I know the prevailing wisdom from the fandom in the days after the G.I. Joe: Retaliation figure reveals is one of doom and gloom. Â Reduced articulation on the handful of driver figures automatically means “deth of teh line” right?
I don’t think so.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m plenty annoyed with the articulation reduction in the vehicle drivers as well, but that doesn’t mean the entire line is doomed for failure. Â I’m taking this moment to reveal my “Top 5 Reasons to look forward to G.I. Joe: Retaliation toys”. Â The purpose here isn’t to artificially inflate the coolness of the driver figures, or to gloss over the fact that Hasbro felt it necessary to go in that direction, but instead bring a focus onto the good things that might be hitting shelves this spring.
Click the Read the Rest of this Entry link below to see this Top 5 list.
Yes, the reduced articulation on the vehicle drivers is a bummer, I will not deny that. Â But just because some select figures can’t move as well as some others doesn’t mean the entire line is a loss or a waste. Â There are plenty of cool things to expect on store shelves this spring, for Joe fans of any era. Â This is just G.I. Joe: Retaliation, I’m not counting the SDCC Exclusives here.
#5 – Storm Shadow
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With the release of the fantastic G.I. Joe: Renegades/30th Anniversary Storm Shadow, I was pretty sure we didn’t need another released any time soon, but this version has proven me wrong. Â While last year’s excellent offering presented us with a perfect and timeless version of our favorite Cobra ninja, this G.I. Joe: Retaliation version seems intent on catapulting us into the future.
It takes the awesome white themed ninja, and with some very creative design tweaks gives us a terrific looking figure that works in a cutting edge modern environment, which suits the whole 21st Century Cobra concept perfectly. Â He appears to retain his full level of articulation throughout as well, and the assorted gray trim and padded uniform breaks up what could have been a somewhat bland figure nicely. Â Even with around 30 Storm Shadow figures released in the 30 year history of the toyline, I find some things to love here and will be eagerly anticipating this guy’s release.
#4 – Ninja Combat Cruiser
Yes, it’s a retool of the Pursuit of Cobra and 30th Anniversary VAMP, but the retools are all in the right places. Â Giving us some very nicely detailed door panels, a roof panel, and a great looking contained rocket launcher, the utility look of the previous VAMP has given way to a well-armored and aggressive looking combat vehicle, which is much appreciated. Â Personally, I’m curious to know if any of those panels come off, and if there’s the possibility of customizing the vehicle with previous VAMP attachments. Â If so, I could see this being a very interesting template for future convoy alterations.
Even with the restricted points of articulation on the driver, I think the size, durability, feature set, and overall look of this VAMP update are all enough reasons to look forward to the vehicle and eagerly await its release. Â I do hope the Arashikage symbols are removable stickers…if not, I may be breaking out the acetone.
#3 – Ghost Hawk II
So, what’s not to love about this thing? Â Sure, it comes with Duke, and that Duke figure will most likely feature the restricted articulation that the other drivers do, but this little plane is AWESOME. Â A very sleek and fast looking single-pilot fighter, the Ghost Hawk II really feels like a G.I. Joe plane. Â It feels like something we would have seen injected into the G.I. Joe universe at some point over the past several years. Â It’s got some elements of the Howler, a similar design aesthetic as the awesome Black Dragon (but it is definitely not the same tooling) and is loaded with offensive firepower.
I really love the thruster configuration, and feel like this is one of the more inspired vehicles we’ve seen in recent years.  Within the confines of PoC and the 30th Anniversary, there was an effort to make even new  vehicles somewhat resemble old ones, and seeing something so refreshingly new and cool is a great feeling for the G.I. Joe: Retaliation line.  If you can overlook the 5 POA Duke and toss in Ace, Lift Ticket, Tomahawk, or anyone else, you have a terrific updated aircraft fighter.  I love it.
#2 – G.I. Joe Trooper
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Taking the lead from the Steel Brigade, Hasbro has ramped up the concept of a G.I. Joe troop builder and done it in a fantastic way. Â Whatever your thoughts are on a G.I. Joe trooper (and I’m generally not crazy about the idea) this figure does that job quite well. Â His design is fairly basic military, yet enhanced enough to work within the G.I. Joe universe, and he is loaded with great accessories. Â I love his machine gun, I love that funky looking gas mask, and I love that Hasbro tries to insinuate that a blue cape might be sufficient disguise to blend in with Cobra.
I’m very surprised that I have latched onto this figure as I have, but I am immediately finding ways to work it into my ongoing G.I. Joe story, and I think it makes for a very cool figure.
#1 – Zartan
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And this figure has officially won my “most looking forward to” award… Zartan. Â As one of my favorite characters in the history of the G.I. Joe mythology, I am surprised by the lack of great, iconic figures that Zartan has received. Â It has gotten better lately with the Resolute Zartan and the Pursuit of Cobra Zartan both being very cool, unique, and interesting ways to build upon the character, but by and large most updates have fallen flat in my mind.
Well, that changes here. Â Of course what pleases me the most is the heavy apparent influence from the Renegades universe that this figure has. Â The body suit and hood configuration is almost exactly the same as what we saw in G.I. Joe: Renegades, yet the figure is layered with some nice armor to set it apart. Â He has the sickly green skin and funky eyes from the Resolute version, and really just looks like one heck of a cool update to the Cobra Master of Disguise. Â If there are any down sides, a lack of ankle articulation might be one, but we’ll have to wait and get it in hand to confirm that one. Â As it stands, this is a great figure and one that I am especially looking forward to.
I know it’s status quo in all fandoms these days to latch onto change and freak out about it, for fear that this change will somehow impact how you view the entire toyline. Â If I’ve learned anything over the past 30 years its that it is far easier to take what you like, leave what you don’t and look forward to the brand’s direction. Â Just because the vehicle drivers have reduced articulation that does not mean the rest of the figures will end up with 5 POA, as I know for a fact that Hasbro views articulation as one of the most important hallmarks of the G.I. Joe brand. Â It’s easy to focus on the negative and overlook that there are some cool toys coming out this year, even among ones saddled with five joints.
I’ve covered my five favorites here, but didn’t even touch on Snake Eyes, Cobra Commander, the Red Ninja, Roadblock, the Ninja Showdown sets, or the HISS Tank, all of which look to be very cool additions to my G.I. Joe ranks. Â The way I look at it, vehicles have been consistently downplayed in recent years, to the point that we only got three vehicles on store shelves over the past year. Â If creating a new figure style was what Hasbro had to do to get these vehicles potentially in kid’s hands, then that settles it, but rest assured I will be asking Hasbro this weekend what their thought process was and why tooling these figures is cheaper than simply doing repaints.
I know I for one would have much preferred repainted figures with full articulation over newly tooled figures with less, but perhaps there are manufacturing costs to consider as well. Â Time will tell. Â In the meantime, I fully intend to continue looking forward to what I like in the Retaliation line, and holding Hasbro’s feet to the fire on the things I don’t like, but only in the most adult and respectful way possible.
I strongly encourage you to attend JoeCon if you don’t like what you’re seeing and express your opinions face-to-face. Â It will go a long way.
If vehicle drivers that don’t appeal to me were necessary to get better figures into the main line, I can live with that. For one thing, it will mean not buying vehicles I don’t want just to get the figures, something I’ve done a lot with both G.I. JOE and STAR WARS. I’ve also bought plenty of vehicles and multi-packs that came with figures I didn’t care for at all, and I’ve had no problem chucking those into a bin or handing them out with candy at Halloween. Do I prefer the modern articulation? Of course. I’m not going to be terribly disappointed if we don’t see all the Retaliation figures as articulated as I would like, though. If I’m being completely honest, the new Red Ninjas would be enough to get me excited for this line even if that was the only figure I really liked. They’re that awesome, never mind Snake-Eyes, Storm Shadow, Cobra Commander, Zartan, the Cobra Trooper, the G.I. JOE Trooper, and the SDCC Jinx figures.
Zartan looks nifty, but the rest just don’t appeal to me aesthetically. Even without any articulation restrictions, they all remind me of the GvsC/Spy Troops/VvsV era, and I’ve already been there/done that. They appear to be just what a kid would want, however, so that’s great and I hope it translates into mass-market appeal, but they’re not what I want. One caveat: I haven’t purchased a vehicle toy since the Arctic HISS/Stinger wave, but I do kind of want that NINJA COMBAT CRUISER/VAMP-with-doors…stupid name aside.
The things Hasbro does “wrong” are usually going to outweigh the things Hasbro does “right” in a conversation. It’s like marriage. I completely agree with every single one of your examples AND I would have to guess that the stuff we haven’t seen yet… some of that might even trump this stuff. But back to the items you pointed out… that Storm Shadow is now the best Storm Shadow ever. And really, I gotta be honest, my spite for ROC anything makes it so hard for me to believe how much I like this Storm Shadow, seeing as to how Storm Shadow is one of the only surviving bits from ROC. I thought every ROC Storm Shadow was a dud… but apparently half a dozen duds evolves into something as fluid-looking and bad ass as this SS. Zartan is damn cool. He looks like Venomous Skumm from Captain Planet but that just makes it creepier. The Ghost Hawk is the ideal counter to the equally exciting Black Dragon. The Vamp is an improvement on a vehicle I thought was cool but not stellar. Now I REALLY like it. And the trooper is fantastic. Reminds me of 90’s toys with what I assume is the disguise etc. I’d say despite the articulation fire… this might be the first time in a long time that I haven’t liked the Firefly offerings in a Joe line. Firefly figs are usually a guaranteed hit… I’m gonna wait for better pics but I dunno.
I still have resistance to SS although as a fig alone he is pretty cool. The stink of ROC is still upon him and I’m having a hard time getting over it. You are right about the ROC SS figs. I didn’t care for any of them.
Yeah, I agree. And man after 30 years, I feel like this has been a damned marriage! I think you’re dead on with your comparison to the 90’s and that’s probably where a lot of my love comes from. I am a huge fan of the more outlandish elements of G.I. Joe (as long as they can be somewhat tied back to reality) and I think these Retaliation toys, which are so strongly geared towards children, really have a lot of that free form G.I. Joe old school Real American Hero “spirit” that was kinda lost in the hyper-realistic hard-edged stuff from PoC and 30th Anniversary.
Don’t get me wrong, I love that stuff, but there has always been a great sense of whimsy in the G.I. Joe line, and I have no problems seeing that continue here.
Stormy, a great stormy to be sure, but hard to justify if you were fortunate enough to get 30th Wave 3 version, that was perfection.
Nija Combat Cruiser-Very high on my want list, but not happy about driver, which I am saying the vehicle is that cool to transend it’s crappy driver.
Ghost Hawk II-Great, fantastic, love it.
GI Joe Trooper-EHHHH, I can’t agree, he is kind of cool but not something I am wowed over.
Zartan-OK Honeslty, at first I was ok with him, but the more I look the more I am not liking the design, Sorry, it’s wearing on me fast.
However some things else to look forward to: Rockblock, Cobra Commmander, Red Ninjas, Boat (sorry drawing a blank for some reason), 3 packs.
For me, the number one is the new HISS. It’s everything I wanted the last HISS to be and more – a see-through canopy that still looks armored, a proper turret that allows for a figure in traditional HISS style, and chain-guns on BOTH sides. I absolutely don’t mind the lack of “moving” treads”…The treads on the last HISS tanks didn’t really move right, anyway. As for the 5-point driver…Hopefully his head is salvageable. I think your list is great, but that HISS actually has me more fired up than anything else I’ve seen so far.
I hear you about the HISS. The lack of symmetrical weapons on the first two versions really bothered me which probably means I have OCD. The armored cockpit makes sense but I like to see my driver in there with this version.
It certainly is cool, and it probably came in around #6 for me. Take it from me, I’m pretty certain the heads are salvageable. For the HISS Driver that’s not much comfort because I love that entire figure, but that may help take the sting out of some of the others.
Just to clarify my point of view, it’s not just the vehicle drivers that have turned me off, it’s the reduced articulation on the line as a whole. Maybe it’ll turn out to be a misconception on our parts, but if not I’ll be buying a LOT less than I had originally planned to. I will not be buying ANY G.I. Joe figure that doesn’t feature the 25th Anniversary level of articulation, even if they look really good like Zartan does. I love Joe, but I have no interest in buying all new versions of these characters if they’re lesser than ones I already have. I hope the line still performs well, but until they return to the standard they set 5 years ago, I’ll be much less involved than I have been.
I can understand that. I would much rather have full articulation, but it does look like some figures still have it. Storm Shadow, Snake Eyes, and the Red Ninja have it, and you know they’re going to use existing tooling from previous Era’s as well, so those figures will have it, too. It certainly ain’t perfect, but with some of these cool designs, I can overlook the range of motion of the knee joints a little bit.
I am with you on the Ghost Hawk II and the Ninja Combat Cruiser, and even on the SpyTroopsesque Joe Trooper, but I have to say that the COBRA Paratrooper should have been on the list ahead of Storm Shadow and Zartan. And my own Number one would have been the SDCC Jinx pair for certain.
Agreed, I purposefully did not include Jinx because I wanted to focus purely on Retaliation stuff. Personally I love the Cobra Trooper parachute, but the rest of the figure doesn’t excite me a whole lot.
*How’d that go here?*
This was supposed to be in reply to Valo487.
I don’t understand what you mean.
The reply button did not latch my comment on. Some moderator should delete this comment thread.
The lesser articulation makes little sense as they are not going to offer that material for single packs, so it is new tooling, and the prices are going up even with less? I could understand it if they were taking on another licensed project like Star Wars, but this is in-house design. If I had to make due with less, then scrap the included vehicle driver in favor of a quality single pack figure to reduce the cost.
I think the Zartan figure is a very bizarre looking one… not really excited about it. And I prefer Steel Brigade quite a bit over this joe Trooper. But I LOVE the new VAMP redo and that Storm Shadow.
This is clearly not “death of the line” stuff.
But the vehicle drivers are an abomination. And frankly, the reduced articulation on the single pack figures bothers me much more… particularly the lack of ankles. The ankles are one of my favorite joints on Joes (yes, I’m weird), and I HATE that they have stripped that away on many of the figures. I just don’t think I can buy those. ARG… makes me mad!
The “Ninja Combat Cruiser” has a ridiculous name and reminds me too much of Ninja Force. That is a great name for a TMNT vehicle but not a Joe one. I could not agree more with you about the Ghost Hawk II. First off I’m a sucker for air power and this thing is just so cool! It looks both realistic and futuristic at the same time just like the Skyhawk. The lack of articulation on the trooper’s ankles kind of kills it for me but I will get that Zartan figure. I know he doesn’t have ankle POA either but I like the sculpt enough to try him out.
Eh, the name doesn’t bug me. It’ll just be the VAMP Mark II. 😀
Dark clouds aside (curse your 5pts of articulation vehicle drivers), one cannot deny he level of sculpt and aesthetic in these figures.
I’m mostly excited at the various flavours of Ninja (SDCC Jinx in white, those 3 packs, Storm Shadow and the Red Ninja!).
And that HiSS, and I liked the PoC one.
Something to think about here: Toys R Us sells Tru Heroes military themed figures and vehicles that include only 5 points of articulation, and they sell very well. The kids love them, the parents buy them never complain about lost hands, feet, heads AND the same kids complement their buying habits with super-articulated G.I. Joe and Marvel figures as if they were super-soldiers for their toy collections. The motivation for Hasbro to do this is simply profit from selling to a wider audience.
I may not like that I probably won’t see the Retaliation Clutch figure with the same level of articulation as PoC Snake Eyes, BUT there may be the possibility IN THE FUTURE if SALES are high enough (insert prayer here) that there will be a collector edition Clutch figure with the same basic look?
Tru Heroes aren’t even close to the same price as a GI Joe figure. I can go to Wal Mart and buy a Lanard The Corps figure for $2 that has more articulation than some of these GI Joe figures we’ve seen. With the articulation of the PoC figures I can justify the $7-$8 price to myself, but I can’t justify spending that much for a figure that is trying to compete with Lanard and Chap Mei for quality and articulation.
I’m honestly confused–I thought the message was loud-and-clear, with the articulation and level of detail in the last few waves of POC and how popular they were, that was the direction to go for GI Joe’s future. Especially with a movie coming out! Also didn’t Hasbro take note that the 5 pt. of articulation Green Lantern movie toys are now the Olympic-level champs of peg-warming?
I’m also confused–once again the store pegs are clogged with Duke, CC and Firefly and the troop-builders like Hazard Viper and Iron Grenadier, and I can’t find an Airtight or Lifeline anywhere. Now there’s new stuff for the movie and it’s Duke, CC, SS, Zartan, again! Couldn’t they take the Flint head from the guy driving the motorcycle and put it on the single-pack Duke? Or honestly just re-use tooling and give us a new Flint, but at least a Flint, who is supposed to be in the movie, and not yet another Channing figure! Give us some variety and then distribute evenly!
So messed up–the room is spinning! I admit I like MOST of what I see here, don’t get me wrong, some real sweet stuff, but the choices to go backward are mind-bottling!
I admit, though, I work for a corporation and we do the same kind of stuff with our product. It’s an epidemic.
And yes I said mind-bottling!
What’s mind boggling is the amount of “data” corporations (and I work for one too) claim to have that really is useless. It’s really not that complicated to get good metrics that would drive better choices but both Hasbro and Mattel struggle. Maybe it’s because Mattel is such an epic s*&^show when it comes to these things the comparable is too low.
I think one thing that seems to drive lower articulation is the idea that kids will buy them. The kids I know (and I know plenty) are way more picky about that than I am. Of course the plural of anecdote is not data but I don’t think that strategy will work.
Hasbro has to pay Paramount a licensing fee for the movie product. I’d imagine the reduced articulation and limited paint apps on some of the first salvo of product is to keep the Joe movie product pricing in line with last year’s 30th/Renegades product prices.
Ankle and wrist articulation won’t make any difference to kids if the movie is a hit. Green Lantern stuff didn’t sell because it was largely mediocre product with a too high price point (wasn’t it like $10 for a limited articulated 4″ figure with no accessories?) on top of the movie being a flop.
Exactly. And honestly the comparisons to Green Lantern are kind of annoying. Green Lantern was a terrible action figure line in every element. The mainline single pack Retaliation toys are 20 times better than anything produced in the Lantern line, and comparing the two is borderline insulting.
I’m not comparing them, I’m saying “please don’t go there, Hasbro!”
GI Joe has always been about poseability, playability, top-notch sculpting. I don’t want to see a movie-cash-grab like other lines…
I think KV and others aren’t comparing them as much as expressing the fear that Hasbro is adapting the Mattel strategy of maximizing margins by minimizing articulation. And pointing out this has not been successful outside of the Batman/JLU lines where (arguably) we’re buying a unique asthetic that works better in limited articulation.
So if the movie was a huge hit then kids would have lined up to pay that price for a 5 POA figure?
Star Wars has done pretty well all these years, so well in fact that they can afford to do both a kid friendly product at a lower price along side a collector series at a higher price with greater articulation. If only Joes can get there… to profitability that is, with respect to kid and collector product.
Ben, where are you getting this from? GIJoe is a Hasbro property that Paramount is effectively licensing. The default arrangement would not include and % back to Paramount from toy sales. Not saying you’re wrong just wondering if it’s an assumption or if there is a deal you can point to. If there is that would indicate that Paramount is not confident in the GIJoe property and asked for a cut of toy revenue to mitigate their risks.
That is for sure. In speaking with some friends of mine off line I mentioned that G.I. Joe always seems to do its best when the Hasbro corporate monster isn’t “paying attention”. When it’s flying under the radar and giving design a chance to really showcase their skills, G.I. Joe is capable of wonderful things.
Once movies are on the horizon, or when an animated series comes along, the corporate piece of the puzzle tends to get more involved, and the line ends up paying the price.
I couldn’t agree more. When the stakes get higher, too many opinions get involved, and things seem to slide downward. It seems to be a “corporate” thing, when the suits get involved then focus testing and bean-counting take over.
I’m not saying I’m not seeing great things here but if I were designing those ankle-less figures I’d just try to re-use existing parts to maintain articulation levels of the past. In my book new sculpting is better spent on heads and chests and they could just re-use the Night Adder’s legs to give the Rock-Roadblock some ankle movement.
I like 98% of the figures but then get to the ankles and it’s like “awww, man!”
Less articulation means less tooling needed and, the big kicker here, less assembly time. It takes longer to assemble a figure like Renegades SS than it will Retaliation Clutch. That’s where the big money saver will be and right now with the economy the way it is and retailers not really caring about GIJoe, Hasbro needs to do what it can in order to make the line appealing to those retailers as well as affordable. We got along just fine for 25 years without ankle articulation. I think we’ll be ok here. Yes, it sucks to loose that on some of these figures, but since I can understand the reasons why, I’ll get over it. I’d rather focus on the positive aspects of this line than the negative.
As I mentioned in another thread, I did some research and it appear that Hasrbo’s Business Intelligence is driven out of their accounting & finance department. Which, explains a lot — there’s nothing wrong with Accounting & Finance– but they have a very specific set of objectives and view of the business that is going to drive metrics and models. It’s highly probably that there are systemic barriers that the product team has to overcome to get what they believe in. This is (ironically) likely inversely affected by the visibility of the brand.
This Chicken Little reaction is really old. What we’ve seen so far is NOT the whole line. Do you really think that the Flint that’s coming on that bike is the only one we’re getting? Seriously? Whether you like it or not, Duke is in this movie. There’s no reason for him to not have a figure. As for the character choices, come on! Those are all big name characters who are all heavily featured in the movie! Did you really expect them not to appear in the toyline early on? That’s just silly thinking right there. And yeah, the lack of articulation in the vehicle drivers is very disappointing, but to compare the whole Retaliation line to a failed toyline by another company just based on those few figures is just ridiculous. Have some sense.
Enjoy your Dukes, my friend. Sorry for sharing my opinion, silly me.
I apologize, my above comment to you sounds prickish, which it is.
Erik, I don’t think this is the “end of the line” or the sky is falling. Never said that. I don’t doubt the “big names” will be in the movie line. I don’t think that we’re not getting more Flint. I don’t care if Tatum is in the flick or not, I just don’t really need another figure of him.
What I was trying to share is that I am confused by the distribution/availablity of figures and the reduced articulation, especially with the movie on the horizon, when it’s the best time to do it right. Same (and additional) confusion to what I had with Renegades. I usually just read the discussion on this board, and don’t join in, but in this case, I wanted to drop in and offer my 0.02. My frustration is with company strategy–it’s like they want Joe to fail. And I’d strongly prefer they didn’t.
If you don’t want another Duke figure, then don’t buy it. Seems pretty simple to me. Or just pop someone else’s head on it. That Clutch or Ninja Cruiser driver head might look nice on it. Duke is going to be in the line whether you like it or not. You might as well just accept it and move on.
As for the distribution problem, that’s really not something under Hasbro’s control. If stores aren’t stocking stuff then that’s up to those stores. Hasbro doesn’t just ship stuff to stores telling them to stock it. Stores have to order it and even then it doesn’t come from Hasbro, it comes from a distribution center owned by the company that owns that store. If a store isn’t interested in stocking GIJoe then there’s really nothing Hasbro can do about it. So if you want to blame anyone for “wanting Joe to fail”, then blame the retailers, not Hasbro.
No problem, I don’t plan on buying him, never did. I would only buy something I want, as soon as they make it I will. I would just like to see something I want to buy in-store, so I can support my favorite toy.
I understand the distribution problem, but there’s gotta be a way around it. Do the 2nd and 3rd wave cases have to be packed with 6 new guys and then 4 from the first wave that everyone already has, that will just sit there? I’m sure there are many who know more than me, but the whole thing seems wonky. Distributors don’t want to have stock sitting on pegs, do they? Maybe they do. If they’d just stock the item I want to buy, I’ll buy it.
It could be worse, we could be trying to collect MOTU….
What if those 4 from the first wave are big sellers? Hasbro doesn’t know what will be a big seller and what wont. It’s a gamble they have to make. Maybe people missed out on the on those four the first time and this gives them a shot at getting them. Just because you have them doesn’t mean everyone does.
You forgot one. Bruce Willis in 3.75″ style. ‘Nuff said.
Well, I was going by what we know, not what we’re hypothosizing. 😉 That would certainly be a big thing, though!
I hope it does well enough that there is a playset of some kind… Especially a Cobra playset (Cobra White House? 😉
I’m surprised nobody has mentioned the possibility of realigning the Ghost Hawk II to a modern Rattler, especially if those wings pivot to VTOL. Some great customs could be on the way.
As for the debate, as said it’s really about the cost. The vehicles are fantastically expensive to create in every respect, even if they are ‘only’ a repaint. Rejigging the screeners and sprayers for a repaint costs thousands of dollars alone. Movies toys will always take advantage of the less descriminating buyer to try and maximize profit and offset all the other associated costs as laid out in the other posts of this thread. Lego does similar by increasing figures for licensed product as they are the eye catchers, but reduce part count at the same time. I suppose Hasbro could have simply not included a figure at all, but then that is not playing to the movie toy buyer (the parent) who wants a single product purchase rather than having to buy two products.
I highly doubt that the reduced articulation is only about cost.
Stay with me here and consider:
– If you want the youngest consumers to buy into Joe, you have to appeal to them.
– “Ages 4 and up.” Ever seen a 4 year old play with your favorite Joe? Call the medic quick! This one’s got four compound fractures!!Then the four year old tries to cram that twisted up knotted up figure into vehicle and close the canopy Oh, great, he doesn’t fit! Maybe he’ll look good look good riding a motorcycle. Doh! Okay this isn’t working, so I’ll go play with my Beyblade or Bakugan.
– How many very uncomplicated transformers are on the shelves for younger kids. This is Hasbro, reusing a good strategy to expand its share of the toy market.
YO JOEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!
And btw guys is the joe trooper continuing with the caramel colored cape and gas mask or blue one because I really hope it would be caramel because the blue one looks to cobra-ish in a way
Hey guys do any of you notice that the gi joe retaliation is kinda more of focusing on ninjas and roadblock being a ninja and dwayne johnson playing as roadblock who is turning into a ninja?
I don’t know about this but I think roadblock should just stay as is a heavy-support guy for the joe team.
And guys they said the line was released on march but I still coudln’t find a single retaliation toy how come?