Tyrantisaurus Lomography by geekyvixen, on Flickr
In just a few days – this Friday at 3pm ET, to be exact – we’ll find out the first three to five figures in the 2013 Club Eternia subscription. (Assuming it doesn’t get leaked ahead of time…)
It seems to me that MOTUC’s status as one of the premiere toy lines has been fading, and I suspect 2013 may represent the lowest subscriber numbers yet. My question to you is: what would it take you to re-subscribe? What characters do you want to see? What characters don’t you want to see?
Ram-Man by alejandroml, on Flickr
For me, it’s simple: Ram Man and Tyrantisaurus. If I see both of those at SDCC, I’m subscribing, no question. Hell, if I see just Tyrantisaurus, I’ll subscribe. If I see just Ram Man, I’ll have to think about it – I’d rather pay $150 for Ram Man on eBay than buy a $600 subscription for a bunch of figures I won’t enjoy.
An Ice Armor He-Man bonus figure would make me think long and hard about subscribing, too, but I suspect we’ll get Flying Fists He-Man & Terror Claws Skeletor or New Adventures versions of both characters first.
If I don’t see any of those three, I’m currently leaning toward not subscribing. With Spikor and Mekaneck coming this year, nearly my entire “childhood nostalgia” collection is complete.
Speaking of Ram Man, here’s a second question: how would you feel if Ram Man were the 2013 incentive figure? I suspect many fans would be outraged, but I see three good reasons for Mattel to do it:
- To justify the new tooling costs (which really can’t be shared with too many other characters);
- To maintain or even boost subscriber numbers after last year’s decline;
- To obviate the risk of never producing Ram Man if 2013 turns out to be the last year of Club Eternia.
So – what would you need to see to subscribe to the 2013 Club Eternia? Or are you all-in – or out – no matter what?
Hurricane
I don't think I'm going to reup the sub. I have Fisto and Buzz-Off and those were the two that I wanted from the start. Stridor would have me think about it, but in the end, I would just probably get him off eBay then to spend more money for figures I don't want. I'm already getting in the selling mode and I'm going to be putting up all the characters that I don't want anymore or ones that I haven't been interested enough to open.
MegaGearMax
I'm subscribing regardless. I was in it for all of the figures since day one. No matter what era they are from–vintage, pre-filmation, 200X, POP, NA, Filmation, Jetlag–I'll happily take them all. Hopefully we'll see a great selection on Friday afternoon!
Tribsaint
Never have never will. I like the line I have a He man and a Skeletor from the DcUc vs MotU 2 packs. But I'll never subscribe I feel subs (and to a lesser extent the internet) take a real and fun part of collecting away from the hobby …The Hunt . Plus a hundred other things, sight unseen, cost, cost plus shipping ect.
No doubt it's a great line but now worth it (to me), I'm more inclined to start going after a complete collection on MotU 200x. I spent a ton of dough buying roughly 1/2 the figure a Greyskull and some vehicles for my then 7-8 year old hoping he had the geek gene with no real luck. He did not care and did not take care of. So, every now and then I'll step on 1/2 a Mekaneck or an armless Evil lyn and curse myself for not keeping those sweet figures for myself. The good news is my youngest (who inherited all the leftovers) is firmly geeky (sometime on random days he wears a 3 piece suit to school…idk why) and he reads dark avengers (he's 10). Annnywaaay nope not going to get me to join in, the price would have to be 20 with shipping or if they were at retail. I do get jealous every once in awhile over what you guys get but then I see a star sisters or slushhead and feel good about not feeding the matty machine.
Good luck though I hope you get some good stuff this year.
I'm more interested in what the outcome of Club infinite earths will be. I cannot see it going through but maybe. I mean are people besides pixel Dan happy with it. The new lines Batman and Dc unlimited are only going to suck away subscribers when they are announced at Comic-con. I know they didn't finish metal men….but who cares. There has been none of the WOW that MotU figures have. I predict no 2013 Club infinite earths but I'm no Nostradamus.
toyman
I'm in for the duration. There aren't too many characters I can think of that I wouldn't want. In fact, the Star Sisters were the first figures that were "meh" to me. Like most people posting here I want figs of the characters I had as a kid for the nostalgia factor, but I also want the ones I DIDN'T have because they were that much cooler if you didn't own them but your friends did. When you went to their house and you got to play with a character you didn't have, it was badass…even if it was Gwildor. Bottom line: I want it all and I don't see my interest waning any time soon.
AmericanHyena
I reeeeeeeeeeally doubt I’m re-upping my sub. It would take Two-Bad AND Ram-Man (and since both are almost all new-tooling, THAT ain’t likely) and at least three of the remaining four name Snake-Men.
ero
I'm amazed by everyone who feels the line is almost done when there are still so many vintage figures left, plus everyone is now on the hook for PoP and Filmation. What I've always loved about MOTUC is the promise of seeing an entire vintage line completely recreated using today's figure standards. I say it all the time, but GI Joe is an empty promise, with every classic-styled figured there are three more that completely miss the mark. But MOTUC delivers nostalgia near monthly. This is awesome. I had my childhood figs filled out a long time ago, but the beauty of this line is that it gives me the chance to own a whole line of toys that I didn't get to have when I was a kid. It's an amazing thing.
RocketPunch
The opportunity to vote for the Fans’ Choice figure is enough to get me to re-subscribe.
Having said that, I hope to see Madame Razz, Horde Troopers, Ram Man, Modulok, and Gwildor sooner rather than later.
Rich
Sweet Bee
Kidding… Two-Bad and Ram Man, for sure.
Dark Angel
I could name all manner of specific things I want to see happen, but they won’t, so what is the point? I will say that the club exclusive and the revealed line-up will have to be ****ING SPECTACULAR for me to re-up, and that is all there is to it.
Poe Ghostal
What would qualify as "spectacular" to you?
Dark Angel
…sigh. SInce you specifically asked…
OK, I don't believe the line running through 2016 is in any way realistic at this point. So I need to see the core characters of MOTU (at this point, I suppose Ram-Man and…um…OK, Ram-Man) and POP finished up (Glimmer, Angela and Castaspella, at minimum). I need to see long-desired Filmation characters (Huntara, Shokoti and Masque, Madame Razz and Broom, Scorpia for me, thanks). I need to see the old female buck back, because this new thing they are doing just isn't working (and a cut waist is by no means worth the loss of upper thigh swivels). I need to see detailed paint apps return if we are going to be paying yet more – again.
I need to see an honest-to-gawd new sculpt millenium Evil-Lyn.
I need new He-Man heads, including but not limited to an Alcala version.
I need Nietlich removed from his brand manager position and fresh blood brought onboard.
If Huntara is the exclusive, I will sub and I will like it. I am man enough to admit that.
So. Like I said, not gonna happen.
Dark Angel
Oh, Two-Bad. Yes, of course, Two-Bad. And the rest of those Horde guys, like…Bug-Eye Four Legs and…Many Parts. You know who I mean. I don't have a lot of personal investment in them, as you can see, but they ought to be a part of the display.
Oddly, that's exactly 12 characters (if Razz comes with Broom).
Harrig
GITD Mighty Spector!
seriously though, Two bad! I had forgotten about him/them. Two Bad and a Horde Trooper.
T-bone.
Modu-lok and Dragstor. Those are the figures that would clinch it for me.
JAWart
I'll make up my mind on Friday.
I feel like we all saw this day coming. MOTUC has had an amazing run ( sorry to all you loyalists about prematurely using the past tense ) and Mattel has done a great job of spacing out the releases to ensure the longevity of the line, but like so many other fans, my well of nostalgia is running dry and there just aren't that many characters left to keep it flowing. So whoever Mattel is planning to reveal on Friday, they better make some darn good choices.
Here's my wish list:
Ram-Man
Two-Bad
Scorpia
Snake Face
Castaspella
scottie
My Vote is :
Two Bad, the 4h Battle Ram , General Rattlor and Tung Lashor., Shakoti
Unless they REALLY rock the sculpt for Ram man…he s a non issue for me personally.
Bigbot
I would never subscribe, but I prefer the Millennium versions of characters so the sub isn't aimed at me.
antoine
great line , love it , but i have allready all my favorite character , and more , too many figures for me allready . so i will cherry pick maybe some figures here and there
Robzy
Never bought a Sub!! Never regretted it!
Not buying a Sub this year either! And if they use Rammy as the incentive, then I'm out altogether! ToyGuru promised he wouldn't do that… but he's been caught out before I guess!
Rustin Parr
The Star Sisters burned me out in one fell swoop. Add to the an increase in 4th tier stuff like Slush-head and a lot of the fun is gone for me. That said, I really like not having to deal with DOS.
Resubscribing is contingent on (1) what the new figure price is, (2) a cool looking incentive (ex: no idea who shadow weaver is but she looks neat enough for me to have subbed) and (3) 75%+ of new reveals to be familiar or cool-looking figures. (Bonus #4 – whatever the mystery line is. If it's BttF or something else I'm all in for it may just be cheaper for me to resubscribe)
I'm presently expecting not to subscribe.
edDy
I’m all in: at least 2 subscriptions no matter what – and possibly a third one if I like the club exclusive figure enough to want to unwrap a second one (one will remain unopened). I’m just as excited about MotUC as I ever was. Bring it on! =D
ero
What would it take for me to subscribe? The possibility that I couldn't obtain any figure on the secondary market for a reasonable price. To me it's worth braving Matty days and paying more for somebody like Shadow Weaver rather than getting stuck with figures I don't want. I've come around on PoP, but I just can't stand the 200X stuff.
Agent 86
In respect of the subscription exclusive. I would be greatly annoyed if Ram Man were the subscription exclusive, but I'd just get Mek-a-Nek in 2012 and pretty much consider my collection of vintage "masters" to be complete. Sure, I'd trawl Ebay for a "cheap" Ram Man, but I wouldn't subscribe to get Ram Man alone and I won't pay a ridiculous price for Rammy either.
However, with Ram Man, I think Mattel would be wise to offer him as a subscription exclusive for 2013, but publicly announce that a variant will be released as an A-List variant in 2015 (or later in the line). There would be no guarantee that MOTUC will last that long, but at least it gives those cherry pickers in it for the long haul a chance to obtain a version of Ram Man eventually.