Mattel Proton Pack - speculation

The nitpickers still thinking, the trap is not acurate enough...

I think theres a good comparison to Star Wars.

Ok, we have some pretty nice props (Helmets, Lightsabres, etc.). Take it as a contrast to the trap. And then Rubies releases a Darth Vader costume and a stormtrooper armour (contrast to the proton pack).

Some guys say: Eh, thats a pretty nice costume replica, especially for the price. Other people say: A pretty good start, but I have to change something here and there...
And other people say: Forget it. That doesn't look like Vader.

I think its the same with the GBs. Some people would be proud of a matty pack, because thats a real (almost) proton pack. Some people say: Yes, nice pack, but lets add something here and there to make it more accurate. And we have the people, who won't buy this pack, and build the packs by hand as always, because something is wrong or not SA or whatever...

I dont know what will happen, but personally I would like to have a 98% pack, what cost me about $600, than a 94% pack, what comes from matty for $300.

And thats only one reason. Of course another is, that there is no fun to build pack...

Matty is all about releasing affordable toys and collectibles. That's what their business is based on. Could they produce a Pack for $500-600? I think they absolutely could.

What I don't believe is that they would ever release anything at a $600 price point. That's why they won't do a pack.

I think it comes down to feasibility. I'm pretty sure Mattel is well aware of the sizable market interested in GB items. If they CAN do it, there is no reason they wouldn't.

A plastic formed pack that is mostly one piece, with a plastic alice frame, but electronics sounds within reason to me after seeing the trap.

I also disagree Mattel wouldn't venture to sell a $500 item. I think for this one, they know that if you build it, they will come. If they can keep their own costs down, there is no doubt this would be a lightening fast sell out. I would have never pegged them for selling prop replicas period, and yet they started down that path.

Part of me thinks, however, that a Geiger Meter or Goggles would be the logical next step.

In the end, what Mattel is producing are TOYS.
They inflate the price because they know only adult collectors are buying them.
The "Definitive Edition" Buzz Lightyear from Thinkway is just as if not MORE complicated a product than the ghost trap and it retails for $60.
The PKE and Trap are not more spectacular in quality than Buzz or any other number of electronic toys on the market right now.
If Mattel were to mass-produce their replicas the price would be cheaper I think, but they are certainly taking advantage of the fact that adult collectors are buying them.

I don't think Matty inflates the prices too much. Remember, Disney/Thinkway sells a HUGE volume of Buzz Lightyears. Matty is producing a limited number with a high R&D and licensing cost which does not give them that much leeway for profit given their prices. The more volume, the more economy of scale in production that makes such much cheaper to produce with Disney.

Matty COULD sell more and try to market them in further mass production scale production, but it sounds like they feel the market may not be there and its considered a risky venture for them. They look at a more conservative business model in making their prop lines, something I and many others wish they would expand out a bit more with more confidence.

tripoli said:

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Matty is producing a limited number with a high R&D and licensing cost which does not give them that much leeway for profit given their prices.

Matty is owned by Mattel, the largest toy manufacturer in the world, they have full time R&D staff on the payroll as well as having the entire manufacturing and production work flow lined up and secured in exclusive factories... They are not a small scale operation that has to sub out or contract out the majority of the work and manufacturing, quite the opposite...

They might not sell huge volumes of the Matty line but the massive overhead for a small volume run is not felt nearly as much for them as it is for smaller companies... For them it's as easy as sending off a new 12" doll design to be run on the existing Barbie manufacturing lines (no different then a new 'Ken' doll design), the molding machines, raw materials, experienced staff, painters, box manufactures blah, blah, blah is already in place and working for them, just a minor change up at the factory and they are off and running...

tripoli said:

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I don't think Matty inflates the prices too much. Remember, Disney/Thinkway sells a HUGE volume of Buzz Lightyears. Matty is producing a limited number with a high R&D and licensing cost which does not give them that much leeway for profit given their prices. The more volume, the more economy of scale in production that makes such much cheaper to produce with Disney.

Matty COULD sell more and try to market them in further mass production scale production, but it sounds like they feel the market may not be there and its considered a risky venture for them. They look at a more conservative business model in making their prop lines, something I and many others wish they would expand out a bit more with more confidence.

True, and I really feel people who hare against the Mattel line should consider the fact that they are really trying hard to appeal to our community and have given us two GREAT "toys" that we would have LOVED to have had when we were growing up - but even better, we have them now!

If they do a Proton Pack for a decent price, with the same quality as the Trap, I'll be very happy to come back here and post a picture of myself kneeled down with a huge " sorry " sign in my hands.

But I stand to what I said, I don't picture them with multi hundred bucks prices and I still think that the Googles or Gigameter are next.

I think research would probably show that goggles and the gigameter are not that popular. Again, goggles may also fall under costume items; so goggles may infringe on Rubies license. They are completely out of the question.

Matty is producing definite market hits with "staple" props. The things EVERYONE would want and know about.

I hope to god these make one of these, I think they did great things with the Trap and Pke.

It's an accepted conclusion that for Mattel to have the license to do Ghostbusters props, it would be important to produce a pack replica. It is THE prop of the Ghostbusters movies.

Davlin said:

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If they do a Proton Pack for a decent price, with the same quality as the Trap, I'll be very happy to come back here and post a picture of myself kneeled down with a huge " sorry " sign in my hands.

But I stand to what I said, I don't picture them with multi hundred bucks prices and I still think that the Googles or Gigameter are next.

^^^Agree totally with the first half^^^

The gigameter was so little used that unless you are a hardcore GB fan, you may not even know what it is, kind of like the KUD meter. As for the goggles. They would sell tons of them if they can get passed the fact that the US military owns the rights to the frames. They a milspec part and to recreate them you would need to get permission from the military. It can be done and IMO it should be done.

Yes, but its one of the holy grail props, a very famous prop, and a prop where you can make hundrets of mistakes...

Thats like Sideshow produces after the golden idol and the kali chalice not the holy grail (what would be logical), but a grail diary...

I really dont know...

Of course I try to see things with the eyes of a "do-it-myself" guy, a shell, and some parts are in my garage, ready to make a pack from it... Now I buy lots of stuff for hundret of dollars, build it, glue it, paint it, put light and sound in it...

I get a strange feeling, knowing theres something comin' out (possibly), ready to bust, without all the work... I think if we can buy a whole pack, the "magic" is gone... I can't tell anyone, when he asks me where I got the pack: "build it".

Its not like the trap, put it on the belt and play a little bit with it... The pack is a main part of the whole GB costume...

I dont know... Something's bothering me with the idea of a pack by Matty...

Know what I mean? Its not the fact, that Matty could do something wrong, or make it just 95% acurate or 90% or whatever. And its not that, that it could look like cheap plastic or wrong details... It's just something what says: Maybe its better without a licensed proton pack replica by matty...

Speak for yourself! Make one if you can, that's great! For more casual fans who don't feel like delving into the research, a Matty pack will do.

The cost of building your own accurate pack is also very high, or at least it has been for me. That's been enough of an obstacle that I haven't even started work on the gun, lights, or sound. It is fun, don't get me wrong, but the idea of having something functional for a cheap price compared to authentic replicas costing an arm and a leg is very appealing.

I'm expecting a proton gun (or neutrona wand, call it whatever) more than a full pack. That's more the scale they're working on, and would be more than profitable enough for them.


So my money is on a proton gun next year. I would have said last year would be the goggles, but they went straight to the trap, and there's no way they'll go back a step now.

The thrower is useless without the pack. That would be a huge misstep.

benhs1898 said:

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The thrower is useless without the pack. That would be a huge misstep.

Agreed. That would just be a waste of time. If you think the GB community complained about the trap and PKE, just imagine the PR attacks they will get if they release JUST the wand!

Yep, the pack in whole but don't do the wand only. I find a Matty pack is being pretty darn cool, I would look forward to such as well the fact there are those who otherwise could not don on the whole outfit. Anything that allows other GB fans to be able to be outfitted is great in my eyes. THAT issue alone makes for an incredible reason for Matty to go for this project. And if it was anything close to the quality of the trap, I would not mind popping it on as well, most of the public would have no problem with identifying it and would not be turning up their noses to it, rather it would be a magnet just as the nicer replica prop builds are now to most people.

The only worry I would have is that Matty would under manufacture these to the point they would be hard to find and purchase.

Comic con Bump!!!

Anybody make their way over to the Mattel booth? Just sniffing GB rumors...

This teaser showed up from Mattel which is obviously a proton pack with some other stuff thrown in there.

Tere is also a trap in it... So, what does this picture want us to show?

Maybe the pack is just a paper decoration...

I see a trap, Giga meter, pack and some figures.

Dorian Gray said:

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This teaser showed up from Mattel which is obviously a proton pack with some other stuff thrown in there.

Charlie's Angels?

Isn't that the same exact teaser they posted last year before announcing the trap?