Integration

[Pravus Prime]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MegaGearX

That's insufficient to keep a retail line afloat. Maybe if Bandai were open to an adult collector line, like Mattel did with MOTUC, it could work.

It wouldn't.

MOTUC works because Mattel owns the property and there's just enough interest there to keep it going.

Bandai couldn't even use Mattels model because they have additional and very expensive costs of essentially leasing the license. They've got the toy rights to the series for a limited time and they need to make that investment back on top of production costs and whatnot. That's not an inconsiderable amount, that's millions. Even if there were just as many TC fans wanting the figures as there are MOTUC buyers, figures would cost well over a hundred dollars each just to make back those millions spent getting the rights.

I don't think there are many at this point that don't see the toyline as a failure; Wal-mart upcoming Planograms don't include TC; several Wal-marts aren't even carrying the line anymore after they sold out of their current stock. TRU has them on permanent clearance and some have even moved them to the discount clearance section to free up the peg/shelfspace, and so forth. There isn't even any further product coming to online distributors from Bandai.

As mentioned, CN doesn't like having shows that don't have toylines to promote it. The ratings forced the move out of prime time to a slot that it's still not thriving in, especially for a toy based show which have higher expectations.

Add in a parent company that is only doing the absolute minimum to meet their existing obligations to the show and the writing on the wall becomes pretty clear.