Big thanks to GeneralsJoes Twitter followers LtHowlett and Skot who both pretty much simultaneously let me know that IGN has posted a great video of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson hyping up Roadblock in G.I. Joe: Retaliation.
It doesn’t reveal a whole lot of new information, but it certainly showcases The Rock’s personality and his enthusiasm when tackling this character. He speaks a bit about Roadblock’s “bond” with Snake Eyes, the “gun Kata” fighting style, and how the character remains skilled in the culinary arts and enjoys quoting a little poetry.
I will say it’s interesting how The Rock talks about Roadblock evolving into a “leader”, almost looking like he’s saying something he shouldn’t… does this confirm Duke’s exit from the film mythology? We’ll see in a few short months!
Check out IGN.com for the video, or hit it up embedded below!
In what is invariably a sad moment from the toy giant, Hasbro has announced that they are cutting nearly 170 jobs throughout the United States and Canada. A dangerous combination of weak Holiday sales, rising costs, and a struggling US economy has resulted in job cuts, with about 80% of those cuts coming in the United States, and 55 within Rhode Island itself.
Rumor has it that even some design teams within boys toys were hit by these cuts, though for obvious reasons, specific information is not currently available as to which brands were impacted. The full report is below, and this is a sobering reminder that there are flesh and blood people…many of them… involved in the day-to-day operations that bring these excellent 4″ pieces of plastic to our favorite retailer. If they work for Hasbro, chances are they’re very talented, so hopefully most (if not all) of them will land on their feet.
I personally extend my thanks and sympathy to anyone involved, and I hope for the best for any folks who may have been impacted by these cuts.
“(Reuters) – Hasbro Inc (HAS.O) is cutting about 170 jobs as the second-largest U.S. toy company tries to recover from sluggish sales during the holiday season.
Eighty-two percent, or 140, of the job cuts are in the United States, according to company spokesman Wayne Charness, including “about 55” in Rhode Island where Hasbro is based.
“These moves were made to address both the under-performance in the U.S. and Canada segment, and the need for different skill sets in the company’s workforce to be better aligned with a quickly evolving business,” Charness said.
All employees affected will get “competitive” severance packages, including outplacement services, he said.
Hasbro will take some related charges in the first quarter, but they won’t be material, he added.
The maker of Nerf foam toys and Monopoly board games suffered from weak post-Thanksgiving demand, especially for its games and puzzles, in the United States and Canada.
Larger rival Mattel also missed sales expectations in the holiday quarter, but still outperformed Hasbro and gained share from Mattel, according to data from NPD, a market research firm.
Hasbro, based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, has 5,900 employees worldwide, including about 1,400 in that state.”
We all heard plenty about Kwinn and this “mystery” wave that he was slated to be a part of at the tail end of the 30th Anniversary line. Well, with thanks to Viper Commando from HissTank.com we now have a bit more information about this mystery wave that unfortunately never came to be.
He reports that while digging into the Wal-Mart computer system for 30th Anniversary inventory, he stumbled upon the following series of figures:
KWINN
DATA-VIPER
CRIMSON GUARD
NIGHT-VIPER
MODERN FLINT
He hypothosizes that perhaps this was a final wave of 30th Anniversary figures, and it certainly seems to fit that theme. And of course, the revelation of this series of figures is causing folks to proclaim that this would have been the best wave evah!!1 but such is the nature of fandom at large.
What I find most interesting is with all of the complaints I’ve seen online about the Crimson Guard and Night Viper, folks are absolutely positive that this wave would have been amazing…we’ve obviously seen Kwinn and we know what to expect there. Data-Viper as well. So really the only unknown here is “Modern Flint”. I would have absolutely loved to have seen a Modern Flint in the 30th Anniversary/Pursuit of Cobra style, but considering he’s a main character in Retaliation, I’m sure we may see a similar theme down the road.
Word from Hasbro is still that we will get Kwinn out there somehow, some way, so here’s hoping that the bulk of this wave will see the light of day. Certainly interesting to see this come to pass, and thanks to Viper Commander for the info.
No, it’s not a review of the as yet non-existent G.I. Joe: Renegades Season 1, which makes me a very sad panda. But Transformers: Prime is a pretty darn good series in its own right, and seeing this action-packed animation in Blu-Ray quality is a sight to behold!
I had a chance to check this full season out extensively, and I can say it’s better than watching it the first time around, especially if you don’t have The Hub in HD (I don’t).
Check out my review of Season One of Transformers: Prime at the link below!
The next great G.I. Joe fan film endeavor looks to be G.I. Joe: Initiate, and over on their action-packed Facebook page, they’ve revealed a new player in the game… Major Bludd!
Check out the image below. Also, I’m excited to say that the film reached its Kickstarter goal, but they are still accepting donations to improve the production quality of the film! You can hit up their Kickstarter Page and still donate. Make it happen.
