It’s the 1st of February, and that means that Toy Fair 2012 happens this month!
Every year, it seems, the Big Dance of the toy industry is a mix of elation and disappointment. But, for even the most jaded collector there is always something to look forward to.
So, every weekday between now and the start of the show on February 12th, I will be looking at some expected items that I am optimistically looking forward to.
Since some of this got spoiled this week, we’re going to start off with products based on this year’s sure to be blockbuster motion picture: The Dark Knight Rises!
Mattel has the main toy license (DC Direct will be producing statues and other collectibles), and that’s the focus for this article. I have to say I’m already a bit disappointed it the line, thanks to the reveals of the past few days. Mattel had said in one of their recent Q&A sessions that there would be a 3-3/4″ line and a 6″ Movie Masters line. Wanting to be optimistic, I had hoped that Mattel would not follow the same strategy they had with last year’s Green Lantern line: Movie Masters for collectors, and poorly articulated 3-3/4″ for kids. But, based upon the pictures we all saw around the web this week it seems that is exactly what they’re are doing.
Mattel has the erroneous thinking stuck in their heads that 3-3/4″ is for kids, while all collectors prefer 6″. While the 6″ scale has it’s fanbase amongst collectors, so does 3-3/4″. No surprise to anyone, but 3-3/4″ is my action figure scale of choice. I’ve dropped most 6″ lines. But, Mattel doesn’t see it that way.
What’s ironic is that, back in the day, the thinking at Mattel was larger figures were for kids. Kids like to wrap their hands around a big, chunky figure…thus the original Masters of the Universe line went against the grain established by Kenner and the Star Wars juggernaut.
So, 2012 will bring a glut of unwanted Batman variants, bizarre accesories and weird vehicles because some executive thinks that is what kids want despite the proven poor track record of similar movie based lines in past years, and they will be over-ordered by toy buyers for the big box stores.
I had hoped against hope this line would be different. I had hoped that Mattel would send out Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy with a bang. I’m sure the Movie Masters line will be cool, but I was hoping for some of that detail, articulation and coolness to crop up in the 3-3/4″ products as well.
We haven’t seen everything yet. Maybe, just maybe, Mattel will surprise me.
Its unfortunate to hear this as I haven’t seen or heard anything about the toys yet. (if you could provide a link to some pics that’d be cool)
I wish I was more surprised by the news … here’s hoping for some surprises when Toy Fair actually opens
http://www.toyark.com/news/dc-toy-news-5/first-pic-of-mattels-dark-knight-rises-toys-5265/
It’s important to note that the movie itself is not for kids, with The Dark Knight really pushing the limits of the PG-13 rating. The toys should really stray from the basis of the movie just to appeal to kids at all. Collectors will get the Movie Masters line. The past decade has firmly established 6-7″ scale as THE scale for collectors items primarily because you need that size to get great detail (yeah I know there’s some impressive smaller scale stuff).
Dan, you’re buying in to the fallacy that you “need that size to get detail”. It’s just simply not true. I’ve seen as much detail, if not more, in gaming miniatures that are only 1″ high as I’ve seen in most 6″ figures.
I’m fine with the toys straying from the movie to keep the questionable content away from kids. What bugs me is that when Mattel says, “This small scale line is for kids” they use that as justification to go with the same 5 pt articulation structure that failed for them with the Green Lantern line. Why draw that line? If the small scale line featured, say, Marvel Universe articulation then it would appeal to kids AND collectors and generate more revenue for Mattel. Instead, most collectors will pass the “kids line” by.
I just miss the 5 inch basic figures that toy companies used to produce. For me that’s the best scale for kids
mattel is just doing with what they feel worked for them after all the only experiance they ever had with the action figure market was motu in the early days being mostly the home of the barbie doll. though Mattel may knowing how much money the batman license brings may up their game with dark knight rises though the way they did the green lantern movie doubtful they will have change their methods a little.