June 2008 - Installment #1

Hello Funk-E, and thank you for agreeing to answer some questions for us, the Funkey community. We appreciate you taking some of your time and look forward to this as an ongoing series of communication between you and the fans. So let’s get started with the first round of questions!

1) Are the Series 1 Funkeys (and other series later on) ever going to be discontinued or “retired”?

Funk-E Says: All good things must come to an end, and as such there is probably a point in the very near future where we retire the first series, so get them all while you can. But rest assured, when we do officially retire a series, we will be sure to send them off with a party for all!

Thoughts from the TSE staff: We're pretty sure "some" people selling the Series 1 Funkeys on eBay and elsewhere will try to use this information to create a sense of urgency and sell their stock at higher prices. There is plenty of stock to go around (Canada JUST started getting theirs) so don't feel pressured in to paying outrageous prices!

2) Are there any plans to offer additional U.B.Funkeys merchandise in the future such as carrying cases, trading cards (with extra codes!), pure white Funkeys we can custom paint?

Funk-E Says: As a matter of fact, this coming holiday will bring a variety of toy and non-toy related items…although I can’t yet tell you what they are, I think you will be happy with the results.

3) Will Mattel/Radica be releasing non-playable side-character figures such as those seen at Toy Fair? If selling them through stores wouldn’t work what about as mail-in offers or Happy Meal Toy promotions?

Funk-E Says: I can’t really comment on future releases, but I think everyone would love to see other figures from the world released. Don’t you?? Without revealing too much, I can confirm that no models were created for the toy show that were only meant as display pieces

Thoughts from the TSE staff: The "toy show" referred to here was the NY Toy Fair from which images surfaced of figures such as Mayor Sayso, Master Lox, the Pineapple King and others. See the images here...

4) Are there any plans to get the international fans more equal access to the new releases such as in the U.K. and Australia? Those fans are currently waiting a lot longer than the US fans and in the age of the Internet and instant communication, it’s a painful process.

Funk-E Says: Trust me, we are trying to get all of our foreign funkey fans more aligned with the US schedule…although there are no borders in Terrapinia (only portals) the logistics of world wide distribution can cause certain lag times…we are working on improving this though!

5) Can you comment on any additional licensed brands that Mattel/Radica is considering for U.B.Funkeys if the Speed Racer series goes well?

Funk-E Says: As I mentioned, I can’t really discuss future product releases, but I can say that we choose which licenses to go forward with very carefully. It has to be a good fit for U.B. Funkeys, as well as the license. A lot of licenses are considered, and a lot of characters get mocked up, but only a few make the cut. The few, the proud, the funkey…

6) What is the recommended cleaning method to remove dirt/corrosion from electrical contacts and dirt/smudges from the Funkeys’ bodies?

Funk-E Says: Rubbing alcohol is recommended until we can figure out how to open some cleaning activities in the real world… those pesky Kooties have somehow managed to bridge the gap…it really is just a sign of affection ;)

7) Does Mattel/Radica plan to address the Windows Vista 64-bit driver issue?

Funk-E Says: Its in the works…I wouldn’t expect anything prior to this Holiday, but we are aware of it and looking into it.

8) Does Mattel/Radica plan to create Mac compatible software for the Funkeys?

Funk-E Says: It’s in the works as well, although the logistics are a bit more difficult…the more noise the community makes, the more this will become a priority….

9) Will Mattel be attending GenCon 2008 in Indianapolis in August to showcase the game and the newest Funkeys to be released?

Funk-E Says: Funkeys have a way of popping up in unexpected places, but no promises on this one. But we will be at Comic-con again this year. Come by and see what’s new.

Thoughts from the TSE staff: San Diego, CA is so far away! Pooooo!

10) We’ve also gathered a small list of “desires” that we as players would like to be considered for future updates. Any comments would be appreciated!

• Give us the ability to see what gem shards came from which games.
• Add the ability to return no-longer wanted items for coins or credit of some sort.
• Allow us to send gift items to other players similar to the Webkinz interface.
• Allow a player to see another player's trophies if they know the person’s crib name.
• Allow the Funkeys to interact with the objects in their cribs.

Funk-E Says: These are all great suggestions...some are easier then others, but all are great ideas…we are working on defining the features for the next series right now, and will definitely put all of these ideas on the table…We want to satisfy the “wants” of the community, so its always good to hear your thoughts…..the more we can bridge the gap with players and allow them to better communicate with each other, the richer the community will become….as always, stay Funkey!

Thoughts from the TSE staff: Overall, we think that this first round went very well and we're so glad that Funk-E is willing to help out and talk with us. If you want to add your questions or suggestions to the next installment, go here!

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