Sigma 6 - Kung Fu Grip - Combat Squad Cancelled

[Tazzzman]

Originally Posted by misterd

BTW - to the 3.75 collectors - there ain't many of you, and there's fewer of us collecting the 8". Many of us didn't do the 3.75 before, so don't expect us to help save the 3.75 line either. I don't wish you ill, but the line failed to find a broad appeal after repeated attempts in the first half of the decade. I'm not sure this 2 year layoff will change anything, but I wish you the best of luck.

WOW, that is kind of harsh words. We all share a common passion, we love Gi Joe, I for one love it in any form I can get it, I was supporting the 8" line and still will get the ones that I want. As for the 3/3/4 line, I have to say that is the line that I grew up with, but not once did I feel that I was not going to support the GIJOE line when they announced S6. I hope that we collectors can get passed these feelings at the Joe Con, because again, we are here to share the same passion for GI JOE, in whatever scale HASBRO is able to put it out on. Again, this is not to wish ill feelings, but I have to say that after I priased so many collectors of 12" and 8" it is a little surprising to see that I might have been wrong. To be frank, the GI JOE community does not need people that feel like that have to support the line to survive, what the Joe Community needs are people that share the passion for GI JOE in whatever size we can get them.

By the way, we always have the GIJCC that will continue to produce 12" and 3/3/4 stuff as long as there is a need by the collector community. They also are having an exclusive 8" figure as a parachute figure for the Convention.

[misterd]

Originally Posted by Tazzzman

WOW, that is kind of harsh words. We all share a common passion, we love Gi Joe, I for one love it in any form I can get it, I was supporting the 8" line and still will get the ones that I want. As for the 3/3/4 line, I have to say that is the line that I grew up with, but not once did I feel that I was not going to support the GIJOE line when they announced S6. I hope that we collectors can get passed these feelings at the Joe Con, because again, we are here to share the same passion for GI JOE, in whatever scale HASBRO is able to put it out on. Again, this is not to wish ill feelings, but I have to say that after I priased so many collectors of 12" and 8" it is a little surprising to see that I might have been wrong. To be frank, the GI JOE community does not need people that feel like that have to support the line to survive, what the Joe Community needs are people that share the passion for GI JOE in whatever size we can get them.

By the way, we always have the GIJCC that will continue to produce 12" and 3/3/4 stuff as long as there is a need by the collector community. They also are having an exclusive 8" figure as a parachute figure for the Convention.

The words are not meant to be harsh, but true. S6 did not shitcan the 3.75 line in the first place. Weak sales did. The 3.75 Joe fan base is not currently as large as Star Wars or Transformers, and the toys were clearly not appealing to kids. The S6 line has an even smaller fan base, and many are not 3.75 collectors. Even those who come back will not grow the base substantially. The Anniversay packs may give a short boost based on nostalgia, but it will have to find a way to increase its base beyond what was there in 2000-2005 in order to succeed.

[DESTRO]

Originally Posted by utrom

Yeah but on justins forum we were told as long as the combat squad, AT, and Commando's/Solders that just came out sell's, plus the stuff we saw at SDCC would sell and show a high profit to hasbro. Hasbro said they might consider making 8" G.I. Joes for 2008.
So the line still has some hope yet you should not have said that it was cancelled right away like that until hasbro says other wise. Chance is yes it might get cancelled if no one buys any of the products, but chance is we might see new 8" G.I. joes if the product sells good. So in this case you 50% chance right now to determine the line will keep going or fail. This is what I read on the other forums so far. So I have some hope in this line yet.

I do not know if Tom had seen Short Fuse in the case or not so there still might be a chance that Short Fuse is still going to make it in the line. He never Said Wave 2 of Combat Squad was not comming out just future plans for the next wave are done. If there plan is to wait on sales info for figures that come out in Fall then you will not see new figures for a year. So I think its safe to say that "cancelled" is the right way to discuss the topic.

We already know Adventure Team figures got cut out. So this should not come as a shock to anybody that the 8" line is at its end.

IMO Sigma 6 - 8" Line was a GREAT G.I. Joe line and I am not happy to see it go. I have at least 1 of every Sigma 6 figure ever made.

[ooten]

I like how everyone refers to S6 as being to kiddy like. I think thats funny considering they are all toys S6 and 3 3/4. No matter how you look at it were all grown men buying toys and they are made for kids. I was in the 80's gen and loved the 3 3/4 figs, but now I am S6 only I dont buy the small line even tho they are pretty cool, the S6 is new and different. Even tho flint dont look like flint and and gung ho looks more like leather neck I still like em.

[C.I.A.D.]

I can see how the line was cancelled, but again, I do not see why. Hasbro expects the to fly off shelves with absolutely no attempt at marketing. As already mentioned, placing the cartoon on fox was a surefire way to draw kids away from watching it. Factor in the 2.5" line, which expected kids to take their 8" figure and now imagine it was in the vehicle....well....meh.

I'll say this: The line is going out on a high note, it was pretty cool...but at the end of the day, $$$ means more than any fan base.

[Shin Densetsu]

Originally Posted by C.I.A.D.

I can see how the line was cancelled, but again, I do not see why. Hasbro expects the to fly off shelves with absolutely no attempt at marketing. As already mentioned, placing the cartoon on fox was a surefire way to draw kids away from watching it. Factor in the 2.5" line, which expected kids to take their 8" figure and now imagine it was in the vehicle....well....meh.

I'll say this: The line is going out on a high note, it was pretty cool...but at the end of the day, $$$ means more than any fan base.

Actually man a couple years back a good number of us on the joe boards were questioning the lack of marketing as well. We knew that was one of the factors that led to 3-3/4" going to hiatus, and gvc, the 2002 relaunch not doing so well. It was obvious then, and in some way now, that other hasbro brands such as Transformers and Star wars had more beneficial marketing means. There simply was more for those brands. Sure, now its not as bad as before, but there is still room for more. If the movie pans out well and if Hasbro teams up with cartoon network for a new joe toon, we might have a great revamp.

[misterd]

I agree that, for the most part, tv-tie ins tend to be more important for toys than ever but I would also point out that Bionicles and Bratz seemed to do very well without a supporting show (Bratz has gotten one, but if I am correct, it didn't get one until sometime after the line was launched).

I would say if they don't do a tv-show, then a commercial blitz has to be in the offing. With the odd regulations of the 80s which forbade airing commercials for your toy at the same time as your (giant toy commercial) cartoon, TFs and GIJoe had a great symbiosis. THe toons were often run together, and TF would show Joe commercials, and Joe would show TF commercials, and that offered a great synergy to keep kids hooked to both.

[General Hawk]

The issue with marketing all comes down to "budget". For every ten thousand dollars that they invest in marketing, that gives them ten thousand LESS dollars to use for R & D, Tooling Production, and packaging. It can be a give and take, walking that line between the two, but considering the up and down sales of the Joe line in the past 7 years, I don't suspect they have a huge budget. They need to figure out the best ways to allocate that money, and often I'd say actual toy production wins out over marketing that may or may not work. I mean, they marketed the hell out of Sigma 6, and here we are a year and a half later, with the line in supposed dire straights anyway.

I do have to agree, though, that if this IS the end of the line, at least the 8" stuff went out at the top of it's game, rather than sputtering and whimpering to the finish line. I find myself thrilled with recent releases, and consistently impressed by the design aesthetic and production of these fantastic toys, all the way up to the end (if that's what this is).

Justin