ToyGuru has posted an update on the Roboto situation.
Well there is no way around it. Roboto did get assembled with his shoulders swapped.
What can I say. These things happen. I could mention the hundreds of things we do catch and correct before going to production, or all the time we spent making small tweaks based on fan comments such as Skeletor’s purple feet or trying to see if both Roboto’s arms could be detached (which we didn’t have time for but we really tried on!), but none of that changes that in the end a mistake was made.
Luckily in the long run this is not (I hope!) Earth crushing to most. By definition the only change is the pattern of tech on the shoulder. The toy itself functions 100% correctly and is not defective. (that and combined with the fact that the whole production is done means we can’t exchange your Roboto for a corrected version, at this time there are no “corrected” versions.)
It doesn’t mean we won’t try to find a way down the road to correct this. It took almost 4 years but we finally got Sinestro’s height corrected in the DCUC line (check out the 2 pack coming to TRU next month with a ton of yellow and green constructs!).
I’d personally like to find a way to fix this but it will take time. We don’t have a reissue planned right now but it doesn’t mean it is out of the question. I’m sorry for those whom were counting on the tech detail pattern on the shoulder going the other direction. I’ll take the fall on this one and just let you know we continue to be vigilant on getting the best collector product out there. Sometimes we hit a problem. But the important thing is we will try to correct this one day. It just won’t be in the immediate future.
Oh, and while I have everyone on the line, a few updates:
Jan 18th:
Bow (2011 sub figure)
Shadow Beast (2011 sub quarterly beast/multipack)
Palace Guards (2010 item delated slightly)
Castle Grayskull stands (reissue)
Evil Lyn reissueFeb 15:
Vikor (2011 sub figure)
Other reissues to be announced
(and ideally Preternia He-Man will ship with the map)March 15:
King Hssss (sub figure)
Battle Armor Skeletor (sub quarterly variant)
Other reissues to be announcedApril 15:
New Male Masters of the Universe member (to be announced soon)
Panthor (quarterly subscription beast)
Weapons Rack ($15.00) (not part of subscription)Alright, have a great weekend and I’ll catch you all after El Segundo Toy Fair.
At least the Weapons Rack is only $15…definitely cheaper than I expected, though that also makes me think it won’t come with any weapons.
As for Roboto, what can I say? I didn’t really expect any sort of rectification other than having to buy another figure sometime down the road. This why I’m a pessimist–I go through life occasionally pleasantly surprised, rather than constantly disappointed.
Oddly enough, a Roboto has indeed been found with at least one shoulder on the correct side–but the other one is also a left shoulder. Plus, the correct left shoulder doesn’t match up with the tech circuitry correctly on the bicep. Which is…weird.
By the way, portraying the years-long period it took to bring us a correctly-proportioned Sinestro as an example of Mattel doing right by collectors is classic Matty, though. And by “Matty,” I don’t mean specifically ToyGuru so much as the whole of Mattel’s PR relationship with fans. It’s just…so awkward.
Snarf! Snarf!
January… Ouch!
4 Years to fix Sinestro… Matty fail!
On Roboto: He is not defective… He's just not assembled right. Just like She-Ra wasn't defective… She just doesn't work as perfectly as we hoped she would be.
I don't want to sound Anti-Mattel. I love their toys… When they work correctly (as in don't fall off the shelves because of hyper wobbly ankles and knees. Don't force me to repaint them I'm still wondering why there was green paint on my Skeletor's wobbly legs? Don't break off in pieces when you try to pose them like half of my small DCUC collection.)
Monkey boy
If the details don't line up correctly even on the correct shoulders, then what's the big deal?
PrfktTear
So by way of an explanation they remind us about one of their other mistakes, and even point out it took FOUR YEARS to "correct" and then point out upcoming product…
Oh, and January looks like its gonna be hell… by my math, thats like $125 worth of product, not counting shipping. People who would have bought two or more of the shadow beasts and palace guards may have to choose. Heck, it might come down to picking one or the other. I would have rathered that they pushed the Palace Guards to Feb.
Poe
@Monkey boy: That's what I'm thinking at this point too. But given that we know there's a gap between the reversed shoulders and the biceps, I can't figure out how this could happen.
Damien
@Poe: The Matty Q&A for He-Man.de confirmed that the Weapons Rack will come with "a ton of weapons."
Poe
@Damien: Really! Well, awesome.
Replicant
4 years to fix Sinestro? Big time fail! At least they finally got him right. LOL
Hopefully the MOTUC QC issues don't take 4 years to fix. Quality before quantity!
I'm glad I skipped Roboto. I planned on doing so even before the news of the shoulders. Hopefully there are no issues with Grizzlor or the KG reissue.
toyman2581
Well it's nice they owned up to the mistake instead of giving out some B.S. double talk, but that bit about Sinestro and four years doesn't demonstrate their problem fixing abilities.
As for January…..WTF?! Push the Shadow Beast back to February or something instead of giving it to us right up the coast in January! Plus, they bring the stands back for those who want more or missed the first go round, and they dump THAT in January too. In the words of The Angry Video Game Nerd…..What were they thinking?!
dayraven
wow… so, we're starting the new year of motuc w/ a complete clusterfuck… somehow, especially given the "look how long it took us to get sinestro to look right!" it seems par for the course. and you sub folks thought you weren't going to have to bother w/ matty this year… shame on you! 😉
Zach
Mattel is so full of crap. I don't understand how something so major of a QC issue can go through…at times they micro-manage the hell out of MOTUC (200x heads, accessories), then at other times they seem to not give a damn.
And their Sinestro example is a joke. 4 years? And he's only available in a 2-pack? Forgive me for not bowing at Matty's feet for being so good to us…I know toys aren't exactly the most important thing in the world, but at what point do we as collectors actually stand up to them and stop lapping up all the garbage they spew out?
The only good news out of all this, is that next year I don't want any MOTUC figure until March (King Hssss).
FakeEyes22
Damn you, ToyGuru. I get really frustrated at times, but you seem so nice and I know you love this stuff, so I can't be mad at you. Stop being likeable so I cab flip my lid and have a target to focus my nerdy rage on.
I'm bummed from what I'm hearing about the QC of Roboto aside from the assembly issues, that may be more important if this crummy paint continues. Not every figure's going to be put togther wrong…or is it?
Good news about the Weapons Rack price. Maybe. Nice price if the weapons are included, typical Matty pricing otherwise. The Weapons have a rusty coloring to them in the pic, which tells me they're included if that's what the product looks like. They seem pretty quiet about answering the question though.
New lesson, if we get mad at a mistake, expect some product news to calm the beast.
FakeEyes22
@FakeEyes22
You are an idiot for typing that up before leaving the house for hours and then submitting it, complete with statements that became redundant in your absence.
Good news about the Weapons Rack!
The standard Weapons Pak looks like a ripoff by comparison(to anything…Badabump!)
In relation to Sinestro, the upcoming fix is a reminder that they were well aware that they were including a crummy version in the GL set. And the 2 pack brings us to how many nearly identical Hals? At least Arctic Batman had the decency to have a different outfit. On the othet hand, outside of having Hals and tiny Sinestros already, the constructs and great versions of characters make it a great set.
Newt
Crap, I just asked about the MOTUC stands. Now they're coming back?! GRRR!
dean
Love MOTUC.
Love DCUC!
Love the Horsemen!
but…
Here's a phrase my buddies and I have been saying as a joke for a long while now…
repeat after me…
Muck Fattel!
🙂
PrfktTear
@FakeEyes22: I think redundantdundant Hal GL releases are trying to compete with Superman DCUC releases…
At least with the various Batman releases, they could possibly represent the "definitive" version of Batman… i.e. black bat symbol & pouch utility belt, '89 "burton" batman, the original "detective" batman… the only one that was a lame repaint was the poo splattered Batman…
Mark
How can Toyguru say it is not defective when it is clearly assembled wrong?
You should all demand your money back….no other company has this many QC problems.
Mattel had better not mess up Macho Man Randy Savage…..I have to buy it as Jakks never made one.
Thrawn
Evil Lyn reissue, Palace Guards, and Grayskull stands? Whew. Will any of us be left after the Matty Collector killing fields that day? To think I was worried about November and December.
I'm surprised we are getting the Evil Lyn reissue but not a word about Teela. She's easily one of the top 5 most popular characters. I'm stunned that she hasn't been reissued yet. Especially since they gave us the softer material with Evil Lyn. Maybe they are going to release the Sorceress and a reissue Teela at the same time next year?
Digby
Also, incorrect use of "whom."
Not grammatically incorrect, just grammatically different.
Valo487
If you really think about it, Mattel still hasn't really fixed Sinestro, as they're only making his classic look in the appropriate size, which doesn't make a lot of sense to me considering the original they're fixing had a variant which is his current look which as far as I know isn't being fixed, so basically we'll have an accurate Sinestro in an outdated outfit which doesn't fit with the Yellow Lantern Corps we've been building and they continue to add to.
I don't know, if I were Matty I wouldn't lead with Sinestro as proof they know how to fix mistakes.
He-Dan
At the risk of offending fellow posters; does it really matter?? Even Pixel Dan didn't notice when he did his review. It's not like Roboto's head is on backwards, or is it…
dean
@He-Dan: That's not his head. 🙂
Heli
Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.
Barbecue17
@Heli: Now Mattel is saying that they shadow beast will be delayed until Feb., however, so they are somewhat keeping releases spread out.
jackstatic
Jan 18th:
Bow (2011 sub figure)
Shadow Beast (2011 sub quarterly beast/multipack)
Palace Guards (2010 item delated slightly)
Castle Grayskull stands (reissue)
Evil Lyn reissue
I HOPE mattel is def gonna be pushing back one or the other to feb! Because ya know, the month after christmas and all…
I don't know WHO thought it was a good idea, but putting the palace guards (troop buider) shadow beasts (troop builder) and grayskul stands (f'n stands for pete's sake!) in the same month is out of their f'n mind… bad bad bad bad planning.
PrfktTear
I find that to be VERY good news.
Thus far I have my Matty budget into two categories, one is the Sub, and the other is sort of a catchall with everything else. The sub of course has to come first, and the rest is determined by my other monthly expenses. I’ve been trying to stash away money from every paycheck regardless of whether I’m buying stuff or not so I can have myself a nice cushion of dough set aside so I won’t have to worry about not having enough cash come the 15th of the month.
More than likely I would only want the one Shadow Beast I’m getting with my sub, and I'm certain I'd want at least one Palace Guard set, I'm starting to think for my purposes two Guard sets would be too much. For those of us with subs, we'd already be spending close to $60 for Bow and the Shadow Beast, so not having to worry about that AND the Guards in the same month is a relief, although, its only about ten dollars difference, because BA Skeletor is in Feb, so I guess its just a matter of when and how.
Maybe I need to get a second job… or sell a kidney.
Newt
Jan is good for me, because I don't want Bow and I'm not in the sub. I can use my normal monthly figure money towards one of the two bonuses.
doubledumbassonyou
Not being a MOTUC collector, I have to admit I enjoy sitting back and reading the comments for every one of these "Matty Screwed Up" posts. Pure, unadulterated bliss.
sadman2000
4 years? Hrrrmmmm… and here I thought Sinestro came out in 08. Guess I was wrong. ALL HAIL MATTEL. We hate you so much, but we buy your stuff anyway so it's okay! Seriously though, Mattel is a crooked company, but it's no ones fault but the buyer that this is still going on. If you don't like their practices, don't buy their stuff, otherwise accept that they will never care about anything but the dollars you WILLINGLY give to them and enjoy your ridiculously overpriced 30 dollar figure.
PhigmentSuicide
My Roboto cam today… He has two left shoulders… So I guess Mattel's poor QC helped me abit this time. Paints pretty sloppy thou.
Michael Crawford
Aren't the shoulder details what is sculpted backwards? Looking at mine, the shoulders appear to be on the right sides – the bicep side of the shoulder is normally cut inward. If you swap it to the other side, the rounded side of the shoulder will be forward – not like the other figures. Yes, the detail line is on the wrong side, but it looks like a sculpting error to me, not an assembly error.
Poe
@doubledumbassonyou: That's kind of cruel of you.
@Michael Crawford: I'm waiting to get a look at mine, but there does seem to be something weird about this whole thing.
Mose
Even though Roboto’s shoulders lack the muscle detail of the other figures, they do have the same basic shape as the others. The front of the shoulder should be larger and sits above to the bicep while the back of the shoulder is smaller and sits above the tricep.
http://thefwoosh.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/r…
http://thefwoosh.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/D…
In those images there is a gap between the deltoid and the bicep that shouldn’t be there. The detail I believe is correct but the shoulders are on backwards.
Though some interesting news has come up.
He-Man.org member Skeletortilla took his Roboto apart and discovered that the Left and Right shoulders were incorrectly marked R (left shoulder) & L (right shoulder). So the mistake was actually made during the tooling process, and not when the figures were being assembled in the factory.
Diego Zubrycky
@Mose: Mattel strikes again…
PrfktTear
Why am I not surprised that it came down to something as simple as mislabeled shoulders?
Maybe it’s just my naïveté when it comes to how toys are produced, but as far as checking for QC, don’t they do a small test run of 100 or so and have someone on site to check these little things? Like, say you’re going to print flyers to advertise the school dance, you enter in all your text, format everything, add pictures, spell check, etc. Then before you print off a thousand copies, you print off a single test sheet to make sure the margins are good and one more glance for any errors.
Mose
@PrfktTear: They wouldn't do test figures because that would cost money.
PrfktTear
But OF COURSE! What was I thinking?!
dwaltrip
I just got my Roboto today, and mine is just like the picture above….the left shoulder is on correctly, but the right is not.