- Mattel has cancelled the Ghostbusters subscription for 2012. The announced figures will still be sold on Mattycollector, but they won’t be shipped to subscribers. Bummer, but is anyone really surprised? In an ideal world, each Ghostbuster would have had a unique body type and a head sculpt by the Horsemen (and every figure in the line should have been fully sculpted by the Horsemen); each Ghostbuster would have come with a proton stream; there would have been more cool ghosts and fewer repaints; and Mattel would have added 6″-scale Real Ghostbusters figures by the second year. I suppose that all would have been too expensive, but I don’t know that they really tried, either–Mattel always seemed to treat Ghostbusters like an afterthought (with the exception of Stay-Puft). I suppose it’s just as well they’re not doing Back to the Future figures. (Thanks to Action Figure Blues for the tip.)
- DC Direct finally announced their Arkham City figures, due to arrive on the shockingly early (for DCD) date of December 2011 (April 2012 if you factor in the standard DCD delay). They look pretty good but a.) Batman had better come with an alternate cowled head, b.) Bruce Wayne looks like Archer, c.) Harley had better have a ball jointed neck this time, and d.) there’s too much gloss on Robin’s hood.
- Don’t forget that Power-Con/ThunderCon is this weekend. Should be interesting–I really do wish I could have made it. Are there any Poesters going who would like to report back on what they find?
Chris Lawrence
I'm not too broken up about the delay of the Wind Raider… I'll be happy with Dec '11 or Feb '12… That frees up $40 and I can try to get me a Stay Pufffft!
John Harmon
I don't think Bruce is going to have an alternate cowled head. They already made 2 different Batman figures from Arkham Asylum and his look in the new game is the same, so I guess they didn't want to just release the same figure again.
I am surprised they are coming out so early, but isn't the new badass Killer Croc not supposed to come out until next Summer? That's what I read online anyway…which sucks, I want that Arkham Asylum Killer Croc so freakin' bad.
I'm more excited at Mattel's Arkham City figures though…I'm all about articulation, so I gotta give props to them. And since theirs are 3D printed that means we get nearly 100% game accurate figures, down to the amazing texturing on Batman's suit.
Poe Ghostal
If there's no cowled head with the regular release, I guarantee you there will be as an exclusive or in the second wave. Personally I hope we get an interchangeable head.
The Mattel AC Harley Quinn was sculpted by the Four Horsemen, purportedly because Mattel was unhappy with the results of the 3D printing on Batman and Two-Face.
John Harmon
The only problem I really had with Two-Face is the limited articulation. I LOOOVE the Batman though. Were Joker and Robin 3D printed?
Braystreet
The subscriptions promise a specific number of figures. They've already tooled and created these figures, so they may as well recoup some of the costs of that, but they promised a number of figures and created a binding contract with subscribers based on that number, so they can't just lower it.
There isn't enough subscribers for it to be worth it to create the figures to round out that number, but they do want to try to remake that money they spent on the figures that do exist.
Mysterious Stranger
So there weren't enough subscribers to make the Ghostbusters line go forward so they are cancelling the sub BUT they are still making the figures? Say wha-huh? Why not just honor the subs you have (its guaranteed sales) and just raise the figure price for sale day like everything else? I can bet there will be a few subscribers who tell Matty to fuck off and won't buy a single figure at the higher price and that will just kill whatever interest remains in the line.
I agree with everything Poe said about the "failures" of the line. The proton streams and PKE meter, while not really missed by me initially, when offered with a "new" version of a figure I already bought just pissed me off and turned me off the line. I can overlook the reuse of the bodies. This isn't a high profile line like MOTUC or DCUC so its not going to get as much money behind it for new tooling. But to reissue basically the same figure with a new accessory that should have been included initially and saying "hey we're giving you what you want" is just a piss poor way to treat your customers.
@FakeEyes22
As cool as Ghostbusters are and as much as movie style figures have been a huge demand for so many years, I don't know if it's the kind of brand that you can stretch out over several years, especially with tooling restrictions. It seems like the type of thing that would have worked out well if NECA had just pumped out the 4 heroes and some ghosts. I give Mattel credit for what they've done so far, especially managing to release such a huge Marshmallow Man.
Those Arkham figures look cool and odd to me. Something about Robin, either the texture, shine or shoulder joints has a strange Kenner feel that I can't describe. I don't know if it's due to a new attempt at additional hip articulation, but Archer Batman's got a funny looking crotch, like he REALLY wants you to notice it. Like Archer would. I haven't played the first game in a while, did Batman have those huge goalie pads on his boots that stick out for miles? It doesn't look awful to me, just unusual.
RocketPunch
I was enjoying the GB line, so i'm not happy. Especially since Mattel originally told us that the 2012 sub was doing great, but now they turn around and say they're cancelling it due to low sales?!
Also, the $30 oversized DC figures day-of-sale price going up by $15 to $45 each is ridiculous.
toyman
Man, I know I'm in the minority here but the Ghostbusters line rocked and I'm freakin pissed. Not really surprised considering how the line has been treated since day one, but still pissed. I'm curious about the special gift for subscribers. I hope it's an exclusive figure but I HIGHLY doubt it. I know I'll catch hell for this but if budget was an issue I'd have rather had the DC sub tank over Ghostbusters. Well the only thing left to say is THIER KILLEN TEH LIEN!!!
AmericanHyena
Soooooooo…if the $20 Ghostbusters are now $22–do you think we can safely assume the same for the $20 MOTUC?
Braystreet
Harley – "This is why I can't have nice things."
Batman – "Why, because you shoot them?!"
Robin – "Dick…"
Really can't disagree about Batman looking like Archer. There's something really off about Harley too, she's not nearly grungy enough.
Stephen
Wow, i'm really glad DCD is continuing on with the Arkham franchise! Kind of blah about the selection, though. Batman looks decent, but i've never been a big enough Harley fan to ever care to own more than one version of her, and i REALLY hate to say this, but I think Mattel's Robin looks better;The paint design looks a hundred times better on him for some reason(is it me or is he wearing a purple cape?). Hopefully we get some more villains to round out the series (here's hoping for that Killer Croc!)
Thomas b
I'll be at power con!!! I am flying in on Thursday actually and flying out Monday
Poe Ghostal
If you can, try and find the customizer MasterEnglish and get some pics of the custom I commissioned. He's revealing it at Power-Con. I don't want to say what it is, but you can't miss it. (It's not Poe, though.)
Mario
Looking forward to seeing what it might be, for sure.
thomas b
No problem, I love his customs so I can not wait to see what he has done for you.
Scott
Why is he "revealing" something that's just for you at a place you won't be?
Poe Ghostal
For fun? I've seen the pics, it's a really cool custom.
Mike Lacey
When was it announced that the Back to the Future figures were being scrapped?
Poe Ghostal
It's not that they're being scrapped so much as they were never planned in the first place.
Kevin Griffin
It seems like Toyguru/Matty is pretty much sacrificing everything to get DC-CIE running. How else to explain the last minute cancellation of the Ghostbusters sub. I'm guessing that Matty as a whole has X budget and the only way to get the DC sub going was to make up the difference by charging more for everything else.
But how lucky for the Ghostbusters buyers, Mattel is gracious enough to cancel their sub and charge them an extra $7 a figure now to order them monthly. Always looking out for the fans!