Jay Tigran Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 I know my questions aren't stellar by any means, but I try to invoke thought into some of the questions I ask, even ones as simple as if the proton streams will appear different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivan Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 In celebration of International Day of Minimate Inquisition tomorrow, I think everybody should take a few moments and think of a unique, enlightening, or slightly glorious Minimate question and send it to Chuck. And no, questions of the form "Will X be made?" are none of these things. Here are a few ideas to get your brain goo flowing: What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen Minimate? What do Minimates see when they close their eyes? Which Minimates are Communist spies? Are the three-inch Minimates jealous of the two-incher's popularity? Or do the two-inchers envy the three-inchers size? Will you still make Minimates after the robots overthrow humanity? Let me stress, it's important for you to come up with your own questions. If Chuck gets five "What do Minimates see when they close their eyes?" questions from five different people, he's going to get suspicious. Then he's going to come here looking for answers. Then he's going to find this post. Then suddenly it's all Ivan's fault. Then when I show up at SDCC he's going to take me out back and shove duck feet under my fingernails or something. Nobody wants that. Let's just play it cool people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellpop Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 I actually submitted a question last week or so about how the Disney exclusive has done, and if we can expect to see more Minimate products there soon, but it wasn't included. Perhaps I submitted too late for this go-round? It's not like Chuck to duck questions. Not answer them, maybe, but not duck them. And how is it that as many times as Trek is brought up, DST still doesn't think there's a market for it? It's as if they won't consider maybe it just wasn't marketed right and that's why it fizzled out. Not sure if you're being sarcastic or not (I never can tell with you, Groundhog... ), but I think Trek fans need to realize that the property's best days are long behind it, and it's no longer anywhere near the level of Star Wars. Just look at the pegs and pegs and pegs of Playmates toys sitting there; it's no wonder retailers don't want more Trek stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youbastards Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 (edited) I think there is definitely room for Trek product, but the problem is that the product that is out there is just more of the same. I think the best thing DST could do for Trek Minimates is to revive a C3 style of building block and market them to collectors of Star Wars Legos. Think about the possibility: Classic TV Series - Deluxe Classic Bridge with Kirk, Chekov, Uhura, and Red Shirt (army builder) - Transporter Room with Scotty, 'Transporting Kirk', 'Transporting Spock', and 'Transporting McCoy' - Sick Bay with McCoy, Nurse Chapel, Yeoman Rand - Shuttlecraft with Spock, Sulu, and Red Shirt (army builder) - Portal from City on the Edge of Forever with themed Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Edith Keeler and then they could make smaller accessory kits for themed planets/episodes/enemies (Salt vampire, Tribbles, Klingons, etc) Focus on one brand of Trek, get creative, and even though they are the bread & butter, release more than Kirk/Spock variants. If the Classic Trek does well, move on to Next Gen. Then move onto Classic Trek Movies the following year. Edited April 5, 2011 by youbastards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karamazov80 Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 I'm sure the only reason they pursued the MvsC license is because the loyal Street Fighter fans kept planting that seed in DSTChuck's mind every Q&A. If DST has shown us nothing else, they have demonstrated that they believe in the policy of appeasement. Harass them enough, and they will fold. Just like Spock after he grew on the Genesis planet, Star Trek can, and very likely will, live again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
groundhog7s Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 To clarify, I totally believe Trek was marketed wrong and it dug the hole that DST is now in with trying to solicite any new product. I just don't think they are willing to admit they helped put themselves in that position. It doesn't help that Playmates created a huge crater-sized hole for the Trek franchise to dig itself out of when they flooded the toy aisles with crap product that kids aren't interested in (and shame on the retailers for giving them shovels to dig the hole bigger-I'm betting my children's children will find Trek movie merchandise still on the shelves when they're grown). Yet having said that, I think from a money-making standpoint (and not as a fan), Trek can still be made to be profitable (if anything, introduce a shuttle into the MAX vehicle line), but I don't think DST is going to try for awhile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TM2 Dinobot Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Cool. I guess all we gotta do is contact customer service to get figures from the flawless stock of Black Cat and Battle Ravaged Spideys. Wait, seriously?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karamazov80 Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Hey, they seemed pretty clear on their answer to Rob's question, did they not? I am not sure what you mean about “denials” though but if you get a product we make that you’re not happy with please contact customer service for a replacement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lobsterman Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 It's nice to hear more waves of Universal Monsters are on the drawing board for 2013. I would have thought the sluggish sales had doomed that line, but apparently it can't be killed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeycrumb Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Okay, can someone explain to me HOW they can mix the vehicle waves as they've done in the past, AND it looks like they'll do in the future, and they DON'T think that Star Trek TOS Shuttlecraft will sell??? I mean, WTH? I'd buy a ton of them over a single K.I.T.T. ANY day! My only theory is that they are purposefully holding back for the next movie release to help spur sales. Right now the TRU Star Trek section is a clearance section. My guess is they want to have their stuff next to fresh merchandise with the movie's marketing campaign (or at least TRU does). TRU seemed to have really been hosed with the 2009 movie stuff which I'm sure has made their buyers afraid of all things Star Trek. Even their TOS figures are on hiatus as well. Oh well, my hope is to see DST get the rights to the new JJ Abrams Trek so we can get minimates of the new movies, plus I'm sure they'll work in some TOS stuff. But if there is no celebration of STTNG's 25th anniversary next year, that would be a shame! A STTNG ONLY line of mates would rock! I think the diversity of the previous line might have been more harmful than helpful outside TOS. At the previous rate (had the line continued) it would have taken forever to assemble any modern TV crew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellpop Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 I'm pretty sure Chuck said that the shuttle was canceled because retailers didn't want it, not because DST didn't think it would sell. I don't really know what to make of Star Trek; my own personal hunch is that it's not an evergreen property like Star Wars, and that it just took longer to fade then others. On the other hand, the movie reboot was a big hit, and both the original series and Next Gen are still well played in syndication, so it's not like Trek's completely disappeared. You would think that Trek would have been able to backstop Marvel as the second Minimate tentpole, but it never came close. Yet Ghostbusters, which while beloved hasn't had any new media in decades, was a big hit for DST. The Playmates taint is certainly killing Trek product, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captain_cbecker Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 I can see DST's point, that Trek may be a slow mover right now. I think that has a lot to do with the fact that most retailers are still trying to liquidate all that lousy Playmates Trek product - especially since so many people got stung by the incomplete waves and that build-a-bridge mess. Playmates notwithstanding, other non-Playmates ST product has also been pretty sluggish. One specific example, are the Hotwheels ships, which tanked and stalled - I thought those should have been a solid seller. Moreover, the Comicbook store-dominated specialty market often does not embrace the non-comic licenses. I have found many stores that will not stock 'mates, other than Marvel or DC. On the other side of the coin - look at all the other Trek novelty product that is on the market - 3 types of cologne, enterprise bottle openers and pizza cutters, bobbleheads, potato heads and so on (not to mention that DST seems to be going strong with ship replicas, props and retro figures).... classic trek especially still appears quite viable. Sometimes I wonder if DST has set its expectations for retailer interest a bit high Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buttheadsmate Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 I'd love to see some more Star Trek Minimates.....one condition - none of the male characters must have anything coloured black below the waist-line. "They're legs Jim but not as we know them" "To boldly go somewhere..... anywhere.....with different coloured legs" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youbastards Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 The Playmates taint I thought Hefner mandated not to show those... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellpop Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 The Playmates taint I thought Hefner mandated not to show those... The Prime Directive superseded that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
groundhog7s Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 In celebration of International Day of Minimate Inquisition tomorrow, I think everybody should take a few moments and think of a unique, enlightening, or slightly glorious Minimate question and send it to Chuck. So, did anyone actually do this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
undeadpool Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 i completely forgot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlushyFrog Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 I am super bummed that there are no plans for Firefly. I would buy those up in a heartbeat. The nine principal cast members plus Serenity would be awesome (two four packs plus Serenity with Wash). They've had some weird movie licenses in the past, so it certainly seemed like Firefly would be in the realm of possibility, but Chuck seemed to shoot that down pretty quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lobsterman Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 Sometimes I wonder if DST has set its expectations for retailer interest a bit high A company is making Star Trek Potatoheads. Somebody has to be buying this stuff... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivan Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 In celebration of International Day of Minimate Inquisition tomorrow, I think everybody should take a few moments and think of a unique, enlightening, or slightly glorious Minimate question and send it to Chuck. So, did anyone actually do this? I hope I wasn't the only one. I'm looking forward to everyone else's slightly glorious questions. I fear my question (on Minimate metaphysics) may have been too verbose and will be skipped over. We'll see in a couple weeks I guess. Thankfully I've got it squirreled away and will keep submitting it until I get an answer. The people need to know! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lobsterman Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 In celebration of International Day of Minimate Inquisition tomorrow, I think everybody should take a few moments and think of a unique, enlightening, or slightly glorious Minimate question and send it to Chuck. So, did anyone actually do this? I hope I wasn't the only one. I'm looking forward to everyone else's slightly glorious questions. I fear my question (on Minimate metaphysics) may have been too verbose and will be skipped over. We'll see in a couple weeks I guess. Thankfully I've got it squirreled away and will keep submitting it until I get an answer. The people need to know! I did. Bit of a softball question, so I'm hoping it actually gets answered... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captain_cbecker Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 (edited) Perhaps, to celebrate Minimate Inquisition day, we should market the Minimate Q & A Magic 8 ball, with all the stock answers to Q & A questions. Answers would include: All signs point to No retailer Interest It is doubtful Nothing Planned for 2011 - Try again later Never Say Never Cannot predict now - but it's something we have considered Better Not Tell you now Don't count on it - our current license doesn't allow that Blah Blah Blah Cost to Produce Blah Blah Blah My sources say: "We have no plans to go forward with that" No Kang. Edited April 6, 2011 by captain_cbecker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
groundhog7s Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 I asked a question (because Ivan Toldmeto). Hopefully Chuck is amused by all of this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nessex Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 In celebration of International Day of Minimate Inquisition tomorrow, I think everybody should take a few moments and think of a unique, enlightening, or slightly glorious Minimate question and send it to Chuck.So, did anyone actually do this? I did send in a question - but it wasn't a terribly exciting one. Nothing about the air speed velocity of an unlaiden minimate. Nor whether it was an African or European minimate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
groundhog7s Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 Best Q&A ever is up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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