Toyguru Mattycollector.com MOTUC News Thread October 2012

[MegaGearMax]

Start saving NOW. $25 a month.

[phantom1592]

$250 makes me more leary... but honestly, If I'm willing to drop $200.... what's $250? I'll probably have buyers remorse EITHER way

[EtherianChronicles]

"I'm sure someone (reviewer) will cut one and see (if it's black plastic)."

This guy and his attitude need to GO. NOW.

I am so sick and tired of his talking down to people like this, and dismissing people who have very valid concerns about mismanagement of this line, and shoddy materials used. We don't need to cut them, Scott - your packaging already does a good job, and if it doesn't, re-posing the figures will certainly do the job eventually. Some great legacy you will leave when we end up with mostly scraped up figures in a few years and people reselling them point out "no paint scratches yet!" like people advertise vintage figures with "clear" as opposed to "yellow" bubbles.

They need to invent a new level of pathetic to describe my opinion of the management of this line - and I thought it couldn't go any lower.

When will I stop underestimating just how low it will go.

[Stygian360]

"I'm sure someone (reviewer) will cut one and see (if it's black plastic)."

This guy and his attitude need to GO. NOW.

I am so sick and tired of his talking down to people like this, and dismissing people who have very valid concerns about mismanagement of this line, and shoddy materials used. We don't need to cut them, Scott - your packaging already does a good job, and if it doesn't, re-posing the figures will certainly do the job eventually. Some great legacy you will leave when we end up with mostly scraped up figures in a few years and people reselling them point out "no paint scratches yet!" like people advertise vintage figures with "clear" as opposed to "yellow" bubbles.

They need to invent a new level of pathetic to describe my opinion of the management of this line - and I thought it couldn't go any lower.

When will I stop underestimating just how low it will go.

I doubt it was meant insultingly, although you can never account for how people will ultimately take things regardless of your intent. In this case though I'd just chalk it up to poor word choice- which is pretty much a Toy Guru mantra.

[EtherianChronicles]

I doubt it was meant insultingly, although you can never account for how people will ultimately take things regardless of your intent. In this case though I'd just chalk it up to poor word choice- which is pretty much a Toy Guru mantra.

It's exactly how he meant it. He has said the same thing more than once lately. Last time he said "scrape". So supposedly the only way we will know if they have blastic is if we cut them or intentionally scrape the paint off. That's basically saying "it's just people looking for an issue" instead of acknowledging the issue.

Just another way for him to be snarky to people and deflect from his poor performance, and the poor decisions made by Mattel. This one just picked at my last nerve - I'm so so so tired of it, I don't know how he gets away with it. Mattel putting up with his obvious attitude problem is unfathomable for a publicly held company.

[shadowfall1976]

To be honest, if it's done right, Castle Grayskull (Disclaimer: I am in no means promoting it, the following is just hypothetical....)
could be done in black, because that would provide a really good base for all of the multiple colors to go over it. That being said, ONLY,
if it's done right, I mean I or any other customizer could do it very easily and have it come out looking almost realistic....something I
doubt Mattel would be capable of.

But I myself will only be able to get one, IF, I sell off some of the 2013 sub figures....which I plan to do to fund it, if I can sell off over
$100 in figures, I can do it, and I believe with the line-up I'll be able to.

I don't plan to keep anything aside from (revealed, not rumored)....
King He-Man, Ram-Man, Snake Face, Foe Men

That leaves to sell....
Jitsu, Octavia, Fang Man, Karatti, Netossa (not sure about keeping her or not)

So, I should be able to get some money towards Grayskull....hopefully, I know there will be out of sub things, I just hope for
Grayskull's sake, there's not much I really want. My list of must haves consists solely of....

Mantenna, Dragstor, Castaspella & Two Bad, and for vehicles, Attack Trak....so I should be good. Possibly Filmation Hordak, but I have my custom....

[bcrduke]

I don't think I'll ever understand why they haven't yet planned, or just won't plan, a Trollan multi-pack.

Gorpo, Dree-Elle, Uncle Montork, The Oracle, even Yukkers.

Same buck (for the most part). Just slightly different heads.

Sell it as an additional sdcc exclusive for $75.

If the Jem doll sold out after the first two days of sdcc at $150, this pack will too.

[orbles]

Brian,
Although I certainly want this set, but I do not like your price. Dont give Matty any ideas, I suggest $50.

I don't think I'll ever understand why they haven't yet planned, or just won't plan, a Trollan multi-pack.

Gorpo, Dree-Elle, Uncle Montork, The Oracle, even Yukkers.

Same buck (for the most part). Just slightly different heads.

Sell it as an additional sdcc exclusive for $75.

If the Jem doll sold out after the first two days of sdcc at $150, this pack will too.

[Whiplash7]

I'm not the biggest fan of trollans, but a multi-pack of them with the characters bcrduke mentioned is a no-brainer.

Not sure about that price though, dude

[guy-dude]

I think for five figures, $75 would be amazing. That's $15 a piece. Throw in all the accessories that each one would come with, and that's a fantastic bargain.

[bowspearer]

To be honest, if it's done right, Castle Grayskull (Disclaimer: I am in no means promoting it, the following is just hypothetical....)
could be done in black, because that would provide a really good base for all of the multiple colors to go over it. That being said, ONLY,
if it's done right, I mean I or any other customizer could do it very easily and have it come out looking almost realistic....something I
doubt Mattel would be capable of.

I hate to say it, but tbh, you're being pretty naive here and this is coming from someone on the receiving end of Mattel's current preorder scam - the Hoverboard.

I'm surew everyone remembers how this was originally advertised - as being movie accurate - as best seen in this promo poster:


Take note in the close up, that Mattel were making a selling point of this being a movie accurate prop replica:



Well I think this latest "Ask Matty" thread says it all:

shocking NYCC pics

having seen the NYCC hoverboard pics, i have to say that the hoverboard looks shockingly bad. Did you take any measurements, notes or anything from the original props at all?! You said the final version wil be shown at NYCC, is this now the actual final version? as seen here from NYCC:



To get orders you promised this would be accurate, which it obviously isn't (graphics badly done, footpad wrong, footstrap wrong, edges rounded instead of angled, green stripes the wrong colour, recesses where velcro is etc). Are you going to tell us now that this one isn't the final version either? How can you guys get this so wrong when you've physically had props in front of you to copy off? If you were going to draw the graphics from scratch, why didn't you atleast take some notes from the ones that other users have posted? as they are a lot better than your version.

Can you post pics of the underneath too so i can see if you've got that bit right? I assume you took moulds from the original props you had?

also, on your first version you got the bevel on the edges looking good (angled, not rounded), why has the final version been changed to be more inaccurate? the edges on this version look better:



I've got 2 on pre-order, if the NYCC version is the final version, how do i cancel my orders?

Why would Castle Greyskull be done any better- especially when preorders remove any motivation for Mattel to give us what we paid for?

[phantom1592]

I also seem to recall them saying that there were multiple hoverboards used in the show with little differences between them...

Honestly, Colors aren't my STRONGEST suit... but other than the Red/pink border, I really don't notice THAT much difference in the adds... (I also thought it was pink in the show... but it's been a while.)

If Castle Grayskull is advertised as the first picture... and we get something as close as that second picture between 'promotion and final project... I'll be satisified.

I don't think I'll ever understand why they haven't yet planned, or just won't plan, a Trollan multi-pack.

Gorpo, Dree-Elle, Uncle Montork, The Oracle, even Yukkers.

Same buck (for the most part). Just slightly different heads.

Sell it as an additional sdcc exclusive for $75.

If the Jem doll sold out after the first two days of sdcc at $150, this pack will too.

SDCC is the ONLY place I'd ever endorse a pack like that

I would be LIVID if they put out a 5 pack of trollans and made it a sub item... i'd rather have a dozen star sisters and two dozen fighting foe men than that pack

Seriously... Montork is probably the ONLY one I would buy if they were sold seperately. I LOVE filmation... but those trollans were something that bugged me as a kid...

What was the price difference with the original orko? Wasn't he just $5 more? And came with a book, a wand... two swords... and an extra head for Adam? and one of them had the color change cost added in?

I would say $40-$50 would be pretty fair for the amount of plastic/tooling they'd use... but I REALLY don't want to see any $50+ multipacks of questionable characters anymore.

[Darkspecter]

I don't know a whole lot about the Hover Board, but I will say that NYCC picture is not an accurate representation of the colours due to the different lighting and no use of flash.

The only difference between those pictures I can see after staring at them (not knowing if there are colour differences because of the lighting), is that the "final product" does not have 3 light green lines on the green circle part. That's the only difference I can see.

[bowspearer]

I also seem to recall them saying that there were multiple hoverboards used in the show with little differences between them...

I'll quote from someone on therpf:

MORE PHOTOS. Just to point out another thing. I know they had to make a rectangular hole to get the pink velcro in place, but the velcro is at a lower level that the board itself, there is like a "step" on that place. Couldn't they have used "taller" velcro? The velcro should be above the board, not carved onto it. And if you make a "step" to keep the velcro in place, use a taller velcro. By the way, and I'm not sure because I'm not at nycc, but it looks like the same material that the awfully looking strap from the footpad. Guess why if that's true? To save even more costs by not using fur like the original props. Mattel just came up with that bedtime false story about that fur being the material used on the original boards as said by the original propmasters. FALSE AGAIN!!!! There is not a single hoverboard screen-used, or not screen-used (from the behind the scenes videos, etc) with that stupid flimsy strap. They just used that to save even more costs. I'm pretty sure.
And again.... NO LENTICULAR AS PROMISED BY SCOOT. And don't tell us more lies, Mattel. You just wanted to be cheaper and cheaper. You can keep your stupid and useless "sounds" and "gliding" (LOL) feature, save on that, and GET US WHAT YOU PROMISED WHEN ASKING FOR MONEY!!!!!
Mattel... it wasn't so hard. You just needed the will to do it right, but you haven't even that.

Also compare the hoverboard in that pic to the one in this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uHFN...=youtu.be&hd=1

You'll find they're incredibly similar - even though according to Toyguru at the 30 second mark of that video:

So bottom line guys, the board we had at comic con here, sooooooooooo NOT final!! Not even CLOSE!!!

- - - Updated - - -

I don't know a whole lot about the Hover Board, but I will say that NYCC picture is not an accurate representation of the colours due to the different lighting and no use of flash.

Except that the logic of that argument is flawed. You're talking about darker lighting conditions yet to bring up just one example; the green zigzagging stripe is a completely different shade of green. What's on the SDCC/NYCC board is a fluro yellow-green. The colour on the more accurate version is a much darker and richer green. Lighting simply wouldn't account for that difference.

If you want to see how it should have looked (minus the raised edges of the board surfaces which the Matty version has and it doesn't); then check out this custom by a props enthusiast.

[Balthus Dire]

Maybe it's because I'm not a Back to the Future nut, but I seriously barely see any difference between those Hoverboard photos.

[bowspearer]

Maybe it's because I'm not a Back to the Future nut, but I seriously barely see any difference between those Hoverboard photos.

Actually there's a slew of differences. Here's a recent Ask Matty Question:

How Could it Be This Bad?
We were told several key things about these hoverboards, such as they would have the accurate lenticular surface material. It now seems that Mattel has chosen to abandon this promise and go with a cheap-looking sticker.

In response to wide criticism received after Comic Con regarding all the inaccuracies of the boards displayed there, we were told these boards were "so not final"—that the final boards would be "movie accurate"—a claim that was also printed on the promotional posters for the pre-order. Now we see the supposed final board at the NYCC and the ONLY noticeable tweak is to the pattern of the cheap-looking background sticker that is standing in for the true lenticular surface we were promised.

And just so we're on the same page as to why so many consider this final product a complete failure, here are the flagrant inaccuracies that we can still see that exist on this supposed "final" product:

No lenticular surface as promised. Fans stepped in and told you guys on this very board of the two companies that produce this material: Sommer's Plastic Products and Rowlux Technologies. You guys decided to go cheap and ignore the promise made to fans that these boards would have this material.

The edges are rounded off instead of flat beveled as would be accurate.

The hole for the handlebars is pink instead of black as would be accurate.

The footpad is sitting in a recessed area instead of being perched above the surface. The velcro on the footpad doesn't go to the edge as it should. The strap should be pink fur on top and white seatbelt-style webbing underneath. The strap should be attached at the far edges of the footpad.

Is there pink hook-side velcro on the two front pink diagonal stripes? There should be. If this is supposed to be the "hero" version board with lenticular surface, the green stripes should also be hook-side velcro.

The truly scary thing is that most of the inaccuracies we knew about were on the BOTTOM of the board, and we haven't even seen that yet...

This situation could have easily been avoided. Several fans have written detailed posts on this forum trying to assist Mattel in identifying and correcting the errors. Most posters expressing concern were responded to with an utter lack of respect.

We have all but lost all faith in Mattel at this point to do the right thing. We KNOW that there are Back to the Future fans at Mattel who were willing to step in and help avoid the disaster this has become, and were TURNED AWAY. Why? What possible motivation could Mattel have had to knowingly give this product less than its full support? To decline all well-intentioned and knowledgeable advice from without and from within?

MANY MANY people will be taking whatever steps are necessary to cancel their orders. We were promised a movie-accurate board, and this final product is no where CLOSE to the quality of the FAN-MADE boards that folks have been making in their garages for years. If this final product represents the minimal effort Mattel is willing to make for this iconic product, we will decline it and go back to making our own hand-made boards from scratch.

[EtherianChronicles]

Actually there's a slew of differences. Here's a recent Ask Matty Question:

What's interesting in reading all that is that a lot of them seem like possible "safety" issues - rounded corners, issues with velcro placement, etc. Not that I think they would be real safety issues, but the silly kind that kept Catra's spell-casting hand all wimpy flexible plastic.

That said, I'm glad I didn't end up pre-ordering it - I came close, but truth be told - I don't want the pink one, LOL, I want the bad-arse black one. And knowing it's not really what was promised does kind of make me worry about Grayskull...

[Jinxieman]

I don't think the issues that some people are having with the Hover Board will be an issue with Castle Grayskull. The Hover Board is based off a prop and has a single look to compare it too. Grayskull is much more open to interpretation with influence that can come from multiple sources. If the color is slightly off from the prototype on the final version then it's not as much of an issue as with a prop replica that should match the colors as perfectly as possible.

[bowspearer]

I don't think the issues that some people are having with the Hover Board will be an issue with Castle Grayskull. The Hover Board is based off a prop and has a single look to compare it too. Grayskull is much more open to interpretation with influence that can come from multiple sources. If the color is slightly off from the prototype on the final version then it's not as much of an issue as with a prop replica that should match the colors as perfectly as possible.

Jinxieman, Mattel have had constant access for movie props, fans giving them precise corrections and suppliers for material such as the lenticular finish if they got stuck. They still stuffed it up. There's even reports of the original design team being moved to other more profitable [retail] lines, which are apparently the reason for the dropping quality of the reproduction. Meanwhile these same reports have hardcore BTTF fans within Mattel wanting get it done right but being told to butt out.

Now considering that and that the factory cannot even manage to assemble figures properly (withe the latest casualty being Frosta), do you really think Castle Grayskull will be any different? IF so, what possible evidence could you have in light of the mountain of evidence to the contrary?

- - - Updated - - -

What's interesting in reading all that is that a lot of them seem like possible "safety" issues - rounded corners, issues with velcro placement, etc. Not that I think they would be real safety issues, but the silly kind that kept Catra's spell-casting hand all wimpy flexible plastic.

Which in this case is irrelevant. To put it in its ridiculous context, it would be like selling blunted replica swords because of child safety issues.

Unlike MOTUC figures which could at least be argued to be toys; in this case we're talking about a movie prop specifically designed for adult collectors, so child safety issues really are irrelevant.

[EtherianChronicles]

Unlike MOTUC figures which could at least be argued to be toys; in this case we're talking about a movie prop specifically designed for adult collectors, so child safety issues really are irrelevant.

I agree. I'm just telling you what I think Scott's response is going to be. They won't sell replica swords for this reason. And judging from the list of items that are deemed inaccurate, I think that's exactly where the blame will go.

[bowspearer]

I agree. I'm just telling you what I think Scott's response is going to be. They won't sell replica swords for this reason. And judging from the list of items that are deemed inaccurate, I think that's exactly where the blame will go.

To clarify, I wasn't for one minute taking that as your own personal opinion- just pointing out how utterly ludicrous and infinitely stupid the line of logic for a movie replica marketed directly to adults is.

[EtherianChronicles]

To clarify, I wasn't for one minute taking that as your own personal opinion- just pointing out how utterly ludicrous and infinitely stupid the line of logic for a movie replica marketed directly to adults is.

No worries, I understood - and again, completely agree. I feel the same about MOTUC - it says "adult collector", you have to be an adult to order (technically), so the "kid-ified" stuff makes little sense. MattyCollector should be run differently than the rest of Mattel in that respect.

[bowspearer]

The difference I see with MOTUC though is that it's a line which Mattel has tried to and to a limited extent, has put in stores to be marketed to kids. I agree with the fact that it's meant to be an adult collectable, but Matty's tried to run it as a two-tier product from the word go.

This differs with the Hoverboard which was a prop replica marketed to adults with the equivalent price tag. That and the photos of the tail end of the board reveal squared edges on its underside - blowing the "child safety" argument out of the water.

[JonWes]

Guys - please try to keep it on topic. I understand the comparison being made, and that's fine, but leave the in-depth hoverboard discussions to this thread in the "Other" section.

Thanks!

[MegaGearMax]

Toyguru's new answers are up! And more are coming!

That NA He-Man answer sounds cryptic...could the bio lead to He-Man PERMANENTLY becoming Adam?