http://www.actionfigureinsider.com/main/mattycollector-back-to-the-future-hoverboard-interview
Another in-depth Mattycollector.com BTTF Hoverboard interview with pics of the 6" Scale Hoverboard with handle bars
Some highlights
AFi: How how will the sound effects work? Will the board have built in speakers?
SN: We actually are using top of the line tech here with a new speaker system that turns the board itself into the speaker. This avoided having to have a “grill” or speaker holes in the board and ensure it is screen accurate. It will also have motion detectors so it will know if it is sliding forward, backward, or side to side. It will also shut off automatically when picked up just like in the film. Put it on the ground and it hmmmmms to life again!
Universal Studios has been an amazing partner and provided all of the original sound files to ensure accuracy.
AFi: Will the Board come with a stand?
SN: We are actually working on this to see if we can include a stand that will simulate hovering. Not locked in but we all want to make this happen. We also want to include a non numbered certificate of authenticity so you know this is an actual Mattel board.
AFi: As I understand it, you are not including the handlebars with the 1:1 prop replica?
SN: Yeah, we looked into this. Including the handlebars would have raised the price 50-70 bucks and we wanted to keep this as close to $100.00 as possible (final price for pre-order is $120.00). If the board does well we might do the handlebars as a separate item in 2013. Always a possibility as we did build the “hole” for the bars into the board so if we ever wanted to offer the bars as a separate item we could do that down the road. Time will tell (no pun intended!)
AFi: Does this mean a 6” line of action figures of Marty and Doc are coming? You know BTTF fans would love that?
SN: Oh, as a fan myself I sure do know that! We have tried quite a few scenarios to do this and it just hasn’t worked out from a financial stand point. Both Marty and Doc from any of the films are a 100% tool with really no shared parts. One of the reasons we can do 100% tool’d figures in a line like MOTUC or GB is because we can bank those figures with other partial tool figures. For BTTF you are talking all 100% tool for every figure and that makes it a bit harder. We looked into doing station figures as well but really it just wasn’t crunching right. That is one reason we are doing the 6” board. In addition to being an incentive to pre-order, it is as close to a 6” figure line as we are going to get right now.
AFi: The current “prototype” has been under fire as not being as accurate as possible. How do you address this?
SN: Oh boy! Yup. Of course the proto is not perfect. This was a dummy model we made very quick for NYTF. We are well aware many details are off such as the color of the green stripe and the pink background sticker. This is one reason it was great to have actual screen used boards to use as reference. Our goal is to make this as accurate as possible.
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I think the following packaging concept is a cool idea from Mattel.
AFi: What will the packaging look like?
SN: We have not locked that down yet, but I can tell you it won’ t have the BTTF logo. This is not an item from the movie, but rather we are treating this like it is from the real world and Mattel is actually making it. I really want to call out things like “Hover scooter also available* *not actually available” as a cross sell and have a burst that says “does not work on water”. I’m also working with legal to see if we can put all the TM dates as 2015.
AND ONE MORE UPDATE! The following was just added to the Hoverboard pre-order page on MattyCollector.com:
“Mattel proudly sponsors the Michael J. Fox Foundation and will be working with them to auction off a limited number of Michael J. Fox autographed Hoverboards this fall with all proceeds benefiting the Michael J. Fox Foundation. If you would like to donate or learn more about the foundation and how you can help, please click the banner below.”
Another in-depth Mattycollector.com BTTF Hoverboard interview with pics of the 6" Scale Hoverboard with handle bars
Some highlights
AFi: How how will the sound effects work? Will the board have built in speakers?
SN: We actually are using top of the line tech here with a new speaker system that turns the board itself into the speaker. This avoided having to have a “grill” or speaker holes in the board and ensure it is screen accurate. It will also have motion detectors so it will know if it is sliding forward, backward, or side to side. It will also shut off automatically when picked up just like in the film. Put it on the ground and it hmmmmms to life again!
Universal Studios has been an amazing partner and provided all of the original sound files to ensure accuracy.
AFi: Will the Board come with a stand?
SN: We are actually working on this to see if we can include a stand that will simulate hovering. Not locked in but we all want to make this happen. We also want to include a non numbered certificate of authenticity so you know this is an actual Mattel board.
AFi: As I understand it, you are not including the handlebars with the 1:1 prop replica?
SN: Yeah, we looked into this. Including the handlebars would have raised the price 50-70 bucks and we wanted to keep this as close to $100.00 as possible (final price for pre-order is $120.00). If the board does well we might do the handlebars as a separate item in 2013. Always a possibility as we did build the “hole” for the bars into the board so if we ever wanted to offer the bars as a separate item we could do that down the road. Time will tell (no pun intended!)
AFi: Does this mean a 6” line of action figures of Marty and Doc are coming? You know BTTF fans would love that?
SN: Oh, as a fan myself I sure do know that! We have tried quite a few scenarios to do this and it just hasn’t worked out from a financial stand point. Both Marty and Doc from any of the films are a 100% tool with really no shared parts. One of the reasons we can do 100% tool’d figures in a line like MOTUC or GB is because we can bank those figures with other partial tool figures. For BTTF you are talking all 100% tool for every figure and that makes it a bit harder. We looked into doing station figures as well but really it just wasn’t crunching right. That is one reason we are doing the 6” board. In addition to being an incentive to pre-order, it is as close to a 6” figure line as we are going to get right now.
AFi: The current “prototype” has been under fire as not being as accurate as possible. How do you address this?
SN: Oh boy! Yup. Of course the proto is not perfect. This was a dummy model we made very quick for NYTF. We are well aware many details are off such as the color of the green stripe and the pink background sticker. This is one reason it was great to have actual screen used boards to use as reference. Our goal is to make this as accurate as possible.
---------------------------------
I think the following packaging concept is a cool idea from Mattel.
AFi: What will the packaging look like?
SN: We have not locked that down yet, but I can tell you it won’ t have the BTTF logo. This is not an item from the movie, but rather we are treating this like it is from the real world and Mattel is actually making it. I really want to call out things like “Hover scooter also available* *not actually available” as a cross sell and have a burst that says “does not work on water”. I’m also working with legal to see if we can put all the TM dates as 2015.
AND ONE MORE UPDATE! The following was just added to the Hoverboard pre-order page on MattyCollector.com:
“Mattel proudly sponsors the Michael J. Fox Foundation and will be working with them to auction off a limited number of Michael J. Fox autographed Hoverboards this fall with all proceeds benefiting the Michael J. Fox Foundation. If you would like to donate or learn more about the foundation and how you can help, please click the banner below.”
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