Sorry for the hint of sarcasm… as many folks have no doubt noticed, HissTank.com reported earlier this afternoon that the third wave of Alpha vehicles has been canceled via GIJoeClub.com pre-orders. Friend of GeneralsJoes and JBL staffmember madmac41 went right to the source at the G.I. Joe Club, and was given the same information. Essentially Alpha Wave 3 is not being shipped to retailers as far as they’re aware. Hasbro has released no information about when they might get them out, if they ever do.
This news has, of course, caused fandom hysteria. The Rise of Cobra haters are out in force, as expected, while the folks who enjoy the toys are desperately trying to defend them and find reasoning for this seemingly sudden turn of events. I think everyone needs to step back and get a little perspective.
First of all, I have to think even the most ardent Rise of Cobra supporter (who I count myself one of) has to realize that there is a TON of product out there on shelves, and there has been for a long time. And as refresher cases hit with new figures, those also get packed in with the existing figures, the new figures sell, the existing figures build on pegs with previous releases, and you end up with pegs 12″ deep of version 1 Storm Shadows and not a whole lot else. This, obviously, is a problem.
I find it interesting that this news comes on the heels of Hasbro’s latest Earning Reports, which sounded amazingly optimistic in the press…but, of course, that’s a message to stockholders, which isn’t necessarily indicative of the “real story”. But, on the other hand, the cancellation of a single assortment of overpriced Alpha vehicles is NOT indicative of widespread failure and/or cancellation.
The rosey side says “profits were up 8.8%! The movie made 300 million dollars! There’s a ton of product for people to buy!”
The not-so-rosey side says “peg warmers galore! Cancelling assortments! Deth of teh line!!11!”
So, where’s the truth? As always, somewhere in the middle, I’m sure. I would bet big money that sales of Rise of Cobra product are not what Hasbro expected or hoped for. I have a feeling they did not anticipate such a glut of figures on pegs this deep into the release date, and I have a feeling that the earnings report behind the scenes was probably not as rosey as it appeared in the Associated Press, at least in regards to G.I. Joe.
But, on the other hand, I don’t think the fandom should look at the cancellation of a single assortment of Alpha Vehicles as all doom and gloom. The Alpha’s are overpriced, oversaturated, and undesired, and this 3rd wave of them was rife with repaints as it was. I’ll admit, I’m a bit bummed about the Polar Shark Sub, but nothing else in that assortment breaks my heart in the least.
I think folks on both sides should get some perspective as we eagerly await future Q & A sessions and Toy Fair in the beginning of 2010. I would not be shocked to see a somewhat scaled back push for Pursuit of Cobra, but I don’t think for a second that the line is in danger of assortment-wide cancellation. Ain’t gonna happen. Things may change a bit, but I’m sure Pursuit of Cobra will be right there as expected in 2010. Perhaps it won’t look quite the same, but it’ll be there. At least, it better be…if I don’t get my Resolute 7-Packs, heads are gonna roll… :shifty:
Gotta say, though, I do have to see the humor in some of this…I especially loved a post on the HissTank forums from flash70…
“well that is that…like everyone one is saying bring back the 25th line.
we don’t want multiple dukes, heavy dutys, ripcords, and really bad neo-vipers.
get back to work and start making the 25th line a great product again with $5.99 price points.”
Heh…how soon folks forget. Bringing back the Anniversary line ain’t gonna magically drop prices and instantly “fix” the line, folks. And does anyone really think going back to the Anniversary will reduce the number of duplicate Dukes, Snake Eyes, etc? Did people already put on those rose colored glasses from last year? Wow.
Anyway. Those who are happily singing the death knell for RoC, keep singing…I don’t think it’s dead yet. For those folks who eagerly await the new stuff next year, hold your breath a bit, because it may not shake out how we’re expecting. But as always, things are not as black and white as they seem, and the truth is always somewhere in the middle…
Uh, wave 3 didn’t have the sky sweeper in it, right? It’s a sad commentary but true, if you’re not there when the new figures are put out you loose. Also I honestly believe Hasbro makes to much product; kids really don’t play with toys anymore.
Which wave is this? is this the wave with Dusty, and that polar water vehicle?
Wave 3 – Polar Shark Sub w/ Ice Storm, Rockslide w/ Dusty, Tiger Claw ATV w/ Leatherneck, Lavapod w/ Volcano Viper
oh well. I did want to get my hands on the Tiger claw for Leatherneck and the Polar Shark sub for Ice Storm since he’s a new character. It was cool to see that we’d get another chance to get Dusty in case we couldn’t get our hands on the Arise Serpentor Arise DVD pack.
Its a disappointment. But I’ll live.
For those who didn’t,like me until I hit the super pages,Wave 3 consists of:
* Desert Rockslide w/ Dusty
* COBRA Lava Pod w/ Volcano Viper
* Tiger Claw w/ Leatherneck
* Polar Shark Sub w/ Ice Storm
I was only looking forward to the Lava pod because I only wanted the volcano viper. Sorry to see this happening, but it can only mean the big H is pushing up the pursuit of cobra line.
Look to the sky men, there is a bright sun that is lurking under the horizon, ready to shine through the lumbering darkness
For those who didn’t remember,like me until I hit the super pages,Wave 3 consists of:
* Desert Rockslide w/ Dusty
* COBRA Lava Pod w/ Volcano Viper
* Tiger Claw w/ Leatherneck
* Polar Shark Sub w/ Ice Storm
I was only looking forward to the Lava pod because I only wanted the volcano viper. Sorry to see this happening, but it can only mean the big H is pushing up the pursuit of cobra line.
Look to the sky men, there is a bright sun that is lurking under the horizon, ready to shine through the lumbering darkness
ARRRGH! Cross off the fist post of mine. I forgot the word remember in the opening sentence.
Note,I typed this before anyone posted and that is why the assortment is repeated.
I’m 99.9% positive I’ve seen some of these vehicles at Meijers over a month ago.
Well that wave holds little interest for me…
But hopefully this means Hasbro will release things at a slower pace. Being a student hurts the amount of money I can spend on toys, so more time to build up funds (and graduate!) is a very good thing for me, no matter how much I’m looking forward to Pursuit Of Cobra.
Well if I remember right people bitched about the lack of figs on the shelf for 25th and modern. Now people bitch about too many figs on the shelf for ROC. Not a ROC fan at all but jeez we have figs. Too be honest when ROC hit fans from The Tank and The terrordrone were bitching that they couldnt find them couldnt find Helix, or their walmart was “Never going to get the figs”….Blah, Blah, Blah….”I cant find Rex”…”OMG I cant find Rex”. The point is no matter what Nobody is happy.
I mean some of this is Hasbros fault….I mean 3 waves of figs in the first month???? Come on spread that butter a little more thin on the bread Hasbro…Of course if the movie really was a “Blockbuster” maybe more kids would be playing with Joes instead of the ones whos dad bought them for them and as some joeheads seem to think will happen….I realy doubt Christmas buying parents will be buying all the Joes up when their kids might (And this is just a thought) not even be asking for them….just because when we were kids and asked for Joes doesnt mean this new generation of kids is asking their parents for any….Shocker I know that our Flesh and Blood doesnt like what we like(d)……..
All i can say is: Death an Destruction for the RoC and for christ’s sake, BRING BACK THE 25th ANNIVERSARY LINE!!!
The Leatherneck with fixed arms was the only thing I was really looking forward to from this wave. The Alphas in general have been fairly disappointing in the ROC line. Hasbro overproduced the first wave and it is all I’ve seen in stores since the line launched.
Whiners….all of ya’s! 😀 😉
I think we’ll see ’em again at some point. I am not worried in the least. But I certainly enjoy reading about all the hoop-la!
I think Hasbro may have realized that the break neck pace they were putting new product out at might have been a little unrealistic. I’m sure we will see the sub (toolings been made right). All so they don’t want to put out a bunch of ROC stuff as they try to transtion to POC. Most of these items will get absorbed into POC I’m sure. This just gives me a nice lul in November and December to save up for joe con now.
This just shows how high emotions are running (both ways) over ROC.
As much as I loved the movie, and the toy-line, I’ve been saying since day 1 that the Has’ dropped the proverbial ball on the vehicles. The line was supposed to be based on the movie, yet only 4 of the multitudes of vehicles released even appeared in the film. Repainting old tools and giving them names from the movie probably saved a mint, but it didn’t get the job done.
I think Hasbro has figured that out now.
My personal opinion is Series 3 was cancelled to make way for the POC stuff, which is mostly new material.
After all, A load of stuff has been cancelled from the 25th. line in the past. Including the stuff cancelled to make way for Resolute, which was cancelled to make way for ROC.
No need for doom and gloom, just business as usual.
I, for one, just wanted a Mole Pod for the Volcano Viper. The rest was “meh” at best.
I do want a Skysweeper though. What assortment is that in?
Also, there are still some ROC figs, like the Doctor, I want to get my hands on, as well as the Resolute SE and Desert Viper. I’d rather see those on the shelves than the lame Alphas.
Suits me. Maybe things will slow down a bit and allow me to catch up. Heck, I can afford all this stuff too. It’s just that I live on the east coast and things turn kind of slow here it seems, Joe-wise.
I’m sure they’ll use the Polar Shark mold in the future, but I want it sooner, rather than later. Plus the figue that comes with it looks pretty decent as well.
Still think that the problem is too much product too fast. This was a problem with the 25th line as well. If they really want to flood the market with that many figures and vehicles then maybe they really should be looking at doing one wave ROC and one wave 25th(or something else). I mean, it’s not like it isn’t doable. Star Wars skips all over the place with all their different stuff. Consumers aren’t idiots. Just package things clearly so parents know what is ROC so they can buy stuff based on the movie their kids just watched. Anyone else knows the difference.
Well that sucks. I haven’t bought an alpha vehicle yet, but there were two in this wave that I was going to buy the ones with Dusty and Leatherneck.
Well, technically I did buy one via the Target figure 5 pack with the Mole Pod, and I will buy another via the Then and Now pack at Target with the snow mobile. I know Sams Club had a pack with two vehicles as well. I think that’s definitely a contributing factor why some fans of these vehicles didn’t buy the retail package – because almost all of these vehicles have been available cheaper via store exclusives.
Overall it was just a recipe for disaster… make vehicles that aren’t all in the movie so the kids aren’t asking for them, pack in figures that collectors already have so collectors aren’t enthusiastic about them, and then package them in store exclusive packs for less than the cost of buying the vehicle individually. I just can’t imagine why these aren’t flying off the shelves when you take all of that into consideration.
Oops… should be TRU 5 pack with Mole Pod.
I’ve only bought 3 alpha vehicles from the line, the redone Ferret, the Mole Pod (from the TRU Pit pack) and the Snarler Cycle.
I got the Ferret from the TRU sale, in part because I hadn’t picked up a Scrap Iron yet, and the Snarler since it was a great value, but I can’t stop comparing the price point to a year ago where I was getting two vehicles and figures. I admit, I’m still getting the Target exclusives, but the Alpha assortment doesn’t seem to offer that much bang for the buck.
I think the post you’re referring to makes sense, in a way. I loved the 25th line and I actually really like what I have from RoC, but I don’t know how much more I’ll be buying from the line. At Joecon I saw maybe one or two new figures I want, that’s it. With the 25th line they at least had years worth of G. I. Joe and Cobra to draw from as far as characters and new takes on characters like Duke and Snake Eyes. With RoC, they have about an hour and a half. Maybe two hours. I already have the main characters, and would only buy new versions if they came out with Reactive Armor Breaker, or the upcoming Zartan which is much more interesting than the current one. The only other guy that springs to mind is the new Cobra character they’re introducing in Pursuit of Cobra. If they release more 25th style characters, such as Monkeywrench from the Wally World two-packs I’d buy them as well as new characters from both the 25th and RoC lines.
But I’ve got to be honest, I didn’t buy multiple versions of the same character from the 25th line unless it was the only way to get a new one, such as the Snake Eyes/Hard Master comic pack. Only new characters or troopers, and they had a LOT more Joe history to pull from. Unless the RoC line starts getting much more creative in terms of characters they won’t be getting much of my money for the foreseeable future. They already have Dukes and Snake Eyes all over the shelves now, I don’t want more versions of them. Adding Destro and others to the mix of wardrobe changing characters won’t open my wallet either.
Mix in classic style 25th figures, I’ll buy those. Or start creating new characters for the movie line, whether they be Joe or Cobra, like the dreadlock guy, I’ll buy them. But I’m not going to buy training Duke. I’ve got one Duke, don’t want any more.
Hola, I hope you are doing well and thanks a lot for such a great website
I have being a Gijoe fan since its return as toy in 2000, sadly here in México,I feel Hasbro doesn’t know pretty well the market, because they bring a lot of the first waves, so they are on the store aisle for a year- last RoC movie Figures are very expensive, almost 100% than USA and they bring a lot of the same-I got to black market…high prices..Walmart exclusives go up to $30 US dollars per unit….I think Hasbro can do better selling with 2-figure packs, not repeating a lot Duke, Ripcords, etc….also the package can be small to transport more and save in shipments, better prices for the collectors at the end, more sales to Hasbro, I’m thinkig stop buying. BUT GiJoe is my hobby….very healthy stuff as my wife tells me…Best regards to al lnice people of this wonderful website