# What convinced Rubik's brand to try to get speedcubers back?



## Johnny (Jan 2, 2015)

For a long time, Rubik's brand has antagonized speedcubers. But just a year ago, they decided to change that in a big way by entering the speedcube market. Their first speedcube isn't perfect but it's certainly a great product and it is perfect for many cubers. 

The transition from destroying cubes with their color scheme to entering (and succeeding) in the speedcube market is obviously quite drastic. What convinced them to do that? I'm glad they did because their new business model is making them MUCH more money.


----------



## TDM (Jan 2, 2015)

Johnny said:


> Their first speedcube [...] is perfect for many cubers.


Is it?


> succeeding) in the speedcube market


How many people actually use a Rubik's Speedcube as their main?


----------



## cashis (Jan 2, 2015)

TDM said:


> Is it?
> 
> How many people actually use a Rubik's Speedcube as their main?



Roughly 0


----------



## mark49152 (Jan 2, 2015)

Johnny said:


> their new business model is making them MUCH more money.


Source please


----------



## StachuK1992 (Jan 2, 2015)

Money.


----------



## dannah (Jan 2, 2015)

each rubiks cube gets sold at £10 there are 20000 cubers they all buy them, £200000, if 10 more companies come along dayan, moyu, fangshi, they ruin it for the original rubiks, so they are just trying to attract new cubers, but in the long run they will lose out as they are telling people about speedcubes and speedcubing which encourages them to buy a better cube, dayan, fangshi, moyu.


----------



## Rocky0701 (Jan 3, 2015)

I think they are doing an awful job to be honest. If I were them I would've bought patents for actual quality speedcubes as soon as I could've. Yes they still probably have a bigger market than even Moyu, but they could do so much better with a tiny bit of effort.


----------



## DeeDubb (Jan 3, 2015)

I have a Rubik's SpeedCube... it's terrible. The only people who would ever use it for speed solving are people who haven't felt a legit speedcube.


----------



## SpeedCubeReview (Jan 3, 2015)

If they made the same version without tiles I think it would have a much better chance (So people can use their own colors). It's not so bad of a cube. It cuts well and the design they have is amazing at preventing pops.


----------



## Kit Clement (Jan 3, 2015)

SevenTowns can produce a speedcube and still antagonize other knockoff companies. They just want to make more money.


----------



## Seanliu (Jan 3, 2015)

My friend bought a Rubiks Speedcube, tried out my AoLong, and said 

"My one's better"
"Why?" (Me)
"It cost a ton of cash!"

:fp


----------



## Johnny (Jan 3, 2015)

The AoLong is better in terms of performance but doesn't RedKB use the Rubik's speed cube as his main? I do to sometimes, I like the fact that it's low maintenance


----------



## JasonDL13 (Jan 3, 2015)

Johnny said:


> The AoLong is better in terms of performance but doesn't RedKB use the Rubik's speed cube as his main?



This is not verified, but my friend told me Rubik's sponsors him so he has to use that cube in his videos.


----------



## Seanliu (Jan 3, 2015)

Aolong is better at corner cutting, is not flimsy, and dont need no lube to be lightning fast.


----------



## Johnny (Jan 3, 2015)

I still believe that the Rubik's Speed Cube is good but I certainly don't think it's a breakthrough or anything. I'm just glad that they tried instead of continuing to be... Um... d**ks

It's really fast and if you have accurate turning the catching shouldn't be that bad, but yes the AoLong is still better


----------



## FailCuber (Jan 3, 2015)

Johnny said:


> I still believe that the Rubik's Speed Cube is good but I certainly don't think it's a breakthrough or anything. I'm just glad that they tried instead of continuing to be... Um... d**ks


Rubik's were not dicks, they were just not making a cube for speedcubing their target is not speedcubers.


----------



## Johnny (Jan 3, 2015)

FailCuber said:


> Rubik's were not dicks, they were just not making a cube for speedcubing their target is not speedcubers.



destroying cubes with certain color schemes is very d**kish.


----------



## Seanliu (Jan 3, 2015)

Johnny said:


> destroying cubes with certain color schemes is very d**kish.



+1


----------



## FailCuber (Jan 3, 2015)

Johnny said:


> destroying cubes with certain color schemes is very d**kish.


You misunderstood me.


----------



## tikhung01 (Jan 3, 2015)

I have never used a Rubik's brand cube being a third-worlder. However, I think that it's ridiculous how Chinese knock-off's are better than the original itself.


----------



## LNZ (Jan 3, 2015)

I suspect that it was done as a response to V-Cubes putting out a 3x3x3 cube.

V-cubes have clearly stated that they want the market of Rubik's for themselves.


----------



## Eduard Khil (Jan 25, 2015)

Probably their desperate attempt to attract lost customers...

Ive had their Version 1 Rubiks brand cube for something like 7 years, which back then I dont even know how to solve the cube.
The Rubik's brand is great for non-cubers, as a fast cube would be too fast without fingertrick-ing, and which building the cross would take them something like 2 minutes, a slow cube shall suit them. 
Which the Rubik's brand is extremely durable, it's great for non cubers, doesnt break/ no popping/ impossible corner twists, it is terrible to fingertrick it.


----------



## kinch2002 (Jan 25, 2015)

They did not make the speedcube to convert existing speedcubers to their brand. We (most people on this forum) are not their target. They know full-well that their speedcube is not preferred to many Chinese brands. Remember that speedcubers are in the tens of thousands (approx). They sell millions of cubes every year.

Essentially, they made the speedcube for money (crazy business idea right?). The average guy in the high street shop isn't going to have heard of any Chinese brand. They see the product in the shop and think it's cool so they buy it.

People say that they're bad compared to the Aolong etc, but actually the cube is exactly what Seventowns wanted. A high-quality, durable cube that can be sold to the masses. In some aspects, they are far better than any Chinese brand - just probably not in categories that existing speedcubers really care about. In order to make a high-quality product, they have to compromise slightly on corner cutting etc.

I'm grateful that they've released the v2 and the speedcube. They're not a threat to the Chinese market, and at least people picking one up in the shop can now turn it reasonably well. In the long term, it may get more people into "real" speedcubing.


----------



## ender9994 (Jan 25, 2015)

LNZ said:


> I suspect that it was done as a response to V-Cubes putting out a 3x3x3 cube.
> 
> V-cubes have clearly stated that they want the market of Rubik's for themselves.



They are not doing a good job then. Compared to Rubik's, how many stores can you just walk into and buy a V-cube 3x3? Most large chain stores sell Rubik's brand (at least in the U.S.), but very few sell V-cubes.



Eduard Khil said:


> Probably their desperate attempt to attract lost customers...
> 
> Ive had their Version 1 Rubiks brand cube for something like 7 years, which back then I dont even know how to solve the cube.
> The Rubik's brand is great for non-cubers, as a fast cube would be too fast without fingertrick-ing, and which building the cross would take them something like 2 minutes, a slow cube shall suit them.
> Which the Rubik's brand is extremely durable, it's great for non cubers, doesnt break/ no popping/ impossible corner twists, it is terrible to fingertrick it.



I don't think they really care about the speedcubing community. When compared to the >350 million rubik's brand cubes that have been sold, we are not exactly a major factor in their profits.

On a side topic: Has anyone tried the new Lube and new tiled 4x4 that Rubik's is now offering?


----------



## Hypocrism (Jan 25, 2015)

I suspect the logic is this:

1) Speedcubing is cool and people see videos of it online and want to try
2) They automatically go to rubik's brands for their first cube
3) Selling them one cube before they go onto real speecubes is better than selling them none ever.


----------



## Eduard Khil (Jan 25, 2015)

Or, that people see someone solving the cube, which they think it is cool and made up plans to get one.
They see one at the local toy store, and purchase it.
So they end up with some durable-reasonably-smooth cube for 5 hour-solves.


----------



## Berd (Jan 25, 2015)

I'm tempted to get a Rubiks speed cube.


----------



## josh42732 (Jan 25, 2015)

I got a Rubik's speedcube (v1 from Target) for Christmas just to see how it was, and overall, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Granted, it locks up every two face turns, and it is very loud, but the turning and corner cutting is way better than I would expect Rubik's to come out with. 



kinch2002 said:


> They did not make the speedcube to convert existing speedcubers to their brand. We (most people on this forum) are not their target. They know full-well that their speedcube is not preferred to many Chinese brands. Remember that speedcubers are in the tens of thousands (approx). They sell millions of cubes every year.
> 
> Essentially, they made the speedcube for money (crazy business idea right?). The average guy in the high street shop isn't going to have heard of any Chinese brand. They see the product in the shop and think it's cool so they buy it.
> 
> ...



I think that this is the main reason that they tried to make a new speedcube. They were tired of people saying that the Rubik's brand is horrible and they just wanted to get a decent speedcube out there so nobody would complain anymore. And when people with the original Rubik's cube who don't know how to solve it see that Rubik's has come out with a new cube, they will buy it because they haven't used theirs in a while and will attempt to get into cubing again.


----------



## qqwref (Jan 25, 2015)

I don't think they're tired of people saying the Rubik's brand is horrible at all. It's more likely they're trying to get a piece of the "I saw a Nakajima/Feliks/Hays video once and wanna try this speed cubing thing" crowd.


----------



## Eduard Khil (Jan 26, 2015)

Cos the Rubiks brand is the most widely available cube, which people dont care about the quality; 
they only care about the "Brand" cause this is the "real" rubiks cube


----------



## tps (Jan 26, 2015)

I have a Rubik's brand "speed" cube. I'm definitely not a speed cuber yet, but it is OK for my 2 - 3 minute solves. Out of the box it was rather stiff, but it improved somewhat after I took it apart and lubed the screws and nylon shoulder washers. Cubes are cheap, so it's probably worth buying several different brands and types so I can understand what's out there. By the way, the Rubik's brand cube is clearly marked "Made in China", but even with lube, in my uneducated opinion, it does not turn nearly as well as other Chinese "magic cubes" I have.


----------

