People seem to opening their carded figures; but do the new figures have good play value aswell ?

Most people I know would say no, but I actually think they have great play value.

Don't tell me you haven't got one yet...

No one here actually "play's" with the new 25th, because frankly, these new 25th are not cut out for it. MANY small accessories that even have smaller parts attached to them would get lost in so many places, it's a hazard to begin with. Some figures, mainly the cobra troops, have the "stuck wrist" and sometimes pop off, and are irreplaceable, unless you contact Hasbro. (I find to fix this, pull the hand right out. Rubber is stronger stretched than torqued). And the hips arn't really well constructed for "play."

For me though, these figures are FAR SUPERIOR as displayable sculptures. Just open up a figure, examine it for about 15 minutes. Make an awesome pose for another 10 minutes, and spend 25 minutes rearranging the rest of your open ones to fit in the new one you had just spent 25 minutes tinkering with. Every once in a while, especially when I get a new figure, I change the poses of some of my already displayed guys.

I hold these figures with the same collectability and asthetic appreciation as my vintage MOC collection. Except when the Crimson Guards and Vipers come out, and the promise of retooling, I may set up some diaramas, but I would need to make custom bases to aid in the standing of most of the new 25th.

Also, as a side note, the G.I.Joe bases SUCK, because the peg is on the logo, so you loose about 2mm peg insertion, and the figure is much LESS stable than the Cobra figures...

I think of not:
http://www.joedios.com/dioramas/showimage.php?i=9382&catid=member&imageuser=444

http://www.joedios.com/dioramas/showimage.php?i=9288&catid=member&imageuser=444

http://www.joedios.com/dioramas/showimage.php?i=9279&catid=member&imageuser=444

http://www.joedios.com/dioramas/showimage.php?i=9278&catid=member&imageuser=444

Play with them?! Sacrilege!

I think they do if you like posing figures and setting them up. The thing about them is that it takes awhile to get the most out of them because of the new articulation. They kind of feel awkward at first, but if you spend enough time with them you can get them into some really decent poses. There are some problems like some figures not being able to hold their guns with two hands, though.

spending the time to pose them is a form of playing IMO. So yes, unless you take them out of the packaging and put them directly into a ziplock bag or whatever, you are playing with them.

I think of not:
http://www.joedios.com/dioramas/showimage.php?i=9382&catid=member&imageuser=444

Sweet! ....

i haven't opened a single one but I should now that I've got a ton of multiples

I play with mine, they're decent.