TRU 2013 Fan Poll Boxset still happening?

[Josh2382]

I'm torn on this. Part of me is only saying xmen because I WANT them. But 50th anniversary sounds too perfect to pass on. Gold ultron...is that some form bot, though? Like army builder? Because that can be seen as a hint, as many have stated.

[undeadpool]

im still thinking Infinity, Thanos is the villain update (bulked up)

Ironman, Hulk, Mister Fantastic or Black Bolt are the "big names"

and Agent Brand or Ex Nihilo are the new character

[Tony_in_training]

An X-men box set sounds great hopefully they can make another gambit and maybe even bring out characters like banshee or pyro

[Lobsterman]

Still no word yet, Zach? I assume at this point it's out of your hands, and TRU is working on their own schedule. Do you know (or would they tell you anyway) if this has been delayed for release until sometime next year? You said "don't expect the expected" in another thread, and getting a TRU fan poll box set in time for the holidays is certainly what we've come to expect.

[DSTZach]

You have broken my code. No TRU fan poll box set this year. We will instead be releasing a new comic-based box set sometime early next year. Look for the news to break next week.

[Lobsterman]

So it's not going to be a poll, just a straight-up release? Still through TRU, or are they passing on it altogether?

Thanks as always for the information.

[Zexion_Armando]

That makes me a little sad, but I hope its still a poll, since I think polls are fun.

[Pete]

I don't like polls, you all vote for the most obscure characters whom I've never even heard of.

DST should release a boxset of these to teach you a lesson.

Doctor Bong

Pink Pearl

The Phone Ranger

Hawd-Boiled Henwy

Actually... you'd all probably love these!!

[Heroic Slacker]

Doctor Bong is a 4/20 exclusive with an updated Mary Jane.

Real talk though Doctor Bong was teased in the Avengers Alliance poster, if the storyline does something cool with him I wouldn't turn down a figure, he just isn't a priority.

[murderofcrows]

unexpected. doesn't that tie to X factor?

[Zexion_Armando]

Would it still tie into what was going to be in the TRU Polls?

Or is it all scrapped and we have a blank sheet in which to spitball on?

COME ON UNCANNY X-MEN!

[DSTZach]

There will be no fan poll at all this year. But there will be a new specialty box set announced next week. It will be released through Previews, so Luke and comic shops will be able to get it. Hope you guys like it, and hopefully we will do another fan poll next year.

[Valo487]

Forgive me if I misread you somewhere Zach, is the box set that's going to be announced what would have been the TRU poll? The theme I mean.

[Lobsterman]

Zach, can you say whether this speaks at all to the future of Marvel mates at TRU? I'm sure no line is 100% safe from the chopping block if they want to change up the mix. Are they thinking about scaling back on Marvel releases or was the fan poll being dropped an anomaly? It sounds like the fan poll decision might have been unexpected on your end (unless I'm interpreting previous comments about it incorrectly); does their decision to carry Marvel mates go big picture, like year-by-year, or do they evaluate on a wave-by-wave basis?

I'm honestly not trying to stir up trouble here, just genuinely curious. The long delay of wave 16 combined with this just has me a little... jumpy... especially because "we'll continue to reliably get Marvel TRU waves in tandem with LCS waves" is another one of those things we've come to expect...

Edited September 3, 2013 by Lobsterman

[TM2 Dinobot]

Something out of the ordinary is happening? PANIC! Nothing out of the ordinary is happening? PANIC!

[youbastards]

Lobby, ever since SDCC, you seem to be very apprehensive on the future of Marvel Minimates. From the off-hand comment made during the Q&A, to TRU dropping Thor 2 and Battle Beasts, to "The Last Wave" thread, to the Fan Poll boxset thread. I'm not judging you, by the way, just saying that I've really picked up on your skepticism. Unfortunately, I've pieced everything together myself, and believe that you are on to something. I'm not sure what, but you are definitely correct that there is change coming. Ominous, foreboding, change.

Think Jason Robards, Jonathan Pryce, and a travelling carnival.

Edited September 3, 2013 by youbastards

[hellpop]

I can't help but agree with Lobby here. TRU deciding to pass on doing another box set in and of itself isn't necessarily bad (the last two didn't seem to be big sellers, after all, and weren't even distributed throughout the chain), but combined with them passing on Thor 2 and Battle Beasts, it is worrying. Perhaps Minimates have peaked in popularity at TRU; the FF wave is still well stocked at my local stores, and outside of the Walking Dead, all of the other non-Marvel lines TRU has tried don't seem to be strong sellers. I would bet that both Star Trek and Tomb Raider will be one and done.

I'm sure that a lot of you will be like "good riddance!" when it comes to TRU, but the truth is that Minimates can't survive on LCBS sales alone. Deny it if you want, but TRU saved Minimates. Marvel and Walking Dead might continue, but outside of those I don't think orders will be strong enough to support other licenses. Hope I'm wrong, of course, and that I'm just being Chicken Little here.

[Valo487]

I doubt there's anything to worry about, I think they likely passed because there are still so many 'mates on shelves and they want to clear out existing stock before bringing in new SKU's. I don't think you guys need to worry, new Marvel and Walking Dead product still seems to sell well, but they only have so much space available, and a box set can't go onto the pegs with the two packs.

[Zexion_Armando]

IS there any alternatives to TRU though? If we're gonna be so foreboding about it, is there another option before the doom and gloom starts?

[Valo487]

I think the doom and gloom is completely unwarranted. If you guys want to work your own nerves worrying about it that's your call, but I think there's a pretty obvious reason for the box set not happening but no one has said 'mates at TRU won't continue.

[MisterPL]

Regarding the poll, it seems to me the "fans" are just doing a lousy job at picking winning characters. We've been fired.

Thor 2 product is being dropped because Thor 1 product underperformed. I doubt there'll be a Thor 3 unless the next film pulls a "Dark Knight" and scores a billion dollars at the box office. (In which case TRU will be scrambling to get more product on the shelves, but I doubt that's likely.)

Battle Beasts was a great experiment and TRU jumped on for while in a limited number of stores. (My store wasn't "eligible" to receive inventory for Battle Beasts so they didn't exactly go balls deep into this property.) Any time you take a brand that banks on nostalgia and rework it to the disdain of the built-in audience, you're taking a chance. With the right marketing and advertising (and a hefty budget for both) it might have been more successful.

Tomb Raider seems like it was designed to be a "one and done" line. I'm not sure how much further you could take that line since it's based on a single video game. I don't know because I don't play it. Maybe when the film franchise gets a decent reboot, interest in the character will refresh but this current game isn't getting a huge amount of buzz.

Star Trek needs a TV series, plain and simple. A movie once every four years ain't doin' the trick. The new films are doing great at the box office but are doing very little to drive consumer products. New fans need a weekly fix, live action or animated, on one of the CBS networks or in syndication where it's always managed to find its audience.

I think that's why The Walking Dead is doing so well. It's attracting comic book geeks AND fans of the show with every new issue and episode. And it's not like there's been a zombie franchise this mainstream.

I'm afraid there's an over-saturation of Marvel properties in a variety of media. It's like the '90s comic book market all over – variants everywhere! – but in film, games, TV, print and online. I'm worried about what this might do to the genre overall, making it go the way of the western or musical.

As for the Minimates brand, I think DST could put more effort into promoting it. I think it's got huge potential but it needs exposure. I know Minimates are being sold through online through Amazon, Disney Store and Walmart. Hopefully if TRU bails, another large retailer will pick up where they leave off and actually partner with DST by promoting Minimates in weekly flyers and other advertising.

[Kostisfire]

Regarding the poll, it seems to me the "fans" are just doing a lousy job at picking winning characters. We've been fired.

Thor 2 product is being dropped because Thor 1 product underperformed. I doubt there'll be a Thor 3 unless the next film pulls a "Dark Knight" and scores a billion dollars at the box office. (In which case TRU will be scrambling to get more product on the shelves, but I doubt that's likely.)

Battle Beasts was a great experiment and TRU jumped on for while in a limited number of stores. (My store wasn't "eligible" to receive inventory for Battle Beasts so they didn't exactly go balls deep into this property.) Any time you take a brand that banks on nostalgia and rework it to the disdain of the built-in audience, you're taking a chance. With the right marketing and advertising (and a hefty budget for both) it might have been more successful.

Tomb Raider seems like it was designed to be a "one and done" line. I'm not sure how much further you could take that line since it's based on a single video game. I don't know because I don't play it. Maybe when the film franchise gets a decent reboot, interest in the character will refresh but this current game isn't getting a huge amount of buzz.

Star Trek needs a TV series, plain and simple. A movie once every four years ain't doin' the trick. The new films are doing great at the box office but are doing very little to drive consumer products. New fans need a weekly fix, live action or animated, on one of the CBS networks or in syndication where it's always managed to find its audience.

I think that's why The Walking Dead is doing so well. It's attracting comic book geeks AND fans of the show with every new issue and episode. And it's not like there's been a zombie franchise this mainstream.

I'm afraid there's an over-saturation of Marvel properties in a variety of media. It's like the '90s comic book market all over – variants everywhere! – but in film, games, TV, print and online. I'm worried about what this might do to the genre overall, making it go the way of the western or musical.

As for the Minimates brand, I think DST could put more effort into promoting it. I think it's got huge potential but it needs exposure. I know Minimates are being sold through online through Amazon, Disney Store and Walmart. Hopefully if TRU bails, another large retailer will pick up where they leave off and actually partner with DST by promoting Minimates in weekly flyers and other advertising.

Pretty much this. There were around 10 variant covers for GotG 1. For IM 1 there were around 17. What marvel deems worthy of the movie treatment (their main focus these days) they push it forward. As for the last paragraph i couldn't agree more. I'm going through some old comics (im vols 1,2,3,4 and the fraction run, all the ghost rider comics, amazing 1-700 of spidey,etc) and i stumbled upon 3 or 4 minimates adds. Comics back then had 40 pages and while half of the were ads it made the book feel bigger when in reality it was the same thing. Nowadays, there are practically no ads and the book is around 24 pages. I think minimates need that extra something. They are bigger than ever before but they still need more exposure.

I remember someone asked whether a videogame was in the works and Chuck said that they would like to do that. Now, this could either boost sales or hurt them. If it proves succesful then they will have another "licence" on their hands. Think lego. Before they released the game they weren't this super big brand. They were big and the best building block toy around but they didn't have a ton of licences. They had star wars and that was it as far as it went for licenced properties. They did well but they were considered kids toys. Then came dc,disney movies,some one and done other movies, and now superheroes,lotr and the simpsons. And with that lego became more of a hobby and less of a kid's toy.

If dst were to release a videogame they would have to do away with the lego formula of the releasing the same game every year but with some changes (i'm still going to buy lms but you get my point). They would have to get a good publisher,studio,write a story (not a kiddy "doom is going to attack us with his doom ray of doom" type but a comic inspired story) and most importantly distance themselves from lego so they can't call them copycats. A videogame could bring in a new audience as well. Many became bat fans after the Arkham games. Now, i'm not saying that the same thing is going to happen but i think a marvel game with all the heroes and villains dst had produced and with a solid story would attract any marvel fan. Add a list of every mate released and upcoming releases and some will bite the bait.

I'm not a company expert or anything, but new marketing techniques are needed so that mm can go one step forward.

Edited September 3, 2013 by Kostisfire

[murderofcrows]

if so my wife would high five you Zach as I have spent a ton recently. for me I just hope it holds out for as long as possible.

I say this to the panicked. Tru no poll. but we still get a box set. gloom would be. no fan poll so we dropped the box set all together.

[DSTZach]

There was no one factor that went into the decision, it was mutually agreed on based on unique circumstances that no one here could determine by looking at the pegs. Our relationship with TRU has not changed. Yes, the fan poll set has been shifted to specialty, rather than saving it for a future date, but mainly due to the timeliness of it.

And while my marketing dollars are limited -- I can't develop and release a video game on my own -- we've discussed Minimates as a game with several entities over the years, so it's not like we've been biding our time. Not having control over a license adds complexity.

[Kostisfire]

There was no one factor that went into the decision, it was mutually agreed on based on unique circumstances that no one here could determine by looking at the pegs. Our relationship with TRU has not changed. Yes, the fan poll set has been shifted to specialty, rather than saving it for a future date, but mainly due to the timeliness of it.

And while my marketing dollars are limited -- I can't develop and release a video game on my own -- we've discussed Minimates as a game with several entities over the years, so it's not like we've been biding our time. Not having control over a license adds complexity.

Releasing a video game is a very complex thing since there are many things involved. You have to plan everything very carefully and try to make something new. Though the return of comic book ads would be great. It's fun to turn the page of your spidey comic and see an ad for some spidey toys.