Seibertron is reporting all TFCC Club Memberships will end December 2016. People seem to be taking this as a sign that TFCC is closing.
TFW Thread on this.
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Seibertron is reporting all TFCC Club Memberships will end December 2016. People seem to be taking this as a sign that TFCC is closing.
TFW Thread on this.
Hmmmm, interesting
I haven't dealt with them before, is this good or bad?
A bit of both. Some great toys but their service, well it leaves a lot to be desired. And that's putting it mildly.Quote:
Originally Posted by UltimateGalvatron
You know you're doing something right when news of your clubs closure excites the fandom more than anything you ever did with the license you held :rolleyes:
I saw this and wondered if they were moving instead to a year by year membership. Primus knows they have trouble keeping things organised so if everyone's membership expired at the same time that in theory would be easier (if their system could cope!).
Still if it's on Seibertron, the official news site of the Club and hasn't been officially contradicted yet...
If they are closing as the fandom is speculating I hope Hasbro brings the club figures in house. Much as I like a bunch of their figures the QC issues (and price) really scare me off.
Yeah a lot of the fan forums are really positively excited on this news. Sure reflects how horribly they have ran the official fandom and cons.Quote:
Originally Posted by Trent
That's the telling thing isn't it... if it is posted on Seibertron as news and not taken down or corrected by the admin or their FunPub spokesman (Jesse), it does mean that something is definitely changing. (it's just typical of FunPub to stay silent when the fandom's rumour mode snowballs out of control)Quote:
Originally Posted by Paulbot
But I don't think the Club is closing at the end of 2016... because they are promoting their 2017 Subscription set in the next issue of the Magazine.
I agree with what Paulbot mentioned - that it is likely they are moving to a January-December membership cycle, to make it easier to track, as well as align the club comic to it (which would always be one issue out for their March membership drive/cutoff that a bulk of member would sign up to for the Membership toy). It might also be to give them more consistency with the membership fees, so that people aren't able to squeeze two BotCon discounts out of the one membership fee if you have an April/May convention after a June-September convention.
The drawback of this will be for those who transition and get less than 12 months membership in 2016 despite paying for the full 12 months (even if they get all the same things like the Membership toy and BotCon discount).
It would also make it difficult to encourage people to register between February to October (like at BotCon to get walk-ins to join), as people won't want to pay too far in advance of the next year's membership cycle.
Or... they could be dropping the membership element of the Club completely, and just be a Convention organiser and online store. After all, they can drop the magazine or have it as a paid subscription, and sell the Membership toys like their other exclusives, and business would actually continue as normal (with everything just having a single price instead of a non-members price that no one probably even pays anyway).
After the last few years of no members website or incentive to join if you aren't using it for a BotCon discount or access to a Club exclusive like the Subscription sets, the membership concept is a bit of a dead weight for FunPub, and it couldn't have been making them any money after 6 colour magazines and Deluxe toy (the various member discounts wouldn't be a loss to them as the non-member prices would have instead been a bonus).
For me and for other fans, I just hope this doesn't impact on BotCon, or see its demise, as it is still an iconic event... but a growing number of people are just preferring to sacrifice that experience to make sure FunPub don't get their money.
I was kinda surprised to see people on Seibertron being so openly against FunPub, as I would have imagined that six months of partnership would have seen them more embraced or tolerated.
I think it will be worth showing both Seibertron and TFW links to Hasbro and see what they think.
(I don't want to see them shut down if there is no viable and willing substitute, but if Hasbro can step in to improve operations by setting standards and targets for customer satisfaction & sales, we'd end up benefiting as fans.)
They've pretty much been that since the credit card shambles and their official forum dropped off the face of the internet, so I'd say this as the case. If it is to be so, they will just be another toy store, that do the botcon.Quote:
Originally Posted by griffin
Kinda sad, so much wasted opportunities. I would like Hasbro to step in and slap some customer satisfaction conditions on the terms of the license to be honest.
Wonder what their twitter feed says...? Oh probably nothing, I even have trouble finding it most of the time.
So basically they will now become Men In Black from the 1990s... and we saw how that turned out as an online store hosting a fan convention that flopped and making heaps of exclusive toys that they couldn't sell.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tetsuwan Convoy
I guess it's no surprise, as someone pointed out a few months back that their facebook banner lists themselves as a toyshop and collectables store.
Looks like I was wrong.... it is the end.
According to Pete's Facebook page, BotCon 2016 is basically going to be a farewell party to FunPub's Transformers elements.
(a screenshot on TFW in case Pete pulls that facebook posting)
Looks like I might have to make sure I go to BotCon next year... just in case there isn't another one for a while, or at all.
I really hope that Hasbro are planning ahead like they did during the collapse of 3H in 2004 (in which they approached Brian the week before the 2004 Official Convention, with the offer of taking on the license).
(I think I've said enough about FunPub in the past, and people here know what I think of them, so I won't be kicking them while they are down... I am more focussed on what next for us in terms of an officially sanctioned Convention and Hasbro fan-targetted toys, as FunPub was the only source of Hasbro exclusives that weren't released by Hasbro (like SDCC exclusives) - TakaraTomy still has Ehobby, Million Publishing and TakaraTomyMall for collector exclusives.)
TBH, are we all really that surprised? Hopefully the license is picked up by someone or maybe Hasbro actually do it themselves.
The recent comic ended the SG arc but introduced a few things
////////SPOILER ALERT/////////
(future exclusives?) a sg primus (Energon unicron colours), windblade (Prime arcee) and strongarm. It ended with a g2 megatron about to raid a new cybertron (some tf called gaea destroyed the sg primus and adopted the negative polarity and normal universe transformers)
Much as I dislike certain aspects of FunPub, I do feel bad for Pete. Seibertron have had him on their podcast a couple of times over the years and he comes across as a really great guy and massive Transformers fan.
Unlike yourself Griff, when their downfall is preceded by terrible customer service and basically a "How To" on running a fan club into the ground, I'm all for kicking them when they're down. That way you make sure they don't get back up again ;)
I wouldn't expect there to be any official convention after 2016. Hasbro will just do their panel at SDCC and that new mob will put on "expos" which are pretty different to conventions.
I f'ing love you man :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Trent
I'm planning a good ol' dance on their grave :cool:
Let's dance the robot
I was just thinking the same thing, It's just a bloody hassle getting there.Quote:
Originally Posted by griffin
Shouldn't be worse than this years. :rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by fatbot
Once in LA, there should domestic flights to Louisville as they have an "International" airport only 20kms away from the Hotel/Convention Centre... making it cheaper and easier once you get there.
I've got the days off on my roster, so I've looked into flights. roughly 23 hours in travel time, with waits of 3-4 hours at each airport. around $2000 for the 1 seat, add an extra $1000 for the 2nd seat for myself & it's not looking likely that I'll be able to go.Quote:
Originally Posted by griffin
This. So much this :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Trent
I for one hope that this means Hasbro will take over all exclusives and make them less expensive and easier for all fans to get.
Not much of a club for all of us when they alienated all non US fans with excessive over pricing and alienated all US fans with poor management and excessive pricing that while not as high as non US fan prices was still pretty damn high
And this is why I've never been to a Botcon, the cost is so high for us Aussies.Quote:
Originally Posted by fatbot
I think the end of FunPubs licence will be a big shake up. I expect BotCon and the exclusives will be vastly different if they continue to exist at all. Some things will be worse but hopefully better things can fill the void. Despite the nervousness of losing something i am glad this has happened as it seems that FunPub was ineffective at changing with the times. Their performance has been sub-par with no signs of improvement except for a increased release of exclusives (not that more = better).
There appeared to be no signs of a better TFCC with them at the helm but this news at least allows that possibility.
With people lambasting FunPub for their inept handling of everything each & every year, it would be a real shame for no more TFCC exclusives and BotCon beyond 2016, cos no individual(s) want to go through that.
If Hasbro take it on themselves, the comic book duties could fall to IDW with any exclusives being featured in normal issues of MTMTE and not-RID.