The state of our hobby
So you go away from the hobby for 6 to 9 months and look what happens!
When I last checked in on the state of our hobby, the state was pretty good! The JSI F-14 was coming out, All-Go toys was planning releases, and even BBI was supposed to be coming back to life.
What a difference a few months makes I suppose.
I completely missed out on the F-14 release, and the subsequent fiasco. From what I gather, this was called “Spotgate”, among other things, and revolved around the fact that the final paint job on the F-14 was more akin to a leopard than an actual Grumman? I never really got the whole story, but I know a great many people were disappointed with their expensive airplane. I’ll reserve my judgment till I actually see the thing up close. I know it was a dream-come-true for many 1:18 fans that the F-14 was going to be a reality at all, and it’s a little sad that things didn’t turn out to be all butterflies and rainbows.
The news that All-go is going ahead (sorry) with another P-51 repaint (boobies!) was also a bit of a disappointment to many people in our hobby. Sure, the P-51 is great, and was very popular and stuff, but really? Everyone, on every side of the hobby is asking, nay, clamoring, for some fresh blood in the 1:18 scale. We want something NEW! Repaints, rehashes etc have become the law of the land, and people are getting tired of it.
That being said, I can see the business sense of releasing a tried-and-true model to garner extra cash to release something new. Normally this would make sense, but the 1:18 scale market is not anything close to normal anymore. It has become very divided and.. for a lack of a better word, snippy. Everyone has an opinion these days (including this editorial, how about that!), and it seems like we are losing more people to other hobbies than we are gaining. This ever dwindling group of collectors are turning on each other as they grow frustrated with the lack of anything NEW coming out.
If I have to read one more thread anywhere about “we need to buy this or XX wont produce YY!” I’m going to be sick. This happens from All-go to Hasbro, and everywhere in-between. I’ve been told numerous times to buy shoddy products just so there is an inkling of a chance I might get what I actually want. Back in the heyday of the 00′s that may have been a feasible marketing move, but in the doldrums of the 10′s, we are all watching our pocketbooks much more carefully.
This is an excellent summary of the state of affairs.
The companies out there need to remember that people do like military toys, and they will sell if the scale, detail and prices make the line fun and worthwhile.
I also agree that a certain toy company has basically resorted to Mafioso tactics of extortion. “Do as I say, and you get what you want.”
In short, forcing us to buy XX in order to attain YY is absurd.
No one, but no one, will survive in a free-market economy with such an attitude.
This might explain why the ROC line was a complete disaster.
Not only did Hasbro refuse to stick to the original storyline and themes, they defied the justifiable backlash that was brewing during production itself.
They refused to stop for a minute and re-think what will work. They should have hired someone like Jon Favreau, who evidently respects the Marvel fans and material, while simultaneously providing something that everyone can enjoy.
Bottom line is that “Rise of Cobra” was Hasbro’s “Jump The Shark” moment, and they need to stop with the extortionist behavior.