thing - there is a broken link to the store from the main Toyfinity page - use THIS link for the current Toyfinity store. Thanks to everyone who pointed this out!

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

The details about IMPERIOUS MAXX


So, earlier today I revealed the Club Zeton exclusive figure - IMPERIOUS MAXX.
It's tough to know when to reveal all the dirt on something - people talk about spoilers all over the place for movies and comics and everything. With toys, its a little different. The timeframes to line up a comic and a toy launch can be nearly impossible. But you need to know why Imperious Maxx is more than just another variant....

"After a devastating loss to the Robo Force team, Maxx Zero abandons Zeton to grieve over his lost friend. Months later, ZEM has a vision of Maxx terrorizing a planet of bat creatures. Sentinel, ZEM, and Wrecker take the Star Falke to planet Diavolus to investigate.
There, they find that Maxx has modified himself into a golden metallic warlord with little regard for biological life. There is also a new non-Zetonian robot with Maxx, the slithery FANGAR.

The Robo Force is faced with a horrible decision - do they join their commander in his new mission and forget liberating Zeton from NAZGAR, or uphold his previous ideals and destroy him to save the native populace?
Also, what is the secret of the Forbidden Swamp? What is the strange glow that fills the water nightly? What could have pushed Maxx to enslave an entire planet?"

I'll be updating with the tampo once I've approved the final design.
Needless to say, this Maxx edition will have ongoing ramifications to the Robo Force storyline for months to come. 

IMPERIOUS MAXX!



Meet IMPERIOUS MAXX.
This is the main figure you get with Club Zeton membership.
I'm putting this pic of Ultra Gold Argen here so that you have a visual reference for the base color of the figure.
The highlights will be metallic bronze, metallic green, and metallic silver.
There will also be a new tampo on the chest of the figure.
More on this mysterious new Maxx later today!


Sunday, February 8, 2015

Lenticular Maxx sticker details!

(above is the raw graphic before the finishing applied by the sticker manufacturing. There won't be white outlines around the word and colors on the final product.)

So, the lenticular sticker...when I look at the original Maxx Steele from the 80s Robo Force line, I love the detail on his chest. It would be hard to replicate exactly with paint - too many small areas for them to paint, and the shapes and sizes of the circles and squares, as well as the shift in colors of the Maxx name. After I watched the cartoon again, I had inspiration - what the animators had done was had the lights on the chests of the Robo Force characters flicker on and off as the characters spoke and moved. How could we make that happen on the current toys? With lenticular stickers.

Many people are familiar with the lenticular shields that were included with the original Mattel Secret Wars figures. You can see a gif of the original shields and how they worked on this Secret Wars archive page over at the RavingToyManic site.
I just recently learned how lenticular stickers worked via a few YouTube videos! Basically, using the principles of 3D, two or more images are printed in a special process and a lens material allows us to see both images as the lens is moved. This will allow us to replicate the action from the cartoon as the lights on Maxx's chest will shift from black to "on" as you move at the image. The same will occur with his name plate.

While it is theoretically possible to print lenticulars "in your garage", Toyfinity will have them professionally printed by a renowned sticker manufacturer. A quote has already been obtained. The price for the above design in the size fitted to Maxx's chest is pretty expensive; I would have to retail them at $10 each, which I consider a high price. This may also be why we don't see many independent toy projects using lenticulars!
However, if you sign up for Club Zeton, you will get TWO of the above lenticular stickers for use with your Maxx figures as part of the club membership price of $75.

Check back later today for a preview of the Maxx Zero - Imperious Edition!

Friday, February 6, 2015

Godbeast Kabuto Mushi figures on sale TONIGHT!

Tonight, Friday the 6th, at 9 pm EST, The Godbeast unleashes the Mushi's shown above!
You are gonna need at least one of them, if not all of them!
Check out his store here.