Mattel to release fully functional Hoverboard

[wyldman11]

http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2012/02/...re-hoverboard/

"Working” might be a bit of an exaggeration. Yes, it does hover. The board will glide across surfaces, but the company warns it will not work on water. It also cannot support the weight of a human. Any human.


Well we know it can support a human by 2015, also the hoverboard didn't work on water in the movie.

[Rhanen]

Saw it yesterday and I want it bad. Really bad.
It shall cost an eye from the face though

[GeologyMule]

I need this.

[MrRoboto]

Nice!

Any guesstimates on what the price might be? I wonder what the minimum number is required for it to go into production?

[Benedict Judas Hel]

I hope the shoulders aren't reversed and it doesn't come with loose ankles...

[Dynamo of Eternia]

Nice!

Any guesstimates on what the price might be? I wonder what the minimum number is required for it to go into production?

I'm not sure. The potential price kind of scares me. I'm hoping that it's not much more than the Ghost Trap was, but I'm thinking it likely will be.

I'm assuming that they will have to announce a price for the preorders, as they can't expect people to commit to buying it without a firm price in place. So, we should know soon enough.

[Scotward]

also the hoverboard didn't work on water in the movie.

Unless you've got POWER!!!!!!

I really want one of these, but am also a bit scared by the "no price yet, but it's gonna be expensive" language in the news. Oh well, we'll see...

[Dynamo of Eternia]

I'm planning to preorder this, but I'm going to see if I can kind of guilt-trip my mom into buying it for me.

Some back story...

I was 9 (almost 10) back when BTTF Part 2 came out in theaters. And there was that now famous/infamous interview back then with Robert Zemeckis where he made the comment that Hoverboards are real and that they've been around for years but parents groups found them dangerous and protested the sale of them (or something akin to that), but they got ahold of some for the movie. While it may have been shown elsewhere, that clip was featured in the NBC special "Back to the Future Night" hosted by Leslie Nielsen, in which they showed the whole first movie (edited for TV of course) and an hour preview special of the second movie. This is how I saw that clip, and I actually still have this whole thing recorded on an old VHS tape somewhere. This special (minus the airing of the movie, but including the intro before it and everything after it) was included in the extra bonus disc with Part 1 when the BTTF movies were released on DVD individually, and on the DVD and Blu-Ray 25th anniversary Trilogy sets.

Robert Zemeckis was joking in the interview, but I, like many kids and apparently even some adults at the time, thought that he was serious and that they really existed (hey... I was 9, and only the year prior found out the official truth about Santa).

And thinking they were real, I REALLY wanted one. My mom proceeded to tell me that she knew someone at work that could get ahold of them and was going to get me one for Chirstmas. And I thought she was serious. I forget how long she actually persisted with this joke. It seems like it may have been at least a week or two, but that might be my memory exaggerating the matter. But it at least went on for a while (I want to say a couple/few days minimum). It's not like she said this and then 10 seconds later said she was joking. Finally I figured out that she was joking when she started laughing at one point when I asked her about it again. I was disapointed.

To this day, if I ever question her on if she's telling the truth about something and she says something like, "would I lie to you?", I say "Hoverboard!"

But now, 23 years later, I can say, "Hey, they are finally making one.... you can finally make good on that promise from all those years ago."

[PIMPS ADAM]

Haha. Great story Dynamo. To quote the great Will Smith "Parents just don't understand".

[King Kahn]

I swear I saw it was going to be 125- 150 in price. I could be wrong though. I'd just like to see it in person and see how it floats.

[Dynamo of Eternia]

I swear I saw it was going to be 125- 150 in price. I could be wrong though. I'd just like to see it in person and see how it floats.

I can 'live' with that price (of course the lower the better). That's in the same range as the Ghostbusters ghost trap. I just hope the up front price doesn't get near or break the $200 mark. That will hurt, especially since tax and shipping will have to be added to that.

[Riddle of Steel]

It's supposedly around $120ish in price. The gliding effect is based on the same technology as those discs that you put under couches to help move them around, hence the "gliding" effect.

It will also make sounds as it glides around like in the movie, some thing like "Fwooshhhh."

[TJRules]

I love how they clarify that it "won't work on water".

But will it help when running from bullies?!?



And how about a "Pitbull" version with afterburners? Dangit, I need to know these things, Mattel!!!!

[MrRoboto]

I'm not sure. The potential price kind of scares me. I'm hoping that it's not much more than the Ghost Trap was, but I'm thinking it likely will be.

I'm assuming that they will have to announce a price for the preorders, as they can't expect people to commit to buying it without a firm price in place. So, we should know soon enough.

I can't recall how much the Ghost Trap was...

I swear I saw it was going to be 125- 150 in price. I could be wrong though. I'd just like to see it in person and see how it floats.

I'd like to see it in person first too, but thats not happening anytime soon. Maybe i'll just have to watch Pixel Dan's review on it...

[Marvelous0ne]

I can't recall how much the Ghost Trap was...



I'd like to see it in person first too, but thats not happening anytime soon. Maybe i'll just have to watch Pixel Dan's review on it...

The Ghost Trap was $130 plus about $15 for shipping

[Pixel Dan]

Scott demonstrated the Hoverboard for me at Toy Fair. The "gliding" feature basically works like those pieces of plastic you put under furniture legs to make them easy to move. He slid it across the carpet in the Mattel show room, and it actually worked pretty good. It didn't have electronics in it yet, but he said it'll make the "wooshing" noise from the film when you glide it.

He did also say they are trying to make it so people can stand on it. He said they are aiming for a 200lb weight limit. So hopefully they are able to get that part fixed. Not that you can actually glide on it, of course. But I know people will want to stand on it just because.

[Vivek]

http://www.mattycollector.com/store/...HoverboardSale
Pre-Order a Hoverboard Prop Replica 3/1-3/20, Get an Exclusive Freebie!

http://www.mattycollector.com/store/...ctID.247060500
Mattel Hoverboard Pre-Order page with pictures and full ordering details

MattyCollector.com Online Store - Welcome
Mattycollector.com website has some kind of hidden clue or message on their homepage. If you move your cursor to the top right corner, the page will peel off to show part of the hoverboard along with the words TEXT. Clicking on that just led to Google.com. Not sure what all this means. Though it is not working anymore, managed to capture this earlier.

He did also say they are trying to make it so people can stand on it. He said they are aiming for a 200lb weight limit. So hopefully they are able to get that part fixed. Not that you can actually glide on it, of course. But I know people will want to stand on it just because.

It's great that Mattel is trying to make the gliding feature work. But more importantly fans are hoping it will look more screen-accurate, especially considering the prototype looks pretty bad compared to the custom Hoverboards available in the market. If they can't get the right pink lenticular material, then Mattel needs to have the proper photo print resembling the lenticular look.