Ah, I think I know why TMNT got the shaft
 

Because Playmates now has the Terminator and Star Trek licenses now. So the TMNT line gets dumb ideas like Music Turtles made from old movie figure sculpts because Playmates wants to put it's real effort into it's more lucrative licenses. Music Turtles are probably just an intentional bomb in order to provide bad numbers to Mirage to justify canceling the line.

The cancellation of the toon is probably their doing as well. I remember Murphy mentioning Playmates had veto power in terms of ideas for Season 8 of the toon. This indicates Playmate has power over the cartoon's direction because it relies on their funding. Hence we got eyes on the Turtles in BTTS because Playmates didn't want to make new sculpts.

Now that Playmates have Terminator and Star Trek, they're probably withdrawing their funding of BttS and are responsible for the cancellation. Their influence has really been detrimental to the franchise since around the time they pushed for Fast Forward to be put ahead of Season 5. I wonder what changed in the company at that point to make them suddenly want to interfere with the creative process. The failure of their over-produced Paleo Patrol line? New management?

Now they're tossing TMNT to the curb, after using them to stay afloat over the last 5 years. Once they're out of movie figures to do for the Terminator and Star Trek franchises, what then?

I think you might be right. Mirage shouldn't let Playmates have that kind of control though.

Now, even if they are going to just focus on Terminator and Star Trek, I still don't expect anything spectacular. They will probably look like Mattel's The Dark Knight figures, passable, but nothing that great.

Hasbro makes the best figures, IMO.

Edit: I wanted to add that Mattel's Movie Masters The Dark Knight figures are awesome, it's their basic 5" Batman figures that are not spectacular.

Yeah, but once the Extreme Sports Geordie LaForge and Battle Knight Terminator figures come out, then we'll see whos who.

lol, yeah there's probably going to be all kinds of goofy variants for Terminator and Star Trek.

Playmates is so lazy, I wouldn't be too surprised if they bought the Christian Bale 'Bruce Wayne' sculpt from Mattel and re-packaged it as John Connor.

Playmates is so lazy, I wouldn't be surprised if the John Conner figure was a Michelangelo painted flesh tone.

Evil Playmates, how dare they cancel the line. It's a conspiracy, to sabotage themselves and get back at the Mean Mr. Laird! And I bet they secretly hate the TMNT!

Yes, Playmates OWES the TMNT a lifetime pact, even if they're losing money and the show's ratings are in the toilet.

:roll:

Going out on a limb here... maybe the next big toddler/children thing, whatever it may be?

Playmates is a disgrace. What a way to treat the franchise that put you on the map.

Playmates is so lazy I wonder if the Star Trek figures will just be re-packaged '90s original series figures.

Man I smell a new thread..."Playmates is so lazy..."

Yes, those evil creeps at Playmates. They should continue selling toys that no one is buying, they owe the TMNT for life! I bet they DO hate the TMNT! Probably TMNT fans too. That's the only explanation.

A smack talk thread about Playmates...guess they are useful for something afterall:lol:

That's just it Andy Cap, Playmates continues to make asinine variations on 4 figures, if they would make the secondary characters that have yet to be immortalized in plastic I'm sure those would sell. I know when i was a kid, my parents were always very much against the numerous variants, but had no problems with new secondary characters.

I'm not convinced they're wholly the reason the entire franchise is teetering on the toilet lid, but yes, Playmates is the reason the toys are not selling, not the consumer. They obviously don't want to buy crap, which is all Playmates is selling, and when they finally have a chance to do things right (i.e., new Back to the Sewer figures)... they hold onto them until the series is almost over, and then make them look vastly different from their on-screen counterparts to boot.

Nope, they're not. Gary Richardson's lack of business skills and Peter Laird's ignorance of Gary's lack of business skills are the reason the entire franchise is teetering on a toilet lid.

As horrible as everything coming out of Playmates is, it's all pretty much because they focus on kissing Peter's ass more than anything else (and in addition to just being cheap and lazy). If you read the old blog posts about the Music Turtles you can pretty much see that's what's happening.

Yes, that makes perfect business sense to any toy company: the primary characters' figures don't sell anymore, but if we make figures of the secondary characters, we'll surely be raking in the dough.

When you have 20 diffrent Turtle varients warming a peg, why not make a NEW character?

Just a hunch... because the times they've put secondary characters' figures on the shelves they only sold a fraction of what the main TMNT figures' sold? And now even those aren't selling anymore?

I kinda agree with Andrew. It'd be nice if they threw out more secondary characters, but the fact is that it's Turtles that sell.

That said, it is absolutely, positively NOT necessary for the stupid variants that they do make. There are SO many different kinds of Turtle figures they could make without resorting to stupid costumes.

Gee...I can't believe I didn't see it before. Gah, you're right. No one wants other characters. Just keep making random nonsensical variations of the same four characters over and over again, with no new villains or allies. I can have my Sewer Swimmin' Raph fight my Monster Raisin' Raph, no need for variety, save in the kinds of Turtles I have fight one another. Gah, I feel so stupid. Thanks for setting me straight Handy Andy.



EDIT: All I'm saying is the new waves of TMNT figures are the Turtles and...what? Nothing. No foe to fight. Just the Turtles.

Secondary characters seem to sell out pretty quickly in these parts, and not just when I'm there, lol. I've been at a Target when the figures were put on their pegs, gleamed what I could afford (leaving behind a lot of secondaries), and returned the next week with more money, only to find Turtle variants left. Every time I see kids buying TMNT figures, it's either secondary characters or non-variant Turtles, unless there is no other option (like the kid I mentioned in that other topic that wanted BttS Raphael, but grudgingly accepted Alien Hunter Raph in its place). Hell, even the fugly Thrasmor doesn't sit on pegs as long as Turtle variants. And don't get me started on the Paleo Patrol Leo that's been at my local Toys R' Us since before Fast Forward figures arrived (and not the second shipment of Paleo Patrols that went out to TRU's for whatever reason).

I can't say this for the rest of the country/world, but I do know that in Tacoma, it's hard to nab even the most common secondaries.

EDIT: I agree with Rose wholeheartedly on one thing; if they are going to make Turtle variants, don't make them with random dumb costumes and gear. Why the hell do the Turtles need eighty kinds of gear to wrangle monsters/mutants/robots/aliens? There's always Civies Turtles, SaiNW Turtles, Super Turtles (which technically could be considered secondary characters as well), Foot Turtles... I'm pretty sure I can think of more. Plus they could just do new sculpts and sometimes action features for non-costumed Turtles. I still say that Playmates should look more at the Star Wars figure business model; they release the most obscure characters, and still deliver variants of the main ones without resorting to Birthday Party Luke, Dinosaur Hunter Qui Gon, or Squid Costume Vader.

The new figures are ****, plain and simple. As such, I can't find myself bothered with the lack of secondary characters.