New Doctor Who Figures? (5 inch scale)

[barbelith]

Re: New Doctor Who Figures?

And that's when, as a company, they should stand up to retailers, say stuff it, and do companions as 1 per case.

...and then watching as retailers cut their orders so they're not left with unsellable stock sitting on the pegs. Their shareholders would love that.

 

[pixletwin]

Re: New Doctor Who Figures?

I agree 100% with barbelith but I also agree (or in other words I also wish) that the folks whose opinion matter would have have the faith necessary to leap and try what Memnoch is saying about short packing the companions.

But this attitude that CO are flipping the bird and out to spit on their customers is absolutely ridiculous and has no base in reality.

The real head scratcher for me was POM Tom vs. Regen Colin. Which would have made more sense as a TRU exclusive in the US? Seriously? Whoever made that decision was mad as a hatter.

 

[barbelith]

Re: New Doctor Who Figures?

the BBC is incredibly secretive about upcoming episodes so there's little lead time to do the figures

Yes. These toys should be on shelves in time for the first episode of each new season. But on the other hand, that would ruin the surprise. I suppose we have to remember the BBC is first and foremost a broadcaster, and toys have to take a backseat to their broadcast priorities. And if that means keeping the new season under wraps for as long as possible, so be it.

Also, they are foolish for NOT including likeness in their contracts.

We don't know that they don't. Billie Piper is a special case, as she was a famous pop star before landing the role of Rose. There can be very complicated legal issues to skirt around depending on what kind of licensing and brand protection she established back then. The actors do have approvals, but that's not the same thing as assuming they haven't signed away their likenesses. In fact, if they hadn't it would make publicity a nightmare! This issue is largely relegated to the classic series, I suspect.

NO single carded Daleks available at all times?

A huge mistake.

The body for the 10th Doctor is a joke at this point.

My understanding is there's a new one coming out. But since the old one kept selling, there's hardly a compelling business reason to update it. As a fan I agree with you.

Then you have the retailer input - I can see them turning down things like the Classic TARDIS and Bessie, things that will take up shelf space, but if they actually have say in what figures come out, well shame on CO.

It doesn't work like that. CO solicits advance wave information to the major UK retailers. If those retailers indicate they won't be stocking the items for whatever reason, it's business suicide for CO to make them anyway. The shops don't want companions, because they don't think they can sell them. I guarantee you they know more about how their businesses work than some fan on the Internet. Would I like to see mass market companions? Hell yes! But I understand why exclusives are the only avenue.

 

[bcm77]

Re: New Doctor Who Figures?

Here's the real problems, as I see them. For one, the BBC is incredibly secretive about upcoming episodes so there's little lead time to do the figures. Also, they are foolish for NOT including likeness in their contracts. Second, CO is just a mess. NO single carded Daleks available at all times? The body for the 10th Doctor is a joke at this point. No companions because they "won't sell"? I promise you, make them 1 per case and they WILL sell. The US market gets treated like garbage at times. Example - POM 4th Doctor. The complete lack of information doesn't help either. We don't find out about a figure until it's release is about 2 weeks away. You can have confirmation from DWM and CO will still play stupid. Then you have the retailer input - I can see them turning down things like the Classic TARDIS and Bessie, things that will take up shelf space, but if they actually have say in what figures come out, well shame on CO.

I can understand the secrecy with the Nu-Who figures from episodes that haven't aired but in the case of the Classics all the stories are out there in varying forms and have been for a long time so why the need to hush things? It's laughable.

And as much as I dislike him I think it's about time fans of 10 got a figure with articulation to match the other Doctors instead of a new headsculpt on the same old body.

Single carded Classic Daleks would almost certainly do well especially ones that could be used for multiple eras like the grey & black "Genesis" version.

As for companions and similar "risky" choices CO have no excuse to at least test the waters with 1 or 2 now they are marketing some figures as expensive Exclusives via stores that for the most part cater to adult collectors and not kids.

 

[Memnoch]

Re: New Doctor Who Figures?

Not flipping the bird, but I maintain the line is being handled VERY poorly. We get ONE episode specific Donna, a Doctor figure with a POS outdated body, NO single carded Daleks available from any time period, information black outs that last up to the last possible second before a toy is released, etc.

 

[pixletwin]

Re: New Doctor Who Figures?

Not flipping the bird, but I maintain the line is being handled VERY poorly. We get ONE episode specific Donna, a Doctor figure with a POS outdated body, NO single carded Daleks available from any time period, information black outs that last up to the last possible second before a toy is released, etc.

No. The flipping the bird was aimed at Brendan .

I agree with your points Sean. Only I think to say "poorly" is a bit of an exaggeration as most of us are very pleased with what we are getting.

 

[barbelith]

Re: New Doctor Who Figures?

The real head scratcher for me was POM Tom vs. Regen Colin. Which would have made more sense as a TRU exclusive in the US? Seriously? Whoever made that decision was mad as a hatter.

Here's how this breaks down. The exclusives are jointly commissioned by FP/UG. So FP handles the UK and UG handles the US. But FP commissioned POM Tom on its own, without involving UG. Thus UG has no distribution rights to the figure. They couldn't have chosen POM Tom over Regen Colin.

However, CO was mad not to require split commissions. I suspect the US will see POM Tom in some sort of variant, perhaps without the TARDIS console piece and with a gold Mummy as a SDCC exclusive.

 

[bcm77]

Re: New Doctor Who Figures?

NO single carded Daleks available from any time period

I assume you mean regular Dalek "grunts"?

 

[ProgMatinee]

Re: New Doctor Who Figures?

you guys are having a pretty good conversation cause a guy like me not collecting the line is intrigued at the business aspects. i like these kinds of discussions.

 

[barbelith]

Re: New Doctor Who Figures?

As for companions and similar "risky" choices CO have no excuse to at least test the waters with 1 or 2 now they are marketing some figures as expensive Exclusives via stores that for the most part cater to adult collectors and not kids.

But CO doesn't do those on its own. Those releases are commissioned by specialty retailers. They're the people you need to lobby for companions.

 

[Memnoch]

Re: New Doctor Who Figures?

No. The flipping the bird was aimed at Brendan .

I agree with your points Sean. Only I think to say "poorly" is a bit of an exaggeration as most of us are very pleased with what we are getting.

I'd be pleased if availability were better, prices brought down a bit and this ridiculous secrecy was removed. At least confirm figures are coming so people can save some cash. I'd love to get a coatless Jack, but ohh that's in a Tesco 3 pack that may or may not have been supposed to be sold, etc. Seriously though, they need to stop acting like it's ONLY kids buying these and that they have an attention span of a goldfish. I bet kids wouldn't mind a new Donna, another Jack, etc. I just say - look at the quality of the MOTUC figures for $20 then look at the Who figures for a similar price. Night and day.

 

[ProgMatinee]

Re: New Doctor Who Figures?

about how many figures are in the line right now? must be a few dozen with all the variants and stuff?

thats a pretty big line.

 

[Memnoch]

Re: New Doctor Who Figures?

I assume you mean regular Dalek "grunts"?

Yep, the normal gun wielding Daleks. The multi packs are great, except for the price and the fact that if you don't buy them when you see them you are SOL.

 

[bcm77]

Re: New Doctor Who Figures?

No. The flipping the bird was aimed at Brendan .

It wouldn't be normal for me if I stated an opinion with some degree of restraint would it?

Of course I don't think CO's executives sit round a load of unproduced protos stroking Roger Delgado style goatee beards and laughing maniacally to themselves but they aren't exactly doing themselves any favors with the lack of communication with their fanbase either.

 

[Memnoch]

Re: New Doctor Who Figures?

It wouldn't be normal for me if I stated an opinion with some degree of restraint would it?

Of course I don't think CO's executives sit round a load of unproduced protos stroking Roger Delgado style goatee beards and laughing maniacally to themselves but they aren't exactly doing themselves any favors with the lack of communication with their fanbase either.

Come now Brendan, don't you remember the head of CO saying they don't make these for fans, they make them for kids? Far as they are concerned they don't have a "fan base" they have a "consumer base".

 

[pixletwin]

Re: New Doctor Who Figures?

Well I am just glad Mr Barlow is going to supply me with a 1:6 Delgado head.

 

[bcm77]

Re: New Doctor Who Figures?

Yep, the normal gun wielding Daleks. The multi packs are great, except for the price and the fact that if you don't buy them when you see them you are SOL.

I did that with the second Classic Dalek 3-pack thinking it was an FP Exclusive only to discover them at TRU a while later for about a tenner less.

As recently as last week my local branch still had loads of them and the 4th Doctor Adventure set on the shelves but almost zero in the way of Nu-Who figures.

 

[bcm77]

Re: New Doctor Who Figures?

Come now Brendan, don't you remember the head of CO saying they don't make these for fans, they make them for kids? Far as they are concerned they don't have a "fan base" they have a "consumer base".

Was that even a legit interview though because the site I read it on is notorious for BS?

 

[pixletwin]

Re: New Doctor Who Figures?

Was that even a legit interview though because the site I read it on is notorious for BS?

It was legit... I'm not sure if that POV (from almost 2 years ago) is still the prevailing POV.

 

[bcm77]

Re: New Doctor Who Figures?

about how many figures are in the line right now? must be a few dozen with all the variants and stuff?

thats a pretty big line.

Classics
1st Doctor ( 2 versions )
2nd Doctor ( 2 versions )
3rd Doctor ( 3 versions )
4th Doctor ( 2 versions )
5th Doctor ( 2 versions )
6th Doctor ( 3 versions )

5 different Cybermen molds plus black & white variants of 2 of them
2 Cybermats
9 different Daleks plus a black and white variant of 1
4 Voc Robots ( the newest variant has light piping on the eyes but is otherwise the same as the previous green/gold version )
2 Sea Devils ( same mold but paint apps are different )
Zygon
Magnus Greel & Mr Sin 2-pack
K1 Robot Build A Figure
The Master ( decayed version )
Morbius Monster
Ice Warrior
Mummy
3 different maggots

Of that lot the only ones I haven't got are the Regeneration and Realtime versions of the 6th Doctor and the black & white variants of the 1st & 2nd Doctor sets.

Pix,
If it was legit it seems something has changed because as I recall the CO guy pretty much dismissed the collector market yet they've since started marketing some figures via Forbidden Planet.