I don't really understand how Mattel can't get the new Castle Grayskull playset sculpted -- I thought they pretty much had the famed toy sculptors the Four Horsemen under contract or something -- but I'm sure they would if they could. Because without a physical prototype to show off, Mattel's "Toy Guru" Scott Neitlich is forced to try and drum up pre-orders with this foam representation. Amazingly, the foam set is still impressive, if only because it's so goddamned huge. Having the old Grayskull set next to it was a great move, because that thing was not small. If the new Grayskull gets made, it'll be absolutely incredible.
Unfortunately, that's not gonna happen. The pre-order "goal" bar is less than 20% filled, with only three weeks to go. As much as He-Man fans have been clamoring for this (and yes, I refuse to call them He-Fans) there's just not enough of them -- or enough of them with $250 to spare -- to make this happen. I want this thing more than life itself, and I'm not pre-ordering one because I can't afford it. I can't really afford the regular MotUC subscription either, but that I means I really can't afford Grayskull. And if a He-Man fan as hardcore as I am can't order it, I know there are plenty of sad bastards in the same boat with me. Why don't you try this again during a year when you haven't forced the Star Sisters, the Snake Men, the Griffin and Procrustus on us, Mattel. (Via He-Man.org)
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You fucking people can't put 10 bucks in an envelope for a year? And the meter had a huge jump. I'd say it's half way there!
>Why don't you try this again during a year when you haven't forced the Star Sisters, the Snake Men, the Griffin and Procrustus on us, Mattel.
Well since this is coming Christmas of 2013 and that's when you pay for it... they have.
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Do I want it? Sure - it looks sexy!
Could I save up the 250 bones (plus shipping) between now and then? Easy.
Do I have the room for this thing? No fucking way.
The Meter was updated... We're nearly halfway there if we assume that the big ball on the bottom of the Thermometer is also part of the Grayslukks pre-ordered.
Why not incentivize it a different way for he-man fans?
Make the thing available in pieces or something and sell it to collectors with special orders of figures or something? After enough orders of the specialty figures they can have their full castle assembled!
C'MON PEOPLE THINK!!!!!!!!
@Jeenyus Because Mattel said lots of times (believe me, this question has been asked a lot) that they were going to do a Full Grayskull or nothing!! (Exclamation points added for dramatic effect) No Collect and connect Playset, or Front Facades... They were going to do justice to the thing...
Well, there's certainly no guarantees that the castle will ever be built, but there's some misleading info in the post here.
1. Yes, there are less than three weeks to place orders, but it wasn't mention is that the pre-orders have only been open for about five day so far.
2. Less than 20% would be frightening if true. That number is far from accurate. We can't really know the accurate numbers because the thermometer gauge isn't an actual interactive thermometer. It's just a .jpg that gets updated occasionally without actual specific numbers.
3. It's also a magical thermometer in that it started with nothing in the bulb. If the top of the bulb counted as zero percent, then there would be very few orders, but it didn't. It reached the top of the bulb after what "best guess" about 10% of the minimum had been reached.
4. The last update with actual number was 24%, notably above 20%. This update came about 24 hours after the pre-orders went online.
Finally, as mentioned, this isn't a live thermometer. In the first 24 hours we hit roughly 24%. That was the last time any update has been happened. Mattel doesn't actually update info that often. Previous thermometers updated sometimes only once per week. And there's some dubiousness to their accuracy to begin with since pretty much every thermometer in their history magically hit 100% within minutes of the deadline.
So really, we know nothing except that 24% had been hit last Wednesday.
Well, there's certainly no guarantees that the castle will ever be built, but there's some misleading info in the post here.
1. Yes, there are less than three weeks to place orders, but it wasn't mention is that the pre-orders have only been open for about five day so far.
2. Less than 20% would be frightening if true. That number is far from accurate. We can't really know the accurate numbers because the thermometer gauge isn't an actual interactive thermometer. It's just a .jpg that gets updated occasionally without actual specific numbers.
3. It's also a magical thermometer in that it started with nothing in the bulb. If the top of the bulb counted as zero percent, then there would be very few orders, but it didn't. It reached the top of the bulb after what "best guess" about 10% of the minimum had been reached.
4. The last update with actual number was 24%, notably above 20%. This update came about 24 hours after the pre-orders went online.
Finally, as mentioned, this isn't a live thermometer. In the first 24 hours we hit roughly 24%. That was the last time any update has been happened. Mattel doesn't actually update info that often. Previous thermometers updated sometimes only once per week. And there's some dubiousness to their accuracy to begin with since pretty much every thermometer in their history magically hit 100% within minutes of the deadline.
So really, we know nothing except that 24% had been hit last Wednesday.
@chart001 It's gonna be Plastic, but the "Model" he had there was to show an idea on how big this is meant to be.
I FUCKING LOVE THE STAR SISTERS!! and if I had the patience to write bad MOTU Fan fiction They would be in it... Also I'd do a Spector/Sir Laser Lot story about forbidden love cause SLL burns everyone he touches and Spector... he cannot interfere with the timeline by falling in love!Also, If Grayskull is a no-go, it's Mattel's fault... but makes it look like it's OUR fault... sneaky bastards!
Really dumb they didn't have a prototype created for the pre-sell. I think seeing a legit version of the castle may sway more people to buy one instead of drawings and a foam version. Just seems like Mattel is reluctant to invest any money into their products unless they know for sure they'll sell. Understand from a bottome line point of view but still frustrating for consumers.
You've misread the thermometer. The ball at the bottom counts so it's actually at about 30%. Not much better, but still. Also, are you aware they don't charge you a cent until it ships a year from now? Because that strikes me that would in fact put it in a year where they didn't force a shit ton of expensive quarterly items on you like you asked. ;-)
For me it's a cost issue but more than that it's a Space issue. I can save up the cash to pay for it between now and then. (Fingers crossed I won't need that $250+ a year from now for something necessary) But I still don't and won't a year form now have the space for it. Do I want it? Hell yeah. But it's just not a realistic Want.
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You know it's the elevator that goes all the way up to the top that made it $250.
By the way I have a crayon drawing of a Wind Raider that will get built just as soon as we get some pre-orders and I can hire someone to make it.
