Hasbr-uh-oh - Business and Tariffs Discussion

[LordGigaIce]

I had mostly the same thoughts in that Hasbro and Disney were probably the best match under the current circumstances, but... In a more positive light that didn't involve notions of "embarrassment" and "inability to move on".

But then I'm not particularly knowledgeable about the retail ups and downs of these over the last few years other than what little I come across here. Although I wouldn't say things are particularly rosy right now either.

Hasbro, if the quarterlies are to be believed, doesn't make much, if anything, on Star Wars and Marvel, so I have to think Chris Cocks' hack and slash would have gotten rid of them by now if not for some deeper attachment to the licences. Could be that Hasbro feels they're so associated with their brand that even if it's financially the right move to let them go, it would be a very bad look business and industry-wise. Could be they don't want to let them go because the inherent potential in those brands if they ever get hot again. Likely it's both.

And Disney... Disney just can't ask anyone but Hasbro to pay what they want for those licences, even if that asking price is what's keeping Hasbro from turning a profit on the properties.

For all we know, Disney acquiesced to both segments’ (ESPECIALLY Star Wars) lesser performance the past couple of years and Hasbro got some of the license costs reduced.

I suppose we'll find out soon enough. Hasbro is a publicly traded company and is required by law to publish quarterly financial reports available to the public. We'll find out soon enough if Disney cut them a deal.

 

[lastmaximal]

In any case it's in their best interests to stick together on this. Hasbro has a lot of weight to swing and the other options are either busy/loaded or not as appealing. And the Disney properties are still huge and recognizable. I'd want to hold on to those too as Hasbro, because I can't really coast on Transformers and Peppa Pig alone.

 

[Rhinox]

I agree with everyone that's said that the biggest issue with GI Joe not really taking off is the political climate we find ourselves in. Right now the military is a hard sell. They are not seen as heroes right now. We are not in a good place culturally. And until that changes GI Joe will continue to flounder. Doesn't matter the resources put into it.

 

[Cybersnark]

I agree with everyone that's said that the biggest issue with GI Joe not really taking off is the political climate we find ourselves in. Right now the military is a hard sell. They are not seen as heroes right now. We are not in a good place culturally. And until that changes GI Joe will continue to flounder. Doesn't matter the resources put into it.

(I still think now would be a good time to revisit Renegades.)

 

[Rhinox]

(I still think now would be a good time to revisit Renegades.)

. . . . . maybe.
it's a delicate thing, isn't it? You have the red hats on one side going all in on Jingo and on the other hand you have everyone else paying attention and just screaming into the ether. Does a toy company really want to dip even a single toe into that mess? Or avoid the entire thing, hope it all blows over soon?

 

[lastmaximal]

That's what I think Hasbro is doing by just letting Classified be its own thing, not attempting a show or movie in the meantime. Mine the nostalgia and the novelty of the new scale, let that drive a comfortable degree of sales, don't overreach just yet. (Who knows what'll happen if and when the TF/Joe crossover pushes through, but ugh I don't want to think about that terrible idea right now)

I've been saying this for like the last ten years plus, but any Joe revival would be best served by abandoning the military aesthetic and core concept entirely. Make it Adventure Team meets Overwatch, make it fun and weird.

The absurdity of the jingoism is at a fever pitch now, but the military stuff has been an albatross on the brand for at least a decade and a half.

 

[LordGigaIce]

Classified and the TF Collabs are the first new Joe things in a while that seems to have actually landed. I agree with lastmaximal. Just let them exist and make money off of nostalgia and try and wait it out until either the military becomes an earlier sell or you stumble on a million dollar idea to reinvent it.

 

[Anonymous X]

Just a reminder, GI Joe is still “Action Force” in my ageing brain, as the was the branding over here. To distance itself from the American origins, even back in the ‘80s. (IIRC some of the characters were changed to not be Americans on the packaging bios, something like that.)

 

[CoffeeHorse]

I would struggle to name three GI Joe characters but there's still been Classified stuff that caught my eye. I don't collect anything in that scale but if I did, Classified would be in the mix.

 

[LordGigaIce]

I would struggle to name three GI Joe characters but there's still been Classified stuff that caught my eye. I don't collect anything in that scale but if I did, Classified would be in the mix.

I have the first Cobra Commander they did and two Crimson Vipers.
That's all I plan on getting, but they're really good.

 

[lastmaximal]

It's a neat line and you can really see how into it the team is in every stream. (these streams are my favorite modern-era Hasbro thing, and I hope they never stop.)

Once they decided to just go all in on the more-faithful updates their audience really wanted anyway, they really hit their stride. I'm a bit surprised at how much product there is in that line, but I take that as a sign it's working. And by this point I think both Hasbro and that audience are fine with not gambling on more. For the moment at least.

 

[Sabrblade]

Just a reminder, GI Joe is still “Action Force” in my ageing brain, as the was the branding over here. To distance itself from the American origins, even back in the ‘80s. (IIRC some of the characters were changed to not be Americans on the packaging bios, something like that.)

At the moment, the Action Force brand is legally owned by Valaverse.

 

[lastmaximal]

I don't think the point was that GI Joe should rebrand as that.