A petition to Mattel?

[Guest]

So with Scott gone, I think its safe to say that the control over this brand is now in the hands of another, and maybe its someone who will listen.

We should come together as a community and petition Mattel to reveal the road map for 2015 and 2016 immediately. Show fans what kind of sub they are dropping their $700.

We could ask for Dare/Skeleteen to nixed, however chances are there are enough supporters that this would never happen, but it might not be too late to shape 2016.

All we need to do is flood the Matty Facebook page with posts. A singular message from hundreds of people, and if we are lucky, thousands that might get a movement going and erase the tarnish the ex brand manager left on this line.

We just need a cohesive statement to share. Perhaps something like:

"We want MOTUC in 2016, and we want a Roap Map revealed. If you want our subscription money, show us what we are signing up for. We are not faceless malcontents, we are paying customers, frustrated with how things have been, and seeking to make them better. Your best apology for years of customer service issues, and a Brand Manager that divided a community starts here. "

[MIDOR]

I'm out.

I like NOT knowing. It's the thrill. The rush. The anticipation. The, hm. they pulled it off with "x" character.

And there is a lot more, in my opinion, that way then looking at some grocery list of figures. eggs, milk, bread, dragstor, multi bot, paper towels, terror claws skeletor, hot dogs, quarterly figure

or a to do list. replace screen on screen door, clean gutters, pop figure, na figure, clean out car, beast slot, na figure, rake yard & vehicle

let's NOT grab pitch forks and torches and yell "rabble rabble rabble" at castle Mattel.

[Captain Atkin]

It would be nice to know what the figures for 2016 would be before signing up for a subscription, but I would never sign a petition demanding it.

[Andy]

I agree. Although I'm probably not going to sign up in 2016 anyways.

It would be nice to have a basic guidline..perhaps as an example...along the lines of 12 slots in the sub. 2 filmation variant, 1 mini comic variant character, 1 variant POP or NA, 1 concept character, 1 200x variant, 1 DC52 variant, 1 original fimation, 1 mini comic original, 1 jetlag original, 1 200x or Classic cannon original, and 1 original from all other media. (Not my preference BTW but just an example.)

I would definately be interested in smaller subscriptions or faction mini subs though. Maybe even something like they did for the DC League of Superheroes 12 figure box set

[Guest]

The petition is not about shaking them down and making unfair demands. During his time at the org, it was the Scott show, and if you liked him or not, you had to wait for whatever breadcrumbs he tossed, and the consensus seems to be that there was dishonesty and double talk.

What I'm asking is for Mattel (or the new brand manager) to try a new tact, and reveal to the fan base what they need to make an informed decision. I read that a guy on the He-Man.org bought 45 Subs. 45 subs from one person? That is a huge personal risk that no one fan should feel forced to undertake to 'save the line'. Imagine how many duds he will be left holding onto if he can't get rid of the product.

If Mattel shook things up, and enticed people with a full reveal, maybe devoted fans like that guy rest easy, knowing that the company producing these figures is bringing back its customer base with open honesty and information. I'm suggesting something different, because it seems like the same tired old way of doing things is not ideal for many fans who can't drop small fortunes on multiple subs to help this line along. Some fans can barely afford 1 sub. Who thinks of them?
I do.

[Black Zodac]

No. I would not sign a petition. I've never had an issue with the way that the subscriptions have been handled, in terms of road map. The only "surprise" figure I ever took issue with was The Unnamed One (real name" Gorpo), because Scott built it up to be something that it wasn't. I'm fine with the subscription model. I don't need to know what all the figures will be when I sign up. Sometimes it's nice to be surprised.

[MegaGearMax]

Man, we shouldn't have gotten The Unnamed One during the friggin' "Wrap-up" year! That was pure self-indulgence on TG's part.

[Dark Angel]

I agree that the "surprise" approach needs to be dropped and they do need to reveal what is planned for the remainder of this year and have a complete list of what will be in the 2016 sub when it goes on sale. I would sign a petition to that effect in a heartbeat.

...too bad I don't Facebook. Sorry. :-/

[Mechanizor]

I don't use Facebook either, but otherwise I would sign it...

[RoboSteveo]

You want Mattel to "apologize" for years of customer service issues by giving us the road map for 2015 and 2016? Haha... thats funny.

Look, I get peoples frustrations. I do. But no one is being forced to buy a subscription. I don't subscribe. Its a choice.

Just because Scott is gone doesn't mean we should be petitioning the company for answers on what toys will be released. The fact is, if they do tell us all the figures, and then one or two don't get made because of development issues, collectors will scream bloody murder. Either way, they can't win. I'm satisfied with the way it has been handled. It isn't perfect, but nothing is.

[MegaGearMax]

I don't have a problem with not knowing how is coming out. Chances are that I'll want those characters anyway, although I like some characters more than others.

[Mechanizor]

Interesting to see all the wishy washy attitude in this thread, no wonder why Mattel cares less about what we think...

[Black Zodac]

Interesting to see all the wishy washy attitude in this thread, no wonder why Mattel cares less about what we think...

I don't think it's wishy washy at all. People are being very straight forward on the subject. Some people just don't care to sign petitions for stuff like this. Some people don't see a reason too. I certainly don't. There are better ways to engage a company and let them know what you want than by signing petitions with a list of demands attached to them. When you start making demands, you come across as spoiled and privledged. If it bothers you to buy a subscription without knowing what all the figures are, then don't buy a subscription. We all have a choice in the matter. Mattel isn't holding a raygun to our heads to buy their toys.

[teemu81]

NOT! going to sub in 2016

[Mechanizor]

I don't think it's wishy washy at all. People are being very straight forward on the subject. Some people just don't care to sign petitions for stuff like this. Some people don't see a reason too. I certainly don't. There are better ways to engage a company and let them know what you want than by signing petitions with a list of demands attached to them. When you start making demands, you come across as spoiled and privledged. If it bothers you to buy a subscription without knowing what all the figures are, then don't buy a subscription. We all have a choice in the matter. Mattel isn't holding a raygun to our heads to buy their toys.

Well, that type of argument has been posted numerous times before at the org, (No body is forcing you to buy a sub, I like to be surprised, petitions never work, etc), yet when things go wrong, all hell breaks loose over here!

Guys, Val and co have tired all types of diplomatic runs with Mattel, yet what have we gained thus far other than getting subpar products at the end filled with issues, or getting charged for unpopular figures only a few have asked for (Nepthu anyone?)...

If you're happy with how things are, don't come here later to bitch and moan!

Probably petitions don't work well as expected, but something has to be done to get things resolved somehow, and if you guys keep playing the same old passive card as always, expect the same old shit from your beloved toy company.

[Black Zodac]

I am anything but passive. I share my likes and dislikes on the forum and on Facebook all the time, and I think its safe to say that people at Mattel do read the forums and Facebook. They probably have a good idea of what characters are popular, and which characters fans don't want to see get made. I would rather be vocal on a forum about my likes and dislikes, than send off a petition to Mattel that sounds like an ultimatum. The best way to be heard is to speak up about what you like and don't like on forums like this.

[Mechanizor]

That's fine and you have every right to say whatever you feel like, however by giving Mattel mixed messages, they'd always default to whatever they think is best for them.

If people have a firm and a strong message to fight for, only then things might take a positive route in favor of the customers...

[MegaGearMax]

Well, that type of argument has been posted numerous times before at the org, (No body is forcing you to buy a sub, I like to be surprised, petitions never work, etc), yet when things go wrong, all hell breaks loose over here!

Guys, Val and co have tired all types of diplomatic runs with Mattel, yet what have we gained thus far other than getting subpar products at the end filled with issues, or getting charged for unpopular figures only a few have asked for (Nepthu anyone?)...

If you're happy with how things are, don't come here later to bitch and moan!

Probably petitions don't work well as expected, but something has to be done to get things resolved somehow, and if you guys keep playing the same old passive card as always, expect the same old shit from your beloved toy company.

I don't think people HERE have a real problem with character selection, especially nowadays with the Vintage and POP factions ending this year. And that's a key point: Vintage MOTU will be done, so the character selection anxiety is done too. It's more about quality control, Digital River, TG telling untruths and paying more money for worsening quality.

[Mechanizor]

I don't think people HERE have a real problem with character selection, especially nowadays with the Vintage and POP factions ending this year.

So what if Mattel has decided to switch things around a little and insert a few The Son of He-Man figures, because they think people around here love the element of surprise! What would you do then, cheer and celebrate?

[Black Zodac]

There are threads dedicated to hating Son of He-Man at HMW, the Org, Facebook, and other forums. With Scott gone, I don't see Mattel pushing that line forward. Fans have been vocal about wanting Filmation, NA, POP, and reissued figures like Fisto and Teela. I doubt that Mattel is going to push the failed ideas of a guy who quit their company to work for one of their competitors. We may get Skeleteen and Dare if they are already in the pipeline, but I bet that is as far as it goes.

[teemu81]

I HATE son of He-Man!! nobody asked for it either

[Guest]

Everyone here is entiteld to their own opinion, and it seems like we are in very different places. I completely understand the yearning to have a little mystery and a little surprise left in the line, however that hasn't sat too well with the fan base, because there's been quite a few duds pumped out.

Now, in regard to the statements about "Mattel" listening/not listening to fan demands, I think its a safe bet that "Mattel" for most of the life of this line was simply Scott. He called the shots and filtered/spun whatever information to his superiors to see the toys produced that he wanted. MOTUC was his baby, and it was only when fans challenged him that his true nature was revealed. His answers literally spun out of control. When fan posts that criticized him are literally scrubbed from existance, you know someone's up to no good... some just chose not to see it.

So in my opinion, the petition would be an unfiltered eye opener for Mattel (whomever is now running the Facebook page, the new brand manager) to show them that for everyone that Scott had applauding him and his questionable releases, there were people fed up and walking away because they didn't like how things were. Money was literally walking away. I cancelled 2 subs due to the Digital River issues I was reading, and the puppeteering and sneering I saw from the esteemed Guru of Nothing.

The whole "no one is forcing you to sub" argument doesn't fly. Of course no one is forcing anyone to buy this product, that's silly, but its also silly to cloak an entire fanbase that is chomping at the bit, demanding characters for years, and then being disappointed as the dud brand manager chooses to release a poorly concieved personal project on the false pretense of fan demand.

This is about knocking down an uneccessary wall of secrecy over a rather expensive sub to encourage involvement from a large, loyal fan community who are hungry for product and overfed on TG's bullshit. He's gone, lets try something new.

[Croc-O-Bite!]

One thing I have to wonder about is how the minis sub was handled..... Neitlich was already gone and the new person/team actually showed the entire year's line-up of minis (be it figures ready to go, prototypes, and even concept art).
Was that desperation on their part in order to increase the pitiful sales of that failed sub?
Or was that a sign of things to come from the new regime, in how MOTUC will now be run post-Neitlich?

This type of petition may not even be necessary with Neitlich gone. I choose to believe bcrduke's hints & predictions, as I don't recall them being off the mark too many times, if at all. And the rumor going around now is that this upcoming Toy Fair will reveal the largest amount of figures at one time yet. If true, could that also be a sign that the new regime realizes Neitlich's secrets & lies were a hindrance and not the 'success' Neitlich thought it was? Or it could just be wishful thinking on my part.....

What I'm trying to say is that is type of petition may not be the battle we need to fight, and one thing we don't want to do is be a fanbase that does petition after petition,, so let's make absolutely sure we pick the correct petition to start (whatever that may be).

[GREP-A-TOR]

Mattel is pretty much dead to me. I have sent emails and letters to good ol' El Segundo regarding Digital River, MattyCollector and Scott Neitlich. Professional consumer letters. I have never received a response, from anyone.

They just don't care. Seriously. I am sure they look at the balance sheet and that's it.

[Toad]

Here you go folks... What more proof do you need that communication attempts with Mattel just doesn't work? I have to admit it's funny how some fans think just because Neitlich left, that everything will be just fine now... LOL! It doesn't work that way. Neitlich may have been a HUGE part of the problem, but he wasn't the ONLY part of the problem.

[teemu81]

Why would they care? All corporations only care about one thing- MONEY! In the end,Customer's don't matter even though they buy their product

[MegaGearMax]

Only a mass boycott of Classics figures or a massive fan response will cause any change.

[Crespo]

Now that Vintage and POP are out of the way, I'd prefer getting a list of characters that Mattel would do for the year assuming that no complications throw off the schedule.
They could add an asterisk and have small print stating all the legalese and how the list is not a guarantee on what they WILL release, but what they strive to release. Also something mentioning surprise out of sub extras if they reach X percentage above the threshold.

Right now all we have is the Rest of NA (which sadly, is not very popular) Filmation variants and new B, C D and Z listers, 200X Characters (including variants), NU52 variants, and He-Ro: Son of He-Man. It's a mixed bag for me. If we add a price increase to the mix, then the chances of me going in blindly decrease exponentially.

Seeing the sculpts of 3 figures, a sub exclusive AND a Quarterly item is just not as appealing when the rest of the year is a mega wild-card. No Vintage MOTU and POP safety net to fall back on. And I also don't want half the line up to be the inevitable variants of core characters.

[MegaGearMax]

So what if Mattel has decided to switch things around a little and insert a few The Son of He-Man figures, because they think people around here love the element of surprise! What would you do then, cheer and celebrate?

Even if they did release a list of characters, there will be a few figures in the lineup that won't float everyone's boat among that selection. Which figures is up to the individual fan.

The character selection is going to be all over the place without the one faction that everyone wanted. No matter what the character, people will take issue. 200X Evilseed could be revealed and the fans who hate that design would complain. Some people don't like NA. Some fans dislike Pre-Filmation mini-comics. We have fans who don't like variants. Damn near every selection is going to have a mixed reaction, unless that figure blows everyone away.

[Draego-Man]

It doesn't matter what they reveal in the future I will never sub again. Once all the vintage are gone this company and product can rot in hell for all I care.

[teemu81]

I wouldn't worry...the 2016 Sub will not have enough support.Don't get me wrong,there are more figures I'd like to have,but I am no longer subbing for them.I am not buying crap just to get the one's I really want anymore

[Toad]

If they continue to push for subs and hide most of the lineup... 2016 will definitely be a no go. I think the only thing that will coheres people into a 2016 sub is an initial reveal of some serious fan demanded characters... and I'm talking more than just 3-4 reveals, more like 6-8 or more right off the bat.

[Battle Ram Man]

I think the claimed legal problem with releasing a full roster ahead of time is a red herring. It's just an excuse to keep subscribers in the dark and shoe horn in less desired figures.

[Mechanizor]

Of course, that's the whole idea BRM.

[teemu81]

Yep! that less desirable, toyguru added, DARE garbage we are forced to buy in december '15

[Toad]

Has it been 100% confirmed that we are getting Dare in 2015, much less December of 2015?

[Mechanizor]

Even if they did release a list of characters, there will be a few figures in the lineup that won't float everyone's boat among that selection. Which figures is up to the individual fan.

The character selection is going to be all over the place without the one faction that everyone wanted. No matter what the character, people will take issue. 200X Evilseed could be revealed and the fans who hate that design would complain. Some people don't like NA. Some fans dislike Pre-Filmation mini-comics. We have fans who don't like variants. Damn near every selection is going to have a mixed reaction, unless that figure blows everyone away.

My argument was solely based on the pre-subscription notion, if people knew what they're getting, they could've evaluated their sub commitments ahead of time and see if it was worth spending $700 + per sub, instead of subscribing blindly and waste a lot of it on things they don't want!
Maybe it's a bit too late for the 2015's list unless people (like me) are opting to cancel their subs after the release of certain figures, however it might be crucial for most fans to know the potential list of the 2016's line.

[Jsting]

Its great to not have to worry about motuc anymore. No sub for me ever again. There is nothing that this company can produce to get me to buy another product again. Good luck to everyone who continues to buy a sub and keeps them going.