Is Klei planning to partner with YouTooz a lot?

[BezKa]

I'm gonna be honest, the new ONI plushies are way below usual Klei standard. I'm also not a fan of limited time merch, especially now that I can't find a job and YouTooz does that whole "paying for delivery of every item in your cart separately" thing. The DST figures I quite liked, but I much prefer when Klei are making their own merch because it's higher quality, there's less trouble with item codes, and, well, the money goes directly to Klei instead to a company that is known for stealing designs and using FOMO as their main marketing tactic. I want to own merchandise from my beloved games but YouTooz style rarely fits the games the merch is for. 

Also, if Klei plans to sell limited time stuff through a company like that, could we at the very least get a way to receive the skins in a year or so through Klei Rewards system?

[gaymime]

i agree. tootooz has been a fairly...unharmonious match. i have no idea why this is who they chose both for aesthetic reasons and for reputation ones

[Kaioh]

I hope not, I don't like buying inferior products like youtooz. Only reason I got DST youtooz figures is because of the codes. If it wasn't for that, I'd be utterly disappointed with the poor quality of the merch

[Corey]

Hey there, I design all of the merch in the Klei Shop. Thought I'd hop on the ol' forum and talk about Klei Merch!

First off, I'm really flattered everyone speaks so highly of our Klei Shop merch and toys. That really means a lot to me because I spend years sometimes designing just one plush. I can confirm that us making more toys and plush with YouTooz does not mean I'm going to stop making our own things in the Klei shop. It just means more options for people to choose from. 

The reality is, despite my best efforts and advances in cloning, I'm still just one guy. One guy at a video game company, not a professional toy company. While I love designing toys for our games, I also do a lot of things at the studio and the games are our priority, and they should be. From my side, I personally have REALLY enjoyed working with YouTooz. They have been great to collaborate with and they are helping me make things for characters and mediums that are challenging for me to tackle. This means we can release merch for characters & creatures that I otherwise logistically could not make at all, or for a very long time due to time restraints, popularity VS minimum order quantities etc. 

Partners like YouTooz also send and distribute their product to other retailers around the world, so it gives people in countries where it's hard to get merch directly from the Klei Shop a way to get something, when otherwise they get nothing.

I have worked directly with YouTooz on every design they have made. Even the packaging. From the samples I've seen I'm pretty happy with that they've done, and with the quantities they can get it done at. I have not seen issues with their actual quality myself, but if folks just don't like the design aesthetic for their stuff, that's okay and I understand. They definitely have a look and it's not for everyone. Neither were the Funko Pops. Those designs were and are still incredibly divisive. For me though, even if I don't personally collect Funko Pops, it was a pretty big honour to get to design those. I'm definitely bias, but I also think the ones we designed with them are among the best looking they have ever done. 

The way I see it, having licensed merch with other partners means more options for people to pick from and improves access to fans that I can't help from our shop. I can confirm I'm cooking up some other partner projects (not YouTooz) and I've been working on a new Don't Starve Klei Shop plush I think people are going to really love, this one has some custom electronics inside I'm really proud of! I actually had to personally bust out a soldering gun at one point for this one. I've been working on it for almost 2 years, it's almost ready though.

For context on what it takes for me to make the really fancy plushies, the PUFT Plush took me 3 years to design and make and get online to buy. It's the most ambitious physical merch project I've ever done. The interior bladder was 100% custom and required three factories from completely unrelated industries to come together for me to make a self inflating fart contraption. Which is crazy, but it's also the Klei toy I'm most proud of. It was also really funny to talk to a garden and medical latex supply factory and explain that I needed them to help me make better farts. 

As for merch codes, we're working on rolling out something formal to give people a way to get digital codes when a physical product is no longer available via direct sales channels. Basically if you can't buy the thing at the original MSRP price any more, we are looking for a way to bring back the digital component when there are no plans to make more of the physical product it was tied to. This is important to me to figure out. I don't want people buying physical things at crazy prices on the grey market / eBay, just to get a digital thing and maybe get scammed in the process. 

So, long post! Sorry about that, but it's been a minute since I hopped on on the forum and talked toys directly. I think the questions you asked were totally fair and felt I could answer them myself and provide some context (hopefully I did anyways haha).

[nome]

1 minute ago, Corey said:

For context on what it takes for me to make the really fancy plushies, the PUFT Plush took me 3 years to design and make and get online to buy. It's the most ambitious physical merch project I've ever done. The interior bladder was 100% custom and required three factories from completely unrelated industries to come together for me to make a self inflating fart contraption. Which is crazy, but it's also the Klei toy I'm most proud of. It was also really funny to talk to a garden and medical latex supply factory and explain that I needed them to help me make better farts. 

Can confirm that the discussions on the fart mechanism design made for THE BEST out-of-context quotes.

[gaymime]

10 minutes ago, Corey said:

Hey there, I design all of the merch in the Klei Shop. Thought I'd hop on the ol' forum and talk about Klei Merch!

oh! then you designed the mandrake plush & backpack? i guess you are to blame for my first non-ost purchase of videogame merch!

[nome]

Just now, gaymime said:

mandrake plush

Let him know it doesn't meep anywhere near long enough. He doesn't listen to me when I complain about it.

[Corey]

1 minute ago, gaymime said:

oh! then you designed the mandrake plush & backpack? i guess you are to blame for my first non-ost purchase of videogame merch!

I take full blame for that. Sorry and thank you 

[BezKa]

23 minutes ago, Corey said:

I can confirm that us making more toys and plush with YouTooz does not mean I'm going to stop making our own things in the Klei shop.

This means a lot to me. Thank you very much, once I'm back on my feet I'll be glad to purchase those.

24 minutes ago, Corey said:

Partners like YouTooz also send and distribute their product to other retailers around the world, so it gives people in countries where it's hard to get merch directly from the Klei Shop a way to get something, when otherwise they get nothing.

I can appreciate that. I haven't thought of it at all and it's a good point.

25 minutes ago, Corey said:

I have worked directly with YouTooz on every design they have made. Even the packaging. From the samples I've seen I'm pretty happy with that they've done, and with the quantities they can get it done at. I have not seen issues with their actual quality myself, but if folks just don't like the design aesthetic for their stuff, that's okay and I understand. They definitely have a look and it's not for everyone. Neither were the Funko Pops. Those designs were and are still incredibly divisive. For me though, even if I don't personally collect Funko Pops, it was a pretty big honour to get to design those. I'm definitely bias, but I also think the ones we designed with them are among the best looking they have ever done. 

Maybe it's just the preview on the site that doesn't do favors for the plushies themselves, and the stylization does impact it a lot for me. As you said, not everything is for everyone.

27 minutes ago, Corey said:

The way I see it, having licensed merch with other partners means more options for people to pick from and improves access to fans that I can't help from our shop. I can confirm I'm cooking up some other partner projects (not YouTooz) and I've been working on a new Don't Starve Klei Shop plush I think people are going to really love, this one has some custom electronics inside I'm really proud of! I actually had to personally bust out a soldering gun at one point for this one. I've been working on it for almost 2 years, it's almost ready though.

That is incredibly exciting, I can't wait to hear about it!

28 minutes ago, Corey said:

For context on what it takes for me to make the really fancy plushies, the PUFT Plush took me 3 years to design and make and get online to buy. It's the most ambitious physical merch project I've ever done. The interior bladder was 100% custom and required three factories from completely unrelated industries to come together for me to make a self inflating fart contraption. Which is crazy, but it's also the Klei toy I'm most proud of. It was also really funny to talk to a garden and medical latex supply factory and explain that I needed them to help me make better farts. 

I adore that plush with all my heart. I immediately supported it on Kickstarter and it's a work of (f)art. I'm glad you were able to achieve it, because if I had to pick one plush out of my collection to keep (what a horrible situation to imagine...) it would definitely be the Puft. Thank you for making it

31 minutes ago, Corey said:

As for merch codes, we're working on rolling out something formal to give people a way to get digital codes when a physical product is no longer available via direct sales channels. Basically if you can't buy the thing at the original MSRP price any more, we are looking for a way to bring back the digital component when there are no plans to make more of the physical product it was tied to. This is important to me to figure out. I don't want people buying physical things at crazy prices on the grey market / eBay, just to get a digital thing and maybe get scammed in the process. 

That is whats most important to me in this whole YouTooz thing. I can't go around asking people to borrow money for a plush I'm not exactly interested in (no offense) just for the skins I know will be gone once YouTooz gets rid of the product forever. If I can access the skins, even with a big delay (I'm fully planning on playing Klei games for years to come after all), I can stomach a company I dislike associating with my favourite game studio I suppose.

33 minutes ago, Corey said:

So, long post! Sorry about that, but it's been a minute since I hopped on on the forum and talked toys directly. I think the questions you asked were totally fair and felt I could answer them myself and provide some context (hopefully I did anyways haha).

Thank you very much, I appreciate it a lot. I wasn't really sure I would get an answer from a Klei employee, let alone the Toymaker himself!

 

[Corey]

Thanks for the support for our merch, it means a lot. Also, 

17 minutes ago, BezKa said:

it's a work of (f)art

This is hands down the greatest review quote of the Puft Plush I could ever receive. 

By the way, I should add if there are toy manufactures and partners you do want us to collaborate with, I'd love to know. I can try to reach out, but it's their decision to want to do it or ask us ultimately. But, if you contact them politely and respectfully and let them know you'd be interested in products based on our games, they might contact us. I'm always open to explore opportunities with other manufactures. 

[BezKa]

11 minutes ago, Corey said:

By the way, I should add if there are toy manufactures and partners you do want us to collaborate with, I'd love to know. I can try to reach out, but it's their decision to want to do it or ask us ultimately. But, if you contact them politely and respectfully and let them know you'd be interested in products based on our games, they might contact us. I'm always open to explore opportunities with other manufactures. 

I can't think of anything off the top of my head, but I'll definitely keep it mind and reach out if I think there's a good match. I'm no expert or anything though so I don't know what good that will do x.x

I have one more question- are there any news regarding soft spots? They have huge potential for less popular characters, and I'd love for more of them to exist, especially since the Bionic Duplicants are coming with the DLC. I'd be happy to know if there's even still plans to make more, it's a really fun concept for a shareable style for all the different Klei games.

[Corey]

4 minutes ago, BezKa said:

are there any news regarding soft spots?

Yes I'd like to make more eventually. I designed that line so we could do more characters and swap accessories and hold hands etc. I have some more planned from other games, but the manufacture we used for those specifically unfortunately no longer exists. We can still make them, but I've been trying to find a new one that has the same quality and can work with the magnets they need. 

[gaymime]

7 minutes ago, BezKa said:

I can't think of anything off the top of my head, but I'll definitely keep it mind and reach out if I think there's a good match. I'm no expert or anything though so I don't know what good that will do x.x

I have one more question- are there any news regarding soft spots? They have huge potential for less popular characters, and I'd love for more of them to exist, especially since the Bionic Duplicants are coming with the DLC. I'd be happy to know if there's even still plans to make more, it's a really fun concept for a shareable style for all the different Klei games.

what are soft spots?

[Corey]

2 minutes ago, gaymime said:

what are soft spots?

These little cuties: https://shop.klei.com/products/soft-spots

 

[BezKa]

3 minutes ago, Corey said:

Yes I'd like to make more eventually. I designed that line so we could do more characters and swap accessories and hold hands etc. I have some more planned from other games, but the manufacture we used for those specifically unfortunately no longer exists. We can still make them, but I've been trying to find a new one that has the same quality and can work with the magnets they need.

Sad to hear about the manufacturer, but I'm really grateful you're making sure the quality remains high, that is something that means a lot to me and my friends, since the money is nothing to sneeze at for us. And I'm very very happy to hear we might get more, I love when they hold hands and give each other stuff <3

Thanks again for finding time to answer all my worries and questions, I hope you have a great weekend!

[Kaioh]

22 hours ago, Corey said:

I have not seen issues with their actual quality myself, but if folks just don't like the design aesthetic for their stuff, that's okay and I understand.

My Wilson Youtooz broke after just 2 months of ownership even with me barely touching him. He won't stand upright even if I remove his removable torch to help his balance, he is practically useless unless I put something behind him. He and Maxwell are the only youtooz I like stylistically, Webber and Wurt look pretty off-putting. So all in all only 1 out of 4 figures have satisfied me so far, not a good look for Youtooz.

Compared to this, the plushies I got from the Klei shop are amazing and look good. They'll stay upright even though they got squished pretty hard during shipping, and the winter hats really come in handy in winter. It always feels nice to finally receive Klei merch. I hope Crabbit and Mandrake plushies are coming back soon too so I can complete my collection finally (been waiting for over a year at this point).

Thank you for your hard work and I'm looking forward to your future additions

[Maxposting]

I was worried about the digital skins and the exclusivity, but it's nice to know you thought of that already!

Thanks a lot!