September 16, 2008 - Installment #3

Hello again Funk-E!  We know that you are one busy Funkster over there at Mattel and we’re so glad you were willing to take a little time to answer more of our questions!  We’ve got a BUNCH this time around, so onward we go...

Questions:

1) With the continued releases and the addition of all this tie-in merchandise, we have to wonder how the team there feels about the success of the U.B.Funkeys game so far. Can you comment on that and let us know what the general reaction has been at the trade shows like SDCC?

Funk-E Says: We are absolutely ecstatic with the success of Funkeys so far, and the great reactions that we get at trade shows and in the press. More importantly then the trade shows and press though are the reactions that we are getting from you, the fans! We feel that this is only the tip of the iceberg, and we are hard at work trying to achieve the potential that we feel these little guys have.

2) We recently saw the Hidden Realm Funkeys in images that came from the SDCC. Is this to be the next regular Funkeys series (series 4) and will it be just the four characters we saw like with the Funkiki Series?

Funk-E Says: Hidden Realm is the next set of figures that will be released, but we have a few things in store before that as well as some really exciting stuff that will launch at the same time as the Hidden Realm. Hidden Realm will be the 4 figures that you have seen: Yang, Bomble, Raj and Singe. In addition, a new deco for U.B. will be created for the Hidden Realm starter set!

3) We also saw the images of the DC Heroes; Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Batman Funkey, Flash, and Aquaman. We can only assume is the second licensed series, so can you fill us in at all on what they official name will be, and what order we can expect to see them released?

Funk-E Says: We’ve got to keep some surprises now don’t we? Is this something your readers would like to see from us? As soon as we can tell you more on this, we will.

4) With Dream State we got Chat and will soon have Multi-Player features. Are there any additional features we can expect to see added to the game with these coming releases?

Funk-E Says: Absolutely! A new feature is coming prior to the Hidden Realm launch, as well as some really cool features that will be included in the Hidden Realm. Now you wouldn’t want me to ruin the surprise now would you, but it is safe to say that we have incorporated some of the suggestions from the fans!

5) Regarding the Adventure Packs we’ve learned about recently, will the Funkeytown pack also be a Target exclusive and can you tell us anything about how they will be played in the game?

Funk-E Says: While the Funkiki pack is a Target exclusive, the Funkeystown pack will be a Kmart exclusive....regarding their powers and abilities, it is safe to say that they are appropriate to the characters themselves...now we just hope that you guys don’t use those henchmen to steal any coins form the innocent Funkeys ;)

6) With so many things we’re all drooling over right now, could you lay out a general time frame for the release of the following? Funkeystown Adventure Pack, Funkiki Adventure pack, Funkeys Plushies, Multiplayer Dream State Funkeys, Hidden Realm, and the DC Series?

Funk E: I can’t give you exact dates, but I can give you a general idea: Multiplayer Funkeys should start showing up on the shelves now, followed by the Funkiki Pack, Funkeystown pack, in the next few weeks or so. The “plushies” are hitting select shelves in the next few weeks. Hidden Realm will be on shelves in Jan, and DC....well, we said we have to keep some secrets – right?

7) There is a constant stream of questions regarding release dates in other countries (New Zealand, the UK, Canada, etc...) for the series we already have available in the US. Is there a general delay period that they could count on or is it a more random thing?

Funk-E Says: It’s more of a shipping, translation, and logistics issue. English speaking markets are on the same software and shipping schedules as the US Market, but alas, we have yet to develop a system of portals to get stuff on the shelves as quick as we would like...if only Dr. Tinker were here!

8) Dot was an Exclusive offer at the SDCC and has become a hot item. Can you comment at all on when and where we might see the other two color variations of Dot?

Funk E: While I can’t comment on un-announced future product, fear not as everyone will be able to experience Dot’s game in another way with some of the surprises that we have in store!

9) We’ve all heard that Mattel is going to be selling a limited amount of the SDCC Dot figures online. Can you tell us when we could expect that to happen?

Funk-E Says: I haven’t got word on when or if Dot will be available at the Matty Collector Site, but I can say that 50 dot figures will be given away at the Funkeys custom art show on the 26th in LA!

10) There has also been some speculation about Mattel selling some of the other Funkeys on the website such as the left-over Speed Racer figures or even regular Funkeys. Is that in the plan or will it be strictly exclusive items?

Funk-E Says: There are no current plans to do what you describe.

11) Are there any other shows that U.B.Funkeys will be represented at in the known future?

Funk-E Says: You never know where Funkeys could pop up, but it’s safe to say that we will definitely be at all the shows that are appropriate! The next one on the books, as I mentioned, is the Munkey King Art Show. If anyone is in the LA area, I highly recommend you come by and check it out.

12) Will Bandit or Tach be released any time soon, possibly as exclusive Funkeys like Dot?

Funk-E Says: I can’t comment on un-announced future product, but obviously there is a possibility since they have already been shown on packaging. Stay tuned!

13) Why do some stores have a few items and others are stuffed full of them? Are there plans to add to some of the stores to even things out a bit?

Funk-E Says: Yes, we are working with the stores to help with the constancy of what you see on in-stores. In fact we did some of this with the release of Dream State. But some of this is different demand for different figures around the country. Hopefully as we go into 2009 we will have a better shelf presence than what you see now.

Thoughts from the TSE staff: LOL.. I guess reading through that question again, we should have been more clear... :) The fans were actually askign about the stores in Terrapinia. We'll have to catch that question again on the next installment, but Funk-E's answer was interesting nontheless...

14) It’s been tough for many of us to hear that we will likely never see a Taejo Funkey. If the DVD doesn’t cause a resurgence in toy sales, and Taejo (as well as the other Speed Racer) are forever lost to us, could you re-work the game so that the other Speed Racer Funkeys can enter those two game rooms and play the games, like in Funkeystown with Mask Mayhem and Funkjong?

Funk-E Says: That’s an interesting idea! No promises, but we will keep your suggestion in mind.

15) Many of us have been buying up the various UB hubs as they come out. Do you have any plans to make the game recognize which one we are using and show UB in the game as the hub we are using?

Funk-E Says: We don’t have any plans at this time to make the game recognize the different Hubs, but may do this in the future. However, due to the circuitry inside the existing hubs, this type feature couldn’t be implemented retroactively.

16) The chat feature has been embraced by the fans, but at the same time has been seen as very limiting.

• Some have asked that it be opened up so that parents can choose whether their kids use the canned messages or whether they (or the parents/adults themselves) can type their own messages. Obviously there would need to be filters to eliminate undesired words and making it so those with “open chat” abilities can’t chat with those set to “closed chat” and vice versa, but do you see this as a possibility?

Funk-E Says: This is a possibility that has been discussed, and could potentially be added in the future, if the demand for this feature is high enough. As we add new features we want to make sure that we are targeting our development to give the users the experiences that they want, while being mindful of parent’s concerns.

• Others have asked about expanding the chat system to allow the giving or trading of items from our cribs, similar to the ability given to users of Webkinz.

Funk-E Says: Gifting as a feature has also been discussed, and could potentially be added in the future...

17) And speaking of the Chat Funkeys, many of us have fallen in love with the new look. Will there be future Chat Funkeys released? Also, will there be more alternate head designs seen down the road?

Funk-E Says: Alternate heads for alternate functions.....how interesting. I can neither confirm (wink) nor deny whether this is in the works ;)

18) Will you eventually add additional Funkeys to other zones, similar to how Drift, Waggs, and Dot were added to Funkeystown? There are currently 7 games for a gem shard opportunity in Funkeystown, but only 4 in each other original zone.

Funk-E Says: This is definitely one of the possible plans, but let me turn this back on you....would you prefer to have new Funkeys for some of the existing lands, or only have them added to new lands?

Thoughts from the TSE staff: So what do you all think? Would you WANT to have future series add new lands as well as further populate some of the existing lands or would you prefer that all new Funkeys be devoted to new lands? The example we have of a series that populates both new and old is Dream State. Drift and Waggs were part of the Dream State series, but they helped expand on Funkeystown instead of being in Daydream Oasis or Nightmare Rift. You can discuss your thoughts here...

19) Will we ever be able to change our crib names? Many have complained that they name them according the theme they create, only to change the look later and be stuck with the name they originally used.

Funk-E Says: Also a great suggestion. I’ll check into the feasibility of this!

20) When can we expect to see the Funkeys apparel we heard about? Will the apparel line be exclusive to one store chain?

Funk-E Says: It’s in the works, and although I can’t definitively say where they will be offered, it will be a ...er...targeted approach starting this fall and 2009.

21) What does U.B. in U.B.Funkeys mean?

Funk-E Says: What does it mean to U? Do you be Funkey?

22) There has been an ongoing glitch that gets reported in the forums every once in a while. Someone will be playing a game and win the shard when they don't have the trophy yet. Unfortunately, those who have reported it have not been also to go on to get a trophy. Is this a known bug and will it get fixed?

Funk-E Says: This isn’t actually a bug. You earn Trophies by achieving high-scores, while you achieve the gem shards by earning the respect of each of the Funkeys tribes for your game playing abilities. You earn the respect by playing, not winning, because the activity of playing the game itself is more important then the scores you achieve.

Suggestions:

The suggestions have been POURING in recently, so here they are after sifting through, merging, and eliminating duplicates...

1) Monorail system

Funkeystown is getting EXTREMELY and I mean EXTREMELY Crowded with buildings. The developers appear to be placing things ANY and EVERYWHERE without the consideration and flow of the original game. Example Dots Haven, Drifts Haven etc.
Since there is a monorail can that be used to possible expand Funkeystown and make it more like a Major city. A North, South, West and East. You have it it as a component of the game why not just add extra station. The portals seem to be used to go Great Distances. So why not make the Monorail to go shorter distance. Use it for more than just going to Cribs. It will increase the city like feel of the game if Funkey Central Station can be used to help de-clutter Funkeystown. Hope you take this into Great consideration for it will be a beautiful addition to the Game

Expanded on here...

You can still have a city center like most cities. Even in Europe and some USA cities there are Penn Stations or Grand Central Stations which serve as the root to the public transportation centers. Here in Atlanta we have Five Points which is the center of our Public Transportation center. It is the center from which the northwest, northeast, west, east and south all connect. I would love to see stations for just getting around Funkeystown. Even if you can expand other portals to have a Grand Central Station, it would be a beautiful new way to do construction to expand.

2) Funkeys Bank

I got one, what about a Funkeys bank where you can deposit your money and get interest. People who forget to put it in there bank will lose money cause of the henchmen

Expanded on...

I like the idea of a bank. That would be a good way to teach younger kids about money. It is something very much needed in our society. People should teach their children about credit and money at an early age.

3) Expanding the Cribs

With all the new Funkeys coming out, and many more in the future, it is getting real hard to "display" all the things we have collected. I think Mattel should think about adding additional rooms to your crib. They added the garage for Speedracer, how about adding more so that you can decorate with all your winnings. It would be nice to have a room maybe for each area (ex. funkiki island, kelpy basin etc.). You could then have a room with the theme of each area.

Expanded...

What about having a garden for our cribs? I don't really see much point of having hammocks etc. inside without there being any sun. Oh and you have to buy a lawn-mower to cut the grass and if you leave it for a while it gets very overgrown.

Expanded more...

Will we be able to have a cleaning station in our crib???

Expanded AGAIN...

Since so much of the game provides different type of plants to purchase what about a small back yard where people could plant the plants they buy for a garden. Another member had an idea about adding a basement for extra storage, a Bathroom (to put the toilet cause it is kind of unsanitary to think of having a bathroom in the living room), and upstairs for additional rooms like a bedroom separate from the one room we have already.

To make this happen there should be a Funkey that is great at Construction like Drift if good at building mechanical things. A certain number of coins can be paid to this funkey in order to be able to buy the extra rooms. 5,000 or 10,000 or 20,000. Hiring Sprout or Vlurp to plant. Your collection of plants that we buy as decoration for our cribs.

Expanded some more...

Why not let you organize the things you've won or bought so that items from each game and region stay together? For instance, all of Ptep's things stay together in each of the categories no matter when you get them. That makes it easier to find them and to know if you've already bought one of the items. Also, all of the fish would group together from Funkiki Island fishing and all the weird bugs/worms from Nightmare Rift fishing.

Are you sensing a theme of crib expansion?

Add a kitchen with cabinets, add a grocery store with items you can buy, add appliances to the electronics stores. My kids love to shop and they think this would be great as do I. Push the cart down the aisle, pick out lobster from the tank, get in line to refill water jugs, etc.

4) Commerce

Add the ability to sell the items that you have. Maybe you can add a newspaper and we could hold a garage sale. How about a FunkBay online to post and sell items at discounted rates?

Expanded...

Like another person said I agree I really want FunkBay to sell stuff. It would bring it to a whole new level!

Expanded more...

We thought of the grocery store more as being the game for those Funkeys, Sir Lobst R, Mr. Meatball and Lil' Cupcake. We thought the game could be racing with a cart down the aisles looking for clues that solve increasingly hard riddles. Get far enough and have a high enough score and you could win "the big cheese". Then the actual store could have ever-changing products like, cat food, dog food, cakes, milk, etc. As for the cabinets, we don't mean for them to open, but you can click on them and as with the other items you purchase the list pops up from a display at the bottom of the screen.

As for the selling of items, you could place them (in the same fashion as moving an email, you could pick the items to "go to the thrift store") in a "thrift store" as someone else suggested and after a period of time you could come back and the store would give you 25% or whatever of the original cost of the item and the item would no longer be on your lists of items. It is getting cumbersome with so many items and then with the new stuff you just have to buy more and there just isn't enough room (please let us add rooms to our cribs). Thanks!

5) Time

I'm not really sure how to phrase this, but I think it would be neat to see different times of day in the Funkeyverse, also different weather and/or different seasons. Also would like to see random Funkeys

Expanded...

You beat me to my suggestion. It would be very nice to have Time in Funkeystown like in some other virtual games. It seems kind of unnatural for it to be daylight all the time in anyplace except the Laputta Portal. That I can understand cause space is a massive vacuum and void. But it would be nice if the server is in another country then set it for that particular time zone. I know it would be very complicated to have everyone have it to cater to the time zone they are in on the planet but to have it where there is a times of day and night would be a beautiful thing. To be able to see the sun rise and fall and stars in the sky would be so unbelievable it will take Funkeystown into a whole new direction

6) Different difficulty levels within games.

Example: Easy, Novice, Expert, Super Funk-E (for the masters). This would be great for keeping older kids and adults attention while waiting for new series.

7) Miscellaneous ideas...

Having a clock in the sidebar would be a nice addition, especially when the game is on full screen.

Being able to drive the cars you can purchase/win in the game-player's view would be a bird’s eye view of the vehicle. Players would use coins to purchase fuel.

Will you make a model toy of like let’s say Funkiki Island it has everything most like a play set where you can play in it and put your Funkeys in it.

Doing things (riding a skateboard, playing an instrument, talking to each other, walking together) instead of hurrying around on their own.

Coins converter to get coconuts.

A member’s daughter, all of five wants a beauty parlor so she can have her Funkeys’ hair and nails done.

Funkeys collector cases so we can store or display all of our Funkeys.

Thanks again for sharing a little time with us. As you can tell, the fan base is bubbling forth with questions and suggestions! Please feel free to shout out to the Funkey Fans and let us all know anything else that’s on your mind and would like the fan base to know...

Thoughts from the TSE staff: Funk-E really wanted to get a chance to comment on some of these suggestions but for the sake of time in getting these answers back to you all, the decision was made to go with it "as is". Hopefully we can get some feedback from Funk-E on the next installment... :)

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