Play-BIG
Play-BIG is a system toy that BIG-Spielwarenfabrik GmbH & Co KG (also known for the Bobby Car it produces ) manufactured from 1975 to 1979. It essentially consists of characters and accessories. Compared to the competition product Playmobil, which is still successful today, these are somewhat larger and have more the proportions of adults. In contrast to Playmobil, legs and feet can be moved individually.
The second generation of the Play-BIG toy figures is distinguished by the interchangeable front and rear panels, which should provide increased realism and benefit the expansion of the product range. Overall, the accessories are more detailed and more realistic than those of the Playmobil products at the time. B. the vehicles are usually real role models. Unlike Playmobil (at the time) there are Play-BIG figures who can not only smile, but also have sad or angry facial expressions. The effect is achieved by lifting the hairpiece, turning the head 180 degrees and putting the hairpiece back on. The facial expressions you do not want remain hidden under the hair.
Compared to Playmobil, the BIG company also tried to distinguish itself by offering modern military as the Play-BIG game world, with appropriate weapons, uniforms and military vehicles. According to the philosophy of the Playmobil founder Horst Brandstätter , Playmobil does not offer any military from epochs after 1900.
Play-BIG could not establish itself on the market and stopped production in 1979. The successor series that BIG later brought onto the market, such as Play-BIG Flizzies or Bloxx, also had movable characters in some cases, but otherwise had little to do with the original idea of a realistic “world in miniature”.
Plagiarism process
After geobra Brandstätter had successfully launched its Playmobil product in 1974, BIG followed suit with its Play-BIG figures in 1975. The great similarity of both game systems, especially the characters, prompted geobra to file a lawsuit against BIG. This led to a lawsuit that lasted for years, which ultimately went out in favor of Play-BIG. The Federal Court of Justice did not see Play-BIG as plagiarism and said in its final verdict that “Playbig figures convey the impression of a self-confident, sporty, aggressive man, whereas the Playmobil male has the effect of a child, nice and still insecure Legs ”.
However, at the time of the plagiarism process, Playmobil had already dominated the market to such an extent that the production of the Play-BIG figures was discontinued shortly after the end of the process. Today, unlike Playmobil, there are only a few Play-BIG collectors left.
Web links
- Private site with extensive Play-BIG archive
- Private play big page with pictures, serial numbers and information
Individual evidence
- ↑ Iris Röll: Focus: 30 years of Playmobil. In: Focus Online . August 16, 2004, accessed October 14, 2018 .
- ^ Population plastics. In: sueddeutsche.de. May 17, 2010, accessed September 9, 2018 .