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Post by turricanster on Dec 14, 2023 21:39:05 GMT
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Post by andibcool on Dec 15, 2023 0:17:43 GMT
And not to hard to develop, they look like they where take from a gameboy game.
Mega Unboxed is so slow, really a pain in the *ss.
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Post by lokisveil on Dec 19, 2023 0:40:31 GMT
And not to hard to develop, they look like they where take from a gameboy game. Mega Unboxed is so slow, really a pain in the *ss. It is if the site partially broke or something. |
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Post by andibcool on Dec 20, 2023 14:45:08 GMT
And not to hard to develop, they look like they where take from a gameboy game. Mega Unboxed is so slow, really a pain in the *ss. It is if the site partially broke or something. Yes basicly it is as there is a lot of traffic, but i guess the used scripts or something is causing a huge delay. Totally anoying, sometimes i only want to look up the part size and i takes ages and sometimes its not showing anything. Must be so hard to provide a good server for the customers. |
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Post by lokisveil on Dec 20, 2023 20:43:34 GMT
...Must be so hard to provide a good server for the customers. No idea why but their website seems to get worse and worse with every iteration. The design always get crappier as far as I am concerned. |
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Post by The Hegemon on Dec 22, 2023 1:03:02 GMT
That is indeed baffling. I've wracked my brain over this for years, and I simply can't see an upside to making it more difficult for customers to find information about your brand.
There is literally no reason why they shouldn't have a complete searchable archive of all sets back to the beginning. Even if they don't provide instructions for all of them, it would be amazing to be able to review the brand's long history and evolution.
Instead, you have to search the entire internet to find twice-told tales about upcoming sets, and then when you think you have them all, years later you stumble upon a hitherto unknown set on eBay.
I can think of another brick-based toy that takes great pride in its history and brand longevity. But why the heck would you want to follow a proven path?
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Post by oldboltyneck on Dec 22, 2023 14:08:05 GMT
That is indeed baffling. I've wracked my brain over this for years, and I simply can't see an upside to making it more difficult for customers to find information about your brand. There is literally no reason why they shouldn't have a complete searchable archive of all sets back to the beginning. Even if they don't provide instructions for all of them, it would be amazing to be able to review the brand's long history and evolution. Instead, you have to search the entire internet to find twice-told tales about upcoming sets, and then when you think you have them all, years later you stumble upon a hitherto unknown set on eBay. I can think of another brick-based toy that takes great pride in its history and brand longevity. But why the heck would you want to follow a proven path? While I too would love for Mega to assist us collectors and customers by overhauling and adding further information to Unboxed (and bringing back the gallery, at that!), none of that comes cheap. So I'm not really baffled that we aren't seeing Mega assign resources to that stuff. In the business world of today, everything is about the all-important bottom line, and I don't see how the labor costs of updating/maintaining their site would translate to selling these mosaic sets, for instance. After all, what's the best case scenario if the Unboxed site were to get (let's say) a slick new virtual museum of Mag Warriors for us all to enjoy? What would that investment buy them? I'd love for Mega to stoke up renewed interest in their back catalog, but that would just stir up demand on the secondary market. Sellers on eBay would benefit from that, not Mega. Because Mega will never put out new Mag Warriors toys to cash in on that potential new interest. At this point, you might be thinking: "But that would be great, if they successfully fan the flames of their own past properties, that could lead to those old sets getting resurrected!" Not going to happen: the money's not in those niche interests. Recognizable characters like Pikachu drive sales now, and that's what Mattel will invest in, to maximize sales. Now, yes, it is true that the Danish company invests resources in their web archive. Of course they do: they ARE a big IP, and Mega isn't. I don't think they're trying to be. Mega even changed its own brand name to something nondescript in order to -- I believe -- let the big mainstream names on the packages (Halo, Pokemon, The Witcher, Hot Wheels) attract customers, since the Mega Construx identity wasn't doing that. So, it's apples and oranges to expect Mega to go the extra mile that Lego's going. Mega seems to me to have a "Here's an XBox 360 construction set (*whispering: it's made by Mega*), come get yours!" sort of approach to sales, whereas Lego is out and proud, letting the Lego name be at least as important to selling their products as the Star Wars name (or whatever) is.
I'm not saying this to critique the corporate mindset, just sharing what I think that mindset is. Mattel gave the "Mega Construx" brand a good five-year trial run, but despite their efforts across that time, your average American consumer just does not know it exists, or that any construction toy other than Lego exists. So, I believe the chapter of Mega's story that they're at now is "let's just ride on Pokemon's success," for good or bad. It could be that another chapter comes after this, that involves Mega making its presence in the marketplace more important. But for now, not so much, unfortunately for those of us whom it actually matters to.
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Post by The Hegemon on Dec 22, 2023 15:51:04 GMT
Wow. That's an infuriatingly logical analysis! It suggests--quite simply--that Mattel's strategy isn't what I wish it would be. I've wanted Mega (and Mega Construx, and Mega Bloks, and Ritvik) to be legacy brands that embrace and build upon their history, but you've probably hit the nail on the head, that Mattel is looking for a sales vehicle, and the past is just that.
Now that I think of it, mine is a rather old-fashioned way of engaging with the hobby, at least relative to current market trends. This history and the evolution enrich the brand for me, but if that doesn't put dollars on the table then I guess Mattel doesn't really care. Or at least they make the history a much lower priority.
And you're probably right about de-emphasizing the "Mega" brand name in favor of the licensed names. I thought that was a disastrous move, but that's only true if Mattel was aiming for what I thought they were aiming for, and it becomes increasingly clear that they were not.
Having said all of that, I wonder how their sales are doing overall. What I've perceived as a stagnation of the Mega line might actually be viewed by Mattel as a small but satisfactory enhancement to their other properties.
Still, I think they could do better at capitalizing on those brands, so maybe that's something for me to hope for.
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Post by lokisveil on Dec 23, 2023 12:51:22 GMT
I know I have tried to reach out to get more in formation only to listen to the echo of my own questions sadly.
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Post by andibcool on Dec 23, 2023 15:40:55 GMT
Ah well, i dont mind the old stuff much, because we did not have it here, so i dont miss anything.
I have the bricker site for old stuff and that is quite amasing, sadly it dont get any updates.
What i can see is, Mega/ mattel print in the instructions visit Mega unboxed for digital instructions but sometimes the site does not even open or takes ages. I mean 10-20 mins after i clicked on somthing, getting timeouts and server errors? Even if i spam the links it only helps very little.
Not to mention a lot stuff is missing and late.
I dont see me wasting a lot time get some new instructions or even information or Set sale descriptions.
It takes actually enough time doin screenshots or get the images out of the instructions, edit and cut out to make some videos.
Other ppl might write some script or create bots that download the instruction and make videos from and upload them without need to do anything.
Well i only want that i can browse and download the instructions and getting s afew informations. Thats not possible. Mega / Mattel did delete all the Mega Bloks and Mega construx Homepages with information to the kits. I can only go to the Mattel support site to get that from older kits.
Its the 2nd larges Toy company in the world and not able to provide customer support.
I cant even order missing parts since months.
Yes and lately i have a lot issues with missing or wrong parts. I had a whole hot Wheels Pontiac Firebird kit with missing and double bags, My Mod Rod from mattel Creations missing a part because a wrong one was placed inside. I cant get another Mod Rod here. Actually i build the Snake Mountain from masters and i have already 5 missing or wrong parts and im not even half done. I could compensate it with altering the build and parts from other bags that where extra.
Dont know if i will continiue support Mega with purchases, when i get so much trouble later on or expenses because i have to import at double costs or more.
I really love the builds, the figures, but as a customer i get treated like sh*t.
They want premium prices lately but cant deliver the quality and support.
321$ ( for me 360€ there) for Snake Mountain at creations? Pll wont buy it for that. I bought my 1st one at 200€ when it came out and yesterday a 2nd one for only 140€. Castle Grayskull 330€? what do they smoke? I bought my 1st one at 220€, my 2nd at 170€, my 3rd and 4th at 140€. It was down here at only 79€ at Black friday. The Tesla Cybertruck was down to 50€ because no one did buy it.
No one will pay high prices Mattel wants and if they did in the past not anymore. Prices drop fast at least 1 year later you get the stuff cheap and if its not sold by then it drops even more down.
Big toy companys only have a few kits from mega, mostly pokemon the other stuff only if they can get it cheap from Mattel because of warehouse clearence.
Its basicly a Mattel issue all that stuff. Im sure Mega does some amazing sets, but get ruined by Mattel.
Thats the pitty and shame, Mega could be way better if things would run better, prices where lower at the beginning and a lot more customer care.
I dont see that changing anytime soon, because Mattel has thease issues for decades already and its getting more worse as time is goin on.
When Mega stops the Masters line, i will stop buying Mega sets, maybe i will buy a few Hot Wheels sets or some new theme, but most fun gets lost with the Mattel issues.
I cant see me spending a lot money on kits without beeing able to order missing parts. Thats the absolute minimum a company that sells building bricks has to have.
I spend so much money in the past few years, and i love that figures and the builds but Mattel/ Mega anoys me so much with this complete mess Mattel creates i change from a big fan to almost a hater.
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