Post SDCC Fwoosh Interview

[PanMan]

As a matter of fact: Yes.
First of all, I´m not a kid anymore. I won´t be playing with my Roboto, twisting his waist and giggling all over his rotating gears as if I were four years old.
Second: It is absurd to assume Mattel has a budget for each individual figure instead of tooling money for the whole year or at least several month. Figures like Whiplash couldn´t have been made (whole new buck), while figures like the Goddess (whole old Teela) would basically have cost nothing but a new spear.
So the tooling money that went on creating Roboto´s gears could easily have gone towards e.g. Grizzlors second face and who knows what else the 4HM designed, that never will see the light of day because of Mattels decissions. It could also have been spent on another Roboto head and his chest armor from the 200x Roboto. Maybe even a clip-on gattling gun as seen in the MYP cartoon. LOTS of possibilities. Yet Mattel spent the money on a truly childish actionfeature - while the line was always meant to be strictly without actionfeatures.

A shiny new accessory on any figure is not worth half-assing another just to get it. I never want to see them to deliberately half-ass a character. People would be in uproar if he had random gears placed in his body and with random colors, and would be very disapointed if he had no moving gears (we all hoped he would, but expected him not to).

There's one thing above all else that sells this line: nostalgia. The thing people remember most about Roboto is the moving gears. Bingo.

[Sandman]

It's a problem area for sure, but in the case of Roboto I could have lived without the gears turning. My boxes all say "Adult Collector" on them, and this is one of those cases where I wouldn't mind the action feature missing.

Actually, the main reason it makes me wary is that I hope they made Roboto's construction sturdy enough that he won't actually break internally or externally during posing.

We all know the translucent plastic used for Goddess was utter crap, I really don't want to see Roboto go the same way just because they did his chest as two hollow shapes to fit the gears in...

[DO4M]

My issues with Roboto:
-He looks TOO much like the vintage Toy:
Before people start grabbing the pitchforks; hear me out...
I despise they toy's "Duck Bill" mouth piece. There's some vintage MOTU art depicting Roboto with a smaller Mouthpiece. (Seen it around in the forums a couple of times.)
THAT would've made a nice Alternate Head for Roboto (since 200X heads are Banned. I kinda like the 200X "Robocop" head a bit better.) The lack of the "200X" Armor. (I shall fix that on mine with craft foam and plastic. When I figure out how to.)

-The Action Feature: While part of me is giddy that the gears WILL move. (I wouldn't have minded much if they didn't...) I hate that the Action feature works ALL THE WAY TO THE HEAD... almost as much as Action features being sneaked into the line...
Starting to fear that Mekaneck will get a hollow body for the 2 cm "LONG" neck... or the return of the springloaded waists...

I want "Poseability" and "Displayability"...
Basicallty the Adult counterpart to "playing with my toys."

Now don't get me wrong: I Love the fact that they put their efforts on getting the gears right... Shows a bit of passion and love towards the characters... If they could apply that to other eras that are not Vintage MOTU (*cough*PoP and NA *cough*) it would be better.

[Heidi]

I personally am really happy that Roboto is getting his action feature. In my opinion the original MOTU figures had the best action features ever created. The action features were part of the charm of the figures. So for me personally it's important to have those features done in the MOTUC line when possible.

And I really hope I'd still have the child-like spirit to play with my toys but sadly I seem to have lost that somewhere along the way. Nowadays I just enjoy posing my figures and looking at them. I hope I'll someday re-discover that which I seem to have lost.

Heidi

[adam03]

I wouldn't enjoy that. I want Filmation Marlena, MYP Marlena and Battle Armour Marlena all looking like they should (sculpt-wise).

What is this Battle Armor Marlena you speak of?

[Tallstar]

What is this Battle Armor Marlena you speak of?

[Darkspecter]

What is this Battle Armor Marlena you speak of?

What Tallstar posted. She wears it when she stabs herself a snakeman! Tung Lashor, to be exact.

[Sandman]

What is this Battle Armor Marlena you speak of?

I know the joke you're trying to make and I'll answer the question early by saying you don't go into negotiations in full armor unless there's reason to suspect hostilities.

Hostile negotiations = battle.

Alternately, I'll just say that Marlena will negotiate the crap out of you.

[adam03]

I know the joke you're trying to make and I'll answer the question early by saying you don't go into negotiations in full armor unless there's reason to suspect hostilities.

Hostile negotiations = battle.

Alternately, I'll just say that Marlena will negotiate the crap out of you.

OK, OK you got me

[Hordaiquiri]

I read the female comment to mean 1 POP female in the first half of the year.

I thought so as well. We get Bow + a POP female in the first half of 2011, and then another in the second half. Three POP, two being women... which is fine, as long as it means some update to the female buck means we're only getting the two; not to mention whoever else may be coming as well.

[flitzi]

I personally am really happy that Roboto is getting his action feature. In my opinion the original MOTU figures had the best action features ever created. The action features were part of the charm of the figures. So for me personally it's important to have those features done in the MOTUC line when possible.

Well... That´s some 30+ totally uncharming figures without a working action feature next to one charming, whose action feature "had to be made at all costs", otherwise he would be a useless pile of plastic? I would have thought BA He-Man made more sense to have an actionfeature, but I stand corrected.

And I really hope I'd still have the child-like spirit to play with my toys but sadly I seem to have lost that somewhere along the way.

If you are referencing this statement to the Roboto actionfeature, then I really have an important question:
Did you as a kid actually pay close attention to his working gears? Was it really that important to you, that you wouldn´t have accepted this character hadn´t he had that particular feature?
When I was a little girl I watched my brothers play with their He-Man toys. They never cared much about Robotos actionfeature. My husband told me he even hated the actionfeature, because he couldn´t pose Roboto, meaning twisting his waist, without having the mouthpiece moving all the time. Whenever I asked someone who had Roboto in his childhood, they said that Robotos action feature was the poorest of the whole line, as it just didn´t add any playvalue at all. And to be honest: When you´ve seen those gears turn once, you´ve seen them. As I said earlier: I highly doubt anyone would spend hours and hours watching those gears turn - and never did so in their childhood.

Nowadays I just enjoy posing my figures and looking at them.

Nothing wrong with that. Whenever I walk into my hubbies room and see him taking his figures off the shelf, trying out new poses, THAT´S todays "playing with toys". That´s playing as an adult. Not as a kid. Our daughter (2) likes to throw the figures across the room, or asks her dad to "sit Adora" (spare MOTUC). I´m eager to see if and how she will play with her figures when she grows older and if she really will be as fascinated about turning gears as everybody else online claims to be or to have been as a kid.

[Niki]

Whenever I asked someone who had Roboto in his childhood, they said that Robotos action feature was the poorest of the whole line, as it just didn´t add any playvalue at all. And to be honest: When you´ve seen those gears turn once, you´ve seen them. As I said earlier: I highly doubt anyone would spend hours and hours watching those gears turn - and never did so in their childhood.

I did that, for example i watched how flutterinas wings sparkeld, how perfumas Flower blossemd and yes, i watched Robotos gears moved and i loved my toys!

[MegaGearMax]

Some fans are out to recapture their childhood figures, which is why they are adamant on having the MOTUC figures keep their old action features.

[Lioncourt]

Regarding Roboto-gate:

I think it is cool that his gears will move, but Mattel is opening themselves up to endless problems now. They no longer have an excuse to not give us more action features, such as Mekkanek's neck, Ram-Man's spring, etc. Over and over, they told us no action features, and yet here we are with the first in the line. Frankly, I almost would've rather have seen the waist-twist punch action for all the figures, if they were really going for the nostalgia factor.

Personally, and this is strictly a hunch, I think it maybe that Mattel is hedging their bets. They've mentioned, on numerous occasions, "if this line goes to retail", and "if there is a live action movie". We may start to see some of the action features applied, like Roboto's, simply so that they can put less effort into releasing these same figures to retail later.

All that being said, I'm not complaining. The moving gears certainly makes Roboto a more compelling figure. Honestly, until 200X, I never had much feeling aboutt Roboto. It wasn't until 200X that I really liked the character.

[Darkspecter]

I just noticed something from this interview:

SN: We got the one male out of the way

What about JOSH?! Come on, Josh is awesome and we don't know much about him. There are the obvious others like: Sea Hawk, General Sundar, all the Horde villains shown in the cartoon...but they're Filmation-only and not possible at this time.

Also, Loo-Kee, Kowl and Swiftwind are male.

[RockinHard]

Including Bow, two more POP characters coming this year. Frosta is on the priority list. This is from the second part of the interview.

[adam03]

I know the joke you're trying to make and I'll answer the question early by saying you don't go into negotiations in full armor unless there's reason to suspect hostilities.

Hostile negotiations = battle.

Alternately, I'll just say that Marlena will negotiate the crap out of you.

She was actually mediating a trade dispute, we all know mediators don`t battle It should be called mediator armor Marlena

[Teacher of Madness]

Regarding Roboto-gate:

I think it is cool that his gears will move, but Mattel is opening themselves up to endless problems now. They no longer have an excuse to not give us more action features, such as Mekkanek's neck, Ram-Man's spring, etc.

This is true. I love that the gears move, I can't wait to get this figure, and color me one of the apparently underdeveloped man-child fans that thinks the figure would have been lamer without it, but Roboto's going to throw into relief every other figure that doesn't do whatever the original did.

Also, I thought BA He-man's "action feature" was treated very well in this line.

Also also, I'm going to be very upset if anything (like a sudden switch to action features) stops me from getting a Ram Man with independently moving legs.

[Heidi]

Well... That´s some 30+ totally uncharming figures without a working action feature next to one charming, whose action feature "had to be made at all costs", otherwise he would be a useless pile of plastic? I would have thought BA He-Man made more sense to have an actionfeature, but I stand corrected.

It was a shame that BA He-man did not have his action feature. I would've been happy if BA He-man had his action feature, but I also like him as he is. The same goes for Roboto. To me the action feature is part of his charm and I'm happy he's getting it. I would not lose any sleep if Roboto did not have his action feature, but at the same time I am very pleased he will have it.

If you are referencing this statement to the Roboto actionfeature, then I really have an important question:
Did you as a kid actually pay close attention to his working gears? Was it really that important to you, that you wouldn´t have accepted this character hadn´t he had that particular feature?
When I was a little girl I watched my brothers play with their He-Man toys. They never cared much about Robotos actionfeature. My husband told me he even hated the actionfeature, because he couldn´t pose Roboto, meaning twisting his waist, without having the mouthpiece moving all the time. Whenever I asked someone who had Roboto in his childhood, they said that Robotos action feature was the poorest of the whole line, as it just didn´t add any playvalue at all. And to be honest: When you´ve seen those gears turn once, you´ve seen them. As I said earlier: I highly doubt anyone would spend hours and hours watching those gears turn - and never did so in their childhood.

That statement did not refere to Robotos action feature but rather to collecting toys in general. But yes, I did like Roboto's action feature when I was little. Whenever Roboto walked or talked I'd twist his waist to make either the gears or the jaw to move.

Nothing wrong with that. Whenever I walk into my hubbies room and see him taking his figures off the shelf, trying out new poses, THAT´S todays "playing with toys". That´s playing as an adult. Not as a kid.

I personally don't think there's only one way for an adult to play with action figures. Some like to pose their figures, some create funny comics with theirs and I'm sure some still enjoy having imaginary plays with theirs (lord Helmet for instance).

Because I personally enjoy posing figures the most these days, that's the main reason why posability is the most important thing for me with today's figures. If I had to choose, I'd much rather have MOTUC figures that can sit than MOTUC figures with action features. But, I don't have figures that can sit and most figures will not have action features and I can live with that. But if a figure has more posability or has an action feature, then I am happy with that.

Our daughter (2) likes to throw the figures across the room, or asks her dad to "sit Adora" (spare MOTUC). I´m eager to see if and how she will play with her figures when she grows older and if she really will be as fascinated about turning gears as everybody else online claims to be or to have been as a kid.

To me it has felt like the majority is not that enthusiastic about having the action features on MOTUC figures. But I could be wrong.

[danielsan52]

What if Mattel cheaps out and make a classicized 200X Marlena, but give her a Filmation head and color her dress green? I could see them doing that, so they can make an easy 200X variant of her later.

I HATED the n200x Marlena.... wrong look, wrong origin, wrong hair, etc.... I didn't even like the Battle Armor look until I did this green mockup which looks way better in my opinion. Take out the 200x details and add an attachable skirt piece and 2nd head with a crown and that would be a cool figure. IMHO of course.

[Sandman]

I HATED the n200x Marlena.... wrong look, wrong origin, wrong hair, etc.... I didn't even like the Battle Armor look until I did this green mockup which looks way better in my opinion. Take out the 200x details and add an attachable skirt piece and 2nd head with a crown and that would be a cool figure. IMHO of course.

I could definently see this repaint happening if a BA Marlena is ever made.

She was actually mediating a trade dispute, we all know mediators don`t battle It should be called mediator armor Marlena

If this is what she's wearing when mediating, I'd hate to see what she's wearing for combat.

[Neutro]

Part 2 is up!

[Mr_Yuck]

Great interview! Fear not PoP fans, another character is on the way in the first half of 2011!

I'm also glad to read about Frosta is a sooner rather than later. I can't wait to see what the 4H do with her.

[Ntumbuluku]

That should help ease some of the POP hysteria.

[Neutro]

Great interview! Fear not PoP fans, another character is on the way in the first half of 2011!

I'm also glad to read about Frosta is a sooner rather than later. I can't wait to see what the 4H do with her.

This was my favorite part of the interview as well! I'm really hoping she arrives next year!