Author Topic: Modern Masters of the Universe  (Read 227226 times)

Offline evenflow

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Re: Modern Masters of the Universe
« Reply #990 on: July 21, 2012, 12:28 AM »
If any of you are on the fence about buying a sub, i encourage you to please do so. Seems like the line needs the help this year.
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Offline Ben

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Re: Modern Masters of the Universe
« Reply #991 on: July 21, 2012, 02:35 PM »
I can see why the line's in trouble- most of the offerings for next year suck. This is one year where it's not even a question of buying a sub. There's no way I'd give anyone a dime for Cy-Chop or Castle Grayskullman.
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Offline evenflow

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Re: Modern Masters of the Universe
« Reply #992 on: July 22, 2012, 08:14 PM »
I can see why the line's in trouble- most of the offerings for next year suck. This is one year where it's not even a question of buying a sub. There's no way I'd give anyone a dime for Cy-Chop or Castle Grayskullman.

Those are part of this years 30th Anniversary subscription, nothing to do with next year.
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Offline Ben

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Re: Modern Masters of the Universe
« Reply #993 on: July 24, 2012, 03:19 AM »
Ah. I was under the impression they were next year's figures. I'd consider it, but stuff like Netossa and the Fighting Foe Men are a little too hard to swallow. I really don't have the ability to throw $90 at the FFM 3-pack, especially when I doubt I'd be able to sell it. I'm a vintage MOTU cherry-picker, with occasional NA dudes thrown in.

It does sound like the line's in serious trouble. It was stated that Mattel only has 46% of what it needs to make it worthwhile. Guess all those resellers abandoning the line has revealed what the market really is. I doubt they'd avoid going forward with their plans if they didn't get all the subs they needed; they'd just go in a scaled-back capacity.

I received Spikor today:



It's a great figure. Give me Ram Man, Two Bad, Mantenna, and (hopefully) Gwildor, and I'd see it as a terrific run. I can't believe Mattel managed to do so many figures in a collector-focused internet-only line in a crappy economy, and I'd like to keep buying them, but I have my limits.
« Last Edit: July 25, 2012, 02:08 AM by inadvertent imitation »
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Offline Brian

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Re: Modern Masters of the Universe
« Reply #994 on: July 26, 2012, 02:32 PM »
I was just reading about some of this stuff today, and it looks like Mattel (and the Horsemen) are sort of begging people to sign up now to keep the line going.  I feel bad, because I do think the line has been top quality throughout, but the reason I dropped the sub this year (and can't justify it next year) is just that so many of the figures are ones I don't care about, or don't even know.  I can understand that they were trying to spread out the big guns a bit, and there are a lot of MOTU fans out there that probably love all of this stuff, but really my focus is more on the "basic" MOTU line or stuff that was in the original cartoon as well.  That's what I have the nostalgia for.  I didn't have the sub this year, but I did last year, and I have a stack of figures in the basement that are still unopened that I don't especially care about...and that don't seem to garner much interest on the forums either.

It has come to the point where I just feel like I'm spending too much on toys.  My primary focus has been Star Wars and Marvel, and the combination of higher costs, smaller budgets, and very little display space has caused me to get very "pick and choosy" with what I collect.  I still really like the MOTUC stuff I have, and would really like a Ram Man, but I just can't afford/justify a sub unless it was the only line I collected.  Same thing for the DCU one.  I collected the majority of the DCU Classics line, but had to cut back there as well, and once it went online had to pass on most of them there.  It stinks that the line(s) could possibly die off, but both have had a good run regardless, and I just can't pay for a whole year to basically just get Ram Man or possibly Two Bad.

Offline Ben

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Re: Modern Masters of the Universe
« Reply #995 on: July 26, 2012, 11:09 PM »
I find it hard to believe they'd just call it quits, though. Maybe scale everything back a bit and try that first. An all-or-nothing approach will just turn more people off.

If the Fighting Foe Men were dropped, I'd subscribe, especially now. The Star Sisters were the reason I didn't subscribe for this year. The money I saved by not buying them more than covered the aftermarket markup on figures I missed day-of this year. (Except Sorceress. Can't find a cheap one of those.) Had that been a three-pack of Horde Troopers, Mattel would have all the subs they needed the first day.

It really sucks that all those resellers made a quick buck and dropped all their subs, and guys like me who cherry-pick the line are the ones who get vilified. (Not here, but elsewhere.)
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Offline JediJman

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Re: Modern Masters of the Universe
« Reply #996 on: July 27, 2012, 12:15 PM »
I think the subscription concept is all wrong.  Trying to force people to buy things they don't really want doesn't usually sit well with customers.  It might work for a while, but people are still going to resent it to some extent.  I think they should produce quality product and market it well.  If they get that right and there is consumer demand, the sales will come.  If not, then they should probably close up shop or focus on something else.  They have no business making things like the Star Sisters if too few people really want them.
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Offline drewlam

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Re: Modern Masters of the Universe
« Reply #997 on: July 27, 2012, 04:08 PM »
I get the idea of the subscriptions.  They want to ensure they have a baseline in sales so that they don't take a loss on product that they can't move.  But I agree that the implementation is wrong. 

Not everyone wants every figure, so having to commit to 12 figures (especially when you don't know what all 12 are up front) is difficult for many.  I've got the DC sub again for next year, but I'm long time DC fan who knows most of the obscure characters, so I'm ok with it.  I think it would be better if they could let people know about all 12 up front, or have subs for 4 or 6 figures at a time instead of 12. 

MOTU is my first toy line that I collected as a kid.  My older brothers had SW, so I had a bunch of those.  But MOTU was the first line that I bought myself.  I loved the 20XX line when it came out and hunted most of them down, and I have the bulk (60-70%) of the MOTUC line.  But I don't want it all.  I got the first sub they did (4 months or so), but didn't get the sub last year, and I don't plan on it this year.  I like most of the figures I've seen, and think that Greyskullman is actually pretty cool.  Hopefully the line continues, but I just can't justify the commitment up front.

Offline John C

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Re: Modern Masters of the Universe
« Reply #998 on: July 31, 2012, 04:19 PM »
IMO it's all scare tactics, the clowns are too cheap to do real advertising and are trying to get everyone all whipped up.  "Mattel R killin teh lein"

Offline JediJman

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Re: Modern Masters of the Universe
« Reply #999 on: August 1, 2012, 10:10 AM »
I get the idea of the subscriptions.  They want to ensure they have a baseline in sales so that they don't take a loss on product that they can't move.  But I agree that the implementation is wrong. 

I think everyone gets the concept, but that doesn't make it right.  I'm sure Target would like to guarantee that they ordering the right amount of toilet paper or the local grocery would love to know just how many fresh tomatoes they should buy, but none of those places are forcing you to "subscribe" in advance to ensure that they have the right quantities.  Then you add in the element of not even knowing which figures will be available - it's pretty ridiculous.  I can't think of any other example in life where someone is asking you to pay a year in advance for mystery items that you know next to nothing about. 
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Offline Ben

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Re: Modern Masters of the Universe
« Reply #1000 on: August 2, 2012, 12:52 AM »
It is pretty ridiculous, and again, I've decided against it. I doubt Mattel will let the line die- I'm sure the only reason it got the greenlight in the first place is to build awareness for a movie, which they seem to be getting serious about (finally). I'll be damned if I'll let a toy company dictate to me what figures I'm going to buy, and that's that.
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Offline Brian

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Re: Modern Masters of the Universe
« Reply #1001 on: August 3, 2012, 12:44 PM »
I read a nice editorial at AFI this week about the sub, which covers a lot of the reasons I'm out as well.

http://www.actionfigureinsider.com/blog/jjjason/mattycollector-2013-subscriptions-why-im-out/

I've been going through everything this week (I like to try and do that every so often), and have a pile of unopened MOTUC figures that I didn't necessarily want but can't really unload either.  That's when I realized it was time for me to drop the sub.  Like I said, I think the line is very well done (ordering, not so much), and I am happy to have the figures I do, but dedicating to an entire year of figures that you either don't want or don't know about just to get the few that you do just seems ridiculous.  Plus, now it sounds as if the only way you can get MOTU figures is if you subscribe, which makes things that much worse.  I'd gladly pay a little more to get my Ram Man on the day of sale (if I could get through the ordering process), and not have to have the sub.

Honestly, I think Ram Man is my main "want" from this line yet (and I really hope I'm able to get him somehow), so why would I buy the sub for one figure?  I read in that article above that 45% of the figures released so far in the MOTUC lines were never in the vintage line.  Cool for some maybe that they are expanding beyond that, but my main source of nostalgia comes from the vintage line of figures (and to some extent the cartoon).  I wonder if they'll actually pull the plug on the line or not.  I hope they find some way to release Ram Man, he was one of my favorites as a kid.

Offline Ben

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Re: Modern Masters of the Universe
« Reply #1002 on: August 4, 2012, 03:25 AM »
I love that AFI link, especially in the comments. This Lucinda character is saying people who didn't buy a 2013 sub aren't "true fans." I have to ask, what exactly makes a true fan? My first action figure ever was Skeletor that I got for my third birthday in 1984, and I've loved MOTU ever since. I'll gamble I'm a truer fan than most of the people buying this new line, if we're going to make it into a pissing match. I've seen the original line die, I've seen NA and 200X die; this isn't anything new and it's Mattel themselves that's really to blame here, not people forking over incredible amounts of cash for things they never needed in the first place.

Just had to rant on that point, because this Lucinda dork isn't the only troll I've seen break out that qualifier. And another point- if we're getting washed-up actors from the 1987 MOTU movie begging people to subscribe now, it makes me wonder how embarrassing things will be next year at this time when the 2014 sub is in deep ****.
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Offline evenflow

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Re: Modern Masters of the Universe
« Reply #1003 on: August 4, 2012, 01:51 PM »
I dont know, I think if 2013 happen, 2014 will be fine if they stick to the restructured year to get out the remaining main characters.
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Offline Scockery

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Re: Modern Masters of the Universe
« Reply #1004 on: August 6, 2012, 09:09 PM »
I don't collect modern MOTU, but never go for that "true fans support the line" stuff.  If a "true fan" unconditionally buys whatever junk they put out for whatever price, I'd be happy not to be a true fan of anything.