Masters of the Universe Classics

[MagpieMad]

I don't have a sub, but after checking itsalltrue.net those are the figures that were scheduled for Q2. No idea about the map though, except they usually come with the sub exclusive

 

[xequae]

I don't have a sub, but after checking itsalltrue.net those are the figures that were scheduled for Q2. No idea about the map though, except they usually come with the sub exclusive

The map was delayed a month this year and so it was shipped with Angella.

 

[FatHotei]

So is this line dead in the water then? From what I've gathered the lead designer for motu classics left Mattel and now the line is sinking?

 

[evenflow]

So is this line dead in the water then? From what I've gathered the lead designer for motu classics left Mattel and now the line is sinking?

I wouldn't say that but we will see what they show at SDCC. If they insist on a subscription then it may be dead.

 

[teemu]

I wouldn't say that but we will see what they show at SDCC. If they insist on a subscription then it may be dead.

yeah,the subscription is dead...though there is talk of "no 2016 sub" but who are we kidding?

If you read over at the Org,there is a thread about the line half way through and about 80-85% are saying they are done subbing after this year.I know I'm out,and my one buddy is too

I want to see more figures but its time to cherry pick

 

[FatHotei]

Hopefully they can sort it out. This line has been so expansive. And they still havent made land shark or Saurod. Btw who thought it was a good idea to give a child a toy that shoots sparks? Loved it.

But I've heard mattel is making a push away from collectables.

 

[teemu]

Hopefully they can sort it out. This line has been so expansive. And they still havent made land shark or Saurod. Btw who thought it was a good idea to give a child a toy that shoots sparks? Loved it.

But I've heard mattel is making a push away from collectables.

don't worry,Saurod is the supposed to be the september figure

 

[Battle Ram Man]

So is this line dead in the water then? From what I've gathered the lead designer for motu classics left Mattel and now the line is sinking?

The brand manager left Mattel (reportedly after having been fired and then put back in the line as an independent contractor - a money saving move by Mattel), and the previous engineering guy was replaced by a much better one.

The only reason why it might die is all the original 80's MOTU characters will have been produced by the end of the year. There is some interest for other figures, but not nearly as much as for the original vintage MOTU guys.

 

[Kuwahara]

yeah,the subscription is dead...though there is talk of "no 2016 sub" but who are we kidding?

If you read over at the Org,there is a thread about the line half way through and about 80-85% are saying they are done subbing after this year.I know I'm out,and my one buddy is too

I want to see more figures but its time to cherry pick

Most of the .orgers who say they aren't subbing anymore (out of anger) eventually calm down, and the rose tinted glasses are put back on, and everything is awesome again. They quickly forget about Digital River, all the cost cutting, all the cross-eyed Angellas, etc. and buy 5 subs to support the line. LOL! Then the cycle continues.

don't worry,Saurod is the supposed to be the september figure

Yeah so, how exactly do you know that?

 

[Zodach]

The brand manager left Mattel (reportedly after having been fired and then put back in the line as an independent contractor - a money saving move by Mattel).

Where did you hear this rumor? That's all news to me.

Yeah so, how exactly do you know that?

Saurod is coming sometime between September and December along with Dragstor and Perfuma to finish up the vintage MOTU and POP. Flying Fists He-man, Terror Claws Skeletor, and the Laser Light figures are also coming this year.

 

[Kuwahara]

Yeah I know but, Teemu said with what sounded like utmost certainty that Saurod would be SEPTEMBER'S figure.

 

[Kuwahara]

The brand manager left Mattel (reportedly after having been fired and then put back in the line as an independent contractor - a money saving move by Mattel)

Yes, this is what I also heard from a few sources. However, I can't help but believe that it's only part of the story, or not the real story. To go from Mattel to Jakks seems like more of a desperate move since Mattel is (and I hate to admit it) still one of the biggest toy companies in the world. Jakks is small potatoes in comparison. In other words, Neitlich was either fired and needed a job ASAP, or he knew he was about to get fired, and looked for whatever he could get ASAP, and Jakks was the best he could get in such a small window of time.

I can see Mattel downsizing other types of employees, but Neitlich was a Brand Manager in the middle of running an online store and multiple lines. I can't really believe that he was demoted to a contractor from such a (what I consider) a prestigious position, UNLESS it was a strategic move by Mattel to reduce his status so he'll WANT to quit. Mattel knowing all to well if he quits, he'll get no unemployment benefits.

Yes, I'm swimming in some conspiracy theory waters but hey, Neitlich is disliked by SO MANY fans, it's reasonable to believe that he was also disliked by the very people he worked with and for. I'll bet Mattel saw how detrimental he was to mattycollector, they figured they'd just get rid of him and make other people at Mattel wear additional hats instead. Mattel saves some money and get's rid of a cancer.

He didn't wast time having his buddy over at AFI do a video interview covering the news either, or should I say covering up the news.

 

[Zodach]

The hate for Scott never ceases to amaze me. Out come the conspiracy theories to paint him in even more negative light despite not knowing any facts about the situation. I would like to know who these "sources" are about the condition of Scott's departure from Mattel. He was there a long time and nobody stepped into his role immediately, at least that we know of, so what makes you think he was fired? If this was the case, I would think Mattel would have had a replacement ready for him.

I have to wonder if Scott could see the writing on the wall at Mattel. Their CEO was terminated in January after they reported a 59% drop in 4Q profits compared to the previous year. Certainly the Matty Collector brands have little impact on their bottom line, but if you look at what's left there it's evident that the collector lines are drying up. Mattel is putting out almost nothing geared towards collectors with the DC license and their only solid foothold in the boys action figure aisle is WWE. If I was in Scott's position I would be looking for another job before I was told I didn't have one any more since Mattel is heading in the wrong direction (stock trading at $39 a year ago and today is <$27). Continued poor performance like this leads to layoffs across the board. JAKKS may not be a huge player compared to Mattel, but they have a strong retail presence, many licenses, and they could have offered Scott more money than he was making at Mattel.

Also, I looked up Battle Ram Man's information about the "brand manager" being fired from Mattel and then re-hired as a contractor and he's got the wrong guy. It's the former CEO that this story is about, so Kuwahara I think your "sources" are bogus or they just put Scott's name in the story so they could say something else negative about him without knowing the truth.


Mattel Says Ex-CEO Stockton Was Fired - WSJ

Mattel Inc. said Thursday that former Chief Executive Bryan Stockton was terminated in January, contrary to the toy maker’s news release at the time that said he had resigned.

Mr. Stockton’s departure followed a weak holiday season that led to a 59% drop in fourth-quarter profit. He was replaced by longtime board member Christopher Sinclair, who initially was named interim CEO but was made the permanent leader last week.

However, Mr. Stockton hasn’t quite left the toy maker, which announced last month he has been hired back as a consultant.

 

[Kuwahara]

I don't claim to have sources in the usual sense, I was just saying that I read the same thing from a few different places (sources) (websites) whatever. I also made it very clear that my beliefs are not based on any fact, they are simply notions that I choose to believe. I even admitted to going into the "conspiracy" territory. So in a nutshell, I don't believe Neitlich left Mattel on his own accord or that he was "Headhunted" by Jakks. To me that's just laughable. It may very well be true, but I don't believe it. I think it's laughable because of the kind of guy Scott Neitlich really is. I just can't fathom the idea that he's in demand unless another toy company is looking for someone who is extremely gifted at deception, because quite frankly that is where his true strengths are.

As far as having a replacement for Neitlich, That's what I meant about making other Mattel employees wear more hats. It's possible that the responsibility was added to someone's plate. Since Mattel has several brand managers, maybe one of them is now in charge of mattycollector. Or maybe mattycollector as a whole DOES have it's own new brand manager, but thankfully chose to remain incognito. SDCC may shed some light on that tidbit.

"The hate for Scott never ceases to amaze me. Out come the conspiracy theories to paint him in even more negative light"

The same could be said about how many people white knight the man. The "hate" for him is self inflicted and IMO, there is NO WAY a positive light can possibly, legitimately be painted on him. It baffles me to this day that a good amount of people actually love the man and think he's on the level. To each their own I suppose. Also, I don't think too many people actually hate the guy as I previously mentioned, but instead are capable of seeing him for what he really is and pointing it out. Unfortunately, every time they do it, they are branded as "Haters".

 

[FatHotei]

Which figure do you guys think has the best sculpt?

I ordered Moss Man on ebay, he'll be here next week. How does the flocking hold up? It looks pretty good in photos. The Moss Man I had when I was a kid definitely had some bald spots after some time, but of course I don't plan to play with this one.

 

[teemu]

Which figure do you guys think has the best sculpt?

I ordered Moss Man on ebay, he'll be here next week. How does the flocking hold up? It looks pretty good in photos. The Moss Man I had when I was a kid definitely had some bald spots after some time, but of course I don't plan to play with this one.

flocking holds up great- no worries

Best figures in the line are:

Trapjaw
Ram Man
Fisto
Two bad
Mer-man
Skeletor
Teela
Tri-klops
Man E Faces
Mantenna
Clawful
Stinkor
Spikor
Man at Arms

If I went with top 3- Trapjaw,Ram Man,Fisto

 

[Zodach]

Fisto to me is the ultimate figure since he can pull off both vintage and 200x in one package and the execution is nearly perfect. Vikor and Demo-man are also excellent figures high on my list, but they're more obscure being concept figures.

 

[FatHotei]

I really enjoy the design of some of the concept figures like demo man and Draego Man, but I'm trying to limit myself to nostalgia for this line. That might still hurt my wallet considering I owned nearly every motu figure mattel made in the 1980s.

 

[Gleekor]

Which figure do you guys think has the best sculpt?

I ordered Moss Man on ebay, he'll be here next week. How does the flocking hold up? It looks pretty good in photos. The Moss Man I had when I was a kid definitely had some bald spots after some time, but of course I don't plan to play with this one.

The best sculpts might be Mer-Man and Beast Man. They are 80's card back art perfection.

 

[lerath666]

I don't claim to have sources in the usual sense, I was just saying that I read the same thing from a few different places (sources) (websites) whatever. I also made it very clear that my beliefs are not based on any fact, they are simply notions that I choose to believe. I even admitted to going into the "conspiracy" territory. So in a nutshell, I don't believe Neitlich left Mattel on his own accord or that he was "Headhunted" by Jakks. To me that's just laughable. It may very well be true, but I don't believe it. I think it's laughable because of the kind of guy Scott Neitlich really is. I just can't fathom the idea that he's in demand unless another toy company is looking for someone who is extremely gifted at deception, because quite frankly that is where his true strengths are.

As far as having a replacement for Neitlich, That's what I meant about making other Mattel employees wear more hats. It's possible that the responsibility was added to someone's plate. Since Mattel has several brand managers, maybe one of them is now in charge of mattycollector. Or maybe mattycollector as a whole DOES have it's own new brand manager, but thankfully chose to remain incognito. SDCC may shed some light on that tidbit.

"The hate for Scott never ceases to amaze me. Out come the conspiracy theories to paint him in even more negative light"

The same could be said about how many people white knight the man. The "hate" for him is self inflicted and IMO, there is NO WAY a positive light can possibly, legitimately be painted on him. It baffles me to this day that a good amount of people actually love the man and think he's on the level. To each their own I suppose. Also, I don't think too many people actually hate the guy as I previously mentioned, but instead are capable of seeing him for what he really is and pointing it out. Unfortunately, every time they do it, they are branded as "Haters".

MOTUC AND Matty collector were his babies.

Without him, it's likely that Neither would have happened.

Hate all you like, but at the very least, credit where credit is due.