[perrych]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heroguy70

I would be very unhappy if Hasbro cancelled MU. I appreciate that this thread is here because it has set my mind at ease. Some thoughts:

1) According to the NY Times, Hasbro had a difficult 4th quarter, which resulted in them laying off over 100 US employees. As part of their drive to return to profitability, they are going to concentrate on properties they own, such as GI Joe, because they have a higher margin.

2) Legends sales were disappointing, which is probably why Vonner got the axe. I imagine this line will be the first victim of any future cutbacks. Since MU is the same scale as GI Joe, it's likely to stay around for many years to come. Legends is the line that doesn't make sense from Hasbro's perspective.

3) The recent spate of revision waves for MU at retail probably represents the company's efforts to increase interest by making past figures (the ones with less overhead built into them) available to new customers (given the upswing the economy has taken lately, this makes sense). It could also represent a change in marketing strategy for the line. Rather than releasing several waves a year of characters few in the general public recognize, the line is likely to emphasize more popular characters (look for more tie-ins with the cartoons and fewer chase figures).

4) The Avengers movie has yet to be released, so sales of those figures probably hasn't peaked yet. MU could cannibalize this line, so keeping new releases off the shelves makes sense.

5) Marvel wants Hasbro to continue making these figures. Hasbro might be angling to get a renegotiated price on the licensing.

6) The real key here is whether the new MU stock sits on store shelves or it moves. If it moves, then the line will be safe.

2. I know that Legends is why Vonner has explained that her got the boot, but that makes no sense. Seriously, the line hasn't been out that long. The first BAF wasn't nearly as compelling as the second , which tied into the CA movie. Around here, these have sold awfully well. It seems like they fired him just a week or so after these got on the pegs here. What did Hasbro expect? More likely, he had made waves along the way and some exec decided that he was replaceable.

3. There is nothing new about these revision waves in terms of concept. MU has often brought back older figures to give new collectors an opportunity to catch up. While annoying if you are looking for new stuff, it has been remarkably smart and something Hasbro's other action figure lines ought to consider from time to time. Nothing new here.