Hasbro GI Joe Q&A 2011 Round 6 - due Monday, October 31, Round 5 Answers on Page 7! Rating Options

[Detour]

WOW. I don't think they understood my complaint about stickers.
I didn't mean that the stickers don't stick well, I mean they keep making teensy stickers that are nigh-impossible to apply in the assigned areas, like the POC VAMP's dashboard stickers, or any stickers on the Snake Trax that go behind the giant cannon.

[NightViper]

When I read that answer I was like "Yeah, I don't think that's what he was talking about at all..."

[Lukeblast]

WOW. I don't think they understood my complaint about stickers.
I didn't mean that the stickers don't stick well, I mean they keep making teensy stickers that are nigh-impossible to apply in the assigned areas, like the POC VAMP's dashboard stickers, or any stickers on the Snake Trax that go behind the giant cannon.

And/or stickers that cover molded detail in ways that are physically impossible, make the detail pointless, or both.

[SwiftEagle]

That's why I was really specific in my sticker question back on page 2:

http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.php?s...t&p=1814546

[Detour]

1) With the release of the Steel Brigade figure, can we expect Name Your Own Create-A-Cobra figure to follow in its footsteps?

2) The PIT Commando from the Rise of Cobra toyline was a smash hit with fans. Are there any plans to release a similar army builder figure with multiple vests, helmets and weapons for Cobra?

3) Why doesn't the Pursuit of Cobra Iron Grenadier have the control arm for the machine gun?

4) In today's somewhat more P.C. world, could we ever expect a new version of the Interrogator character?

5) Are there any figure parts or accessories the design team is just dying to reuse on a new figure?

6) Why is it new characters seem to have a better shot at seeing release than new versions of more obscure characters (like Spearhead & Max, for example)? Wouldn't they qualify as being just as new to the non-diehard fan's eye?

7) If Night Fox is a navy sniper, why is he in the desert with a high-caliber machine gun and a shotgun?

This post has been edited by Detour: Jun 9 2011, 10:53 PM

[Fortress Ironhol...]

Since the revival of the line in 2007, the majority of the original Python Patrol lineup from 1989 has been released in some fashion, either in stores or as exclusives. In contrast, there are a number of figures and vehicles which could be redone in their appropriate Tiger Force, Night Force, Sonic Fighters / Super Sonic Fighters, Sky Patrol, or Slaughter's Marauders colors but which have not been touched; in particular, more than a few eyebrows raised when Wild Bill was packed with the Target-exclusive Tiger Rat instead of its original pilot, Skystriker. Will we potentially see these subsets fleshed out in the future, or has the notion of vintage subset redecoes been put on hiatus for the time being?











***

If anyone's wondering, here's what is still unaccounted for:


Tiger Force -

Roadblock
Dusty
Bazooka
Lifeline
Tunnel Rat
Frostbite
Recondo
Ripcord
Wreckage
Tiger Fly
Tiger Cat
Tiger Sting
Tiger Shark


Slaughter's Marauders -

Sgt. Slaughter
Mutt
Low-Light
Spirit
Barbecue
Footloose
Armadillo Mini-Tank


Sky Patrol -

Airborne
Airwave
Dropzone
Sky Hawk
Sky Sharc

Sonic Fighters / Super Sonic Fighters -

Falcon
Dial-Tone
Tunnel Rat


Night Force -

Crazylegs
Skystriker redeco

[VIT]

a chance at doing some real investgative reporting

why did wave 4 cases not see a canadian card release? this has severely reduced the number of wave 4 figures available to canadians. wave 4 cases where 3 of each of the 4 figures. the US carded revision cases being sold in canada don't have destro or shadow tracker. did you not take this into consideration when deciding not to give us wave 4 cases?

[Fortress Ironhol...]

Since the revival of the line in 2007, the majority of the original Python Patrol lineup from 1989 has been released in some fashion, either in stores or as exclusives. In contrast, there are a number of figures and vehicles which could be redone in their appropriate Tiger Force, Night Force, Sonic Fighters / Super Sonic Fighters, Sky Patrol, or Slaughter's Marauders colors but which have not been touched; in particular, more than a few eyebrows raised when Wild Bill was packed with the Target-exclusive Tiger Rat instead of its original pilot, Skystriker. Will we potentially see these subsets fleshed out in the future, or has the notion of vintage subset redecoes been put on hiatus for the time being?

Resubmitting this one, plus a few new ones:

*More than a few fans were disappointed in the fact that most of the Joes released with the Rise of Cobra line were either in all-black stealth uniforms or all-blue urban operations uniforms. Can we expect more variety in the uniforms for the figures to be released with the upcoming movie?

*What process goes into choosing which vintage characters will be given updates and re-releases?

[Dake]

The rumor going around is that the color change on Zarana's top between the accurate pre-production figure and what actually arrived was intentional so that Hasbro would be free to release a more exact repaint in the regular figure line depending upon her success as the exclusive. Precedent seems to have been set by the Botcon Thundercracker being tweaked for an eventual mass market Thundercracker release later. Is this a possibility and might it also offer a fantastic oppotunity to finish off the Zartan family with the also oft-requested Zandar (retailer exclusive two-pack perhaps)?

[Lukeblast]

I'd like to see that sticker question reworked so they can't misunderstand it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon-waspy.gif)

*More than a few fans were disappointed in the fact that most of the Joes released with the Rise of Cobra line were either in all-black stealth uniforms or all-blue urban operations uniforms. Can we expect more variety in the uniforms for the figures to be released with the upcoming movie?

This question has been asked and answered:
“Regarding the movie line, they are working on it full steam ahead and the designs have them excited. The one thing that they learned from the Rise of Cobra line is that there needs to be a bigger difference in look between the Joes and Cobras. No more of everyone in black. You will definitely be able to tell a difference between Joe and Cobra and the Cobra sigil will be very prominent. While they couldn’t be anything other than vague about the movie and the line they did say we can expect to see some classic vehicles modernized in the same way we’ve seen them done in the Pursuit of Cobra line.”

*What process goes into choosing which vintage characters will be given updates and re-releases?

This question also gets asked... pretty frequently, in fact. Browsing con panels, past Q&As, interviews, and press releases will cover this several times over. I have no doubts it would get a canned answer.

[ZacWilliam1]

Sigh. I'm gonna be that guy again for a minute and say remember when we Transformers fans got Hasbro QandAs like Joes and Marvel toys still do? What did we do wrong to get cut off? I have questions darn it!

Ok, back on topic, a Joe question:

The last few waves of Joes after the Arctic Destro wave have been completely unfindable at retail here. And I've looked. A lot. It's hard to purchase something that you never see on the shelf at Target, Walmart, or ToyRus. I would resort to HasbroToyShop but even they seem to mostly have full cases when they have anything at all. I want to give you my money: is there anything Hasbro can do to make that possible? Would it at least be possible to make sure Hasbro Toy Shop has a decent size stock of individual figures from each wave?

[NightViper]

Sigh. I'm gonna be that guy again for a minute and say remember when we Transformers fans got Hasbro QandAs like Joes and Marvel toys still do? What did we do wrong to get cut off? I have questions darn it!

Actually, Marvel is on hiatus. It skipped at least the last two rounds.

So... Just Joe and Star Wars. But they asked that we no longer send Star Wars questions when they trimmed down their site list at the beginning of the year. *Sigh*

I guess that means we should get what we can out of Joe. Make sure those questions are worded so that we can get some really awesome answers!

[SwiftEagle]

I'd like to see that sticker question reworked so they can't misunderstand it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon-waspy.gif)

Can I suggest the one that I asked back on Page 2?

"Ever since the movie line, there has seemed to be a major disconnect between the team designing the GI Joe vehicles and the team creating the stickers for them. Again and again, we're seeing decals that don't fit in the spaces where we're told to put them, that are supposed to impossibly lie flat over protruding plastic details, and that are shown in totally different locations between the instructions and the pictures on the boxes. As annoying as this may be for collectors, it must be even more frustrating for kids who are looking for simple directions for completing their toys. How does this keep happening, and are any steps being taken to put an end to the phenomenon?"

(SDCC Starscream also has these issues, maddeningly enough.)

So what's the Zarana shirt difference between preproduction and the final product? Just pink versus hot pink?

[Lukeblast]

I was actually hoping you'd re-suggest yours, SwiftEagle! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon-ironhide.gif)

The last few waves of Joes after the Arctic Destro wave have been completely unfindable at retail here. And I've looked. A lot. It's hard to purchase something that you never see on the shelf at Target, Walmart, or ToyRus. I would resort to HasbroToyShop but even they seem to mostly have full cases when they have anything at all. I want to give you my money: is there anything Hasbro can do to make that possible? Would it at least be possible to make sure Hasbro Toy Shop has a decent size stock of individual figures from each wave?

There are retail distribution questions in EVERY round of Q&A, and regardless of the actual words in the given answer, it pretty much comes down to "we can't control what the retailers do".

That actually includes HTS, as we know they're a separate entity and can order/decline to order at will. That was part of the SDCC kerfluffle; Hasbro was asked in the weeks before the con if HTS would have Skyscreamer and Zarana and honestly did not know because Hasbro doesn't control what HTS orders.

At best, the answer to this might say that they'll pass it along as a concern, but most of it will be yet another iteration of the same thing.

Personally, if you're willing to resort to online anyway, I'd recommend BBTS. I've been getting all my POC there and never had a problem. The price is comparable to retail, preordering takes all the worry out of whether you'll "find" it or not, shipping can sometimes be negligible if you buy several things over a period and use Pile of Loot system, and Hasbro is getting your money. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon-hotrod.gif)

This post has been edited by Lukeblast: Aug 3 2011, 12:22 PM

[Dake]

So what's the Zarana shirt difference between preproduction and the final product? Just pink versus hot pink?

Yeah, both her hair and shirt went from the accurate hot pink to the pastel pink with blonde highlights in her hair.

[Detour]

Aren't the blond highlights cartoon-accurate?

[Spark]

The last few waves of Joes after the Arctic Destro wave have been completely unfindable at retail here. And I've looked. A lot. It's hard to purchase something that you never see on the shelf at Target, Walmart, or ToyRus. I would resort to HasbroToyShop but even they seem to mostly have full cases when they have anything at all. I want to give you my money: is there anything Hasbro can do to make that possible? Would it at least be possible to make sure Hasbro Toy Shop has a decent size stock of individual figures from each wave?

I have to reiterate this question since, while I'd love to throw my money at Hasbro for all the neat figures I've seen online for 2011... I've only ever seen them online, never at retail. Arctic Destro killed distribution apparently in my whole state dead as a doornail.

[Dake]

Aren't the blond highlights cartoon-accurate?

That's reasonable and even more excuse to release a toy accurate version I guess. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon-arcee.gif) Just so they don't also give her the non-earringed butter face too.

[Detour]

Wherever else she gets released... it won't be regular retail.

Zarana's classic look is THE worst of the 80s. She's as dated as it gets with GIJoe.

[Steevy Maximus]

Wherever else she gets released... it won't be regular retail.

Zarana's classic look is THE worst of the 80s. She's as dated as it gets with GIJoe.

To be fair, that is pretty much true of ALL the dreadnoks in their classic looks.

Here's a question I've been wondering:
Why are 12" figures back again this year?

They did poorly in 2008. They did poorly in 2009. So why bring them pack instead of offering more items in the more popular 4" range?

I know the reason is probably because Darryl Depriest is a 12" fan, but I haven't seen Hasbro's 12" stuff do well at retail since 2003 and I'm betting this attempt will be another two wave flop.