Haslab Projects General Discussion

[philtastic]

I saw this video on YouTube from the head of Valaverse, in which he mentioned that there would be no HasLabs in 2025. However, I couldn't find any information about this online.

Has this been stated openly by Hasbro?

The video is also of interest because he talks about how the licenses for DC, Marvel, and Star Wars are all expiring in 2025, and what that could entail for DC Multiverse, Marvel Legends, and Star Wars Black Series all possibly ending...

Video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qdt4s6ToFe8

[canprime]

Originally Posted by philtastic

I saw this video on YouTube from the head of Valaverse, in which he mentioned that there would be no HasLabs in 2025. However, I couldn't find any information about this online.

Has this been stated openly by Hasbro?

The video is also of interest because he talks about how the licenses for DC, Marvel, and Star Wars are all expiring in 2025, and what that could entail for DC Multiverse, Marvel Legends, and Star Wars Black Series all possibly ending...

Video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qdt4s6ToFe8

Take anything he says with a bucket of salt. The guy is a shit talker about anyone, or anything, not in his circle of concern.

The licenses are always going to end and come up for renewal/proposal. I watched the video and he even says you can look it all up on Google.

The reality is that Marvel and Star Wars are fairly big licenses and require a lot of capital to acquire and maintain. Not many companies can do that so it leaves the options pretty narrow for Disney. I would imagine that Hasbro will probably keep the main licenses and maybe work out a deal to have others produce product with sub-licenses. If allowed in the deal with Disney. Much like they seem to be doing with their own properties (GI Joe, Transformers, PR, etc.) Or Disney could go the DC route and piece out the license to smaller companies with specific regulations/age restrictions like DC did with Spinmaster (kids lines) and McFarlane (Collector lines).

Of course any company could get the licenses, and Hasbro might be willing to not go after the again. However I don't think the big licenses are in a really bad spot where there is no interest so it probably means Hasbro will have to try and keep them just to keep them out of competitors hands.

As for Haslabs, there is no indication that Hasbro is going to end the practice anytime soon. Yes some brands don't seem to be doing as well with the Haslab concept (ML/SW), but others like Joe, TF and GB so far seem to be doing fine.

Also Hasbro has the made-to-order preorder model that they started using with SW and now ML. So that way they can still try big ticket items without going through the hassle of crowdfunding and tiers, etc. etc.

So unless Hasbro explicitly comes out and says they are done with Haslabs don't believe what others say.

[philtastic]

Well, I certainly didn't know he wasn't a reliable source, so thanks for that.

Honestly, I thought much of what he was saying was a bit far-fetched. I certainly wouldn't bet on Hasbro losing their biggest licenses. That being said, Mattel did lose DC to McFarlane not too long ago, so…

[canprime]

Originally Posted by philtastic

Well, I certainly didn't know he wasn't a reliable source, so thanks for that.

Honestly, I thought much of what he was saying was a bit far-fetched. I certainly wouldn't bet on Hasbro losing their biggest licenses. That being said, Mattel did lose DC to McFarlane not too long ago, so?

Oh he knows his stuff, I don't mean to say he doesn't know a lot about the toy industry.

However he has a history of shit talking Hasbro and other companies he doesn't like. As well as former coworkers at Hasbro and fans who don't agree with him.

Lots of talk about how bad other designers are yet he of course has his own design/production issues. One of the big ones recently was his Vanguard vehicle. Lots of reviewers mentioned it was, at least, an oversight for the turret on top not to be able to move up and down, only sideways. A simple design that shouldn't have been that way. So either he missed it, or chose to go that route. Either way a bunch of reviewers called it out, and for a nearly $200US vehicle probably not acceptable.

Also he has made some questionable claims in recent memory. He mentioned he was working on getting a "big" license that he would mention soon. Then nothing for a while. Once he did make an announcement it turned out to be for the last movie by Jason David Frank (Green Ranger from MMPR). He said the other "big" license didn't happen.

Or the time he talked about working to get in with Walmart. He was either purposely vague, or who knows what. However he made it seem like he would be selling in Walmart. Turns out he just got in on Walmart's Marketplace as a seller which pretty much anyone can do.

So yeah he may know more about the toy industry than I'll ever know. However he also isn't above making dubious claims.

[canprime]

Ecto-1:

9,261 / 12,000 (+15) 77.18% of funding goal with 14d 17h left.

Still just crawling along. At least another week of this before it starts to trend up again at the end.

[canprime]

Ecto-1:

9,258 / 12,000 (-3) 77.15% of funding goal with 13d 17h left.

WHAT???!!??

I know through the course of a 24 hour period a Haslab can have ups and downs in the total number of backers. However it is pretty rare for a Haslab to lose backers after 24 hours when it isn't in trouble already.

The Ecto-1 isn't in trouble like say the Rancor, Reva's Lightsaber or the Engine Of Vengeance. It has been moving in the right direction the whole time. So it was a bit of a surprise to see this morning.

Now this is most likely just a blip and everything will be back on track tomorrow, but I am surprised.

[canprime]

Ecto-1:


9,281 / 12,000 (+23) 77.34% of funding goal with 12d 19h left.

Well back on track today. Whatever that was yesterday appears to have been just a blip, as expected.

[canprime]

Ecto-1:


9,308 / 12,000 (+27) 77.57% of funding goal with 11d 19h left.

Yep back on the slowly moving forward track. That day of negative backers seems to have been a blip.

[canprime]

Ecto-1:


9,356 / 12,000 (+48) 77.97% of funding goal with 10d 17h left.

[canprime]

Ecto-1:


9,368 / 12,000 (+12) 78.07% of funding goal with 9d 17h left.