Thanks to the guys over at The Terror Drome for digging up a few more images of upcoming Pursuit of Cobra figures…and gotta kind of shake my head a bit at the general lack of information or explanations coming from Pawtucket on the entirety of this whole toyline and brand.
First the good… check out images of Arctic Threat Duke, Whiteout, and Arctic Threat Destro below:
no images were found
But come on now. We were told at JoeCon this past year (only a few months ago, mind you) that we should brace ourselves for the awesomeness of Pursuit of Cobra, coming in 2010. We were shown a ton of absolutely incredible product, certain to only further blow our minds. Now we stand, a mere two weeks from 2010, and absolutely nothing. Jack. No information whatsoever on a toyline that was promising to reinvigorate and reignite the G.I. Joe brand in a new fantasy/military style that was really wowing the majority of the fandom.
What does it mean? I think it’s obvious by the rampant price drops that the Rise of Cobra toys did not move like Hasbro and the retailers were hoping. But did this really put Hasbro in an all out “panic mode”? In a recent Q & A, the Joe brand team reveals that Pursuit of Cobra is now planned for fall of 2010. What the–?
I’ve seen several folks over on HissTank hypothesizing that while the Pursuit of Cobra toys will hit in fall of 2010, some of them will be rebranded and released earlier. Sorry, I just don’t see it. Yeah, we’ve seen a smattering of test shots for Desert Ripcord and Zartan, Arctic Duke, and Jungle Storm Shadow, but absolutely no packaged samples or evidence to prove they’re hitting earlier exists. And really, you only have to follow the release trends to uncover what’s going on here. There are two times of the year that new brands are launched. Either the beginning of the year, or the “fall”. And as we all know from experience, the beginning of the year generally means December of the previous year. Well, obviously there is absolutely no reason to think any Pursuit of Cobra looking product is hitting during the holiday season, especially as we approach the final week. Strangely enough, there are still plenty of exclusive products that appear to be slated for release, so perhaps we’ll have something to cling to in the first quarter.
To me, all evidence is pointing to the fact that the main G.I. Joe line is officially on a “break” (no I will not use the “H” word) and will hit next fall, refined and redefined. The real question is, what does that mean? Any assortment changes? Any figure changes? Any *gasp* cancellations? Unfortunately the way Hasbro Public Relations is working at the moment, we won’t know a damn thing until Toy Fair, which is kind of too bad. If a major restructuring like this is taking place, I would think it would be in Hasbro’s best interest to release the information officially to halt speculations and to set expectations to where they should be. Instead we have different corners of the fandom saying different things and nobody knowing what’s really going on.
So I guess what I’m saying is, don’t hold your breath. Don’t wait in hushed anticipation for the blockbuster announcement that the first wave of Rise of Cobra will be rebranded and released early in 2010. We’re all in a holding pattern at this point, waiting for Toy Fair, and I think Toy Fair will provide some answers, perhaps ones that we don’t want to hear. Don’t get me wrong, I’m certain Pursuit of Cobra will be released, but I think we need to listen to what Hasbro tells us in the Q & A, and maintain our expectations for fall of 2010 (which, in all fairness, is usually July – August). Not only that, but please don’t be surprised to see some changes along the way.
At this point Toy Fair is 6 weeks away, let’s prepare to get some real answers then. But something tells me we won’t get the real “goods” until much later in the year next year.
I think Hasbro is just waiting until the new animated series comes out to release the new line. Obviously the movie didn’t help them push as much product as they wanted so perhaps the cartoon will.
Wow. Who peed in your figgy pudding Justin? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this pessimistic since Sigma 6 got cancelled. Don’t get me wrong, I’d rather hear it straight, honest opinion like this rather than sugar-coated PR doubletalk but man a week before Christmas? You couldn’t wait until after the first of the year?
I’m just messing with you on the timing thing. I agree that unless we see a radical sudden shift in the economy Hasbro and a lot of toy companies will be holding on to any major launches until things get better.
Also I didn’t even think about the lack of packaged product being “leaked” as being a sign that things might be delayed but it makes sense. Couple that with the rumor of a new animated series coming next fall and the Q&A hints at a fall release for PoC and I think we can all do the math. As much as it sucks not having any significant new product for a few months I’d rather it launch when things are better than for it to hit now and stagnate on shelves.
Guess we’ll find out in a few weeks won’t we…
FYI, I think you typed 2009 instead of 2010 in a couple places.
I’ve liked all the pursuit of Cobra figs teased so far (well, except for motorcycle man) and hope they see the light of day. They are better than the RoC, it seems to me, more variety overall.
But I think Hasbro just blitzed too much product. My area has a few targets, a wal mart, and a toys R us nearby, and the Joes were always falling off the shelves. Kids today have so many more entertainment options, and it isn’t a great year for disposable income.
I don’t know what all of this points to, but I do know that since the price drop, the Joes have been moving off the pegs with lightning speed. Perhaps this should be a lesson to Hasbro: $5 Joes sell a lot better than $8 Joes could ever hope to.
Sam
Some of the 1st wave has been released in stores. I saw Duke (City Strike)& Ripcord (Jungle Assault) at King Soopers (Local Grocery Store Chain). I bought the Duke even. I also got the City Strike Snake Eyes and Arctic Threat Storm Shadow on eBay at $10 a piece from a domestic seller. I think that with a lot of stores, they will not stock the new stuff until the old moves. I was sad too, though. I was hoping for a big pre-Christmas flood of new toys.
Honestly, the Rise Of Cobra line suffered not because of interest, but because of mismanagement(IMO). When the line first dropped they were flying off the shelves, but then the stores over-ordered the initial first waves and that was that. Also, the $2.00 price hike also hurt the line. It was unnecessary, and now that Wal-Mart dipped down to $5.00, the lines picking up again. Hasbro can really keep the momentum moving if they concentrate on keeping the line cheaper. Drop the spring-loaded weapons (nobody likes ’em) and maybe dump the stand to deliver a good, $6.00 action figure.
Oh yeah, I’m actually glad Joe is taking a bit of a breather. I’ve been neglecting my Star Wars collection since July.
I have a question, do we even know if the line will be called PoC? Is it going to be anything more than a sub-line?
If they are treating it like they did the TF “Allspark” line, then yes. And we’ve seen how this will be handled. The Pursuit of Cobra logo has been found on packaging already, seen with the Ram Cycle w/Sandstorm, Flight Pod w/Elite-Viper, “Whirlwind” w/Range-Viper and Glider w/Ace. Also you can count the upcoming TRU Arctic Threat Shipwreck and Doc with those too. All have been seen in packaging and have the PoC logo on them. So it is possible we are perceiving how Hasbro will handle this wrong and will be seeing the PoC stuff sooner than later…?…
Again, this is just a thought.
Sorry, it’s late, meant to say:
“If they are treating it like they did the TF “Allspark” line, then NO.”
Stranger – Yeah, sorry I’m a bit disgruntled, that tends to happen when I see a toyline that absolutely knocks it out of the park, but suddenly disappears with no rhyme or reason, and we’re not given any explanations by Hasbro as to what’s going on or what the final product will even be…I’ll try to keep it light for the next week. 😉
Weasel – Yeah, exactly…Doc and Shipwreck are the exclusives, though, as are the other items we’ve seen packages for. I mentioned in the post that the exclusives appear to be chugging along, but nothing else. That’s all fine and well, but repaints can only carry a brand so far, and the REALLY good stuff appeared to be in the main single pack releases.
Maybe I’ll be proven wrong come February 13th, I certainly hope so in this case.
The sky IS falling.
😉
I’m sure you have also noticed how eager large chains are to move the Night Raven. Toys R Us has them in stores at $24.98 now, a move that almost never happened in all the years I can remember TRU having Joe Planes, Boats & Trucks. There is a LOT of product still out there to sell off, and Hasbro is seeing a lot of backlog and unavailability in some areas for new Star Wars items due to the Clone Wars/Star Wars double punch this past year. I am sure they don’t want to cheapen their brand G.I. Joe by making stores upset with too many Mole Pods, Destro and Baroness sitting and languishing as the new product would never get shelved. It does not take a genius to stock and sell the new stuff, but have you got many of those people at the retail level working as hard as Hasbro to move awesome into your hands? No, I don’t either.
I think that because of the first waves still warming the pegs, hasbro will put the PoC stuff in 7-packs just like the defense/assault on cobra island sets, so they can put 5 exclusive figures with a couple of re-used ones. And maybe sell them on the internet? Probably i’m wrong, but i think hasbro doesn’t see gijoe as their best selling line as it was back in the 80’s or 90’s, the movie didn’t helped as much as they wanted to (why, it was awful!) and the kids don’t give a damn about gijoe like we do. And in my personal opinion, hasbro would like to sell them mass packed like those horrid “action soldiers” at sale on wal-mart. It’s a shame, because we may be seeing our most beloved line reduced to that kind of toys nobody cares about but just a few of us.
Here’s the quick econ analysis: the toy companies (hasbro included) seem to have a suicidal fixation on over-producing the first wave of thier lines. You saw this with Wolverine Origins, Wolverine & The X-Men, Star Trek 09, Indiana Jones … it goes on.
Add in the retailers attempts to control inventory to keep costs down and you have a recipe for disaster as buyers (who are not nearly as savvy as we’d like to hope) end up passing on lines until the sell through the glut they have on hand. Which won’t happen because everyone already has the overproduced product.
Even though we haven’t had the sales , permanent price slashes powerwalls of product in Canada that the US has seen, the RoC product has moved off the shelves briskly at TRU and WalMart. Pretty much every parent of boys 5 to 9 years old has asked for either Joe or SW, leaving it up to the parents to decide. Of course, the kids would prefer both. 🙂
If this makes a case for controlling market bombing of product, I’ll leave that to those more versed in the industry to read from the leaves.
Wait a second. I like your site. But this time you’re really spreading bull. Like you, I’m a big fan of G.I. JOE. However, the reason why The Pursuit of Cobra theme is being delayed is because the kids and fans can’t get enough of the Rise of Cobra line. The figures are moving off the shelves. You’re lucky if you find Snake Eyes at either Target or Toys R Us. Even at CVS/Rite Aid, where figures can be $10, Hasbro is moving merchandise.
What is happening is that there are late adopters. Adult fans – who didn’t want to see the movie in theaters – are now watching it On Demand or on DVD. Now that they like the film, they’re getting the action figures along with the kids. The only things that you can find “plenty of” are some of the smaller vehicles. If The Rise of Cobra line were a failure, two things would happen: Hasbro itself would sell the figures at a reduced price on its website; and the company would absorb the losses and immediately release The Pursuit of Cobra wave. Neither of those things happened.
i have to agree with derrick there does seem to be some late adopter’s. i dont think it will keep some of the product from going to ollies, or any other discount chain. the first quarter is when new products are released, and dont necessarily get released early (december), unless Hasbro has no product to fill christmas orders for the current line. big H, i am sure, already has major retail commitment for the POC line (as evidence by the large number of “preproduction” stuff), and i believe it a safe bet we will start seeing these after the christmas markdowns, when retailers start setting their new planograms (starting in Feb). its a bit too early to be decreeing “death of the line”.
Well the sales do seem to help move the older stuff out. I’ve finally seen a CS Snake Eyes at Wally World and a SNAKE exclusive at Target. I wouldn’t mind a break in new product, because I’d like to give my wallet a break and catch up with stuff I’ve missed.
I think too many times people seem to take the fact that the “first waves are not selling” too casually. Fact is, for a kid who’s never known Joe, these Joes in the first waves (Duke, Ripcord, Destro, Heavy Duty, Vipers) are the characters in the film that are used to introduce the universe to the new generation of kids.
These are typically the major pegwarmers, which tells me that the movie didn’t have an impact on children. Kids just don’t seem to care to use their imagination with action figures for the most part these days. It’s all electronic gadgets. Action figures are becoming a thing of the past.
Did the price drop help? I think it did to some degree. But maybe too late.
Question: Has it been confirmed that the animated series we are hearing about is set to debut in the fall of next year?
Sounds like a logical and interesting theory with the two set to debut simultaneously. But has this been confirmed? Bell just mentioned he did an audition for the cartoon. Usually it takes 1 year for a cartoon to air from the time auditions are done.
That comes up to Jan 2011 by my count.
I think the biggest problem here in the UK is the price. The ROC figures hit retail at £8 each, which is the equivalent of about US$13. That’s just too much for the line to really catch on with the kids, especially during a recession. By the time any major reductions appeared the buzz over the film had died down.
And my local Toys R Us is still selling the MARS Trooper preview 3-pack for £24.99, which is over $40…
“Well, obviously there is absolutely no reason to think any Pursuit of Cobra looking product is hitting during the holiday season, especially as we approach the final week.”
Really? Because I’m pretty sure we had figures from City Strike, Desert Ambush, Jungle Assault and Arctic Threat already, along with the TRU exclusive Sting Raider.
That’s one full figure wave and one vehicle from the Pursuit of Cobra line already available.
And before you say “Oh but they don’t SAY Pursuit of Cobra on the package”, let me remind you that POC is essentially a SUBLINE IMPRINT. Since Joepedia sucks, I’ll have to go with the Transformers Wiki for an explanation:
http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Subline_imprint
Partial rebranding? Check. Theme or gimmick running through? Check. Information about the new theme present on the package? General Hawk’s transmission damn well qualifies.
So yeah. Before you go delivering eulogies to Pursuit of Cobra’s death before it even began, remember that it’s already started.
I agree, a full-on POC line may not be coming out soon enough for us, (like Resolute did creeping in the end of 2008 with the 1st wave dropping in Dec. then being pulled, & there being no current preorders for POC on BBTS is of course disheartening), but I do have a POC Sting Raider in my hands, & the held back ROC wave 3 vehicles are up for order on retailer sites.
Retail has to sell thru what Hasbro has already made for ROC & still has waiting in their warehouses… thus the Xmas season & immediately after blowout sales (Jan)… We will still be getting some new Joe merch POC subline between now & Fall 2010 (& the official rebranded POC launch), just not as much as we would all probably like.
Hola, I hope you are doing well, and first I wish you a Merry Christmas and a very Happy, Healthy and very blessed New Year.
Here in México, Hasbro has a mess in distribution, several waves are not released (sample: where Crimsom Viper, Elite Viper figures not sold here and are the coolest ones) and the few figures supplied/released are in big quantities, so just sell a few and the rest is still there in the aisle getting old, long ago tried to contact Hasbro to share ideas and as usual, nobody replied, they promess me that 25th Aniversary line was going to be released and nothing, just the last wave (Ninja Viper, Snow serpents, Bazooka, just 7 figures but in huge quantities- I buy just one Bazooka, who wants more?)
I think Hasbro indeed, needs to review its strategy, I know GiJoe is not big as 20 years ago in LatinAmerica, but there are still a lot people who still collects and buy Gijoe, but prices are out of mind (GiJoe RoC movie figures reached up to: $13US-$15.00 and then dropped down to $11 or $12- nice discount, right?) I got a Firefly exclusive in $25USD, plus add the shipping, this kills me, too much in a few figures….Anyway, we hope the “break” is for good of the fans, collectors and then Hasbro wins too! Thanks for the guys who makes possible this wonderful webpage!
“So yeah. Before you go delivering eulogies to Pursuit of Cobra’s death before it even began, remember that it’s already started.”
Ummm…I never performed any eulogy. I never once said the Pursuit of Cobra line was DEAD, but I just want folks to have reasonable expectations. We’ll find out for sure at Toy Fair in February, but just don’t be surprised if we find out then that the main Pursuit of Cobra line is still a ways off. Obviously when Hasbro originally conceived Wave 5 as a “bridge” wave to Pursuit of Cobra, they envisioned a full shift by Christmas/Early 2010, but it’s evidently not happening that way.
And Steel Brigade, I agree we will see the limited subline, hence the exclusives that I mentioned were still coming out. But a MAIN LINE full bore single-carded Pursuit of Cobra line doesn’t look to be coming any time soon.
Well, clearly Hasbro has been hit hard by the economy. It’s not only G.I. Joe suffering, there are a lot of Transformers clogging the pegs as well. I’ve even seen a glut of Star Wars this fall (after having very little on shelves for most of 2009). The only thing selling well for boys toys seems to be Marvel Universe, but I don’t think that line has nearly the large scope/quantity as was planned for Joe/TF/Star Wars.
G.I. Joe will weather the storm. Unfortunately, Hasbro thought it’s two big summer movies (Rise of Cobra and Transformers 2) would push product in the same way Transformers were pushed in the summer of 2007. That just wasn’t the case, and now they’re stuck with a lot of overstock. It may take a little longer to burn through all that stock, but Joe will move on, albeit likely scaled back in quantity. Hopefully the animated series will help spark more interest than the movie seemed to.
So, can anyone confirm the animated series is coming next fall? Or is this just more speculation? Hasbro certainly isn’t going to say anything until Feb and even then it’s not certain.
And Justin, I like your site, like your reviews and think you have a great thing going here for everyone. Don’t sweat it when people think you’re calling ‘deth of the line’ or who peed in your cereal. Seems like whenever someone realizes things aren’t so great with Joe, there’s a group of others who rush to defend Hasbro.
Rise of Cobra sales were nowhere near as good as what Hasbro expected/wanted people. Pursuit of Cobra has been delayed/pushed back or on hiatus/break. Get over it.
I totally agree Justin my friend. ^_^ We will just have to be patient w/POC.
we got confirmation on the animated series, by the hasbro press release regarding their purchasing of discovery kids network. there have also been reports about casting taking place. so i would say its a safe bet we will see a new gi joe animation in about a year.
target’s january reset show the same shelf space for gi joe. so we at least know gi joe will be represented through till march when the spring revisions hit. the only things being removed are the action battlers (i think) and the rescue mission 4 pack. if POC is a carries the subline tag they will show up in targets system with the same dcpi number as the ROC product.
dragongravy, thank you for your comments. I don’t want to sound like a broken record, however, Mike Bell just auditioned for the cartoon. That means the voice actors have not been hired and began with the recordings. From the point of auditions to the point of air date, it is usually 1 year as you said as well.
That does not come to Fall 2010. That comes to fall 2011. I was hoping there was confirmation that it was to air in fall 2010. I think it’s speculation at this point. So that just leavs more questions that Hasbro will not adress until Feb 2010 next year.
And I’m with Justin, in that I believe it’s in their best interest to let everyone know what’s going on.
I saw the information tip about the shelf space next year for Joe. I personally have my doubts about his information, but assuming that is correct information, I think it means the glut of Rise of Cobra product is still going to be on the shelves throughout the winter in one last attempt to sell product.
I think Hasbro and retailers want to give more time for the product to (hopefully) sell through before they gear things up for the fall lineup whatever it is called.
Sorry. That should read as Jan 2011 when it seems to me the cartoon will hit the air waves.