MR Cancels BSG License

[Watson]

This is an excerpt from a chat held with MR folks

We now see that you have a license for Battlestar Galactica..
Will we be seeing props from the show for that license?
If so, any hints as to what?
MRTrav: Okay, I am going to explain this one too...and I hope it makes sense.

We do not have the license for Battlestar Galactica. We did. We cancelled it. Why? Here's the situation, and please understand that I am not "talking smack" or "badmouthing" anyone.

But in a nutshell, the licensor double (and in some cases triple) licensed our categories. Meaning, we had a license for resin ships within a certain size and pice-point, and so did two other compnanies. And let's face it, while Battlestar is a great license and a great show, that was just too many people playing on a small-ish field.

One could argue that of all of the licensees, we are the best... but for us, it was simpler to let others duke it out, and we respectfully removed ourselves from the situation. We wish all of the Battlestar licensees luck -- they all make great products.

And we're moving on to greener pastures.

Believe me when I say it was not an ideal situation for us -- we were really looking forward to a killler program

Here is the location of the full chat:
http://threads.rebelscum.com/showflat.php?...fpart=1#2342698

 

[CessnaDriver]

The TOS Viper was my big interest.
oh well.

Maybe they will do some other cool stuff instead.

 

[Grouch]

So MR really only has SW and POTC as any modern licences. No one really cares about their disney or muppet stuff anyways.

 

[CessnaDriver]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Grouch @ Jan 15 2007, 11:14 AM) [snapback]1397774[/snapback]</div>

So MR really only has SW and POTC as any modern licences. No one really cares about their disney or muppet stuff anyways.
[/b]

And Trek. God knows they are making money off me from that.

 

[Watson]

This just seems odd that they would just take thier ball and go home on a license like this. BSG is a small market for sure, but they have market presence and market confidence for the most part so they should be able to take a small market like this and hit a home run.

Most of thier customer base are not members here and dont scrutinize everything they do. Slow delivery, quality issues, but even with all that, this just seems like they are afraid to lose to competitors in the market and are avoiding trying.

 

[motivealloy]

Maybe they pulled out cos Qmx is producing BSG items.

 

[Treadwell]

So far QMX has only announced new series stuff. MR coulda focused on TOS.

 

[Grouch]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(CessnaDriver @ Jan 15 2007, 11:22 AM) [snapback]1397778[/snapback]</div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Grouch @ Jan 15 2007, 11:14 AM) [snapback]1397774[/snapback]

So MR really only has SW and POTC as any modern licences. No one really cares about their disney or muppet stuff anyways.
[/b]

And Trek. God knows they are making money off me from that.
[/b][/quote]

Yeah ST too. But they havn't done much of anything with it for a while. Other than the enterprise thats coming out. But the fanchies is pretty much dead to the causual collector.

 

[SFPROPS]

No one cares about their Disney or Muppet stuff?

Wuh? :eek

BSG is a great license, but a small market. Why spend a lot of time (especially a bigger company) and R&D dollars for small market you'll probably have to split 3 ways? Sounds like a sound decision. An up and comer like Qmx likely doesn't have the overhead and has more flexibility to make such a situation profitable...and with MR already having all the top tier licenses a smaller license with some decent potential seems like a better fit for someone like Qmx.

BRING ON THE GUNS.

 

[JP05]

Well that sucks ...

 

[Apollo]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Grouch @ Jan 15 2007, 02:14 PM) [snapback]1397774[/snapback]</div>

No one really cares about their disney or muppet stuff anyways.
[/b]

Wrong. :lol

I don't know about the Disney line but Kermit is doing better than they anticipated.

While I'm disapointed, I don't blame them about the BSG License, The Mount already screwed them on the TOS Communicator. :unsure

 

[Grouch]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SFPROPS @ Jan 15 2007, 12:26 PM) [snapback]1397811[/snapback]</div>

No one cares about their Disney or Muppet stuff?

Wuh? :eek


[/b]

Well SW is like 90% of their business. There just isn't the market right now for other brands. What's MR really going to do in 2 or 3 more years when everything note worthy in SW has been made? They will either have to find new big brands or scale back their operations.

 

[lonepigeon]

With Art Asylum and Qmx already putting out Battlestar product MR is just a little too late in the game to make it work. I'm not surprised they cancelled it.
There's not that much product to make from the show - What, a single gun and maybe 4 scale ships? with 2 other companies already doing scaled ships.
I doubt TOS is worth the effort for MR, it's the new series that is big right now.

The people on this board are not exactly the target market for most of the Disney and Muppets lines. I'm sure those lines are doing quite well. Besides, PotC is a Disney franchise although maybe it doesn't fall under the same license as the cartoon stuff.

 

[SFPROPS]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Grouch @ Jan 15 2007, 03:45 PM) [snapback]1397826[/snapback]</div>

Well SW is like 90% of their business. There just isn't the market right now for other brands.[/b]

There isn't? Like it was said...the Muppet stuff has been a big hit for MR. I'd be wlling to bet that they'll eventually sell more Muppet product than they'd ever sell of BSG. There's actualy a MUCH bigger market for Muppet collectibles than BSG as well. BSG is at best a very high quality niche program. The Muppets have a much more diverse target market IMO.

What's MR really going to do in 2 or 3 more years when everything note worthy in SW has been made? They will either have to find new big brands or scale back their operations.
[/b]

A. You know that there's a ton of SW product in the pipeline from LFL? Also, a new Indiana Jones movie as well?

B. There are always movies and TV shows being made. Qmx would pretty much only have a classic Universal monsters line if it weren't for a couple of fairly new succesfull properties that have been developed just over the past couple of years. There's plenty of room for new product lines.

 

[tripoli]

You have to look at the demand aspect of the market as well. There are only so many fan dollars to spread out for the manufacturers. Just because someone can produce something does not mean more new customers with monies will suddenly come forward. There is only so much the producers can pull from the market and given the competition is getting larger and heating up, its no surprise you would see this happen. In fact I would not be surprised down the road if the market cannot bear what is available and you start to really see quality drive the market for the consumer. Its a good thing to see.
Give the QC issues MR is already facing, it would not be smart for them to push the envelope at this time, especially with the merger. They need to get their act together before they compete more head on with others.
MR's disney license is a super franchise to have as well other coporate lincense they have aquired with the merger. They can afford to be a bit choosey and I would not be surprised to see other franchises pop up on availability from MR.

 

[CessnaDriver]

You would think a dang Raiders fertility idol would be a bang up easy one to do along with the headpiece.
Why hasn't that happened yet?
And they could be quite affordable.
Also I think some less expensive studio scale models would be nice after all these $700+ and $2K+ stuff lately. I mean yeah, they got my number on some of that stuff. But honestly how about a smaller scale Falcon? Or a Trek TOS or Next Gen era shuttlecraft?

 

[Wolvster1]

Ok, I'm REALLY puzzled by one thing
about this announcment. I could have
SWORN someone posted a link some time ago that
showed a TOS CENTURION HELMET that "was" going
to be release by MR ? :confused

Now, am I remembering incorrectly ?
Was that anohter company ? :confused

 

[ortiz34]

I dont believe the market is very big for BSG.
That said, I think it is probably bigger than for this junk:
-Tia Dalma necklace
-Stargate SG-1 watch

what is this crud?
whats next , are they are gonna turn into the noble colleciton and offer 1000- different paperweights?

 

[GeneralMayhem]

I was looking forward to reasonably priced Galactica helmets as well.

 

[BigDumbWookiee]

Im anxious to hear if this affects QMx's license in any way. Steve mentioned their vehicles have to be in diorama styles, it'd be welcome news if that's not the case anymore.

I hope someone makes a 1:1 viper pilot helmet...