BBTS & one other on line retailer who have Castle Grayskull pre-orders up on their sites haven't placed their orders yet. Expect a spike over the weekend that may or may not show on monday.Originally Posted by Replikor
Don't forget someone is updating the meter and they are not doing it daily.
Yep, that's it in a nutshell. Sadly some people here seem incapable of realising that not everything is black and white.
The thing is that that's what those of us who preordered the Hoverboard thought the same thing about that too. After having been burned once on giving Matty the benefit of the doubt; I want a straight up answer from Mattel, stating that they're not going to pull the exact same design team switcheroo they pulled on the Hoverboard on Castle Grayskull.
There's a thread on therpf.com discussing it in its entirety.
That only tells us the state of play now - not down the track after the proeorder period and Mattel has people locked-in to buying one. As much as I have no doubt that the Four Horsemen want to do this from start to finish; ultimately it's Mattel's call as to whether they're working on this for the duration of the design stage- not theirs.
All it takes is some high enough up exec in Mattel holding the purse strings, to decide that Castle Grayskull isn't "profitable enough" to warrant the Horsemen on it and all the passion the Horsemen have in the world wont change them being replaced with a low grade in-house design team working on it. This was what went down with the Hoverboard (their better in-house designers were pulled from it) and until I get some official statement from Mattel stating that the Four Horsemen will be the design team on this for the duration; I'm not making the mistake of presuming anything again.
You seem to have missed the point here. There's more than one group of designers "in house" with Mattel. Initially, Mattel had a great design team working on the Hoverboard (so great ironically that the initial version shown at NYTF is vastly superior to what we have now) - much like we have the 4H touted to do CG now. The problem is that after the preorder period, Mattel took their better design guys and put them on retail lines, leaving it with a vastly inferior design team.
My fear that's a hurdle to me preordering is that they'll pull a similar stunt and remove the 4 Horsemen from this after the preorder period (remember, the 4H have been shifted from Matty projects before due to cost issues).
Contrary to what people might think, I'd also like to see this happen so the deadline blows out, as Scott is apparently on annual leave right now, so I'm not likely to get things clarified before the deadline.
What I'm acutely aware of is that Scott's PR skills aren't always the best. So the canned spin I've gotten is just as likely to be Scott badly answering what should have been a simple confirmation of things set in stone, as it is him being evasive on orders by upper management. However I simply don't trust Mattel enough too make that gamble.
The deadline blowing out would mean that Scott would return from annual leave before the preorder period ends and hopefully I can get the clarification I need to feel comfortable with going ahead and preordering one.
On the contrary, if Mattel can guarantee that there are no dodgy switcheroos which will take place after the preorder period, my reservations with this go right out the window and I preorder.
My issue and stance hasn't changed. The problem is that people keep trying to argue points that are irrelevant to that issue. People can scream til the cows come home that the Four Horsemen are working on this now and that everything has been promised now in terms of features.
The problem is that the exact same thing happened in terms of Hoverboard promises - only for it all to be thrown out the window when the preorder period ended and I have yet to see anything from Mattel explicitly stating that the same thing wont happen here.
So you're saying that the Ghostbusters figures were the same quality when the in house teams took over them as compared to when the Four Horsemen were doing them? That's the worry with Castle Grayskull, that they decide that Castle Grayskull isn't "profitable" enough to justify this, and they take the Horsemen off the project and put one of their cheaper in house teams on it. Remember that for Mattel, profitable=retail lines.
Again, that says nothing about Mattel throwing out the game plan and changing it completely after the preorder period when people are locked in to getting one.
Analogously speaking, you're dead wrong. They're both very different animals, I agree. However figuratively speaking, they share the same zookeeper (Mattel), are in the same Zoo (mattycollector.com) and face the same animal husbandry issues (design teams being pulled and switched, quality dropping, etc). It's that figurative animal cruelty and neglect which is the issue here.
Last edited by bowspearer; November 8, 2012 at 10:51pm.
They also have in common the Same Brand Manager, Digital river, and broken promises. Scott said in this video that there would be a lenticular Hologram sticker on the board, and there is none. This is a fairly important part of the Hoverboard, since it is mostly meant for display. So how can you be sure of anything he says or promises until the final Castle comes out?
And what in Matty's entire history has ever given you reason that they will change their pattern of complete ineptness and accomplish such a feat in 2013? Wait, you were saying that they would have to accomplish the impossible to get people to trust them with this preorder now... I see. Well, I still say that the "MySubscriptions Page" that has been promised for years, will not be up before the January 2013 items ship. Anyone want to make any friendly wagers on this? PM me!
Setting up a page like this would take any e-tailer or web site engineer no more than 2 months to iron out, even taking into consideration numerous billing and internal site logistics issues, but they haven't been able to do this for more than a year after they said they would, even though it would have saved them hundreds of subs from cancelling due to credit card and address changes. Lets not forget that just making this page should not have even been necessary, but for the fact that Digital river was never even meant to sell physical product much less a subscription that would need to bill over the time of a cc expiration.
Now that that rant is over, I am going to order at least one Castle, but all of this business with the Hover Board and everything else with Matty's history has me really on the fence whether or not to order multiples. We are talking more than an average car payment for each one here. I just don't think their promise of a photo figure checklist has me any keener to trust them with anymore money than for one Castle, which is ALL Matty's own fault.
I'm too worried and scared at the moment to think.
This week-end will be sloooooow and painful for me!
I honestly think the big problem is that Matty's PR approach is its own worst enemy. Sure, some people will be far too burned to trust them again - that's to be expected if you're going to be realistic.
However people are on the fence because of how they've handled preorders of high-ticket items, and how they've handled MOTUC.
Honestly, if they came out tomorrow with a convincing and straight up statement which made it clear that they've learned their lesson from the fiasco of the Hoverboard, that things have been completely costed (it's one thing to claim everything in a list of features will be there when you can ultimately hide behind a disclaimer which says you're not bound to that on a product page- it's another to credibly be able to demonstrate you've costed everything) and some credible evidence of QC improvements where Castle Grayskull would be concerned (including possibly statements from the production heads); I genuinely believe people would leap on grabbing at least one of them.
Steps like that would address people's concerns in a constructive manner, give them the impression they're being listened to, and with reasonable explanations and get people off the fence - maybe even swaying people who appear to be on the other side of a burned bridge. Sadly and ironically as I said earlier, Mattel (or at least Scott), appears far more interested in deflective spin for the most part, than leveling with people, which just alienates people further.
My seller/trader/buyer feedback:
http://he-man.org/forums/boards/showthread.php?t=195461
MOTUC Most Wanted: 1) Stridor 2) Road Ripper 3) Dragon Walker 4) Land Shark
How did they handle the PK Meter and Ghost trap? Those were pretty big ticket items... were they preorder?
I don't remember hearing any weeping and gnashing of teeth with those... It seemed that Matty did a GREAT job with THOSE items... Why can we not assume the same care to go towards grayskull?
Why do we always have to pull out the WORST examples of their business strategy... and forget all the GOOD things they sell us?
For ME... MOTUC has always been about Nostalgia. I had the original castle grayskull when i was five years old and it was new on the shelves... nobody even HEARD of He'man when I had that castle...
I had it for a solid 20 years before the final pieces were lost/broke/stolen... But by then it was just a shell.
Seeing the computers and eleveators makes me giddy for accessories I had long forgotten about. I REALLY want them in there!!!
I think the PERFECT solution would be to make sure they are 'seperate' pieces... armor and computers that can be 'placed' in the castle wherever you want... or tossed to the side if you want a more 'magic' based castle.
I love filmation, and want a lot of the portals and gargoyles and things like that in there TOO... but for me it's always about nostalgia and I want as much of the 'original' castle to be included as possible.
30 years of History... Man I can't believe it's been that long
This guy gets it--^ People who incessently argue their point of not wanting something so intensely and often that it becomes like that religious guy on the corner holding a sign that says "THE END IS NIGH"- freaking everyone out- eventually become so much noise to the rest of us. Yes, we get that you feel butt-sore over the Hoverboard, the 2013 subs, and just about everything else. It's time to just settle down and give the stage to those who have something new to say or offer. Especially if that something new is support for Grayskull, because honestly that's the goal most of us are trying to get to. Not trying to dissuade honest debate, but the aforementioned folks aren't debating their bashing. They are just holding that sign and screaming from the rafters simply to be heard.... over... and over... and over.We hear ya. Now- as Paul McCartney would say- just let it be.
Harken the coming of Dragstor!!
A) I wouldn't class the PKE meter as being a big ticket item and B) neither of them was a preorder deal.
Different marketing animal. When you have people locked into a preorder; the incentive normally there for something to be done to the nth (ie with no presales; if you screw up, you're stuck with items that wont sell), goes right out the window. If the Hoverboard had've been an upfront sale rather than a preorder, then I highly doubt that what did go down with it, would have gone down.
I'm not saying Mattel hasn't also done some great work. However their history with preordered items; particularly, their incredibly recent history with preordered items, is a cause for concern with Castle Grayskull. It's certainly one which Mattel can effectively address, but it's one which they actually need to take the step of addressing here if they want to get people off the fence and into a preorder.
- - - Updated - - -
You mean as opposed to the "us and them" mentality? It's interesting that if you're not blindly rushing into this and have reservations that have yet to be properly addressed which keep you on the fence, then you must be wanting this to fail - judging by the posts of certain people here; no matter how many statements get made to the contrary. It's also highly telling that certain people seem more keen to gag and dismiss points rather than discuss them.
You mean several people insisting on trying to respond to points which don't even address what I'm bringing up to try and shut me up rather than discuss them - resulting in me restating my issue in the blindly optimistic hopes that rather than trying to merely gag and dismiss; they might actually respond to the issue at hand? That would require certain people moving past a "you're either with us or against us" mentality. While I'd like to see it happen, I'm not optimistic about it.
I'm sick of hearing about that hoverboard.
Did he order them recently?
Awesome, that's GREAT news! Let's do this! Castle Grayskull my friends!!!Here's a good news. A friend of mine who owns a store said to me he ordered A LOT of castle Grayskulls. He wouldn't say how many but that's really good to hear as many other stores have probably done the same!
Hey Super 7, Snake Mountain rocks! Let's Kickstart it!
I had given up on the line a few years back.
Bought five figures then called it quits. Then I heard about Castle Grayskull.
The possibility of this playset getting a 4H update was such a strong pull that I have tripled my collection in only a few weeks! I love my figures, but the centerpiece is definitely that Castle. I'll be heart-broken if it doesn't happen. What made the original line great was the combo of magnificently imagination-friendly design and the playability and poseability of the myriad playsets and vehicles.
It's just not He-Man without Castle Grayskull.
In my mind, the line itself is for naught without it's addition. These figures demand an equally fantastic playset to live in. You may have your doubts about Mattel's ability to pull it off. You may have misgivings when you look at some of the non-MOTU offerings that have gone awry. You may be all too aware of the frustrating QC issues with a few of the figures in your own collection.
Being a collector can sometimes be jading. We know too much about how these toys are made. The days when we were surprised when we discovered the latest toys on the shelf are long gone, sadly. As nearly as any line has renewed that nostalgic feeling of giddy excitement, MOTU Classics has done that the best. It's such a crime that these amazing toys will, for the most part, not find their ways into children's hands. I remember the visceral delight I had in these toys as a child.
Pre-ordering Castle Grayskull is a gamble. It's the same gamble you take when you re-up your yearly subscription. Every figure is an opportunity to succeed spectacularly or fail dreadfully. I believe the tremendous love and quality put into this line keeps us all here. At your core, if you didn't believe in and love this stuff, you would not be here.
I'm new here. I haven't been in the Classics game as long as most of you,but I cannot shed my enthusiasm for what could be a spectacular playset. I'm willing to put my money where my mouth is in a big way. It's going to be great. It's going to be ridiculously amazing. Will it be perfect in everyone's eyes? Oh no. No. NO. But it's definitely the one shot we have at this kind of MOTU greatness. It will never come again. Nobody else will even try. If not now, then most certainly never. With those stakes, I'm willing to take the chance that it won't be perfect. I'm planning on it not being perfect. But it'll still be magnificent.
It'll still be glorious. For the feeling I'll have when the giant box is delivered, I open the box, pull out all the parts, and gingerly start putting together this mammoth toy, then start finding the best spots for my favorite figures, I'm in. 100%.
Last edited by Customikey; November 9, 2012 at 01:01am.
I would so love to order a second castle, but there´s simply no chance I can afford it, with a pricetag of $350 each castle for international customers...
Positivity, folks!
Let´s all agree to love MOTU enough to let others love MOTU, too!
Plus the $60-$80 customs/duty sting per castle as well....I would so love to order a second castle, but there´s simply no chance I can afford it, with a pricetag of $350 each castle for international customers...
CGS will be made regardless of what the barometer says i'm sure of it
From your lips to the Goddess's ears.CGS will be made regardless of what the barometer says i'm sure of it
Oh my days! Ive been that worried that be Greyskull wont be made I desperately ordered another! Lord knows how im gonna paye for 2 postage to the UK but hey had to do my bit for me and the Org.ers. Please get this made guys! We have the Power
Just another reason why I think this is already going through...
Have you received the "Three Days Left to Pre-Order Castle Grayskull" email?
It says, "There are only three days left to pre-order Castle Grayskull and get an exclusive cross-sell poster."
I'm taking that as, "You only have three days left to get the cross-sell poster, after that, you'll only be able to order the Castle."
I want one. I want one very badly. But... as much as I want CG, I simply cannot justify spending $250 plus who knows how much on shipping for a toy.
"You can not fight the darkness He-man!"-Shokoti-the Queen of Darkness
__________
Arizona Mazter of the Universe
Yea I received the email too. I hope it does, why mention posters and box art if it doesnt? Its more important I think to gage interest in playsets. If this goes through with enough support then we have a real chance for future playsets like Snake Mountain, Fright Zone, Point Dread and the Eternian 3 towers..its really important every member orders.
But everyone who pre-orders, gets Cross-Sell Poster.
That would mean if the pre-orders continue to January, everyone still is "pre-ordering" it and will receive it.
He-Man & She-Ra fan and contributor to official Dark Horse MOTU/POP books
ˇ ToonJukka - Youtube Channel with He-Man/She-Ra videos; Origins, Trivia, Top5 lists and more!
Are you sure that everybody after the deadline gets a poster?
From Mattycollector site:
if we meet the 11/12/12 minimum production goal date and production moves forward, every pre-order placed between 10/16/12 and 1/3/13 will include a first-ever exclusive Masters of the UniverseŽ Classics cross-sell poster!
He-Man & She-Ra fan and contributor to official Dark Horse MOTU/POP books
ˇ ToonJukka - Youtube Channel with He-Man/She-Ra videos; Origins, Trivia, Top5 lists and more!
Huh, I completely assumed something different (and we obviously know what happens when you do that...)
I was thinking that there would be no "day-of" sales so the pre-order was until November...but any sales after that wouldn't be at the $250 price point but all sales were ending in January.
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