darkSpyro

Quote: GameMaster78

People can feel free to look at the left pane on any post, see GameMaster78 and skip the post. In the 5 years I've been posting here I didn't start really going on and on until all these mistakes started coming about. I'm not forcing anyone to read my opinions and anyone who's anyone is free to skip past my ranting tirades.

While I fully agree that folks should skip over your posts insead of feeling like they're being "forced" to read them (and, in fact, still feel we need an "official" thread to quarantine all these kinds of gripes in), you can't seriously be trying to say you have only "recently" started going on and on. You've been a broken record since Giants dude - and this is why, even when we agree with your opinion (and make no mistake, several of us *do* agree with the basic premise of many of your complaints) - even when we do agree, we still roll our eyes at *how* you go on and on.

Just like, I'm sure, there will be quite a few that, even though they agree with what I'm saying, will roll their eyes at the fact, yet again, UncleBob is ranting on dS. ;)

i read every posts GameMaster78 is doing, i find them very interesting and informative. so i appreciate his posts. but posts i skip and dont bother read at all is post done by bifrost.

Darn, my bait reaction pictures are all in my computer. I had one just for this occasion. Lemme find that link...Oh, here we go.

Can we close this? OP got the answer of that we don't know, and it became bickering and complainjng pretty quick. Could be me or someone se but eventually it'll be full on flaming.

Bifrost says wait for a reveal. What reveal? Huey didn't do one last year and release a figure at the same time, I doubt they do one this year.

Let's see. Activision not having a booth this year: check
Supposedly only way Acti games being shown are at the booths of Nintendo/MS/Sony, this no elaborate reveal: check

I mean what other avenues do they have? A reveal, yeah. They stopped doing that apparently last year.

Don't think they're holding Buzz Wing and Thrillipede for their non-reveal. I don't think they're releasing it at all here. Don't hate the player, though, hate the game. In this case, hate on those who give customers a reason to lack faith in their ability to get things on shelves.

I mean Acti has to know stores aren't ordering product. What are they doing to fix that? Nothing as you can see from the pic I posted above. Wasn't kidding when I said my stores here are bare if it isn't called Toys R Us. I doubt this franchise can stand up with one store carrying the goods.

I said wait, I mean wait. I don't care if there'll be one or not. I didn't say hope, ask for, argue if there might be or not. We don't know. OP's question was when it's coming out. We don't know.

Here, all spelled out for you.

And I'm telling people not to be in so much denial. I know peeps here love their precious Skylanders. Heck, I had such a love for it I was buying 4 of every figure and 256 swappers.

I was right about the Yawn Traps not releasing in North America. Who's to say I can't be right again based on past patterns and actions?

Peeps might think I'm trolling or derailing just because I'm not some puppet to follow the line of thinking as others, or agreeing with them. I'm not complaining because it's fun. I'm complaining as a customer who has poured a lot out to this brand and the only thing a lot of us get (meaning I'm not the only one) is lack of faith, brought on by their knack for not releasing all products in all territories.

If this brand can't handle business right, it should leave it up to the competition, who has displayed how well they can handle business.

Quote: Bifrost

OP's question was when it's coming out. We don't know.

I didn't say will come out, high chance of not, big chance of doing so. We don't know.

Quote: GameMaster78

And I'm telling people not to be in so much denial. I know peeps here love their precious Skylanders. Heck, I had such a love for it I was buying 4 of every figure and 256 swappers.

I was right about the Yawn Traps not releasing in North America. Who's to say I can't be right again based on past patterns and actions?

Peeps might think I'm trolling or derailing just because I'm not some puppet to follow the line of thinking as others, or agreeing with them. I'm not complaining because it's fun. I'm complaining as a customer who has poured a lot out to this brand and the only thing a lot of us get (meaning I'm not the only one) is lack of faith, brought on by their knack for not releasing all products in all territories.

If this brand can't handle business right, it should leave it up to the competition, who has displayed how well they can handle business.

lol. This is sooo close to exactly what I sent a friend in a text message yesterday. Amazing.

Gamemaster, I was at gamestop yesterday and took a picture of the Skylander stock. It's pretty good. Would you like to see a picture? You seem to act like every store has terrible stock.

Yeah, stock levels are pretty high at my nearby stores, I think that is the problem. My Target was well stocked on Sunday, but I would imagine levels have dropped some since they are practically giving away figures and vehicles this week with the sale + Cartwheel. I think they put everything out from the stock room to try and clear the things out.

I mean don't get me wrong. There will be some retailers that are well stocked, but I venture to guess they have more old waves than current waves.

What I'm getting at, is ALL stores seemingly stay stocked on the competition, regardless of state. If Acti cared so much, and this is a brand they want to see flourish, then they have to make sure ALL stores are stocked with current stock. That means all states and cities.

It just looks bad to the TTL customers when they go into stores to see a certain brand looking worse off than the competition. Acti needs to make sure all stores are up to date and current, even if that means getting rid of old stock to replace with new stock. I know for a fact our city/state has a rep whose goal is to make the Skylanders section look nice. As you can see, his job is obviously boring as he has no work since apparently the stores aren't ordering Skylanders. The shelves I showed was one Target store. It's been that empty looking since wave 2. So if people here think it's because they had too much old stock, how come they're not filling the shelves with old stock, just to give off the impression they have product? That's why I don't think it's a store ordering issue, but rather an issue of Acti not caring to keep all stores replenished, because Target obviously sold through all stock, yet they don't want to order new stock all the sudden, and keep their Skylanders section looking worse than a thrift stores shelves?

Quote: GameMaster78

What I'm getting at, is ALL stores seemingly stay stocked on the competition, regardless of state.

This statement is incorrect.

Well, this tread was a good reminder of why I've stopped coming here so often...

Exactly, Uncle Bob. Anecdotal evidence can always be used to come to our own, sometimessage biased opinion. Mine is much more positive, and I could use the evidence I see to support that. But in the end, each person approaches such information from their own bias. What I can say is this... I've seen stock and interest aplenty where I'm at. How does it compare to previous years? Not a clue because we've only been into Skylanders for about 10 and 1/2 months. But from what I've seen in that time, there's been little change in interest or stock turnover. The ones that have been out the longest are still on shelves, with a few exceptions, and the latest releases are the toughest to find, with a few exceptions.

Toys R Us genuninly cares about the Skylanders toys with their partnership and all, so I can see them being the ones to order Thrillipede and Buzz Wing if no one else does.

GM78, what you are saying is basically:

Store has a lot of Skylanders > Skylanders is not selling well
Store does not have a lot of Skylanders > Skylanders is not stocking anymore, it is dying

Store has a lot of Infinity/Dimensions > Stock is good, they are doing the right thing
Store does not have a lot of Infinity/Dimensions > They are selling well


We are not in denial, we know there are things that could be improved with the Skylanders franchise in general, but we stay optimistic because we genuinely enjoy the franchise and are looking forward to more. You are so negative toward the series right now that no matter how great the next game is, you won't be able to be satisfied.

I agree, stocking is such a poor judge of how well a franchise is doing - I just meant my experience is different from his. It's the crazy, clearance level sales that is far more telling for me. I think GM is just looking for something to fit with the way he feels about Skylanders right now. He isn't universally wrong, the franchise isn't doing well right now - but his motivations might be just that he wants an easy off-ramp and he knows that if it continues he will feel the need to keep collecting since he has invested so much thus far.

I'm personally done collecting after Thrillipede/Buzzwing - unless they really knock it out of the park with Sky 6. My son that likes them is reaching the point where he is getting a bit older and likes other games - that's my off ramp, I just cannot justify it if he isn't into it anymore.

It's really not, Def. We've been around this franchise since the beginning and I've never seen Skylanders go on sale as much as it has for Superchargers. That pic I posted above showing how empty one Target store is says a lot to me. Why don't they restock? It's looked like that since wave 2, minus Nitro Skimmer.

Some here point the finger at retailers, some - or at least myself - point the finger at Activision. Curious though. Why stay empty on stock for that long? Just doesn't seem logical from any standpoint, whether it's the fault of the retailer or Activision.

That's why I think it's Activisions doing. This particular Target used to be the best stocked Target for Skylanders since SSA. Infact, when I found my non working Nightfall, it was at this Target. It was always my clutch Target to find all the newest stuff, yet the only they've put on shelves is Nitro Skimmer, which I actually got from there. It's a Target in the richest part of our city. It's also the biggest Target in our city. Just don't see why they would say "oh hey let's keep this section empty." Maybe it isn't the retailers fault?

Maybe it's a highly complicated issue involving retailers, distributors, publishers, manufacturers, consumers, supply, demand, and logistics.

Trying to boil it down to one check mark in one box is short-sighted and shows a complete lack of understanding of how marketing a multi-billion dollar product actually works.

Quote: defpally

I agree, stocking is such a poor judge of how well a franchise is doing - I just meant my experience is different from his. It's the crazy, clearance level sales that is far more telling for me. I think GM is just looking for something to fit with the way he feels about Skylanders right now. He isn't universally wrong, the franchise isn't doing well right now - but his motivations might be just that he wants an easy off-ramp and he knows that if it continues he will feel the need to keep collecting since he has invested so much thus far.

I'm personally done collecting after Thrillipede/Buzzwing - unless they really knock it out of the park with Sky 6. My son that likes them is reaching the point where he is getting a bit older and likes other games - that's my off ramp, I just cannot justify it if he isn't into it anymore.

My son has already taken the off ramp, I was basically in it "solo" this year, although he did participate a bit (and my younger son loves the racing). I'll be in it "for me" for the sixth installment, but the marketing blunders have helped me kick the collecting habit. Which means I may likely enjoy the game more and spend less...sounds good to me. If they decide to knock my socks off, I'll re-invest...but they've been dialing it in for the last couple a bit more than I would've liked. "Show me" is my mantra.