monkeycrumb

How are you so certain? DST continues to actively pursue the license. If DST had given up interest I'd probably agree. It might not happen for many years, but I'm certain one day we will see DC minimates again, even if we have to wait for an entire administration change at DC. I'm not holding my breath, and I'm not expecting it soon. But to say NEVER is quite a ballsy thing to say if you are not the rights-holder.

God, please. I'm not ready to let go quite yet. Of course, I HOPE for years 20 and on :biggrin: As for the guessing game, I never mentioned Battle Beasts as the "thought of as defunct" returning line, because I never thought them defunct, just delayed. I hope BB isn't the one Zach was referring to in this instance. I'm really hoping for the return of any of my favorite lines, plus looking forward to all the new awesomeness. As for Star Wars, DST will always *want* that license, it's just a matter of working out the details. Lucas demands the highest dollar, plus the other licensors have exclusivity on certain sizes/ranges of products. I don't feel like Lucas is actively snubbing DST (I mean, DST *IS* making SW Banks and other products, right? And they made those 18-inch figures recently), it might just be because the 2-inch block figure category is already included in someone else's contract. Besides, with all the SW stuff out there, it seems like Lucas will license to *anyone* with the money, it's the other licensee's that push for exclusivity in their contracts, including likely future provisions for lines they never get around to. Hasbro did sub-license the 12-inch figure market out to Sideshow, but then they created Cre-Ons instead of licesning Transformers out to Lego.

Very Cool! I'm also more interested now in KITT than I was before! Assuming these are production pieces and not prototypes, KITT's looking hella slick!

Yes, yes it would. But I can't help but feel bad when people get excited about things that aren't happening, or dismiss things that actually are. That said, if we finalize the contracts for the licenses that are in negotiation, it'll be pretty amazing. "Dismiss things that are happening"?? YES! DC MINIMATES ARE HAPPENING cuz lots'o people are dismissing it!! Just kidding Zach! Much of what we're talking about is our hopes, not our expectations. Don't worry about an internet lynch mob Zach. My own personal point of view is that it's important for us to verbalize our desires, in case DST ever wonders if there's a market for certain licenses. What do I EXPECT from DST? Minimates year 11 and on.

I thought it was more to do with Fox wanted too much money. Plus, I'm drawing a blank at what Fox properties DST has done. Let's hope they're not on the outs because there are a lot of Fox properties I want!

I would not say NEVER in this case. DST actively wants to do them again. DC direct has been failing with every mini line they put out, or at least don't last past the first wave or two. The previous DC guy that cancelled them stepped down IIRC, so there's someone new in charge to pitch the line to again. I feel good that, even if not his year, eventually, one year there will be DC minimates again! I think it's all a matter of hashing out terms ($$$) between DC & DST.

I can't wait! Did you get mini-figure pieces or Transformer stuff? I'm curious about the costs for mini-stuff. I've been following the 3D printer scene for years now off and on, just waiting for the below $1k desktop versions with cheap material (at better resolution than the DIY machines of course). I'm hopeful that within the next 10 years they will become commonplace with factory-quality output! :biggrin:

"I think the designers did a great job capturing the feel of the old figures, too. And I'm pretty sure we're done with the gator. The new designs are even cooler, and hopefully they'll win some Mate-haters back to the fold." So, we ARE getting BB mates this year. Cool. I had to google their forum, not a member, don't plan to be (don't need any new obsessions!) So, you're trying to prevent bestiality then? DST isn't paying you enough for all the work you do! :biggrin:

It's as if millions of minimates fan cried out in joy and were suddenly pacified. It would truly blow our minds.

I figured rather than clutter up other threads, we could use one thread to play the guessing game. 1) Volume at eleven on all existing lines 2) Reviving lines (plural) thought defunct 3) Overhauling lines that needed little extra something 4) Slew of new properties that will blow our minds Let the guessing continue! As I stated in the previous thread, my hope is for: 1) Doctor Who - Thought defunct, gaining in popularity here in the US. WANT! 2) Star Trek - recent Q&A asked about the TOS Shuttlecraft, was NOT denied! 3) LOTR - Coming back in a big way for other licensors with the Hobbit coming out this year, rights-holders have worked with DST in the past 4) DC Comics - pipe-dream, I know. But I can dream! Overhauling the lines? Universal Monsters perhaps? We should be seeing wave 3 at Toy Fair for sure. SLEW of new properties that will blow our minds? This has me really excited! Something needs to take Ghostbusters' place, with a multi-series multi-year release (ALIENS and Army of Darkness please!) Plus, I'd love to see a return to the days when we would get random 4-packs for various movie properties - There are so many that would work for one or two 4-packs. Wouldn't mind a few more BTTF 4-packs to give us Clara and even some updated characters. But I'm almost expecting (and hoping!) to see something Disney-related, now with the good relationship between DST/Marvel/Disney, there are SO many properties that would work as Disney Store Exclusive 4-packs (don't complain, they are easily ordered by mail! Although I'd prefer regular releases as well) (i.e. Roger Rabbit, Nightmare before Christmas, Alice in Wonderland, Pete's Dragon, Lilo & Stitch, Pirates of the Carribean, etc, etc, etc. Even a ride-based Haunted Mansion set would be cool!) I am more excited for this year's Toy Fair than I have been in a LONG time! My only hope is they don't hold back too much for SDCC reveals.

So, wave 3 hits around the end of this month and we still don't have a full confirmation on what is included. Specialty market: Super Pursuit Mode Kitt Garth with KARR (TRU Only???) Anne Bonny with pirate ship (TRU Only OR specialty?) Regular Version KITT (TRU presumably) (and the APC is wave 4, even though BBTS lists it as wave 3, hence the confusion) So, is there an even split of 3 specialty variants to 3 unique TRU vehicles? Or is there crossover between the two (KARR maybe?) Is there another Pirate Ship variant besides what was shown on DST's site a few weeks ago? Zach, can we get a full breakdown of what to expect between specialty and TRU, and if anything is shared between the two with no changes?

"Reviving lines that were thought defunct" MY guesses (hopes) Doctor Who LOTR DC Comics Star Trek C'mon Zach, tell me if even ONE of them is correct!! "And don't get me started on vehicles or I'd never shut up." Actually, Zach, I'd love to hear your wishlist on vehicles!!

What date do these ship? Zach? Also curious on the Vehicles wave 3 with Kitt and Halo boxset 4 shipping date :biggrin:

At least these are better than suppositories, I mean Mighty Beanz.

Well personally from the pictures I've seen online the queen Anne is my choice,mainl because it looks great,so maybe you can get the queen Anne and buy the mini figures of the black pearl off of brick link or eBay maybe? So Lurch77, which set did you ultimately go with?? I have both, but haven't taken either out of the box yet! Queen Anne is the superior ship in terms of Lego build by a mile! But the minifigs alone make the Black Pearl worthwhile, especially if you love POTC as much as my wife does.

Sounds like there is an announcement in the advertising inside the new DC Lego sets that says LEGO BATMAN 2: DC Superheroes is official and coming out in 2012 (most likely near the relase of the new Batman movie). I CAN NOT WAIT for this game!.. As far as the building sets go.. I am tempted to get the Lex Luthor robot with Wonder Woman and Superman.. but I may wait to see some GL and Flash sets first. I like how many minifigs they are putting in these sets.. even the smaller sets. Kreons could learn from this. GET IT! Seriously, the Lex suit set is one of the best values in this line so far for $20 with 3 main minifigs and a cool robot suit. And for $40 the Joker Funhouse is a great deal too, with Batman, Robin, Riddler, Joker AND Harley all in one set! I got the benefit of buying them at the Lego Store in Anaheim at MSRP plus rewards points! (plus 10% off IF you have a Disneyland annual pass)

Just reading through this thread for the first time..i want to chirp in about the MU comic 2-packs. Every store I go to are SWIMMING in the packs that have the two A-listers, even some of the ones that only have one A-lister peg warm like crazy. The two packs like Powerman and Ironfist or even the ones with the Wrecking Crew, are nowhere to be seen. It's the Cap/Thor/Wolverine/Spiderman sets that sit there and rot. That's because those were shipped in higher quantities. The Wrecking Crew packs were in one case assortment, maybe two for some. The A-Listers were included in several case revisions and shipped more frequently. I don't see the Wolverine/Silver Samurai pegwarming at all. That case included DP/Taskmaster, Thor & IM, Sentry & SpM, the last two were already available from a previous assortment. Also, MM is not the same as MU. (MM > MU !)

You win this thread! Make it a taco truck that sells beer AND gives out free minimates, in addition to showing off the new minimates AND sell all the con-exclusives, and I would never need to step foot into SDCC again! (set up some chairs under some shade outside for the panel too ) Zach, THIS is within your power! Make It So!! (j/k Zach!)

Was that a shoutout to John Byrne?? :biggrin:

I have not heard anything about sales preventing production on a new wave, but I suppose we will see what the retailer reaction is at Toy Fair. I believe we talk to Toys "R" Us this month. As long as we still get that sweet Mummy Sarcophagus we saw last year! I'd gladly sacrifice a figure in place of that sarcophagus!!

We'll definitely have more UM MMs to show off in February! You've already seen our tentative Wave 3 of Select figures, and we're working on Minimate designs now. YESSSSSSSS!!!!!! Multiple purchases verified sight unseen!!! Bring on ToyFair 2012!! Come On February!!

I want a ZOMBIE SANTA Mate! And an official normal Santa too :biggrin:

I would, ONLY if it meant no sacrifice in quality or quantity of regular minimate releases. I don't want to spread DST too thin to where any area is compromised. Mail-aways are definitely the best choice! put it in a zip-lock bag, require UPC barcodes, and change the figure quarterly or twice a year if that's too much for DST. Allow for ANY barcode from ANY minimate set to help clear out TRU pegwarmers!! (double points for X-Men First Class packs :tongue: ) $2.99-$3.99 for S&H should cover costs and sounds fair. It would basically be like the free promos they give out at SDCC, only it would reach a larger audience and the costs should be covered. IF Marvel won't allow it, use a different license like Zombies, Pirates, etc. Place a sticker on the outside of every package to highlight the mail-away with a larger form/insert inside. DST could easily make figures with no new tooling required. And if it helps with sales AND helps clear pegwarmers, even better!! Plus, who doesn't love getting minimate goodness in the mail? And, make sure it's available to other countries if possible.

That set did have Thor, and a Thor movie had just come out. Comic-con sets aren't just targeted at hardcore Minimate collectors, they're targeted at non-Minimate-buying comic fans, and even attendees who don't read a lot of comics. So you need an A-lister. Kang, Falcon, Winter Soldier and Zemo are high Bs (most, if not all villains are Bs), and while I love Commander Rogers, if he's not Cap, he's not Cap. Not saying we won't make those characters, just not THAT box set. Sorry, I got a little behind and just saw this, but... I don't understand the logic here at all. Who, pray tell, is the A-lister in the Age of X box set? Gambit? Please. Magneto? Debatable, as he has name recognition from the movies, though not in that outfit. Cyclops and Rogue? Well, maybe... except that they have different names, much the way a hypothetical Commander Rogers Minimate would. And Hasbro doesn't seem too concerned that Commander Rogers will leave parents and children dumbfounded, considering that he's currently on shelves in the Marvel Universe line, and that he'll be part of the first wave of the relaunched Marvel Legends. I think, also, that if you made the box set and stuck it in the same basic package used for the Cap Through the Ages box set, called it "Cap Friends and Foes", no one would notice there isn't an actual Captain America... just like the Wolverine Through the Ages box set that didn't have Wolverine. :biggrin: Simple answer: Age of X is NOT a convention exclusive set! SDCC brings in a lot of people who might never walk into a comic shop, or don't know what a minimate is. A lot of people waste a lot of time standing in line at the various stores at SDCC to buy their exclusives, and while waiting in line will see the other merchandise available. How many people waited in line at AFX for their Lost/Dexter exclusives, to see that "cute little mini-Thor boxset" and bought it on a whim? Those are the people who wouldn't touch a Wrecking Crew box set. Age of X has enough A-List X-Men that anyone walking into a comic store has a better chance of knowing those characters as opposed to the general population SDCC gets.

Chuck already did say in a Q&A that if we ever got the Wrecking Crew it wouldn't be as a box set. And, if (when) they do release the Wrecking Crew individually, I actually TRUST DST to complete the team!! :biggrin: Granted, it might take a year or it might take awhile (*cough* Inhumans *cough*). But I do see them coming through for us! Say what you will about TRU, but they've really increased our ability to flesh out our collections!