[EDITORIAL] State of GI Joe 2012

[MAJOR BLOOD]

http://www.fighting118th.com/2012/02/15/state-of-gi-joe-so-far-in-2012/

Talk amongst ya'selves. Just some of my thoughts on what we got and are going to get from Hasbro.

 

[NSA]

It does seem like they get going on a hot streak and then pop a turd in the punch bowl.

We were just getting the good Resolute figures when everything got canned for RoC, and now we were getting great 30th Anniversary and Renegades figures, and those got canned for Retaliation.

In the end, I think the PoC figures were superior to the Resolute figures, so it worked out in the end.. but how will this end up? What will we get after Retaliation?

 

[Mandingo Rex]

Dammit, I just posted there. You mean I gotta post here too!?

This internet thing!

 

[NSA]

Common themes:

1. Toys are not as popular as they once were, due to various factors (Video games, attention spans, lack of imagination, etc).

2. Believe it or not, the collector community can't sustain a line by itself (At least not one pretending to be a mass market line).

3. RoC toys must have massively undersold what they projected (I think we could see that coming with all the stock left hanging around and at clearance stores!).

With that being said, I assume they are trying to go "Ninjatastic" with the Retaliation figures in hopes of catching kids attention. Adding crap in just to make a quick sale, not to really get the kids as fans of the property. No file cards, no personality in the packaging, nothing that's made GI JOE.. well, GI JOE. They're flashy "action" figures, with The Rock's mug on all the packaging, and lots of explosions. Mutable explosions, per package!

Rise of Cobra at least was true to the collector base with their figures, and who knows, maybe that's why they bombed at retail? (Or it could be the fact that stores got about 2 billion wave 1/2 cases and 3 cases of everything after?). They seem to be taking a different approach, so we'll see how it goes.. I bet a lot of people thought that the Bayformers Transformers line was gonna bomb, and look how it invigorated the whole property.. I think they're hoping for something like that (Though how they plan to get there by taking away features.. who knows..).

 

[pcsguy88]

Yes, but Transformers is a unique idea, not just another military movie.

From looking at the shelfs in my area and seeing the huge airship at Toy Fair, me thinks Marvel has bumped Joe off the table and Hasbro is doing as little as possible to have toys to go along with the new movie.

 

[K-Tiger]

Yes, but Transformers is a unique idea, not just another military movie.

From looking at the shelfs in my area and seeing the huge airship at Toy Fair, me thinks Marvel has bumped Joe off the table and Hasbro is doing as little as possible to have toys to go along with the new movie.

That's not huge, my man. I'm not convinced you could park a MH-6 on that thing.



Eh, I'm just tired of the distro issue. Tired of great figures never showing up because they pack them in later waves. I especially hate dead peg time instigated by a movie line that's half-assed.

 

[snakeling]

ROC and Renegades were supposed to "get kids into it". How did that work out? As said above, distrobution stinks. It seems 80% of us can't find anything anymore. And lets just say kids start buying this stuff, whats going to come next? My money is on more ninjas, bright colors, less articulate figs and lame vehicles.

 

[K-Tiger]

but, that's what they did in the '90s! DetH fo teh LiNe!

 

[snakeling]

I was actually agreeing with you and trying not to incur the wrath of the owner.

And for the record I have never ever said "deth of the line". Even though it really looks like it this time.

 

[K-Tiger]

Nah, I agree. I was just trying to bring up the paradox of using what a bunch of men-children claim killed the line originally to bring in new fans today.

 

[NSA]

I think the concept of value for these toys, combined with ebay etc has really brought the whole enterprise out of the realm of "fun", especially for kids.

Kids will never get the 'cool' figures, unless their parents order them online, or make toy runs.. when I was a kid, I got to go to the toy store maybe once a month if I was good? If you do that now, all you'll get is pegwarmers.. unless you get lucky.

All the value we've attributed to these toys is hurting the line as a whole I feel, since now you have store employees snaking the good figures before they even get put out, you have people making a living by selling toys online, waiting for the store to open to grab whatever is new and hot, etc. It puts 'casual' fans on a huge disadvantage, and really discourages new people from getting into things.

Not to mention the "army builders" who "need" 50-100 of certain figures to feel better about themselves..

I think the fan-base is it's own worst enemy.

 

[K-Tiger]

I think there's a lot of truth in that.

 

[ThunderDan19]

Good points by all. It was fun while it lasted I guess...

 

[Charade]

I think the concept of value for these toys, combined with ebay etc has really brought the whole enterprise out of the realm of "fun", especially for kids.

Kids will never get the 'cool' figures, unless their parents order them online, or make toy runs.. when I was a kid, I got to go to the toy store maybe once a month if I was good? If you do that now, all you'll get is pegwarmers.. unless you get lucky.

All the value we've attributed to these toys is hurting the line as a whole I feel, since now you have store employees snaking the good figures before they even get put out, you have people making a living by selling toys online, waiting for the store to open to grab whatever is new and hot, etc. It puts 'casual' fans on a huge disadvantage, and really discourages new people from getting into things.

Not to mention the "army builders" who "need" 50-100 of certain figures to feel better about themselves..

I think the fan-base is it's own worst enemy.

Well said.

 

[rds13601]

I don't know. Everyone blasted ROC then it made money. Convoy Ambush Duke was a hot fig for army builders and customizers. There was Helix, Pit Commando, Lt. Stone, Shipwreck variants and other good figs and there were also alot peg warmers also. There seems to be more excitement over Retaliation with The Rock, Bruce Willis, RZA etc. The've gone Ninja crazy no doubt with this one. The decision to make Red Jinx a Comic Con exclusive in my opinion was a bad decision by Hasbro along with limited articulation with driver figs and 3 pack figs since most vehicles are rehashed molds and are limited in variety and number of production. Red Jinx would have sold more at retail and online rather than an a exclusive along with Lady Jaye. However, i don't own Hasbro and didn't make this call. What the future hold for the line after the movie is anyone's guess. I think Retaliation will do well at theatres; be a hit and there will be a third installment. I also think the the release of each wave of Retaliation counts on the success of it's predecessor.We shall see. Just my opinion.

 

[MAJOR BLOOD]

GI Joe 3: Reparations - After Rise of Cobra and Retaliation destroy your childhood, we'll throw you a bone

 

[G.I.*EDDIE]

3. RoC toys must have massively undersold what they projected (I think we could see that coming with all the stock left hanging around and at clearance stores!)

i think RoCs biggest problem (besides a sh!tty movie that did little to get kids interested in the toys) was that 80-90% of the toys all looked the same...they were all outfitted in black...and just like any other movie line, the figures that weren't black, were just different versions of the same characters that were in black...

how utterly boring...when i think back to all the toys i loved as a kid, they were all different and unique and NOT black...

 

[snakeling]

All the value we've attributed to these toys is hurting the line as a whole I feel, since now you have store employees snaking the good figures before they even get put out, you have people making a living by selling toys online, waiting for the store to open to grab whatever is new and hot, etc. It puts 'casual' fans on a huge disadvantage, and really discourages new people from getting into things.

Very true. Especially the "store employees" part. I'm pretty sure thats whats going on where I live.

 

[lancelot]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Hasbro has no faith in the GI Joe brand. They don't advertise it, they cut Renegades and other lines too short, they fail to advertise and raise brand awareness amongst kids.

You don't need bright colors and ninjas to bring kids into it. They like the same cool military stuff we do. Hasbro just needs to have a little bit of faith and advertise.

I also feel that distributors and retailers have also lost faith in the brand and partly to blame too.

 

[Monkeywrench]

ROC and Renegades were supposed to "get kids into it". How did that work out? As said above, distrobution stinks. It seems 80% of us can't find anything anymore. And lets just say kids start buying this stuff, whats going to come next? My money is on more ninjas, bright colors, less articulate figs and lame vehicles.

This This and This^^