Whats the catch?
Mar 4th, 2008 by $eth
Over at the Project Red Alert site Ben has posted the first picture of the Catch 22.
The Shape is pretty interesting.
There has been a said for this yo-yo. The price tag for one. Your looking at about $375-500 for the next Yo-Yo Factory yo-yos. Ben alluded to the name being a hint for the yo-yo. Titanium’s atomic number is 22, so that has been the speculation.
On the Red Alert blog the Catch 22 is called “the ultimate yo-yo”. Were do you draw the line to get the best playing yo-yo posable? More over, apart for an amazingly playable yo-yo, what are we doing with all the new yo-yo technology? Look at the last 5 years of yo-yoing. The last trick that effected manufacturing technic was the grind. That was back in 2003. Apart from that, Hub Stacks are the newest change to the yo-yo in regards to new ways to do tricks. But that has mainly been on the manufacturing level.
i though the shape looked like ass, but it really plays quite nice.
I dont really know what makes this “the ultimate” yoyo, but it did play damn nice.
Hmmm, ass… yes. I’d like to see the final design to decide. And I still think one in my case would be good…
I get the feeling people are going to grow fond of the shape over time. Time will tell.
Exotic materials add spice to the market. Keep them coming…
I honestly love the shape. I really wanted a TiPhiter (1 or 2), but didn’t have the money at the time. This shape appeals to me far more than those did, even if it does look like a Nimbus (which I’ve always thought to look ugly…but I think that the structural integrity of Titanium makes me trust/like this one much more).
That price, though. I mean, I realize that $375 (which is probably the one that I’ll get) is going to be what it costs to manufacture this thing when you include a remotely decent profit margin for Yoyofactory- so I’m not arguing against it being that expensive.
Damn though. What’s going to protect my left ass cheek from the perils of touching chair when my wallet’s not thick enough to do the job anymore?
man… As much as I think YYF is on the top of the game, and as much as I love their products…
This thing is on ugly levels approaching the Envy. The fat rims make me think of a hemorrhoid cushion or something. Ewwww.
I wonder if the shape has anything to do with the titanium machining, since the BSP is a similar, straight-edge shape. The TiPhiter is rounded, so maybe the logic doesn’t apply. Is it cheaper to make a straight-edge Ti yo-yo than a rounded one?
“This thing is on ugly levels approaching the Envy. The fat rims make me think of a hemorrhoid cushion or something. Ewwww”
Hahaha, that was epic.
I agree…it does look uglish… but Id like to see the finished product before I start bashing and hating.
Jeff
I played one at MA. It played awsome. After abotu 5 minutes I LOVED it. i’m actually considering buying one. Ben said the point was to be a basic no frills yoyo. No curves just straight to the point.
I actually like the shape, the flat rim would/might lend to some hella nice engraving. Please remember it’s only proto, they might here the players’ opinions and clean it up a bit. From the looks of it, the only reason I wouldn’t buy one is I don’t exactly have 375$ to throw around. I wonder who’ll be buying the 500$ version.
Only way I’m going to get something that expensive is if I can trade for a really dinged up one.
As i have said on the forums i frequent i still dont think an extra $400 dollars can justify the slight increase in playability. As a “players” yoyo.
“I wonder who’ll be buying the 500$ version.”
Me.
As someone who has destroyed at least a dozen 888s, another dozen G5s, a couple dozen 201s, and more Freehands than I can even begin to count, the idea of getting a yo-yo that I never have to replace is quite appealing.
I’ve already put in a request for 6 of them. It’s going to take me a hot minute to scratch up enough cash for this, even if YYF cuts me a sweet deal on them. But even at full retail, a yo-yo that I don’t have to worry about destroying is, as a performer who can’t afford to have his gear crap out on him, worth every single penny.
I can’t imagine there are many people who have such high expectations for their gear as I do, nor many who require such precision and longevity. But I doubt that will stop people from buying them anyway.
You are never going to have to replace this yoyo but you are buying six?
What are the other five for?
Steve, I won’t be surprised if you get charged for arson because of all sparks that’ll be flying.
For anything that I’m going to be performing with, I have four of everything.
1 - Main Stage Set / Maintained immaculately, never touches the ground.
1 - Backup Stage Set / Rarely, if ever used. Kept packed in a shipping carton, ready to be sent Next Day Air to wherever I am performing if my main set is lost by the airline or otherwise unavailable.
1 - Main Practice Set / My total beaters, these stay at home, always.
1 - Travel Practice Set / The beaters that come with me everywhere so that I can always get some practice in if there is time & space.
For the other two…one will be a pocket yo-yo, and the other will be my pocket yo-yo when I eventually lose the first one. Which will happen, considering how I act when I’ve been drinking.
There’s six. Seems pretty reasonable to me, even if maintaining this regimen is going to cost me an arm and a leg….
the one i threw at MASS, the rings were detachable. dont you think that would create a way to possible destroy it? Im not even sure if that is how the final model is going to be, but just throwing some possabilities out there.
I still haven’t thrown one yet. I’m basing everything off Ben’s description.
I may change my mind once I’ve thrown one, but if it lives up to what Ben has told me…I’ll be buying 6 of them.
Its gonna be another “unicorn” yo yo for me. Right up there with a Duncan MG. I’m not totally sold on Ti being the best stuff on the earth, the RC industry went ga-ga over it and it was tough, but NOT indestructible. We tested a lot of Ti parts at the shop and they were a hell’ova lot stronger than aluminum but we were still able to beat the crap out of it with reasonable force.
Looks really nice though.
Did Steve just say “a hot minute”?
I really like the idea of super-expensive strangely-shaped yo-yos. My non-yo-yo friends get all into them and compare them to concept cars. I, uh, never really want to buy any of them, but I think it’s good to have 150 of them out in the world.
Man, I use a lot of hyphens.
Played this yesterday at redondo beach. Its a nice throw. Here’s some quick thoughts that came to mind when i played it: This looks a lot better in person, trust me. The inside is also really interesting. There’s the bearing, and the response ring (silicone). Immediatley after that the yo-yo curves upwards. Its a really weird feeling to have in your hand. But its a lot f fun to throw. Hubstacks arent terribly easy to acess, but most people don’t use them much anyway. And one of my friends was playing with it, and dropped it. Its was funny. It actually left a mark too. haha.
It plays really nice, like any YYF. I just personally dont like the way the shape fits in my hand and I dont have $500 to spend on one haha.
sorry,but it’s as ugly as bsp….just sorry guys…
You don’t have to be sorry. It is very ugly and I laugh every day at the people who are going to buy this and the people that bought a BSP. Meanwhile I have 4 Spyys or 4 Anti-yos or 4 One Drops for the same price. Some peoples kids.
Steve: Please let me know where and when you drink too much.