Will This Line Live After The Remaining "Biggies" Are Released?

[Mr. Shokoti]

Now I'm not saying I want this line to die, but except for the few biggies left from the original line(Ram-Man, Sorceress, Man-E-Faces), this line doesn't seem like it will have much life after that. The Bonus Figures seem like they're coming to an end from what ToyGuru has said recently and the other eras(POP, NA, 2002) seem to have just as many, if not more, detractors as they do fans. Unless Mattel gives The 4 Horsemen the go ahead to make brand new characters, does anyone else feel that this line will fall short of the 2016 mentioned by ToyGuru?

[RockinHard]

Denitely enough "Biggies" to carry us through 2011. I think this line is safe through 2011. The question is: who do we call "Biggies?"

I say:

She-Ra (which is coming this year)
Man-E-Faces
Ram Man
Sorceress
King Hiss
Spikor (who REALLY thinks a Horsemen update of this guy would not go like hotcakes?)

And of course, many others will sell well (Stinkor, Fisto, Clawful, Whiplash, Buzz-Off, BA Skeletor, Prince Adam)

[Sea of sorrow]

I will buy all the Masters of the Universe, but no characters fron Shera and New adventures for sure. Pheraps some redesigns 200X.

I therefore ask myself the same question - beyond the iconic MOU characters will this line have sufficient support to last until 2016?

[Alexx]

Well, as usual, it all depends on what everyone thinks are "biggies." On top of that, there are probably a lot of buyers like my friend; he's not a MotU fan, he's just buying what he thinks looks cool. So he doesn't even have He-Man or Skeletor, just Scare Glow and Tri-Klops. We have no idea how many other collectors we've got out there that are just buying cool looking toys. So, considering that he said they'll be spreading things out for the fans, there's always the people who just recognize awesome action figures.

[Spacedust]

I think the line has legs yet, even after all the "biggiest" (which vary in everyone's opinion anyway) are gone.
There are enough secondary figures with their fans, and backstories just waiting to be developed. Part of the charm and appeal of the original line was even the lesser characters having detailed backstories, and I think it will translate well to MOTUC.

That said, I know I'm totally in the minority here, but I think Hordak was released way too soon. IMO they should have concentrated on the original "Heroic vs. Evil" scenario first, given that time before introducing She-Ra and Hordak, and so on. I think it is possible to throw too much in, too soon. But I know few will agree.

[MegaGearMax]

Now I'm not saying I want this line to die, but except for the few biggies left from the original line(Ram-Man, Sorceress, Man-E-Faces), this line doesn't seem like it will have much life after that. The Bonus Figures seem like they're coming to an end from what ToyGuru has said recently and the other eras(POP, NA, 2002) seem to have just as many, if not more, detractors as they do fans. Unless Mattel gives The 4 Horsemen the go ahead to make brand new characters, does anyone else feel that this line will fall short of the 2016 mentioned by ToyGuru?

I'm not sure if the line will die or will it slow down to pre-hype levels, where figures last a month or more...

Even brand new characters aren't going to save the line as we saw with Zodak and The Goddess. Now it's arguable that GOOD bonus characters might do really well. Bonus characters that are more than repaints, with a few new accessories.

In a sad sort of way, sometimes I think MOTU CAN'T grow beyond the first four years and She-Ra herself. It tries to grow but either the current fans don't support any growth or Mattel screws up somehow.

That's why we need FRESH fans, who aren't held by childhood nostalgia (or prejudices) to start buying MOTUC. New fans who see a NA character and likes the character, not those who grew up hating NA, ignoring NA no matter who sculpts it. Otherwise this line dies as soon as the last vintage MOTU character is released.

I think the line has legs yet, even after all the "biggiest" (which vary in everyone's opinion anyway) are gone. There are enough secondary figures with their fans, and backstories just waiting to be developed. Part of the charm and appeal of the original line was even the lesser characters having detailed backstories, and I think it will translate well to MOTUC.

I disagree. If people didn't care about Hydron then, there's no way people will care about him now. Old childhood prejudices are deep and influence many fans to this day. Even with the promise of all the eras fitting in with MOTU and designed by the 4H, people are still holding on to their old beliefs.

That said, I know I'm totally in the minority here, but I think Hordak was released way too soon. IMO they should have concentrated on the original "Heroic vs. Evil" scenario first, given that time before introducing She-Ra and Hordak, and so on. I think it is possible to throw too much in, too soon. But I know few will agree.

I agree here. Hordak was released way too soon. He should have been held back like the Sorceress.

[adam03]

Even after the "biggies" there are enough b and c level characters t keep the line moving, although I am worried about the non die hards leaving after the MOTU era figs are done and leaving us with an early departure of the line due to not enough people collecting Pop and NA figures

[Mr. Shokoti]

That said, I know I'm totally in the minority here, but I think Hordak was released way too soon. IMO they should have concentrated on the original "Heroic vs. Evil" scenario first, given that time before introducing She-Ra and Hordak, and so on. I think it is possible to throw too much in, too soon. But I know few will agree.

I kinda agree. Although, the reason that Hordak was made early is because it was possible that, if the MOTUC line never took off, he'd be the last figure made. According to Matty on Facebook, it seems that they just wanted to make sure Hordak got a new toy no matter how the line ended up.

[CarKrash]

Bonus figures are -not- coming to an end. There will still be about 4 a year as ToyGuru has recently stated. He also stated they are strategically placing major characters throughout the duration. I feel most MOTU characters (with previous vintage toys) probably have enough nostolgia, fans, and completists collectors to sell well. Not only do you have the guys you mentioned but Buzz Off, Kobra Kahn, Mekaneck, SyKlone, Extendar, the rest of the HORDE, the entirety of the snake men.. I could go on and on.

Now.. 2016 as mentioned by Toyguru is really pushing it.. of course.. 4 Bonus figures a year, and 12 monthly figures over the next 6 years equals 88 figures. That's rather ambitious to say the least.. But it seems they want to basically re-do every figure they've ever done with Masters of the Universe, NA, and POP. Now I can understand people being wary of NA and Princess of Power toys.. but by my count there's a good 50 or so doable characters from the Heroes, Evil Warriors, HORDE and Snakemen left to be done still. She-Ra and NA simply do not have the amount of characters of the original MOTU line. NA with around 20.. She-Ra around 15.. I think if spaced correctly.. 2016 is certainly doable.. If rights for Filmation and/or the Movie are worked out.. that could even could extend the line moreso...

If a new movie is released with a corresponding new toyline (2 MOTU lines out at once!?) Then all bets are off.!

[SnakeTeela]

I think the line can last at least a few more years. New characters wont do too well. If certain fans are unable to accept Frosta and Optikk into their collections why would they want someone totally new?

I think they need to spread out the more appealing characters. In addition to She-Ra and Adora, 2010 should give us at least another PoP figure...Also give us an NA figure or two (even though I'm not a huge fan of that part of the property, its good for longevity) and then also start digging into the more obscure and less popular parts of the original MOTU line...Rio Blast, Clamp Champ, etc.

The truth is, I do think the line will suffer if 2010 is nothing but Evil-Lyns, Trap Jaws, She-Ras and Orkos...save some of the big names for later on. And as they use up all the big names, the sales will drop and Mattel will be less likely to invest in totally new sculpts...so incorporate some of them in too.

I'm sure they have it all planned out well to get them through 2016...I hope anyway. Save Man-E-Faces, Buzz Off and Spikor for another year and give us Ram Man (while the hype is still high we need to get 100% new tooled figures out instead of saving them for until it dies down), Catra and Clamp Champ.

Like I said, I'm sure they have it all worked out well (they did, afterall, hint that The Sorceress wont be coming for a couple years) and I dont think the hype will die down anytime soon but its scary to think the line could die prematurely.

[Mr. Shokoti]

Even brand new characters aren't going to save the line as we saw with Zodak and The Goddess. Now it's arguable that GOOD bonus characters might do really well. Bonus characters that are more than repaints, with a few new accessories.

I'm talking "brand new" characters, not a redesign or color variation on a vintage character.

That's why we need FRESH fans, who aren't held by childhood nostalgia (or prejudices) to start buying MOTUC. New fans who see a NA character and likes the character, not those who grew up hating NA, ignoring NA no matter who sculpts it. Otherwise this line dies as soon as the last vintage MOTU character is released.

What this line needs is new young fans since the odds aren't good for new adult fans(even I feel odd to be 34 and collecting toys without having any kids of my own yet). Since kids don't seem to like toys as much as they used to, there being no supporting cartoon for MOTUC, and the distribution/price point obviously amied at adults, I don't see that happening.

I disagree. If people didn't care about Hydron then, there's no way people will care about him now. Old childhood prejudices are deep and influence many fans to this day. Even with the promise of all the eras fitting in with MOTU and designed by the 4H, people are still holding on to their old beliefs.

While that may be true for some fans, that's definitely not true across the board. I didn't buy nor have any interest in NA or POP(except for 1 She-Ra) as a kid, but I'm defintely looking forward to seeing The 4 Horsemen's vision of them.

[Morbebanur]

Rigth now I am willing to give both POP and NA a chance like to see what the 4H can do with them. Heck just leave NA He-man and Skeletor as bounes figuers that will give me more reason the give the rest of the gang of NA a chance.

[eurorko]

I don't think that this line will die anytime soon. The Horsemen do a fantastic job. I think that some of the Pop and NA characters that have everyone so divided will sell better than expected when we see the sculpts. I do think that eventually the figures won't be selling out as quickly, but they will still sell. I also hope that they gain access to the Filmation library. That would definitely add some more life to the line.

I think the possibilities are limitless. I hate it when people are so narrow minded when it comes to character selection. This is how the franchise will expand by including Pop/Na/200X/new characters. Variety is what makes something a collectible, and this is a line aimed at collectors. I collect Dc Universe figures and some of the characters released I don't even know anything about, but I still purchased them because they are awesome looking figures.

[RockinHard]

give us Ram Man (while the hype is still high we need to get 100% new tooled figures out instead of saving them for until it dies down
Like I said, I'm sure they have it all worked out well (they did, afterall, hint that The Sorceress wont be coming for a couple years) and I dont think the hype will die down anytime soon but its scary to think the line could die prematurely.

I think having Ram-Man out soon will only inflate the line as well.

[Mr. Shokoti]

Even after the "biggies" there are enough b and c level characters t keep the line moving, although I am worried about the non die hards leaving after the MOTU era figs are done and leaving us with an early departure of the line due to not enough people collecting Pop and NA figures

I think there's enough characters, if we only get 1 a month, for this line to last for the majority of the decade, but like you said, I feel most current MOTUC collectors will call it a day once the heavy hitters of the original line have been released.

[Kevenn]

They didn't hint that the Sorceress wouldn't be available for a couple of years - that was misconstrued information by the fans. We know nothing about when Sorceress will be released.

[Motorthing]

2 more good years? Yes. 2016 with EVERY character? No.

Every line has a natural lifespan, even super-hot ones. MOTU simply doesn't have the depth of a DC, Star Wars or Marvel Universe (and that's not bad-mouthing, it's simply a statement of fact) so it has to reach a point were it wont be viable - one day.

I kinda agree with MGMax in that MOTU really does need a revamp of some sort that will take it beyond 10/15,000 sales to the same bunch of hard-core fans - because growth can't happen with just those kind of numbers and Matty will NOT just keep going with a line beyond the point where they make no new money.

How that happens? I don't have the plan, some on here may well do......so really just enjoy the good times while we have them, and stop worrying about if/when the Line will die.

[adam03]

They didn't hint that the Sorceress wouldn't be available for a couple of years - that was misconstrued information by the fans. We know nothing about when Sorceress will be released.

I got the feeling that that info was for a different Sorceress`s bio and not the one WE know and love I think the Sorceress will come sooner rather than later

[SnakeTeela]

They didn't hint that the Sorceress wouldn't be available for a couple of years - that was misconstrued information by the fans. We know nothing about when Sorceress will be released.

Was it confirmed by ToyGuru or someone else that they were not talking about the Sorceress? When people were so quick to jump to that conclusion, I definitely thought it was a big assumption but I still think its a possibility that she is the figure they were referring to. So, unless it was confirmed to not be the Sorceress I stand by my statement that they "hinted" at her not coming. So I apologize if we did, in fact, get an official statement from someone at Mattel but otherwise I think my description is accurate.

[madara]

It seems this line has to survive the quality issues going on first.

[MegaGearMax]

I'm talking "brand new" characters, not a redesign or color variation on a vintage character.

With THIS line, those ARE the brand new characters...as if they were done in the 80's.

I got the feeling that that info was for a different Sorceress`s bio and not the one WE know and love I think the Sorceress will come sooner rather than later

If anything, that Sorceress will be held back since everyone wants her. Someone has to be "held for ransom".

[-= SupernovA =-]

All characters are important to me and I would like to have a line that is complete for a change. So I'm buying till all characters have been released by 2016

[Bulkhide]

I think we're good for high sales on these characters:

Heroic Warriors:
Ram Man
Sorceress
Prince Adam
Orko
Man-E-Faces
Sy-Klone
Buzz-Off
Roboto
Fisto

Evil Warriors:
Clawful
Whiplash
Stinkor
Spikor
Ninjor
Jitsu
Kobra Khan (can be listed as Snakeman)

POP:
She-Ra
Bow
Frosta

Horde:
Catra
Grizzlor
Leech
Mantenna

Snakemen:
King Hiss
Rattlor
Tung Lashor

NA:
NA He-Man
NA Skeletor



That is 28 Figures that are all but guarantee sell outs. If you released 6-7 of these figures every year, peppering the line with other characters that may not be super-quick sell outs, then I think the line will last a good 4 more years.

Personally, I don't see MOTUC lasting past 2013 as I don't know how well many of the POP or NA characters will fair in the long run of sales. I wish the best, but I'm unsure. I mean I WANT the line to last until 2016, or longer if it can.

[chuc98]

I'm not worried. I plan on buying figures right through 2016 like mattel has planned. lol

[Patreek]

I think we have lots of characters left that are big or just really liked that we haven't seen since the 80's that will be big sellouts. Here is my break down. not nessesarily a prediction of when we get them... but just showing that there are enough cool characters left to have 4-5 tent polls a year till 2016

2010
She-ra
TrapJaw
Battle Cat
Adora
First NA figure
Panthor

2011
Sorceress Old School
Kobra Kahn
Horde Troopers
Prince Adam
NA He-man
catra

2012
Marlena
King Hisss
Optic
Frosta
Movie He-man
NA Skeletor

2013
NA He-man
Marzo
Evil Seed
Hawk
Sorceress myp
Fire Skeletor

2014
Shadow Weaver ( I think if we get this far they will start aquiring licenses)
Leach
Spikor
MYP teela
Movie Skeletor
Ice He-man

2015
Shokoti
MYP Evil Lyn
Blade
Blast attack
Modulok
Scorpia

2016
Masque
Saurod
Lodar
Snake Face
Two Bad
Octavia