Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Ask Matty!
September 1st 2011

Hey all! Here's the September 1st Q & A! Unlike the past few segments, I'm going to be doing some commentary on the answers this time... as I am a bit upset by a few of them.

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1.) This one is in regards to secret accessories- By now we all know that Megator's secret accessory was a second "zombified" head. Since many fans will buy multiples of a figure if it comes with extra heads, it is a bit frustrating to find out about the second head AFTER the sale has happened. Are secret accessories something that we will see pop up again in the line, and if so, will you guys reconsider keeping second heads as a part of that? I for one am VERY glad I found out about Megator's extra head before the sale date, as I was able to plan for purchasing a second before it was too late.

“Secret Accessories” are something we do for fun for fans. If the fans enjoy it we will continue to do it. If they don’t and it becomes “upsetting” we will move away from it.

Okay... I'm pretty fine with this one. I vote "no more secrets" for the reasons listed in the question. What do you guys think?

2.) What was the purpose of all the fake MOTUC subscription item lists posted during the week of comic-con? We all now know that the first list was 100% true and that all subsequent lists were fake, but why do that? It seems teasing items that weren't really coming (like the movie 3-pack and the Castle Grayskull Jawbridge) is a bad move, since not delivering these items for fans excited by them only leads to frustration and disappointment. Even worse, it possibly even cost sub-sales. For potential first-time buyers checking out the booth at SDCC (who might not have had any inkling of what was going on with the site), seeing a placard with the likes of Disco Skeletor and Zombie Randor as releases for 2012 probably didn't sell them on trying out the line.

All of our official announcements-- as always promised-- were done at our panel. If fans want the straight announcements we recommend coming to or reviewing the panel only.

And here we go... They completely avoid the direct question as to the purpose for the fake lists, nor do they comment on its possible adverse affects on sub sales. I'm sure we are all aware that the panel had the straight announcements... but that wasn't really part of my question.

3.) During the Megator/ Man-E-Faces sale, subscribers were first erroneously charged for just Megator at first. After the fans alerted you guys to this, the decision was made to cancel the first authorization and immediately run a second charge for the combined Megator/ Man-E-Faces bundle. Since you didn't wait for the first authorization to drop off before doing this, many subscribers were stuck with covering both charges at once, which lead to depleted bank accounts and, in some cases, bounced charges from other companies and overdraft fees from certain credit unions. What's worse, you didn't even bother to warn anyone a second charge was coming until after you had done it, leaving consumers without even a chance to pad their accounts in anticipation of the second charge. My question is this: Do you plan on reimbursing any of your customers that might have been stuck with fees (either overdraft from their credit union or late charges incurred by being unable to pay certain bills due to lack of available funds) due to your error? And if this were to occur again, would you at least reconsider how it was handled?

We have already taken steps to ensure this issue does not happen again and apologies for any inconvenience caused.

Again, not really answering the question at all. And apologies are great... but what about the folks who incurred fees over this? Will that be addressed?

4.) It has always been stated that extra items (like the weapons pak or the upcoming vehicle) couldn't be added in to the subscription because we only agreed to pay "X" amount of dollars for the year. This year, the total on the subscription sales page left off the 4 quarterly variants and only listed the sub total for the year as $430. After 2 weeks, a message was posted by you guys explaining the error and listing the new total as $510. Now since many folks never saw the message and the original sales page listed the price as $430, isn't adding the 4 quarterly variants after they agreed to the $430 total violating this standard? How is adding the 4 variants on after consumers agreed to the $430 price any different than adding vehicles or weapons paks on?

If fans wanted to cancel their MOTU sub due to the incorrect amount posted for the first two weeks they were welcome to do so and we will still honor cancelations due to this issue for the next month through Sept 30th.


Sigh... Really? Really Matty? I didn't even ask about canceling subs!!!

5.) MINI-COMICS SLIGHT SPOILER WARNING: Now that we have seen the first page of the upcoming initial issue of the 3-part MOTUC comic series, can you confirm whether or not the green head included in the Eternian Guard 2-pack is intended to be a "snakified" Man-At-Arms? The resemblance is pretty uncanny...

The caption is pretty clear who you are looking at. It is right on the panel.

This one actually made me the angriest of all. It was a completely direct question regarding the head in the Eternian Guards pack. I REALLY wanted tha confirmed... but they somehow turned it around to me asking if that panel was Man-At-Arms when the panel BLATANTLY says it's Man-At-Arms! Even worse, the answer was very condescending and a bit rude.

I am awaiting clarification on the last one at least. I figure the others are a lost cause.

UPDATE- Scott did send over a new answer for the last one:

No, the 4th Palace Guard head is not intended to specifically be Duncan transformed into a Snake Man.

Huh... Well I wonder what it's supposed to be then?

4 comments:

  1. I think the first question especially received a real crap response. It's basically asking if in the future they'll consider letting customers know in advance so they can BUY MORE PRODUCT and the answer we get is a thinly veiled threat that if we start complaining they'll just do away with the "extras". Real nice, guy.

    Seroiusly, this guy needs to just hire someone for his PR as everything he has said since SDCC has either caused a severe shitstorm within the fandom (hello, subs vs. nonsub fights on the .org) or just increased the general feeling of doom & gloom and overall negativity around the line right now.

    Personally, as a non-subscriber I'm feeling unvalued as a customer by Matty and unwanted by the "fandom" prevalent at .org where subscriptions seem to be king. All that and a toy with 60% or better chance of defects (at least in my case thus far) is what I'm giving my hard earned money to Matty for? Not worth it. I think I'm just done with Matty & MOTU. There's other nostalgia based properties I can relive my childhood with thank you very much.

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  2. You guys are nothing but a bunch of whiners. Shut up and stop buying. Apparently you haven't been reading the posts that do nothing but blast toyguru with no regard for him as a person. I hope that all of you whiners go to your jobs and perform your tasks to perfection, which would give you the right to blast other people. Although I know for a fact that you cannot execute every task to perfection. No response will ever be good enough. Oh by the way go ahead and curse me all you want if it makes you feel like a bigger person.

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  3. Hey, I am a non sub buyer, I buy only what I want otherwise i'd never be able to eat and feed my wife and kid. So what we no sub buyers are the white trash of collecting? I don't think so, so not be a comletionist makes you an ass, and an inconvienience? well, I guess I am, well I know i'm an ass, then so be it, i'll be an ass about this too.

    I am not going waste my money on something I don't like, and my time to get a figure pay for it, and turn around to sell it on Ebay..because I bought a sub, and didn't want that guy....waste of time and effort. I will continue to buy what I want and don't care what anyone says, they can piss off.

    That being said, I hate short ass answers that say nothing coming from an overpaid asshole that only cares about the bottom line and not what customers...their cash cows...want...I am a damn customer, and the f'n customer is always right, so answer the questions with full honest answers and then go back to your office and think of ways to please those of us who make your paychecks possible.

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  4. Any way we could get Scott to tell Digital River about these answers? Because they're not honoring cancellations.

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