NECA’s Time

[EddieNES]

With Neca blowing figures out of the water, what does everyone think will happen with Nickelodeon.

I can certainly see Neca being given full distribution and freedom eventually. I hope it happens, as I don’t reach Target as much, but happy they can stock their online occasionally.

[Chris]

I'm honestly not sure. I can't see NECA wanting the master license. Their focus is collectors and the classic era (Mirage, OT, original movies). I could be wrong but I don't see them waiting to do mass market toys for the next movie or animated series.

So it depends if Nick is sticking with Playmates (which seems to be the case even though their current output is minimal, probably just enough to keep the license) or going with someone new when they're ready to do new movie merchandise.

If it's someone new, or if Playmates license is revised, then maybe they can change distribution patterns. But then I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of it is down to NECA's own agreements with their distribution partners. We know they can do online pre-order and make to order (Tokka and Razhar). We know they can do specialty store (Turtles in Time and hopefully more Mirage stuff). And let's be honest, if they were to do wider distribution for their Movie and OT stuff it would be specialty stores and online sales (which they have already done some of on their own site). To me that suggests the current restrictions are more what they've agreed with Wal-Mart and Target than their license with Nick.

[IMJ]

Originally Posted by EddieNES

With Neca blowing figures out of the water, what does everyone think will happen with Nickelodeon.

I can certainly see Neca being given full distribution and freedom eventually. I hope it happens, as I don’t reach Target as much, but happy they can stock their online occasionally.

There is no way Playmates would give up the master license or create their own competition in the North American market.

[frank_one]

How does it work? Is Playmates' ownership of the license perpetual? Can be the license taken away from Playmates?
I think Neca feels ok being limited to the collectors market niche, I'm not sure Playmates is making a lot of money with their Turtles license these days anyway.

[tmntman]

Originally Posted by frank_one

How does it work? Is Playmates' ownership of the license perpetual? Can be the license taken away from Playmates?
I think Neca feels ok being limited to the collectors market niche, I'm not sure Playmates is making a lot of money with their Turtles license these days anyway.

It seems to be a ten year license. Or at least talk of it's renewal tends to pop up about that often. Personally, I don't think NECA wants a master license. I don't think they want to be responsible for cranking out hundreds of thousands of figures each time there's a license reboot. But as there are so many companies getting exceptions for making specialty market figures, Playmates may be able to just negotiate the next contract with fewer protections for themselves and a lower price overall.

[King Kahn]

Originally Posted by tmntman

It seems to be a ten year license. Or at least talk of it's renewal tends to pop up about that often. Personally, I don't think NECA wants a master license. I don't think they want to be responsible for cranking out hundreds of thousands of figures each time there's a license reboot. But as there are so many companies getting exceptions for making specialty market figures, Playmates may be able to just negotiate the next contract with fewer protections for themselves and a lower price overall.

Correct. No license is infinite. Not even playmates sweetheart deals they made.

All those agreements died when Laird sold to Nickelodeon and playmates had to stoke new ones, hence why companies like neca have more latitude to make product.

[tmntman]

Originally Posted by King Kahn

All those agreements died when Laird sold to Nickelodeon and playmates had to stoke new ones, hence why companies like neca have more latitude to make product.

Do you have any basis for saying that the contract changed with the sale? Because I don't ever recall hearing that. And even after the sale, companies still had to jump through the same hoops that didn't allow any other companies to sell TMNT figures in mass market stores. That's why Diamond and Loyal Subjects both had to market their figures as keychains when they came to mass market stores.

[Powder]

Pretty sure I had read at the time that Nick chose to renew their contract, not sure if that entailed changes.

[Spidergreg]

Neca has not dabbled in 4kids and Nick, both which doesn't have complete DVD series required to go back to make references and easter eggs. Coincidence? I don't think so. I don't think Neca will be making 4kids and Nick figures anytime soon.

[Powder]

They have outright said they won't. Their only interest is in 80's/90's nostalgia, their own words.

[Spidergreg]

Originally Posted by Powder

They have outright said they won't. Their only interest is in 80's/90's nostalgia, their own words.

Yeah, but it makes you wonder why.
Maybe because there's no reference material!!!

Saying nick has its own successful line is a weaksauce excuse because toys and adult collector figures are entirely different things.

[Chris]

More to do with what sells. Like Powder said, NECA are strictly targeting the 80s/90s nostalgia market. It’s where their main audience (adult collectors) is and most likely where their personal interest lie. Probably need a few more years before we start to see nostalgia stuff for the 2003 series (if we ever do, much as it’s my preferred series I don’t see it ever having as big a pull as the classic stuff when it comes to collector nostalgia merch).

[ProdUK]

Neca figures would be too fragile for kids.