If Megalopolis Goes Under?
 

So, this was brought to my attention, and it's unfortunately convincing.

https://dockets.justia.com/docket/ca...cv01024/809488

It seems Megalopolis has been sued for not delivering on figures and not refunding customers, which could mean they'd lose their licenses to make Premium DNA figures based on such properties as Madballs, Barnyard Commandos, and games from Rare Ltd. and Interplay.

If that happens, what next? Does it mean those figures will never come to fruition? Or will the original rights holders just get different toy companies to make the figures?

I don’t know what is acceptable to say here, but yes, things look bad. I have been following this on the transformers sister site. I have $150 with them for mad balls and I’m sure so do many others.

What do you think will happen to the Premium DNA figures if Megalopolis can't pull through?

They own premium dna I believe so that’s a wrap. Maybe some other company will pick these up. Mad balls had a lot of interest and earth worm Jim was really getting buzz. I don’t know if they even produced the mad balls figures at this point. I imagine places like BBTS are concerned, they probably had to pay up front for them.

At this point both names are becoming toxic, so a new company is about the only way anyone would put up money.

There was a ton of hissing from customers having issues with Megalopolis (myself included) screaming "BUYER BEWARE" at the time these preorders went live for their own lines, so if you chose to ignore that hissing and have a ton of money wrapped up in them, it's hard to feel sympathy for you. I do however wish you the best in getting your money back at the very least, if not the product that you actually paid for...

Megalopolis is gonna have some rough times coming to them, as Entertainment Earth is not the only company coming for their head from what I have heard and gathered. I'd consider them to be dead at sea and just waiting to be scuttled at this point.

As for the licenses...who knows what fate they might have? It all depends on the contracts that were signed. The rights could just revert back to their original owners, or they could possibly stay with Megalopolis depending on what was agreed to. I remember a similar issue arrising with Capo Toys failed Street Fighter launch a number of years ago...to which another young toy company at the time called Storm Collectibles ended up grabbing shortly afterwards, and they have been producing SF figures (and a bunch of others) ever since.

Then again...the Street Fighter license is a giant brand that has a loyal worldwide fan base, whereas Barnyard Commandos and Battletoads...more than likely not so much. Almost anyone with access has played a Street Fighter game at least once in the past 30 years. Not everyone can say the same of Clay Fighter or Battletoads.

Even if the rights go to another company to produce, they might look at what the pre-sales were for them under Megalopolis, and could determine it's just too niche of an avenue to pursue and be successful with (which I honestly think they are.) Outside of a kickstarter project, the only "major" company I could see touching it would be Super 7, (as they deal largely in nostalgia) but their plate is gonna be very full in the next few years, especially with all of the recent line announcements, not to mention licenses (such as Transformers and Power Rangers) they are now paying for.

Keep in mind, this lawsuit is being filed because Megalopolis ordered items wholesale from Entertainment Earth (as many places do), and EE is claiming they didn’t pay for stock received. It has nothing to do with customers orders or refunds. Additional suits may be filed by other parties, but right now, that’s what this is over.

I wish there was something firm from them on mad balls those are to ship by spring. I think they just went to big to fast and boom.

I placed my order august 1st last year. We shall see. They did send me my order from their Black Friday sale pretty quick, I used no money it was only redeeming points.

Trivial Psychic, I heard the shouting as well, but not everyone did. Not everyone goes on the boards all the time and a lot of sites, reviewers and even toy companies were touting them pretty heavy at some points.

I haven't asked for my money back, and I've only been following Megalopolis in hopes that I'd finally have Banjo-Kazooie figures for my Smash Bros. collection, and based on what you said about pre-orders on Megalopolis for Premium DNA figures being too niche, I guess that'll never happen if Megalopolis fails. -_-

What bugs me is how was this document already made accessible to the public? It seems shady.

It’s a pending lawsuit in the state of California. Those documents are legally and publicly available at the moment of filing. Some places may charge for access to the info, but there’s nothing shady about it.

I just read on the TFW2005 thread that shartimus posted a video on how to get refunds.

I’m still holding out a bit. $150 ain’t going to break me, but it does irk me....and I feel for anyone who put a lot of money in.

So it's legit.

Wish Microsoft had the common sense to give Boss Fight Studios the Rare toy licenses.

BFS have already proven with their Bucky O'Hare figures and Sam & Max figures they can easily do something like Banjo-Kazooie.

The problem is you don’t “give” licenses. Companies have to pay for the rights to make licensed characters. In all cases, those licenses are expensive. The cost of a license, labor, materials, and production may outweigh sales. It’s one of the reasons a company like Boss Fight is mainly targeting much older licenses, secondary wrestling licenses, and original properties.

There's Hasbro, but I didn't mention them earlier because of Hasbro having a monopoly on so many licenses as of late.

Speaking of Boss Fight, Megalopolis apparently owes them $12K.

https://i.ibb.co/znDfcS7/Screen-Shot...8-23-48-AM.png
https://www.facebook.com/groups/8264...3554919855471/

Honestly... I never got great vibes from Megalopolis. They always seemed to me like on of those early 2000s internet pop-up toy stores, glad I never gave them my business!

Hasbro doesn’t have a monopoly on any license, even their own. There are dozens of companies making Star Wars figures, a near equal number doing Marvel, multiple companies doing Transformers, a few doing GI Joe.

So Hasbro doing the Premium DNA figures wouldn't be such a bad thing?

Hasbro wouldn't do the Premium DNA stuff. No company would. If any other company decided to take on these licenses, then they would do their own thing completely unrelated to this stuff. If the Madballs Figures and Barnyard Commandos made it into full production (as in they were completely done), another company could potentially purchase that inventory to distribute it (much like Sideshow has done with a few Chronicle and DC Direct items). These licenses are not highly sought after, outside of maybe Madballs.

But there's still the slightest chance we'll finally get Rare figures without Megalopolis or Hasbro, right?

I'm scrolling through a lottttt of Google results and the board over on TFW2005, good lord Megalopolis seems like a buncha scummy scammers

I still wish NECA or maybe Super 7 took up some of the licenses Premium DNA did. Last I checked at least those companies have delivered.

I gust bumped up the “madballs” thread in hopes that one of the creators/sculptors that was on that thread would give us an update, if they have one.

http://www.toyark.com/madballs-actio...-184372-page4/

Should we try contacting him on other sites?