Mattel - New for 2023

[Gwangi]

I would have preferred a Scutosaurus more loyal to the Kenner design but I really like this orange one too, and I'm happy to finally have the Mattel Scutosaurus in my collection. Never thought it was gonna happen. 

[Flaffy]

A @andrewsaurus rex To add to what @Gwangi said, the Scutosaurus that comes with the set is also based on another canceled Kenner figure, the Series 2 Scutosaurus.

http://www.jptoys.com/toy-database/jurassic-park/jurassic-park-series-2/prototypes/scutosaurus/index.htm

What the Mattel Scutosaurus could've and should've looked like. Was very disappointed when Mattel went the cheap route and skimped out on so much paint, when the Beyond the Gates concept artwork clearly showed that they had intended to replicate the Kenner colour scheme.

I've mentioned this several times before. Mattel keeps taking the blame when it's usually a retailer issue. Additional paint apps drive up the cost, which Target doesn't want to pay or try and sell a product for even more than that. They have a price in mind and want it stuck to. At least there are always artists here and elsewhere that can repaint it for us if we want to shell out the extra bucks.

The thing is, no one is forcing Mattel to make the '93 line a Target exclusive. And it's not like Mattel hasn't been skimping on paint for the main line either. Mattel seems really bad at allocating resources to things that actually matter, like a presentable paint job. But instead, they keep reinventing the wheel with unecessary changes e.g.
- Sticker to Plastic flip-out DNA tab, I can guarentee that the underfoot sticker is the far cheaper solution to an issue that didn't exist.
- Weird slider tabs instead of the tried-and-true buttons for the mid-sized electronic dinosaurs.

Both of which result in a far messier presentation with all the extra seamlines and cuts to the sculpt.

You know the version of the Scutosaurus actually put out by Kenner back in 1997? A much simpler paintjob. Not even the Dino Damage wound is properly painted.

I honestly wouldn't have minded a TLW 1997 Scutosaurus homage, would've been better for Mattel too if they really wanted to budget paint. Just an olive green base-plastic, brown spraypaint + white tusks and it'll be a perfect homage, no patterns required even. I'd personally rather they not do the prototype paint scheme at all if they were gonna settle for half-measures. Mattel could've easily gotten away with selling this as a standalone figure since demand for it is so high, especially among collectors who couldn't find the original release. That way Mattel wouldn't have to over-stretch the budget by packing it with the vehicle.

Point is Mattel needs to be realistic with what they can acheive especially with vehicle / dinosaur / human multipacks such as this. If the budget is so incredibly tight, then maybe don't go for the more extravegant colour scheme, and instead save it for a future release? (Honestly the prototype paint scheme is another standard 3-toned scheme to begin with, not nearly as complex as people make it out to be) I can't think of a better way to milk more sales from the same sculpt/mold by doing repaints, something Mattel is incredibly familiar with based on the hundreds of raptor repaints we've gotten already.

[Prehistory Resurrection]

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

A @andrewsaurus rex To add to what @Gwangi said, the Scutosaurus that comes with the set is also based on another canceled Kenner figure, the Series 2 Scutosaurus.

http://www.jptoys.com/toy-database/jurassic-park/jurassic-park-series-2/prototypes/scutosaurus/index.htm

What the Mattel Scutosaurus could've and should've looked like. Was very disappointed when Mattel went the cheap route and skimped out on so much paint, when the Beyond the Gates concept artwork clearly showed that they had intended to replicate the Kenner colour scheme.

I've mentioned this several times before. Mattel keeps taking the blame when it's usually a retailer issue. Additional paint apps drive up the cost, which Target doesn't want to pay or try and sell a product for even more than that. They have a price in mind and want it stuck to. At least there are always artists here and elsewhere that can repaint it for us if we want to shell out the extra bucks.

The thing is, no one is forcing Mattel to make the '93 line a Target exclusive. And it's not like Mattel hasn't been skimping on paint for the main line either. Mattel seems really bad at allocating resources to things that actually matter, like a presentable paint job. But instead, they keep reinventing the wheel with unecessary changes e.g.
- Sticker to Plastic flip-out DNA tab, I can guarentee that the underfoot sticker is the far cheaper solution to an issue that didn't exist.
- Weird slider tabs instead of the tried-and-true buttons for the mid-sized electronic dinosaurs.

Both of which result in a far messier presentation with all the extra seamlines and cuts to the sculpt.

You know the version of the Scutosaurus actually put out by Kenner back in 1997? A much simpler paintjob. Not even the Dino Damage wound is properly painted.

I honestly wouldn't have minded a TLW 1997 Scutosaurus homage, would've been better for Mattel too if they really wanted to budget paint. Just an olive green base-plastic, brown spraypaint + white tusks and it'll be a perfect homage, no patterns required even. I'd personally rather they not do the prototype paint scheme at all if they were gonna settle for half-measures. Mattel could've easily gotten away with selling this as a standalone figure since demand for it is so high, especially among collectors who couldn't find the original release. That way Mattel wouldn't have to over-stretch the budget by packing it with the vehicle.

Point is Mattel needs to be realistic with what they can acheive especially with vehicle / dinosaur / human multipacks such as this. If the budget is so incredibly tight, then maybe don't go for the more extravegant colour scheme, and instead save it for a future release? (Honestly the prototype paint scheme is another standard 3-toned scheme to begin with, not nearly as complex as people make it out to be) I can't think of a better way to milk more sales from the same sculpt/mold by doing repaints, something Mattel is incredibly familiar with based on the hundreds of raptor repaints we've gotten already.

From what I've read, Target forces them and other companies into exclusives. Basically " If we don't get exclusives we won't carry your line " .

a lot of the reinventing is due to kids just having short attention spans so they figure they need to make something new and fresh all the time. It could be about the game if people were opening figures to scan the codes, having these tabs easily accessible means no open packages.  People do weird things. I recall when the new Space Jam movie came out it was a game to pull all the heads off the Marvin the Martian figure to see how many you could get.. ugh.

Point is the artwork proves they wanted to do it but someone stopped them.

[GojiraGuy1954]

From what I've read, Target forces them and other companies into exclusives. Basically "If we don't get exclusives we won't carry your line."

And then when they actually get the exclusives they don't stock them

[Pachyrhinosaurus]

I agree-- the DNA tab is intrusive and unnecessary.

The official Jurassic Park Instagram page posted a look at some of the upcoming toys, including what looks like an alternative paint variant of the Hammond Collection Brachiosaurus:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CtR9tgYPK86/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

[Faelrin]

Best quality pic of the head sculpt so far. Looks pretty close to the Legacy one after all. Still not fully sure about the coloration, but likely the lighting is making it look weird (in the second pic, edit: very purple and pink, but in the first pic it looks brown and white like the legacy one)?

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

From what I've read, Target forces them and other companies into exclusives. Basically "If we don't get exclusives we won't carry your line."

And then when they actually get the exclusives they don't stock them

Not many and they are usually late doing so. Not even really worth preordering.

[Flaffy]

From what I've read, Target forces them and other companies into exclusives. Basically " If we don't get exclusives we won't carry your line " .

My point still stands that no one is forcing Mattel to make the 93' line a Target exclusive. They've already claimed and squandered the poor legacy collection line (which I've said all the way back in 2018 - BAD IDEA. Still havent forgiven them for cancelling the JP deco water-spitting Dilophosaurus). So why Mattel chose this special edition collectors line to be a retailer exclusive rather than seeing a wide(r) release is beyond me.

a lot of the reinventing is due to kids just having short attention spans so they figure they need to make something new and fresh all the time. It could be about the game if people were opening figures to scan the codes, having these tabs easily accessible means no open packages.  People do weird things. I recall when the new Space Jam movie came out it was a game to pull all the heads off the Marvin the Martian figure to see how many you could get.. ugh.

Kids have short attention spans these days thanks to short-form entertainment, but I wonder how applicable something like this is to a physical toy. Is it because the child is bored of the mechanism? Or is it more simply due to them being bored of the toy itself? I personally don't think children are particular about how their theropod-of-the-week opens its gaping maw; but what they do care about is if the mechanism functions as intended, and is easy/intuitive to play with. More moving parts = more parts to break (case study: Giganotosaurus). I don't understand why mattel management beleives that overcomplicating things is necessary, when children have been playing and imagining perfectly fine since the dawn of time.

Valid point on the codes, hadn't taken into account how idiotic some people act. All the more reason to ditch them entirely . I can almost guarentee that the app won't be around years down the line, but the toys certainly will.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

From what I've read, Target forces them and other companies into exclusives. Basically " If we don't get exclusives we won't carry your line " .

My point still stands that no one is forcing Mattel to make the 93' line a Target exclusive. They've already claimed and squandered the poor legacy collection line (which I've said all the way back in 2018 - BAD IDEA. Still havent forgiven them for cancelling the JP deco water-spitting Dilophosaurus). So why Mattel chose this special edition collectors line to be a retailer exclusive rather than seeing a wide(r) release is beyond me.

a lot of the reinventing is due to kids just having short attention spans so they figure they need to make something new and fresh all the time. It could be about the game if people were opening figures to scan the codes, having these tabs easily accessible means no open packages.  People do weird things. I recall when the new Space Jam movie came out it was a game to pull all the heads off the Marvin the Martian figure to see how many you could get.. ugh.

Kids have short attention spans these days thanks to short-form entertainment, but I wonder how applicable something like this is to a physical toy. Is it because the child is bored of the mechanism? Or is it more simply due to them being bored of the toy itself? I personally don't think children are particular about how their theropod-of-the-week opens its gaping maw; but what they do care about is if the mechanism functions as intended, and is easy/intuitive to play with. More moving parts = more parts to break (case study: Giganotosaurus). I don't understand why mattel management beleives that overcomplicating things is necessary, when children have been playing and imagining perfectly fine since the dawn of time.

Valid point on the codes, hadn't taken into account how idiotic some people act. All the more reason to ditch them entirely . I can almost guarentee that the app won't be around years down the line, but the toys certainly will.

Well as I pointed out Target is making them. Just like Walmart has the exclusive on the battle damage line in the U.S. at least. Target likely had some contract or point saying they get first dibs on an exclusive line since they picked up the Legacy line to start with. Mattel has tried to get things out from under Target, like the first JP3 Raptor they made that was supposed to be part of the Legacy line, Target didn't want it so they tried releasing it in different coloration at other retailers and no one really cared much.  Universal has also been a bit of a problem since the start, I recall them not caring about herbivores or wanting Mattel to bother with sauropods. They managed to get the brachi out there via Target 's Legacy line and it proved profitable after all. They made a repaint I think last year? Walmart could have ordered it then and I never saw it once in any walmart store, just Amazon. Mattel is a big company, money is the bottom line, but I do feel the artists care. One day we won't have this line to collect, it happens to all toys eventually.


I don't know. I've observed a lot of kids here and my own niece and nephew. They want toys, they get them, they play with it a few minutes, they put it down and watch tv or get on an iPad. I'm actually surprised the toy market hasn't taken more of a hit. The demographic seems to be up to around 10 years old, then you have older collectors, 25 and up. These are the guys I see searching Walmart's action figure and matchbox/hotwheel aisles.   The kids just want something new to do and then they go back to neutral on the phone or device. I took them for a couple night to Pigeon Forge, a local tourist area here.  We did gem mining, where they sift through buckets of sand with gems and fossils preloaded in. They spent 200.00 there. between that we did lunch, they sat on devices and barely ate their food. Then we did Magiquest where they ran around doing interactive quests. back in the car back on devices. Later we did an arcade they spent a lot of money trying to win tickets to get things I could go buy in the dollar stores. I think at one point they had a shark toy in the pool that lasted a good ten minutes of play. I paid 1.25 for it. Toy companies are really up against a wall and they are trying to stay fresh and new. How many times can a mom buy their kid a T-Rex that's pretty much the same as the last one? I've heard that plenty of times. But the kid plays with it in the car, a little bit at home and that's it. Devices offer more entertainment whether that's good or not.  When TRU went under and no new toy stores sprung up..that was a bit of a warning as to where things were going.

[Faelrin]

I've encountered what @Blade-of-the-Moon with my oldest (twin) nieces. They would play for a bit, but get bored and want to do something else pretty fast, and typically want the electronics a good part of the time. I don't know if things were different when I was a kid regarding attention spans, but I feel like they definitely are shorter then they used to be. I mean I don't know if its because I'm autistic or if things were genuinely different then, but I do recall playing with my toys for a quite a bit of time when I was a kid, typically on my own. I'm 32 year old millennial. When I was a kid, we didn't have the internet like we do now (dial up only or nothing lol), and phones were just starting to become things that fit into your pocket. It was either play with toys, play outside, watch tv/movies, or play video games (or board games). Kids today have way more options a good lot of the time (and I still had a bit more options then my father in his 60's did when he was growing up).

[andrewsaurus rex]

technology has caused children to have much shorter attention spans.  Almost everything happens instantly now, and that results in people (not just children) becoming bored quickly.

[Prehistory Resurrection]

[Flaffy]

Looks really nice, but Mattel could've easily fit a longer tail onto it. There's still so much space on the package.

[Prehistory Resurrection]

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Nice comparison of the new Camo Indominus with the older Devour one.  The figure itself looks pretty much perfect, until we get a HC one. It's kinda small though compared to the last version.

[Gwangi]

It's very tempting but I'm still going to hold out for an HC version. It has to happen.

[MLMjp]

I was looking forward to this, but that size decrease is a bit too much. I always thought the original figure was a bit oversized, but this new one is clearly undersized.

Seems like I will join the wait for the HC one...But I still want Spino and Giga before the I.rex.

[Prehistory Resurrection]

Habitat Defender Triceratops and Hammond Collection Brachiosaurus at the Tokyo Toy Fair.

[Prehistory Resurrection]