Whatever happened to the second batch of Marvel Q & A's???

[clonekiller72]

How long has it been since the last Q&A session with Hasbro? Aren't we due for another?

 

I ask because it would be nice to have some form of communication with these product lines. The last mention we had about any ML's was just after San Diego, where they said that the 6" line would continue into 09 and that BAF waves were done. Both of these comments are very vague and can only lead to the speculation that this board so loves to spew.

 

Wouldn't you feel better if Hasbro gave us a reason (albeit a useless one) for the price increase on the Target Legends?

 

How about a hint at the formats to come? (beside pimping the 3 3/4 line)

 

What have they done to make dis-satisfied retailers happy?

 

Is TRU ever going to carry normal Legends again, or are they still pissed that they bought the cow from Toy biz's last lines that flooded the market.

 

Is there another plan in the works to replace BAF's?

 

If we're done with BAF's than give us something we can look forward to? If not, justify the price increase.

 

Why so dismissive of the 6" line AND it's fans. The comments made at comic-con were snotty and rude, "if you can't find them then you should move".

 

When asked about retailer support Hasbro always comments on the dwindling retailer interest beacuse many A-list characters have been covered and they can't continue to do obscure characters solely, and expect that to sell. I say thee, Billycock! There's plenty of A-listers in NEED of remakes and resculpts or costumes that are popular to many avid fans. Needless to say their are many character line-ups that could both be popular to retailers and fans alike, but Hasbros lack of faith is disturbing. As I've always felt, they picked up the license to axe 6" and move towards 3 3/4". Though they would never say it out-right, those have been thier overall intentions.

examples:

A-listers:

Bucky Cap, New Thor, Extemis Iron man or even a Tony Stark, Astonishing Storm, Astonishing Wolverine, Armored Black Panther, Cable w/ Baby, Evil Bishop

 

Poplular re-sculpts:

Scarlett Witch, Magneto, 90's Jean Grey, Modern Cage, New Iron Fist, 70's Storm, Destroyer Thor, Deadpool, Dark Beast or Avengers Beast, Binary or Old-school Ms Marvel

 

Those not yet hit:(but frequently asked for)

Polaris, Jubilee, Drax, ML Thanos, Mephisto, Bastion, Blink, Cloak & Dagger,Daken, Cyber, Exodus, Firestar, Super-Adaptoid,Blastaar, Klaw, Justice, Magik, Mimic, Nocturne, Morph, Multiple Man, Strong Guy, Shadow King, Vulcan, Warpath, Wolfsbane, Sabastion Shaw

 

Avengers not yet made:(but can complete our Avengers line-ups)

Beast, Firestar, Justice, Swordsman, Dr Druid, Hellcat, MoonDragon, Quasar, Photon, StarFox, MockingBird, US Agent, Machine Man, Darkhawk, Thunderstrike, Jack of Hearts, StingRay, Echo, Stature, Hawkeye(Kate Bishop), Speed, Valkryie

 

Team Box Sets:(or even better start them off in normal carded line-ups and get fans and completists to clammor for the teams to be completed. Cause once a character is made then people WANT to complete the lineup. Ex: Vindicator, one I have him I'll want all of Alpha Flight. Many of these are simple retools or remakes)

Alpha Flight

Thunderbolts (old & New)

New/Young X-men

New Mutants

X-Factor

Inhumans

X-Force

New Warriors

 

Sorry for yet another wanted list, but there are some GREAT characters there that Really deserve Plastic immortalization.

 

Do you posters feel that there is no way to bring back Legend popularity? Can't the line sustain itself? The quality has been getting much better, but the motivation to make more seems to have been lost.

 

Sure 3 3/4 offers alot of possiblities for vehicles and Playsets, but really how many are there beyond QuinJets, Blackbirds, Fantasticars, and playsets that if made kid-friendly would lose the collector base. NOT MANY! Face Super-heroes don't need vehicles, Part of the whole being super thing. Aside from that, where is the benifit of switching scales.

 

Cost: Sure 3 3/4 will be cheaper, but even those are 7.99 pretty-much across the board now. And I think Hasbro has been driving up the prices of 6" legends to justify thier switch to 3 3/4. Deliberatly putting them beyond the Kid market, so the can reset the line, and make us "buy the White Album again."

 

Cause that's what it comes down to. They haven't wanted to continue what another company made famous, they want thier own nitche. They want the sales of us re re re-buying thier Caps, Daredevils, Iron Mans, and Wolverines so they can make the buck off of us the same way ToyBiz did. But in doing so they are pushing away loyal fans buy saying, "well if you're a loyal, you'll buy them all again", and "younger kids need the chance to start from the ground up with the series."

 

That's fine and dandy, but they should also learn that PARENTS are the ones who have control over a childs spending habits. And angry parents can switch thier kids to Bandai and Mattel.

 

Personally, I do think a balance can be found for both lines, and honestly the only way I would even consider purchasing 3 3/4 inchers is IF the 6" line is kept. It may sound stupid, but I'd be willing to spend the money on two lines with the scale I want, than one that I don't.

 

You support MY interests, and I will support your company. Screw with me and I'm done.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Geek]

Wouldn't you feel better if Hasbro gave us a reason (albeit a useless one) for the price increase on the Target Legends?

 

 

Well, it seems the increase is going to Walmart as well. We got a report of $!4.94 on the coming Ares line, so it's rampage or walk away. Me, I'm walking away lonely and disappointed like the TV Banner.

 

GEEK

[cozzy]

Wouldn't you feel better if Hasbro gave us a reason (albeit a useless one) for the price increase on the Target Legends?

 

 

Well, it seems the increase is going to Walmart as well. We got a report of $!4.94 on the coming Ares line, so it's rampage or walk away. Me, I'm walking away lonely and disappointed like the TV Banner.

 

GEEK

 

Where did that report come from?

 

[wolverine2281]

$14.94.

 

Saw the pegs hanging next to Hulk wave at WM yesterday,but no figures yet.

from one of the other threads

[cozzy]

$14.94.

 

Saw the pegs hanging next to Hulk wave at WM yesterday,but no figures yet.

from one of the other threads

 

Balls...

[heikks86]

there is a thread on thefwoosh and it said they went up to $10.96 or something not a big jump like Target

[Marvelmar]

Hope we do get a new Marvel Legends Q & A.

It is the Right time for one now.

 

HASBRO, COME on Tell us What's up?!?!? in your Own Words.

[resident73]

yeah, we're all waiting or dying to hear!!

[Rollo Tomassi]

Yes indeed, Hasbro. I'm extremely interested in hearing what plans you have for the '09 Marvel Legends line-up. Tell us what you told the retailers back in June. You have the 3 3/4" line planned out pretty far in advance, so you should have something planned for the Legends line.

 

 

 

What's that?

 

 

 

(crickets)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(crickets)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's so ODD. It's like they're avoiding us...

 

Huh. Weird.

[Rollo Tomassi]

Oh, on a completely serious note. Clonekiller, I really liked your opening post. It was well thought out, offered up many interesting suggestions, and it was very enthusiastic. I think alot of us have lost the enthusiasm since Hasbro took over and torpedoed the line. I'm glad you still get excited about this line. I really do. So thank you.

[RealOne]

The second batch was posted earlier in the month.

 

http://forums.marvelousnews.com/index.php?...=2053634&hl=

 

 

Maybe you meant 3rd batch?

 

 

[clonekiller72]

Oh, on a completely serious note. Clonekiller, I really liked your opening post. It was well thought out, offered up many interesting suggestions, and it was very enthusiastic. I think alot of us have lost the enthusiasm since Hasbro took over and torpedoed the line. I'm glad you still get excited about this line. I really do. So thank you.

 

Thank you.

 

I collect alot of lines, mostly Hasbro (grumble grumble), but Legends are my favorite BY FAR, and I take the line very personally. I would hope that they continue on so we can see all the characters we've been wanting, but sometimes it feels like Hasbro and even the fans just want the whole debacle to stop. And I guess I don't blame them. Being a ML fan these days is frustrating as all get-out. And we've been so vocal as to our displeasure with the Hasbro line early on I guess I wouldn't blame them for wanting to drop it, but there is literally so much more that can be done.

 

Can the spark be re-kindled?

 

Even these boards are a shadow of what they used to be.

 

Are there collectors & fans still out there who care?

 

I hope so, cause if ML's die, and 3 3/4 begins it's reign, it will be another 7-8 years before the depth of characters developes enough for us to get the "full" teams and "obscure" favorites that the 6" line finally made it to.

 

Maybe I'm wrong, and maybe 35 figures a year will come around pretty quick, but I don't know if I'm down for a re-start. I love Marvel, I love the toys, but this will be the third time I'm restarting a line, and I don't see a big improvement or feature that would make me warrant a new start.

 

3 3/4 just feels like a step backwards from the revolutionary figures I knew and loved.

[LegendsCollector07]

Well if the six inch is done, then I am done. I can be happy with just buying and reading Marvel Comics. Hasbro is a business and as a business they look for the best way to increase profit 3.75 line would be a good way to reel in kids as not have to take such a dive making plastic. It sucks but that is what big Corporations do. Hopefully Marvel can step in and help to revive 6 inch scale after the contract.

[Catalyst]

As a Canadian collector, I'd like to know why Hasbro doesn't bother shipping anything new here?

 

Toybiz certainly had no problems.

[Rollo Tomassi]

I had an interesting conversation with one of H's marketing reps. I had his business card from SDCC after we had talked. I didn't think he would answer an e-mail but he was suprisingly forthcoming. Normally I find anything Hasbro says to be bunkem but he seemed genuine in his responses. Here's what he said unofficially.

 

Retailers are not supporting the Legends Line. Since all the major characters have been done, kids aren't buying the Legends anymore. Only collectors. Retailers are much more interested in the smaller line. Hasbro knows collectors don't want to see Wolverine and Spider-Man over and over and over and instead want to focus on new characters. Some of things that have been discussed are

A. Raising the price point a couple dollars.

B. No more BAFS ( this was already a given)

C. Going exclusive on HTS.

D. Doing Two-Packs exclusively

 

They have implemented some of these, but the retailers aren't getting behind the 2-packs. I suggested that collectors don't need BAFs and if it meant giving those up to continue the line in some fashion, I don't think it would be met with much opposition. I suggested smaller, simpler packaging ( ALa the Toybiz LOTR figures toward the end.) He thanked me for my suggestions. He knows collectors are very fervent about the line and they are doing what they can to figure out ways to continue making them. But it's an uphill battle and as of right now they don't have anything planned. They have a few mock-ups of characters that we've already seen ( Northstar, Silver Samurai, etc) but nothing new. USAgent was supposed to be in the Red Hulk wave but Target wanted Wolverine instead.

 

In conclusion, they ARE working on it, but he said as of right now, it's all about the 3 3/4" line and Legends has been back burnered. He said it was up to us to continue making our presence heard on the forums and whatnot. They DO read them.

 

[clonekiller72]

When are they gonna figure out collectors don't want non-accurate versions of them?

 

Here's a safe bet. If it's appeared in the comics or in print then it would be fair game. I mean even down to spider man in a fan four uniform with a paper bag for a head. (one on my more favorite covers)

 

Man, with all the films coming up you would think they would be a little more forward thinking.

 

Cap? What? Thor?

 

Wolverine movie & tie ins?

 

C'mon Hasbro get your collective heads out of your arse's.

 

 

[Rollo Tomassi]

The Wolverine Movie is going to be getting 6" figures. They announced it at the Retailers show in June and also had banners for it at SDCC. No word on who will be in the line-up though. I'm sure there are speculation threads around here somewheres.

[tarot]

you knew all im reading in this thread is "#$#@#, #$#@#, #$#@#". and that the good patch.

[WingsCustoms]

Just read the Q&A on the front page which seemed to confirm 6 inchers aren't dead yet and then a lot of we can't reveal anything. Hmph.

[clonekiller72]

Really, that Q & A bugged the hell out of me. Hasbro has almost no interest in keeping the 6" line alive, and it really shows here. Short, 2 bit answers that don't give any hope for the line except we'll be making some more.

 

But as soon as the 3 3/4 topic is breached the gush.

 

It makes me wonder, if they would have been as supportive of the 6" line where would it be now? It's seemed that they've never been supportive of thier inheritance of the 6" line, but what if they had been. The reports from thier retailer summits about poor sales of the 6" line probably parallel thier lack of interest to thier purchasers.

 

I can see thier sales pitch now....

 

"so, here's our new line-up of obscure, lackluster marvel legends for you all to purchase. ho-hum.... What, you don't want them? OK, Well then. HERE's our NEW 3 3/4 idea that we're REALLY excited about, let me tell you how awsome these are...

 

It's all in the pitch, and if Hasbro isn't excited about a line, how can a retailer be.

 

Place the blame whereever you like, but to me Hasbro is killing 6", to make thier mark in the field.

 

The only people who suffer are those of us fans that have loyaly followed 6"ers all the way to the grave.

[Jmacq1]

OK, two pet peeves that are annoying the hell out of me:

 

1. Why the hell do so many of you folks blame Hasbro for retailers not supporting the line? If the retailers aren't buying, Hasbro can't afford to make them. I know we all like to think that there's some magical world where people can make exactly the toys that we individually want and sell them directly to us without regards to making a profit or continuing to stay in business, but it doesn't work that way in the real world.

 

2. The Ares, Red Hulk, and Nemesis waves are exclusives. Maybe you all have short memories, but when was the last time that an exclusive didn't have a pretty noticeable price markup on it? The new ML waves aren't $14.99 because Hasbro changed the MSRP on them. They're $14.99 because it's the "exclusive markup" on top of what would normally be the retail price. Yeah, I'd imagine the base retail price they're going off of is probably $10.99. Compare to the "Commander Fox" Clone Trooper at Target...a $7.99 figure that went for $12.99 because it was an exclusive.

[clonekiller72]

OK, two pet peeves that are annoying the hell out of me:

 

1. Why the hell do so many of you folks blame Hasbro for retailers not supporting the line? If the retailers aren't buying, Hasbro can't afford to make them. I know we all like to think that there's some magical world where people can make exactly the toys that we individually want and sell them directly to us without regards to making a profit or continuing to stay in business, but it doesn't work that way in the real world.

 

2. The Ares, Red Hulk, and Nemesis waves are exclusives. Maybe you all have short memories, but when was the last time that an exclusive didn't have a pretty noticeable price markup on it? The new ML waves aren't $14.99 because Hasbro changed the MSRP on them. They're $14.99 because it's the "exclusive markup" on top of what would normally be the retail price. Yeah, I'd imagine the base retail price they're going off of is probably $10.99. Compare to the "Commander Fox" Clone Trooper at Target...a $7.99 figure that went for $12.99 because it was an exclusive.

 

OK

1) What is being done to please retailers. There are much better assortments that could be made to appease retailer doubt. A better assortment of a-list, fan-pic, and undone figures to make everyone happy. If more effort were put into this line instead of drowning it in the puniverse line, then maybe they could make retailers AND fans happy. But they are pitching thier MU line instead.

 

2) You're right. Target's gouging us, plain and simple. (like we're not seeing enough gouging going on state-side these days) The jury is still out on whether Walmart is going to do the same. It's really sad, but a reasonable increase was expected, but with the DCU figures @ 11-12.00 I would thing the prices would have been comparable. Especially since the ML line has alot of retools and repaints, were the DCU is mostly new sculpts.

 

Overall, you are quite right. But I feel Hasbro could be doing more to push and plan the ML line, but simply aren't. They're more focused on thier own nitch.

[Rollo Tomassi]

I think Clonekiller answered Jmaqs first question in the post previous to his question. Hasbro's job is to SELL the toys to retailers and get them excited about buying them and putting them on their shelves. If Hasbro was flogging the Legends line and trumpeting the Puniverse line, then it guarantees the Legend line is gonna fall flat.

 

And I'll shell out a couple extra bucks per figure if that's what it takes to keep the line going.

[ransomz]

If there is customer demand, retailers will buy. I have rarely seen any Red Hulk wave figures or 2-packs in stores, so I'd imagine customer demand is good, which means retailers will keep carrying the line. There are a ton of ML's I still want so i'm glad Hasbro plans to keep them coming, even if they're in 2-packs or regular wave store exclusives. Doesn't really seem to make sense to stop the BAF's since those help sell through less popular characters but whatever, as long as I keep getting new 6 inchers.

 

If Hasbro stops selling 6 inch ML's, I am definitely going to pass on the 3 3/4 line.

[annihilator]

Let's remind them (Hasbro) of what made the line successful okay? First of all, when these came out they had nothing comparable to them in scale and sculpt and features. But it is 2008 going 2009 ! At this time, a bunch of these old sculpts (pre-2005) look dated and could be redone successfully (like Series 1 Cap was to FO or Iron Man to a 2 pack), looking to what made this line a bestseller, let's do better X-Men figures refreshed in sculpt and articulation. Lots can be made with that Elektra body or Shanna base body. Let me see Rogue, Mystique, Binary, Frankie Raye Nova, Hepzibah. C'mon now. Where are the War Skrulls and their derivative uniforms to catch up with the current storyline? again I need a better Scarlet Witch that looked the actual prototype back in the day. We need a much larger Abomination from the movie in scale with Legends and a buffed up true to scale Iron Man Mk III that doesn't look like a C3PO next to FO Captain America. Where is that comic accurate ULTRON ? I haven't seen a really, really good Jim Lee Cyclops, EVER !! Modern Sabretooth was way out of scale and so with Omega Red. On Cyclops, it's either his head is out of proportion or his body looks like a teenager or he's as big as a bodybuilder. I NEED Titanium Man MADE, single carded if need be. I need ODIN as a two pack with a classic LOKI. The Enchantress. I NEED a BIGGER Cable, the size of CROSSBONES. I haven't seen Storm in her classic costume (FA), I haven't seen a Jim Lee version of Jean Grey. the 90's era X-Men are a sure fire hit to make as a resculpts. Most of the early ones look obsolescent (I want a better Nightcrawler noggin'). A lot of these will sell. I just can'e imagine Hasbro tryin' to make unmade characters their priority and their are people who are just starting their collection and have not had these previously released characters that are in short supply in EBay anyway! If Marvel Toys can make Pitt that big, I bet Hasbro can make a similar sized Dragon Man too! And yes, if Hasbro's focus is the 3 3/4" line, the only one I'll get is the Fantastic 3 ! Why ?, because I need them to complement my only Super Showdown figure that survived from being thrown down the trash bin, Ben Grimm !!