MOTUC Q&A's From Around the Net (11/15/2011)

[Sallah]

I'm up... though one of the answers cuts off at the end and I'm awaiting the rest of it...

http://www.motucfigures.com/2011/11/...15th-2011.html

Sallah

[Whiplash7]

I still don't get people's hang-ups about the spade. It's okay for Bow to have all 4 card-suits on his arrows, but it's bad for Spector to use one on his armor?

And Fisto's fist not being removable is clearly the end of the world, since he's seen removing his fist so often!

[Sallah]

Got the missing portion of the answer from Toy Guru (it is in bold below)-


"Originally Horde Prime (whom we were calling Horde Supreme) was going to be our club exclusive figure. Before we had Filmation rights, he was extremely unique as he was a Filmation character that was never actually seen. This was a bit of a loophole (normally we are not ones to go for "loopholes", but oddly this one was legally clearly open to us so we went for it) and we thought doing Horde Supreme would be a great Club Figure because no one had seen the face and he was "slightly" Filmation without stepping on their rights (again, because he was never actually seen in the show). Our idea was (and still is!) people would see the face for the first time on the figure. When we got the Filmation rights the loophole of doing Supreme/Prime was less special as we had rights to all Filmation characters and we scrambled to get Shadow Weaver into the line to celebrate this. But we really didn't want to loose out on doing Horde Prime/Supreme so he was bumped to another spot in the year (and that figure was bumped out of the year entirely to accommodate the addition of Shadow Weaver and retaining of Prime). So I suppose the answer to your question is he was standard size because he was originally slotted in as the Club Figure which was a standard sized figure due to the 20.00 sign up fee."

Sallah

[mjharwood]

I agree with you on that. Mattel has weaseled on the parts sharing for a long time now. Leech to me was the best example of this overuse cheap sharing and he suffered for it. He should have been a unique sculpt like his vintage. When they say we are getting only one or possibly two uniques a year that to me causes a concern. There are to many characters that need unique sculpts and I am afraid we may not see everyone in the end.

I have to ask... what on Leech that wasn't a new sculpt would have benefited from being a new sculpt? Were the arms mis-sized? The legs? The torso, armor, head, feet, hands, and loin area were all new... I'm not sure I see what of the re-used pieces would have made a difference here? Folks' biggest complaints, in what I saw, were the head (mouth specifically) was comical, or the hands and feet should have been webbed or fingers & toes instead of faux suction cups, or the torso was too shallow from front to back... so how does "overuse cheap sharing" harm the figure when all the new parts were what people complained about?

In the original line, arms were all one piece, as were legs; even if a character had the same basic upper arm or upper leg as another, if their feet or hands were different, they needed a totally new arm or leg sculpt. In the MOTUC line, this isn't required because the articulation allows the reuse of parts that probably would have been reused in the original line.

I get it; people are upset that BGEL and SMAA are mostly straight repaints with limited new accessories. But I think many can agree that Leech had the right amount of new parts, they may just not agree on the successful execution of these parts.

So I suppose the answer to your question is he was standard size because he was originally slotted in as the Club Figure which was a standard sized figure due to the 20.00 sign up fee."

Sallah

This makes sense... I wonder how many fewer subs would have sold with HP as the Club Figure, though? I mean, I guess the others thus far have been pretty limited in requests, as well, but it seems like HP might have been a stretch for some and therefore easier for folks to say "Yeah, I don't need a sub for this..."

[Uki]

I'm happy with these answers. Nothing to complain about here.

And Duke, couldn't your always expecting the worst speak just as much about you as it would Scooter? Just teasing, buddy; youdabest.

[Telkan2]

Kastor's Korner: Have you seen more sales generated from updated core MOTU characters versus Princess of Power and New Adventures figures during the monthly sales? If so, would it be feasible to package extra heads of MOTU characters with less desirable characters as a secret accessory?

Matty: No, they actually all sell about the same. MOTUC is one popular toy line! We will do extra heads with characters that call for them but we will not be using extra heads purely as a sales gimmick.

Awesome! If I'm reading it correctly, then hopefully this answer from Kastor's Korner should put to rest the ridiculous assertion that POP and NA figures sell less than figures based on the original MOTU line!

[Soulfly]

Awesome! If I'm reading it correctly, then hopefully this answer from Kastor's Korner should put to rest the ridiculous assertion that POP and NA figures sell less than figures based on the original MOTU line!

I'm pretty sure with the subscription in place this has always been widely assumed.

I'd also be willing to bet that the figures they sell day of above the subscription amount vary from figure to figure based on what they think demand would be. Hence the "all sell ABOUT the same" line.

[SCB]

And Fisto's fist being removable is clearly the end of the world, since he's seen removing his fist so often!

Other than Alexx taking funny pics with Fisto using Clawful's claw, I don't see how this is a big deal.

[scott metzger]

No removable fist for Fisto? That seemed like a no-brainer idea just in case there's a 200X Fist in the future, Weapon's Pak hands or swapping with Jitsu's chopping hand.

Depends on your definition of "removable." If there is a cut joint at the top of the glove, it's removable with some hot water, just as the boots, the upper legs, the hands and the biceps are.

[Dark Sorceress]

*looks at SMAA* no they are not using extra heads purely as a sales gimmick

[zodak74]

I've gotten over my frustration with SMAA, and so I am pretty pleased with all the other answers in this round thus far. I actually am particularly relieved that- as much as I want more vehicles- that there are no more slotted until 2013 at the earliest. With an $80 Granamyr coming at the tail end of 2012, and the space he alone is going to take up, I am not really anxious for a $45 or $50 Battle Ram so "soon" after the Wind Raider. In fact, I am kinda hoping once Granamyr is out, that they'll scale back a tad and offer a smaller vehicle as the next vehicle in the line- something along the lines of Road Ripper, Laser Bolt, or Roton for 2013.
And I could give a crap less about Fisto's fist being removable. I'm not really sure why this is an issue for some folks- if you're a customizer and looking to swap the parts out with Roboto or Trap-Jaw for some newly-created character, you're going to figure out a way to get that fist off real easy.

[urbanmyth]

Well, maybe now I'll start viewing Horde Prime's UK comic head as a Cheapsnake Man-At-Arms accessory since it was added after the concept of the figure was already worked out. I'll just try to see them as a joint release that day and between the two, there is almost enough new parts and updated paints to make it feel worth $40.

[NastyNate]

Well, maybe now I'll start viewing Horde Prime's UK comic head as a Cheapsnake Man-At-Arms accessory since it was added after the concept of the figure was already worked out. I'll just try to see them as a joint release that day and between the two, there is almost enough new parts and updated paints to make it feel worth $40.

HaHaHa This^

[13977]

Wow its great to get so much info on the original plans for Horde Prime

[belmont]

I still don't get people's hang-ups about the spade. It's okay for Bow to have all 4 card-suits on his arrows, but it's bad for Spector to use one on his armor?

And Fisto's fist not being removable is clearly the end of the world, since he's seen removing his fist so often!

wow, comparing Bow to Spector is like comparing Aston Martin to a bike. What a shame

And I think I might gonna stop reading those Q&A's ... they are making me angry more than anything else. Most of this just doesn't seem right anymore. Arrogance, big Ego's, one wrong decision after another and constant ignoring ... I think it's time for a new brand manager. This one is way out of sync with the line.

[Berserker79]

*looks at SMAA* no they are not using extra heads purely as a sales gimmick

Hahaha, yeah it`s funny, how they so often contradict themselves

[Dark Sorceress]

wow, comparing Bow to Spector is like comparing Aston Martin to a bike. What a shame

And I think I might gonna stop reading those Q&A's ... they are making me angry more than anything else. Most of this just doesn't seem right anymore. Arrogance, big Ego's, one wrong decision after another and constant ignoring ... I think it's time for a new brand manager. This one is way out of sync with the line.

from your lips to Mattel's ears

Hahaha, yeah it`s funny, how they so often contradict themselves

lol i know! just like in his Gay interview he told them the line was going to be 2000x but then when the 4H had that fig at CC they went with it...but did he not tell us his bosses are the ones that told him no more 2000x? sooo they gave it the green light back then but hate it now?

[mjharwood]

*looks at SMAA* no they are not using extra heads purely as a sales gimmick

I think they are more referring to adding a second head to a figure so people will buy two of that single item.

I wouldn't be surprised if SMAA's color scheme was going to be released in a TRU DCUC/MOTUC 2-pack with a standard head... people asked about having these figures added into the standard line, and rather than just adding a repaint, they decided to refresh it with a new head. If nothing else, they proved that when people are offered what they say they want, people will say that's not what they wanted.

[Dark Sorceress]

I think they are more referring to adding a second head to a figure so people will buy two of that single item.

I wouldn't be surprised if SMAA's color scheme was going to be released in a TRU DCUC/MOTUC 2-pack with a standard head... people asked about having these figures added into the standard line, and rather than just adding a repaint, they decided to refresh it with a new head. If nothing else, they proved that when people are offered what they say they want, people will say that's not what they wanted.

if they wanted to do that then he needed to be outside the sub. SMAA never looked anything like the toy we are getting he's a 2000x variant but as with all 2000x variants they cut any and all 2000x from him

[Darkspecter]

Darkspecter = about Fisto's fist.

Haven't we been discussing removable fists/hands for Fisto and Jitsu for YEARS?! Also, the 80's figures fists/hands were removable...and it's a cost saving measure. Now when they make Jitsu, he will need a bigger piece to tool (hand + forearm). It also would have allowed for more re-use in weapons packs (Trap-Jaw, Roboto, Horde Prime, etc.).

Very, very poor forethought went into Fisto and Jitsu's arms.

[Dark Sorceress]

Darkspecter = about Fisto's fist.

Haven't we been discussing removable fists/hands for Fisto and Jitsu for YEARS?! Also, the 80's figures fists/hands were removable...and it's a cost saving measure. Now when they make Jitsu, he will need a bigger piece to tool (hand + forearm). It also would have allowed for more re-use in weapons packs (Trap-Jaw, Roboto, Horde Prime, etc.).

Very, very poor forethought went into Fisto and Jitsu's arms.

we have been talking about a removable fists for as long as we have talked about Evil-Lyn's dress/toy Star Sisters/King Hsss snake body...i can go on all day

[Patreek]

*looks at SMAA* no they are not using extra heads purely as a sales gimmick

THIS!!!

[Tundra_Torque]

I found the Horde Prime answer interesting. If Horde Prime bumped the original June figure who was it and when will we see it?

I would suspect if the figure got bumped then it would get moved to July, but it seems that I'm incorrect given this answer. I wonder when this figure will show up and, if/when it does, will we know it was the bumped figure?

[Dark Sorceress]

I found the Horde Prime answer interesting. If Horde Prime bumped the original June figure who was it and when will we see it?

I would suspect if the figure got bumped then it would get moved to July, but it seems that I'm incorrect given this answer. I wonder when this figure will show up and, if/when it does, will we know it was the bumped figure?

from what we need told it was a 2000x fig that was bumped

[Tallstar]

I remember there were rumors that Prahvus would be coming in 2012. That's possibly the figure that got bumped.