[Mecoprop]

While Scalextric digital is the best part of a year away and Carrera is, I think, due out in the next three months or so, SCX is the only system actually on the market.
The SCX system has been available in Spain for more than a month and yet I have heard nothing since its release.
This is extremely peculiar.
One would have thought the net would be BUZZING with factual information, yet appears totally silent.
Has Spain been cut off from the rest of the world?
Has it sunk into the sea under the weight of SCX digital sets produced?
Did no one buy any sets after all?
Were purchases conditional on signing a Non Disclosure Agreement?
Was it a complete and total failure and everyone is dumb with embarassment?

Enquiring minds want to know!

 

[Swissracer]

IMHO -

The fact it is not backwardly compatible makes the big difference.

I would guess that sales in Spain are limited to new folk to the Hobby or those not yet into home or Club Racing with permanent set ups.
News from this type of hobbyist is slower to hit the net usually, look how many people reside here as guests when new to the Hobby, before feeling comfortable enough to join in the verbal fun (NO excuse really but such is life! Get in here and say hi folks!

)

I would be interested to know what sales figures are like though. Low I would bet.

I would also place odds that the Carrera offering will suffer the
same fate, being similar in that it is not compatable with non Digital track / cars.

 

[thomas]

Carrera Digital is compatible to the old track...

The only thing you've to remove is the connection track...

 

[jonny s]

All quiet on the western Front? Perhaps like a lot of things nowadays it`s the hype that is more exciting during the build up than the actual product? I`m not being disrespectful to SCX but there is some way to go before we see an effect, it`s very early days and advertising is a little thin on the ground. I went to the SCX UK distribution open day and all they had was a video demo on a lap top so I`m not really surprised at the quiet reaction.

 

[Mecoprop]

QUOTE I would be interested to know what sales figures are like though. Low I would bet.
Yes agreed on both counts!
But on the rest of it - Spain is an absolute hotbed of web sites, shops and forums. They tend to be way ahead of the rest of us with Spanish product. I raked around several Spanish sites and found nothing at all, except the now oldish stuff at Slot Center and SCX itself. No user feedback whatsoever - this is WEIRD.

 

[jonny s]

Sounds a little like the tale of the Emperors clothes doesn`t it?

 

[JEXY1]

Hi All

I'm told that the official UK Launch is at the London Toy Fair!

Will report after my meetings.

Gareth
NSCC

 

[Tropi]

Right enough, I would have expected those SCX topics to have risen from the bottom soon after Christmas!
Maybe we WILL have to wait for the UK launch to scavenge some more info, though it seems most peculiar. I'm not sure if the London Show is actually a true launch in the sense of product actally made available in UK or whether simply further publicity/announcements, which the Scalextric 'launch' obviously is.
Any clarification on that, Jexy?

 

[mtucker666]

Did not Sean (Pendle) say that he has got an SCX digital set although I cannot see it on their site.
Matt

 

[Tropi]

You are quite right Matt - he did
Boll**cks!
was his first word on the subject and not a peep since then!

 

[moped rider]

SCX Digital in Spain will appeal to the sort of folk who do not frequent chat boards. Remember that the vast majority of newcomers to the hobby are families and kids. Not the slot car equivalent of Gandalf which most of us are here.

Do SCX promote any bulletin boards in their promotional material? No.

Do young kids under 16 frequent slot car message boards? Not normally and they are not encouraged to by parents for reasons that are understandable.

You will only ever hear from kids on official family chat boards from SCX, Ninco, Scalextric (if any of them ever take the trouble to produce a decent "branded" message board) that should moderated by the manufacturers, and maybe trusted retailers who may have boards for their customers.

A lot of under 16's send messages to the Scalextric "chat" for example with words like "wicked" and "cool". In fact it could be that you lot would never understand "teen language" and it could well be that most of the chat about SCX Digital is actually occuring on Spanish "teen sites" rather than mainstream slot car sites.

And besides, these necomers will be having so much fun with their new toy that do you think they are going to have the time to get away and tell us anyway?

And also what are some of you "NIMBY" folk going to say when you do get involved in chat with folk who are running digital?

Your examples to date leave something to be desired!

Moped

 

[Intergrali]

seriously moped, tell me which <=16 yr olds can afford both slot cars and drink and ****? yeah quite.. what would they take and actually keep playing with slot cars or PS2?

Be realistic mate, there aint that many teens racing. I know Wolves have a lot of kids racing there, but there isnt really any internet presence from wolves, who tend to like racing race cars at a club and not at home.

c'mon Mope, most people on this board have rediscovered the hobby in their late 20's or 30's and thats why their here.

Now, go and ask your daughter what she would prefer to do with her boyfriend, race slot cars all evenin or go out to cinema.. you'll soon see my point

Rob.

 

[moped rider]

The hobby has been "rediscovered" mainly on the back of the sibblings being the excuse for dad to spend the money and that fact that cars are now highly detailed and have a wider appeal as a result.

However, we are digressing from the point about SCX Digital.

The real test as far as this board goes will be when SCX Digital launches in the UK and a few of us have a go at the London Toy Fair.

We can share our experiances after that.

Moped

 

[Tropi]

Don't you just love how Moped presumes omnipotent knowledge of EXACTLY who is buying SCX Digital in Spain. Even claims intimate knowledge as to whether Spanish kids contribute to Spanish slot car boards and what promotional material SCX includes with their Spanish packaged product.

His all-encompassing knowledge is obviously beyond human understanding.
Even Gandalf could not compete with this incredible wisdom.

 

[Xlot]

QUOTE The hobby has been "rediscovered" mainly on the back of the sib(b)lings being the excuse for dad to spend the money and that fact that cars are now highly detailed and have a wider appeal as a result.

Since Moped will say anything, statistically he's bound to be right sometimes

Other than that, no : Slotadictos is a huge forum, but the median age appears to be quite low - there's hardly any "old timer" to speak of

To begin with, Hornby (to avoid the usual SCX/Scaley mess) Digital's announcement was very well received because of compatibility - one comment sums it up : it's only a pity that it had to be the Brits who did it right !

SCX Digital has been tried by quite a few :
- on the plus side, IT IS fun
- but it only works with magnets, has no brakes, lots of collisions, not easy to overtake
- and, of course, it's totally incompatible

end of story - how it's doing commercially, I don't know (yet)

 

[Tropi]

QUOTE it's only a pity that it had to be the Brits who did it right !
The cheeky bugger!

But not unexpected!
WHO said that?

 

[Xlot]

QUOTE Lástima que tengan que ser los ingleses los que acierten con el sistema.
...but no names !!!

 

[moped rider]

How about providing a link to that Spanish forum Xlot, pretty please.

I will then get the old on-line translator working so that we can all have a nose.

Moped

 

[Tropi]

Naughty, NAUGHTY Moped!
You made all those learned pronouncements without even a glance at any of the Spanish sites?
Tut tut!

 

[Xlot]

Most Spanish slot racers are from Catalonia
As Gareth can confirm, Catalans are serious to a fault, with a caustic sense of humour and above all TERSE !!

Now, I'm not about to unleash the Moplague upon my unsuspecting friends in Barcelona - after all, I plan to go back there some day !

I should also clarify that their comments on Scalex Digital were totally fair - just imagine : Spain is No. 1 in the world for slots, SCX could have taken the lead on digital but instead f***s up, Scaley looks like a winner with half the investment - and they accept it with just a "too bad" - they are definitely good sports (and quite a few of them visit slotforum, too!!)

Hasta pronto
Beppe