MOTUC and the Mattel business model.

[Executioner]

I wish Mattel would sell the MOTU property to Hasbro.

[KingRandor82]

I take interesting note on how you folks said "they're no longer #1 in the action figure aisles anymore".

1. they never were, except during the '80s

2. Um.....yeah, action figures don't really have the market popularity now that they had then; I don't think they really take that as much of a concern as you may think they do, or think they should.

[fball13z]

I've been thinking about this a lot lately. Almost every Star Wars and GI Joe figure is a new sculpt. The issue I have with lines like DCUC is that they basic bodies with details painted on rather then sculpted. If Hasbro can do their toy lines without reusing molds and they still make money why does Mattel feel they have to.

really you think almost every figure is a new body??? Hasbro is known for redoing the same figure over and over, trust me hasbro gets their moneys worth from molds

I wish Mattel would sell the MOTU property to Hasbro.

again you are making a comment about another toy company when you said yourself you do not collect action figures.

What in the world makes you think Hasbro would do better with MOTU? (FYI it will never happen)

but lets say they did get it, it would mostly be 3 3/4" figures

[KingRandor82]

really you think almost every figure is a new body??? Hasbro is known for redoing the same figure over and over, trust me hasbro gets their moneys worth from molds

I guess everyone forgot the late '90s, when all Hasbro did was a million Batman repaints, and maybe on other figure per wave if the fans were lucky.


And don' even get me started on how wonderfully they handled the Batman Beyond line

[MegaGearMax]

Might had a large budget, but look at how they managed it! Still miss that I could at least go hunting for them in a store!

It's much better to have them shipped to your door via sub. No more wasting time and gas hunting every morning and trying to beat the early scalpers and collectors. No more repeatedly going to stores and seeing empty shelves or the same crap pegwarming.

[fball13z]

It's much better to have them shipped to your door via sub. No more wasting time and gas hunting every morning and trying to beat the early scalpers and collectors. No more repeatedly going to stores and seeing empty shelves or the same crap pegwarming.

God I would cry if this line went retail, with a baby I dont have time to hunt that much

[hhhelmsley]

I just realized why Mattel is so reluctant to produce figures, vehicles, and playsets that are one-time original sculpts.
ALL of their toylines have one thing in common...shared parts re-use. Their entire company is based on it.
Think about it...all Barbies, DCUC, JLU, Monster High dolls use the same bodies over and over within their respective lines. Sure there's the occasional oddball in there but for the most part, everything gets recycled over and over and over.
Even Hot Wheels have used the same number of models endlessly repainted for decades.
It's no wonder they don't want to do one-use vehicles and playsets. At this point that concept must be alien to them.

This is why I love MOTU 200X so much, almost every figure was unique.

[Executioner]

But it was a retail line, that in theory was going to be a runaway success like the vintage line... so at that stage Mattel was likely very supportive. At this stage, without a movie, well we all know the deal...

[Count Marzo]

If Hasbro did MOTU, I wouldnt collect them. I do like some things Hasbro does, but to think they could do MOTU better than Mattel is just crazy talk. First of all Four Horsemen > all. Second of all, Hasbro can't even do Marvel Legends as good now as Toybiz did 10 years ago. I'd dread to see them take on a MOTU figure. They need to stick to what they do right which is their G.I. Joes, Transformers(not the sell out crap ones either), and My Little Pony.

And I agree with having them shipped to me is better than retail. At $3.69 a gallon, I don't want to have to waste any unnecessary gas driving around looking for them at my various areas of stores around here only to find nothing. Rather pay for their slow, slightly overpriced CRAPgistics shipping any day of the week.

[fball13z]

If Hasbro did MOTU, I wouldnt collect them. I do like some things Hasbro does, but to think they could do MOTU better than Mattel is just crazy talk. First of all Four Horsemen > all. Second of all, Hasbro can't even do Marvel Legends as good as Toybiz did. I'd dread to see them take on a MOTU figure. They need to stick to what they do right which is their G.I. Joes, Transformers(not the sell out crap ones either), and My Little Pony.

And I agree with having them shipped to me is better than retail. At $3.69 a gallon, I don't want to have to waste any unnecessary gas driving around looking for them at my various areas of stores around here only to find nothing. Rather pay for their slow, slightly overpriced CRAPgistics shipping any day of the week.

Thank god, Im not alone in here! CM always has my back

[Eternia Burning]

I've been thinking about this a lot lately. Almost every Star Wars and GI Joe figure is a new sculpt. The issue I have with lines like DCUC is that they basic bodies with details painted on rather then sculpted. If Hasbro can do their toy lines without reusing molds and they still make money why does Mattel feel they have to.

Check out the newest Star Wars figures with the Darth Maul packaging. Both Yoda and Darth Vader are sculpts that have been released over and over. And those are just the figures I noticed on the front of the pegs. GI Joe 3.75" uses part-sharing, and always has.

[Zodach]

I've been thinking about this a lot lately. Almost every Star Wars and GI Joe figure is a new sculpt. The issue I have with lines like DCUC is that they basic bodies with details painted on rather then sculpted. If Hasbro can do their toy lines without reusing molds and they still make money why does Mattel feel they have to.

You are definitely wrong there. Hasbro uses lots of shared parts among their 4" lines whether it be Star Wars, GI Joe, or Marvel Universe. They re-release the most popular figures left and right, in fact they have been running the Star Wars Saga Legends and now Movie Heroes lines for several years which consist of nothing but straight up re-releases. They repaint them, repack them, and put them in Battle Packs all the time. They may allow for more newly tooled parts than Mattel, but all of those lines probably outsell MOTU by a mile.

[The Horrorist]

The nr. 1 company of sharing parts has to be LEGO. They made it their bussiness.

To be honest I don't mind MOTUC sharing many parts. It makes the figures uniform. Even companies like NECA, who used to be known for their original sculpts, share lots of parts nowadays. They used Freddy Krueger's pants 4 times. They also reuse bodies, arms and legs on their Gremlins and Predators figures.

[orbles]

Check out the newest Star Wars figures with the Darth Maul packaging. Both Yoda and Darth Vader are sculpts that have been released over and over. And those are just the figures I noticed on the front of the pegs. GI Joe 3.75" uses part-sharing, and always has.

With the newest incarnation of Star Wars that came out 1/30/12 (official street date), there were 10 Clone Wars figures, 8 of which were pretty much reissues w/ slight paint on a couple. Then there is the Movie Heroes line, which 12 were released, I think they are all reissues too. So out of 22 figs you got like 2 new sculpts. They have done a lot more tooling on the Vintage line, but those figures are $9 each plus tax and gas. So Mattel is not the only one, but I knew this line was going to be like that from the start and I totally dig it with this line. So no complaints, other than the BGEL and SMAA, I think they really got lazy and this isnt the same model as the Movie Heroes and CW which are aimed at children, who are not as particular on such things. Plus these are marketed as new, just reissues, which we get here too.

[Haephestus]

The most frustrating aspect of Mattel' business model for me is their refusal to offer pre-orders for figures.

The subscription is basically just a jumbo-sized pre-order, with the added incentive of a subscription-exclusive figure, lower prices and other added bonus items like maps and stickers.

If they can manage an annual subscription, complete with delays in estimated shipping/release dates, then why can't they manage a pre-order system for the monthly figures? If Mattel is that concerned about having excess stock sitting around in their warehouses, then wouldn't a pre-order system (with payment up-front at the time of placing the pre-order) work better for them?

Maybe I'm a minority of one, but I know which "characters" I want in my MOTU collection and I would happily pre-order and PAY for those figures 6-8 months in advance to avoid the stress of battling the WSOD and the possibility of missing out. I don't need to see a proto-type in order to place an order - just the announcement of the "character" name alone is sufficient (as well as relevant additional details if it is a variant, for example, Battleground Evil-Lynn).

[shadowfall1976]

Do you collect any other toys lines?

Every toyline has problems and not 1 line fixes all its "problems". The fact is we have more direct contact with Mattel then you can get with any other toy company.

Problems do not get fixed with the snap of the fingers. Does Mattel have issues they need to fix, sure do, and I have no problem with people calling them on real problems. The problem is everything turns into a which hunt.

I collect other lines and I haven't had any contact with any toy line management at all, and I have been just fine with that, I really don't care if I have contact with a company or not. I don't care about this when I buy Transformers or anything else I collect, so why care about Mattel doing it? Not to mention if everyone gets these mixed messages from Scott, no one interprets his answers the same, so I'd rather not get feedback from the company than to have some fans be told you're not needed or some fans need to get a clue about things, and I'd much rather not have contact if that be the case.

really you think almost every figure is a new body??? Hasbro is known for redoing the same figure over and over, trust me hasbro gets their moneys worth from molds

Transformers have many all new original figures, only a handful of repaints each line (ROTF more than others though), but most repaints are the same character just different deco, Transformers never have been a heavy parts sharing line, and they are still around making money. Yeah a few characters are the same mold (Prowl, Bluestreak, Smokescreen), but out of the total characters, not many are repaints or reuse. The Classics lines have little reuse, except the same characters that used similar molds in the 80's (Prowl, Ironhide & Seekers). Hasbro has also found a way to reuse a similar mold, but have it transform 2 different ways and still have the 2 characters look different. Yeah the other lines I don't personally care about, because they are too small, or look to similar have reuse, but Transformers at least does not rely on it solely.

[Zodach]

You can't compare Transformers to MOTU at all. There have been 3 movies and several cartoons over the last 6-8 years for Transformers while MOTU has had nothing. Transformers is at retail stores everywhere and MOTU is online only. Hasbro has way more resources to work with (including new tooling) since they sell so many more Transformers toys.

[shadowfall1976]

You can't compare Transformers to MOTU at all. There have been 3 movies and several cartoons over the last 6-8 years for Transformers while MOTU has had nothing. Transformers is at retail stores everywhere and MOTU is online only. Hasbro has way more resources to work with (including new tooling) since they sell so many more Transformers toys.

Point is there are many comparing Hasbro properties (Star Wars & GI Joe) to Mattel's, and talking about mold reuse between the lines, so yes I can compare Transformers to MOTUC based on those arguments. Star Wars has an ongoing cartoon and 6 movies, GI Joe has a show and now 2 movies....if others can use those as comparisons to Mattel lines retail or not, I can use Transformers as well. I know Hasbro has much more marketing going on than Mattel, which is why their lines mold reuse or not, are more well known outside older collectors, and selling in retail stores (aside from the old Barbie, Matchbox & Hot Wheels lines)....at least Hasbro markets their lines obscure or not, even ones dredged up from the past...they slid Matt Tracker from MASK into GI Joe, as an homage, and the lines of Transformers after G1 had homages to the G1 characters, then they came out with Classics to actually give everyone updated G1 characters.

[Megalodon]

With the newest incarnation of Star Wars that came out 1/30/12 (official street date), there were 10 Clone Wars figures, 8 of which were pretty much reissues w/ slight paint on a couple. Then there is the Movie Heroes line, which 12 were released, I think they are all reissues too. So out of 22 figs you got like 2 new sculpts. They have done a lot more tooling on the Vintage line, but those figures are $9 each plus tax and gas. So Mattel is not the only one, but I knew this line was going to be like that from the start and I totally dig it with this line. So no complaints, other than the BGEL and SMAA, I think they really got lazy and this isnt the same model as the Movie Heroes and CW which are aimed at children, who are not as particular on such things. Plus these are marketed as new, just reissues, which we get here too.

Yea but here's the funny part when it comes to the Clone & Storm Troopers,R2 & R4 & R5 Units,C-3PO and the like yes Hasbro has reused those molds many times but look they are different characters that were either in the movie or cartoon,comics video games etc. so that part would make sense.

[shadowfall1976]

A lot of fans don't understand MOTUC's place in the pecking order at Mattel or how a major Fortune 100 company operates. They stay around as long as they do because they are more concerned about profit margin, controlling expenses, and pleasing shareholders than catering to fanboys' dreams and desires.

Mattel is not a Fortune 100, it is ranked 392, and Hasbro is almost there at 511, and probably will be there in a matter of a few years with the rate of advertising they are doing and movies. Mattel only has a few good things Hasbro doesn't long, long running lines like Hot Wheels & Barbie, and they cater more to girls than Hasbro does, that is the main difference, Hasbro is even older by 20 years than Mattel, but only got into the toy business around the same time as Mattel was sucking it's thumbs. Not bad for a company that started out making clothing and textiles.

[SLO-MAN]

You can't compare Transformers to MOTU at all. There have been 3 movies and several cartoons over the last 6-8 years for Transformers while MOTU has had nothing. Transformers is at retail stores everywhere and MOTU is online only. Hasbro has way more resources to work with (including new tooling) since they sell so many more Transformers toys.

Not only that, but Transformers are made in partnership with Takara. That means the cost of producing molds is most likely split in half between Hasbro and Takara.
If Mattel could produce molds for half the price I'd wager we'd see more brand new sculpts.


Anyway, it's my experience that fans always have a beef with the company producing their favorite properties. Star Wars, TF and G.I.Joe collectors constantly rip on Hasbro, TMNT fans rip on Playmates and we rip on Mattel. It's just the way it is.

[The Hultquist]

You are definitely wrong there. Hasbro uses lots of shared parts among their 4" lines whether it be Star Wars, GI Joe, or Marvel Universe. They re-release the most popular figures left and right, in fact they have been running the Star Wars Saga Legends and now Movie Heroes lines for several years which consist of nothing but straight up re-releases. They repaint them, repack them, and put them in Battle Packs all the time. They may allow for more newly tooled parts than Mattel, but all of those lines probably outsell MOTU by a mile.

I'm definitely with you there. Hasbro's Joes share quite a few parts with each other, although the Pursuit of Cobra and 30th Anniversary lines (the ones that have come out since the last movie) have been better for introducing unique tooling. I've got one of every figure from the movie line from a couple of years ago on display, and from where I'm sitting, I can see 22 uses of the same Neo-Viper body. Granted, that's a troop builder-type figure, but they still got plenty of reuse out of that mold. I've also got 11 'different' Cobra Commanders from the 25th Anniversary line that I can spot which only differ in their head sculpt (hooded vs. helmet) and color/paint detail. Those are only the most blatant examples, too.

Heck, I wish Hasbro would make as good a use of parts reuse as MOTUC does. It shocks me to think how many unmade Joes from the classic 1982-93 lineup (which are the ones I'm presonally waiting for) could still be made using just existing body parts with a new head sculpt, new vest, and maybe a new weapon. I'm always amazed at how much part sharing goes on with MOTUC, yet how different the characters end up looking with so much in common. Sure, I wouldn't mind seeing more unique tooling, but from where I sit, MOTUC's current rate of parts reuse isn't a problem.

[MyBroGotAllMyFigs]

I wish some people here would stop making assumptions about what others 'understand'.

Sometimes I wonder if some people here even know the difference between understanding something, and agreeing with it.

Because - maybe you didn't think about it this way, I don't know - I think most of us understand very well what goes into running a business, for instance. But just because we understand how it works doesn't mean we agree that that's how it should be.

It's not about 'right' or 'wrong'. It's simply that people have desires, and while they may understand WHY their expectations may not be met and see the logic behind the reason, they may still wish it were otherwise. Some of us completely UNDERSTAND the financial reasons for Mattel's policies regarding re-use and such. But just because we understand, that doesn't stop us from wishing they would work differently.

[Southzen]

I wish Mattel would sell the MOTU property to Hasbro.

It will NEVER happen; Hasbro is their chief competitor, why the heck would they even consider giving more ground to them. Besides, were you sick of multiple he-man and Skeletor, what do you think will happen if Hasbro has it, besides 4" scale, I'd say click and scroll down and count the many versions of Snake Eyes, if at isn't enough, look up Storm Shadiw or Cobra Commander, and many of those figures where severe peg warmers.
http://www.yojoe.com/action/82/snakeeyes.shtml

[Zodach]

Hasbro has reused those molds many times but look they are different characters that were either in the movie or cartoon,comics video games etc. so that part would make sense.

And this is different from MOTUC how? We get different characters with similar parts too.

Hasbro is even older by 20 years than Mattel, but only got into the toy business around the same time as Mattel was sucking it's thumbs.

So Hasbro has been doing this longer and they're still behind Mattel in revenue. I guess this is turning into an argument of Hasbro vs. Mattel.

Anyway, it's my experience that fans always have a beef with the company producing their favorite properties. Star Wars, TF and G.I.Joe collectors constantly rip on Hasbro, TMNT fans rip on Playmates and we rip on Mattel. It's just the way it is.

So true man. Some people here bash Mattel and only bring up the good things they see about Hasbro's products. They are not without their own issues.