No More Vehicles - "Maybe in a movie year"

[Executioner]

I just have to say that his is the rudest, most inconsiderate, and utterly ridiculous approach to a toy line I have ever encountered.

The Wind Raider sold out in 3 days despite being placed right before Christmas when people's funds are low. This is an obvious success by any measure! You sell out your stock, you make a profit. If you didn't profit, blame your business model, not your fans and supporters.

Now what really makes me mad is not only that Mattel set this vehicle up to fail by their own absurd standards, but the fact that Toyguru is now patrolling the Internet like a good little lap dog justifying Mattel's idiocy!!

Who here honestly believes that a Land Shark, an Attak Trak, a Roton, a Battle Ram or a Talon Fighter would not be sell outs? Maybe not in 5 minutes, but surely in 3 days. This is profit chucked in the garbage because it involves "too much tooling". Sure, maybe there is not as much money involved in vehicles as there is in figures, but it keeps your customer base interested and enthused. Its called a "loss leader" in the retail industry, but obviously Mattel never read that chapter in Good Business Sense 101.

I personally think there is too much "tooling" in the Mattel boardroom, as it seems to me that we have nothing but a bunch of tools sitting around that table.

Discuss.

[Man-E-Toys]

can't say i disagree with anything you said. i really hope we see more vehicles. there is no question that they wouldn't sell out.

[MldMnrdReporter]

Whoa whoa whoa, where was this said? He's told us that we'd have to wait until 2013 for the possibility of another vehicle. Where'd you get this info? A link would be appreciated.

[Executioner]

Whoa whoa whoa, where was this said? He's told us that we'd have to wait until 2013 for the possibility of another vehicle. Where'd you get this info? A link would be appreciated.

http://he-man.org/news_article.php?id=2359

The exact quotes from TG are...

"The Windraider actually only performed "okay" for us and therefore we have no plans for more vehicles in the near future.There is just too much tooling involved that is a one time use."

"No, the Windraider only performed "okay" which makes it doubtful we would tackle another vehicle in the near future. Maybe in a movie year if the line goes wider."

[Shecky]

It's in the latest Q&A thread posted by MegaGearMax, in the updated first post.

Regards,
Victor P.

*Edit* Executioner beat me to it !

Whoa whoa whoa, where was this said? He's told us that we'd have to wait until 2013 for the possibility of another vehicle. Where'd you get this info? A link would be appreciated.

[Megalodon]

I just have to say that his is the rudest, most inconsiderate, and utterly ridiculous approach to a toy line I have ever encountered.


I personally think there is too much "tooling" in the Mattel boardroom, as it seems to me that we have nothing but a bunch of tools sitting round that table.

Discuss.

Because they have yahoo's in charge that don't know about MOTU don't care about MOTU BUT as long aa it makes money they like it...so that's why SO FAR it's sticking around....

[Romer]

I wish Windraider had been part of the subs instead of the stupid sisters

[krosfyah]

You know I can't get mad anymore. I'm done with Mattel's PR, I will buy MOTUC because I love the line and the horsemen sculpts, whatever they make and I like I will buy. it just isn't worth the energy to get mad. we know their corporate stance, we know they don't believe in MOTU despite what it's done and we know the tried and true "Maybe ina movie year" spiel. I just can't get mad anymore. I will just enjoy what MOTUC is and not lament what it could be. I really think Spector was the last straw for my ire. argue with me if you wish but for me Spector represents what's WRONG at mattel. Not TG himself, but the "corporate before the consumer" mentality and the disconnect and lack of understanding of MOTU as a brand.

I'm not done with the line, but I'm done with believing it will be more than it is now. (in fact I believe 2013 it will be less than it is now as we will likely go back to just figures.)

[Dark Sorceress]

them saying the WR was just OK shows how little they respect fan's and MOTU

[Darkspecter]

I think that's very unfortunate for those really wanting vehicles. There are a couple more I would like: Roton, Road Ripper, Sky Sled and the Land Shark...but I'm really not a vehicle kind of guy so much. I have every PoP figure and nearly every MOTU figure (minus the ultra scarce giants, laser lights, etc.), but I'm still missing a lot of vehicles and I'm okay with that. They take up a lot of space and don't really get used too much. *shrugs* I know a LOT of collectors that do not collect vehicles. I personally think adding vehicles to the sub might kill the line. There are quite a few people who do not subscribe as it is because of the giants, beasts, etc. They want the sub scaled BACK to the basic 12 per year without variants.

Adding more stuff right now (especially when the prices increased), I don't see being a good thing.

I do hope we at least see the Roton though! The MOTUC Wind Raider reminds me of the deluxe model cars you see guys have on display. They're beautiful and have the stands (and sometimes glass cases). The Roton would also be able to use that stand and have the same look/appeal, in my opinion.

[RyanSD]

At the end of the day they just want the highest ROI with as little up-front cost as possible. They could make money on vehicles, but its not as cost effective as continuing to release characters using the same 3 bucks they already have with minimal tooling. Same thing if they wanted to make a Castle Grayskull. They could make it, and even have it be a profitable, but it won't make as much as the figures, so they won't do it. They aren't interested in 'giving' anything to the fans, only the bottom line.

Honestly, without the possibility of playsets and now vehicles, my interest in MOTUC has plummeted. I'll stick it out with my 2012 sub, but I won't resub next year, and only cherry pick the few vintage characters I still want.

[Darkspecter]

I really think Spector was the last straw for my ire. argue with me if you wish but for me Spector represents what's WRONG at mattel. Not TG himself, but the "corporate before the consumer" mentality and the disconnect and lack of understanding of MOTU as a brand.

I can't argue with that! I don't hate Spector, but I totally agree. MOTU's 30th Anniversary should be to celebrate the long legacy of MOTU, it's fans, it's creators, etc. Instead it's being used as a vehicle to showcase Mattel's employees (Mattel even told us that!). I think that's a wasted opportunity.

At least we're getting Fearless Photog. Regardless if you love or hate him, I fully believe he's perfect for the 30th Anniversary because of his history. Also, Draego-Man is awesome and the 4H have been sculpting/designing MOTU for 10 years...so that fits too.

[Tallstar]

I wish Windraider had been part of the subs instead of the stupid sisters

I'm not an expert, but maybe the situation would be worse if they did that. They would have locked us in at the $40 price point when they said they needed to charge $45.

[Executioner]

Honestly, without the possibility of playsets and now vehicles, my interest in MOTUC has plummeted. I'll stick it out with my 2012 sub, but I won't resub next year, and only cherry pick the few vintage characters I still want.

And this is EXACTLY why they SHOULD be making vehicles!!!

[Prahvus]

The most shocking part is that we were shown an awesome Battle Ram, and one year later saw the first vehicle (Wind Raider) released. We had the hope to see vehicles included in the line.

And then, Matty claims the sales "went just OK" with the Wind Raider, and that we won't see any vehicle in 2012. The next vehicle might actually be "in a movie year" (which means in a very long time) !

It's like putting a lollipop under the nose of a kid, lettting him lick it once or twice, then confiscating it ! It's cruel.

On another level, vehicles are expensive, and I don't plan to buy a vehicle until the QC issues are fixed. Wind Raider, the 1st vehicle, already had QC issues (missing laser canons, problems with the wings, problems with the launching anchor, problems with the "new decals"). A vehicle is expensive, and I expect it to be perfect if I buy it.

Producing no vehicle at all is a bad policy, I think. They could even do mini-vehicles such as the Jet Sled or the Stilt Stalkers. It wouldn't cost more than a figure, it wouldn't be expensive, and I'm pretty syre it would sell well. But then, there's the "tooling" and "budget" excuse...

All in all, it's really sad to see vehicles disappear from the MOTU landscape until 2013... or until the next hypothetic MOTU movie. This is one more decision from Mattel that adds limitations for this line.

When you add this to the current ongoing debacles, it certainly doesn't strengthen the faith customers may have in the future of this line...

[Dark Sorceress]

if i ever do a $45.00 toy that sells out in 3 days i will call it better then OK lol

[RyDell]

I can't argue with that! I don't hate Spector, but I totally agree. MOTU's 30th Anniversary should be to celebrate the long legacy of MOTU, it's fans, it's creators, etc. Instead it's being used as a vehicle to showcase Mattel's employees (Mattel even told us that!). I think that's a wasted opportunity.

At least we're getting Fearless Photog. Regardless if you love or hate him, I fully believe he's perfect for the 30th Anniversary because of his history. Also, Draego-Man is awesome and the 4H have been sculpting/designing MOTU for 10 years...so that fits too.

It seems like you are OK with figures that you like. If TG's figure was awesome you'd be OK with that one too... and u know what? I agree with you. Spector doesn't really fit in the line for me either, I will have to use his parts and the extra heads we have to make something cool!

[Jean]

Poor billion dollar Mattel sure is getting stingy in what they can consider as being profitable for them.

[NorthCoast]

Remember, TG said that WR was not produced in large numbers, so that plus the 3 day sellout is "underperforming".

I don't like it, but that's reality. I still hope for the Battle Ram which was always my favorite vehicle.

[Lay Ze-Man]

I exhausted most of my logic-based destruction of how idiotic the "WR did okay" statement is in the other thread.
But having since actually received the WR and experienced it first hand, it definitely stokes the annoyance.

So while Toyguru is on his placate the fans by setting the record straight tour, he needs to revisit the Wind Raider nonsense if he ever has any hope of getting fans back on his side.

The WR is easily one of the best MOTUC releases.
Even to the point that non-MotU fans loved it, including top reviewer Michael Crawford who named it Best Vehicle/Playset of the year.

This sort of prestige and accomplishment alone should outweigh any and all antiquated "how we define success" garbage.

So, the questions still stand: What happened?
Did they spend too much money on the Wind Raider?
If so, why? Why didn't they elect to cut some corners as they have everywhere else?
Why does the Wind Raider get 100% of its bells and whistles while Draego-Man goes on the chopping block?
Awesome as it is, was the Rudy Obrero painting truly necessary?
Nostalgic as it is, was the real working winch "action feature in a line with no action features" really crucial?
Does an adult collectible of a vehicle whose design we all know by memory really need an instruction sheet?
Did it really need to be as huge as it turned out?
Were ALL of the paint ops needed? Wouldn't fans forgive a few unpainted dials and details here and there?

Was anyone at Mattel asking these tough questions, or did they just flat-out botch the number-crunching?
None of it makes any sense.

[RyanSD]

Was anyone at Mattel asking these tough questions, or did they just flat-out botch the number-crunching?
None of it makes any sense.

I think they just flat-out botched the numbers on the WR. They had a prototype which everyone loved, but when they went to cost it out, it came out way higher than they were expecting. They knew they couldn't cancel it and to go back and reduce parts and action features would cost more tooling dollars, so the went with it as is. They raised the price $5 in an attempt to recoup some of it, but they feared going any higher. By the time 12/15 rolled around the vehicle SKU was already dead, IMO. Even if it sold out in a day, they'd say the same thing.

[Skystalker]

I just want to add my two cents and say that the whole thing with the WR and vehicles is absolutely ridiculous. Matty asks us what we want. We say better customer service and vehicles. They keep promising better customer service, hopefully that's coming. Then they give us a WR. It sells out. They tell us it didn't sell out fast enough. That makes no sense. Either they sold the minimum quota they wanted to sell or they didn't. If 3 days is not considered a fast sell-out, then Mattel, quite frankly, is out of its mind. Somehow I feel that they are going to blame us. "Hey, you guys bought Battle Cat and a few other pieces in 2009-2010 in record time. Less than 20 minutes in many cases. Since you didn't buy a vehicle in that time frame, you must not want it even though you still bought it within 3 days. Suckers!"

I'm willing to cut Scott a lot of slack because Mattel obviously could care less about the property right now. But how a multibillion dollar company could view a 3 day sellout as less than a success when they have millions of Green Lantern figures on Toys R Us shelves not even being purchased at clearance prices is beyond me. If they recouped their investment by selling out the Wind Raider, why is it so bad to have it take 3 days to sell out? If they sold the vehicle at a loss, that is their fault for pricing it poorly.

And why they think they cannot repurpose the Wind Raider mold at all is beyond me. Make a Sea Raider. Make Webstor's Wind Raider as a con exclusive. They can make more money off of that mold easily.

[Executioner]

I think they just flat-out botched the numbers on the WR.

Yep, and then the worst part is that they then blame this on the fans by saying it sold out too slow and only "did okay". And then you have Toyguru come along rubbing salt in the wounds of fans who feel we all stepped up, did our part and bought the damn thing. Instead of using reason and logic to advocate on our behalf, Toyguru plays the perfect role of a corporate lackey by turning Mattel's miscalculations into our supposed lack of commitment to vehicles.

I joined this line in November 2011, and it didn't take me long to figure out why so many people around here have a bone to pick with Toyguru. His latest blog series continues to pat himself on the back, and while interesting, it is yet another testament to just how far up his own ass he has shoved his own head. How about addressing real issues with legitimate and detailed explanations instead of trying to mystify us all by kicking up a smokescreen to cover up all of Mattel's mistakes, or continually using the line "We do not share this information publically"? (If only TG could spell publicly correctly too, we might have a little more confidence in his communication abilities to serve as public relations officer for this line).

[king.of.grayskull]

skyslet.jpg

If large and middlesize Vehicles are not possble, they should give us the sky sled!

[Whiplash7]

I never thought I'd say something like this, but my collection will feel incomplete without the Battle Ram.
Because:
(1) we have the Wind Raider, and they kind of go hand-in-hand.
(2) the thing has been sculpted and we've all seen it.