I saw on Insta where someone was defending Mattel against people criticizing the Extras line as being copies of LOL OMG dolls...
And like tbh I don't care, big companies are not our friends, and both companies follow similar trends, but nearly every piece of "evidence" they had didn't really go in Mattel's favor?
Like their biggest sticking point was that "new doll lines take time" which is true, but in the case of Barbie, aside from designing deco, hair, fashions, and packaging, all of the more difficult aspects of Barbie already exist (primarily the head and body sculpts). The sculpted accessories would also be easy for a company like Mattel to produce quickly due to rapid prototyping (digital sculpting, 3D printing, modifying existing items) since they have more money to burn and are a much larger company than MGA.
They kept driving home the (unsupported) claim that the Barbie Extras line started being worked on a year ago, which is fine and may be true, but the first LOL OMG dolls hit in July 2019, five months prior the claimed start timeframe for the Extras line.
Also Mattel has a history of doing this?? Barbie and the Rockers (Jem Clone), MyScene (Bratz Clone), and debatably Wild Hearts Crew (possible Fresh Dolls clone) just to name a few. Of course Mattel isn't the only company who is guilty of this (MGA's Bratzillaz were Monster High clones).
Regardless in the long run, buy what you want to buy and haters are gonna hate.
If MGA releasing OMG LOLs forces Mattel's hand to produce better quality fashions and dolls, then that is a net positive for both consumers and the toy industry.
(Mattel and MGA are both pretty awful TBH, I'm still appalled at Larian's handling of the Studio Mucci drama and I'm tired of Mattel's shitty dollar-store quality products.)
