Hasbro's G.I. JOE Q&A Round Three Answers |
| Posted on 07-17-2009 at 10:35 PM by DESTRO |  |
HISS Tank.com has just received Round Three of Hasbro's 2009 G.I. Joe Q&A. The answers to our 3 questions can be seen below.
Q:What is the status of the Resolute Figures Destro, Snake Eyes, Baroness, Scarlett and Storm Shadow?
A:These figures are currently on hold and being considered for a set in 2010.
Q: In the last G.I. Joe Q & A session it was stated that the wave 3 Mighty Muggs would be out before the movie. That doesn't appear to have happened. Were these shelved altogether or delayed to a later date?
A:The Wave 3 figures were produced, shipped, and should be making their way out to retail in the next month. In the future, Mighty Muggs will only be available at select retailers.
Q:There are a good number of fans asking for more troop builder packs like a B.A.T.'s, Alley Viper, Eel's V1, and Resolute Cobra Troopers. Will we see more 5 pack army builders in the future?
A:Yes, more troop builder sets are coming in 2009 but they will be themed to the movie troopers.
To read more G.I. Joe Q&A click the Title Bar.
|
| Credit: HASBRO | Views: 4,563 |  |
HISS TANK
Q:What is the status of the Resolute Figures Destro, Snake Eyes, Baroness, Scarlett and Storm Shadow?
A:These figures are currently on hold and being considered for a set in 2010.
Q: In the last G.I. Joe Q & A session it was stated that the wave 3 Mighty Muggs would be out before the movie. That doesn't appear to have happened. Were these shelved altogether or delayed to a later date?
A:The Wave 3 figures were produced, shipped, and should be making their way out to retail in the next month. In the future, Mighty Muggs will only be available at select retailers.
Q:There are a good number of fans asking for more troop builder packs like a B.A.T.'s, Alley Viper, Eel's V1, and Resolute Cobra Troopers. Will we see more 5 pack army builders in the future?
A:Yes, more troop builder sets are coming in 2009 but they will be themed to the movie troopers.
TNI (Toy News International)
TNI: When are the "Assault on Cobra Island" 7-packs going to be released and will they only be available at online etailers and comic book specialty shops or will any major retail chains like TRU also be carrying these? Question by reader Draven79.
EDITORS NOTE: We had to send these questions in the day before etailers started listing these sets for pre-order.
Hasbro: The Cobra Island sets are now available for pre-sell and will only be available at online and specialty retailers.
TNI: Inevitably, the focus is going to shift from the movie line. When that time comes, what should we expect in the spotlight; the as-of-now unreleased Resolute figures and possibly more figures based on the animated short or the "classic" 25th line? Question by reader die fighting X.
Hasbro: The focus will remain on the movie universe, even after the movie has passed. At JoeCon this year, we plan on revealing the focus for the 2010 line so we can't reveal too much right now.
TNI: I first saw the new ROC toys well over a week ago at all of the major retailers. However, they were not available for purchase at any of the stores because of the release date (7/10). I have purchased a few since then because of the new release date at TRU and Target. However, Wal-Mart still will not sell them. Why does Hasbro go so far and impose so many regulations with these release dates, is it to keep me from buying their product, while at the same time allowing TONS of product to be STOLEN from their factories and sold on eBay? It is incredibly frustrating to have to wait to rightfully purchase something that has been available via the black market for so long. Question by reader Clam.
Hasbro: Clam, the reason for shelf dates is that it allows Hasbro and the retailers to align on specific plans for getting product into the hands of our fans. For example, Wal-Mart and Target will not reset their shelves until August. Therefore we needed to work with them to find ways to get GI Joe out of aisle before the movie. In order to have fairness across all the accounts, we set a date when everyone can start selling. As for the second part of the question, when we have to make millions of figures for the movie, it takes time to produce...so we have to start the process very early. As a result of this, the lines in China are running the product months before product hits...and a small number of figures find their way to the black market.
The Coil Club.com
1.) As you know, this year's convention set is a reissue of a set released 7 years ago in with the new modern era construction. Rumor continues to persist in the community that Hasbro has some degree of say (veto power if you will) into the yearly Convention Set by the Fun Publications team. First, is this true? Secondly, if it is true, why recommend a re-issue of a previous set? Are these designs that Hasbro was wanting to release, but with the shift to the movie focus, got derailed or what?
Hasbro Quote:
The process for the convention set is that the club comes up with their top ideas for what they would like to do. Hasbro then gets "veto power" to make sure that it does not overlap with mainline…but in general the club is responsible for knowing the club members and what they want to see. The Crimson Set was requested by the club and made sense given the excitement of movie and lack of twins in the line.
2.) Never wanting to assume and taking into consideration leaked pictures from overseas, we realize (and HOPE) there are some surprises at SDCC to show. Would you mind leaking a tidbit of info to share with the community? A "preview" if you will?
Hasbro Quote:
Due to internet leaks, many of the reveals have already been shown to the online community. We will be showing new figures, vehicles, exclusives, and a lot of insight into the mind of the design team.
3.) The community has provided positive feedback on the Hasbro Toy Store GI Joe Troop Builder 8-Packs. First off, how did the sales of 8-Packs do and secondly, might we see more in the future from other army builders not previously offered - Eels for example?
Hasbro Quote:
We can't release sales information, but we are happy that we could help meet the needs of our troop builders. A future 8-pack is possible, but currently not planned.
Cool Toy Review.com
Cool Toy Review: Dear Hasbro, Where are the 7 Packs? there aren't even any preorders online for them.
Hasbro: Pre-orders are now being taken and product will be delivered over the next couple months.
Cool Toy Review: Could you please release the rest of the original vehicles, and sets from 1982? The HAL (heavy, artillery, laser), MMS (Mobile, Missile, System), JUMP jet pack (with launch pad & Grandslam with red chest guard)? Could you also release the Dragonfly? We keep getting so many Wild Bills, but we still don't have his ride.
Hasbro: At Comic-Con, the team will reveal some mini-playsets that will be movie-themed, but based on the 80's. No announcement yet on the Dragonfly, but the team is considering it for 2010.
Cool Toy Review: I think you should release updated versions of the Cobra bunker, Ammo Dump, outpost, etc to have little playsets. They are cheap to produce and do not require that much packaging...and...are awesome!!
Hasbro: Great idea. We are thinking along the same lines and will show you what we have planned at Comic-Con.
Kastor's Korner.com
Kastor: Advanced shots of three Rise of Cobra 2-packs exclusive to Wal-Mart have surfaced online, but you have said in the past there will be four Wal-Mart 2-packs released for Rise of Cobra... will these four sets be released in one wave? If so, can you give us any idea of the characters in the fourth 2-pack?
Joe Team: We will debut these at ComicCon…stay tuned.
Kastor: In the last round of Q&A's, you mentioned a Toys R Us multi-pack including Footloose, among others. Will this multi-pack be based on movie designs, or classic renditions of the characters?
Joe Team: The multi-pack will be based in the movie universe but inspired by the original characters from the 80's
Kastor: One thing that has really stood out about the Rise of Cobra series is the huge amount of accessories included with each figure (some, like Shipwreck, Baroness and Firefly are loaded to the gills with accessories). Will this trend continue for the duration of the movie line?
Joe Team: Yes, the trend of lots of great accessories will continue. We hope this adds to the playability of the toys and that you enjoy the gear.
One-18th.com
Q1. Flash: Personal favorite, so I’m glad to see he’s getting a redo with a completely new look. But, it does have an odd look for a ‘JOE’ figure, he looks more Cobra. Maybe it’s the mask, who knows. BUT, he does bear a striking resemblance to Resolute Firefly. Was Flash originally supposed to be someone else, but changed later on?
A2. Hasbro: No, Flash is all new and designed only to be Flash. Even in 1982 Flash was unique with the red break-up costime and the team took this into consideration with the new Flash and make sure he had a new unique look in the ROC fantasy. Moving forward you will see more of this, classic characters in movie universe and new characters consistent with the fantasy (like Para-Vipers).
Q2. Will the San Diego Con exclusive be the only way we will be seeing a Christopher Eccleston helmet-less Destro? Or rather, will there be a standard release of him in some form or fashion?
A2. Hasbro: Yes to the first question. You will see only the masked Destro in the mainline toy line in 2009.
Q3. We’ve seen a couple different variants with the line, courtesy of various images (examples: Ice Viper with a clear & red visor, Cobra Commander in various poses and with and without hoses, Firefly with the red or black helmet). Any way you can let us in on intentional variants, or production changes in figures we can watch out for?
A3. Hasbro: These were all planned variants. At JoeCon this year, we plan on spending some time talking about variants and what to expect down the line.
AND… As a bonus, I was able to sneak in an extra question. See below!
Q4. As a fan of the JOE side of the battle, it’s nice to see the Joes get single pack nameless troops for the first time. And the gear he comes with is FANTASTIC! Well done there! Can you discuss why you decided to go with a basic Joe troop for the movie line?
A4. Hasbro: We heard from the fans that they would like nameless troopers for the Joe team as well as the Cobra. We felt that the movie offered great inspiration for some of these troopers.
JoeCanuck.com
Question: Will Canada see the new 17 DVD box set of the 80's cartoon at retail?
Answer: Yes, the new Shout! Factory DVD set will be available in Canada
Question: Any new developments on Resolute in regards to further animation or toy releases?
Answer: We are currently working on the Resolute DVD release plan as well as a potential Resolute figure pack for 2010
Question: By recognizing the vast interest that the 2009 Canadian Joe Convention exclusive set generated on a planetary scale thanks to GIJOE collector communities worldwide and the Vac-painted chromium Hiss tank playing a major centerpiece part in this set, will Hasbro Canada consider using the success of the 2009 Canadian Joe Convention exclusive set as an example to show Canadian retailers how collector communities can play an active and positive role in the growth of product variety and exclusives in Canadian stores, and perhaps persuade the big commercial store chains to offer "real" exclusives similar to what Hasbro USA has accomplished with Target when they offered the Tiger Force and Python Patrol vehicle repaints?
Answer: Great idea! Currently the Canadian retailers are offering many of the same exclusives available in the US.... but we will make them aware of the recent (and great!) activity of our Joe Canuck fans
Joe Reloaded
1. With the original animated series being released again on DVD, will we see more cartoon-based figures or sets?
H1: There are no plans for additional sets based on the cartoon; the 5 packs already released meet the needs of most fans.
2. Will there be a new animated series coming soon, and will it be based on the movie or be its own separate continuity?
H2: Hasbro is still working on what future (post-movie) entertainment plans will look like. We are not ready to talk about any specifics yet.
3. Can we expect to see the Marvel run of G.I. Joe: Special Missions released in trade some time in the next year?
H3: This is not on the current plan, but based on your question it will be suggested to the comic team.
Joe Customs
1) Are more new characters, such as Helix, planned for the line?
H1: Yes, there are more new characters coming, but the vast majority of figures coming will be based bringing classic Joe's into the movie universe.
2) If the makers of "Power Team Elite", "True Heros" and "Soldier Force" can produce modern military toys, emergency rescue response and futuristic adventure toys with high detail and enough extra gear to out fit the Marines, at an affordable price, then why can't Hasbro? What happened to the imagination and dare to be the best attitude that seemed to rule Hasbro in the 80's?==
H2:There are two issues at work here. The first is whether Hasbro and GI Joe want to be in the realistic military figure category or base the brand in the 80's GI Joe vs Cobra fantasy. The future will be in the 80's lore.
With regards to pricing, Hasbro has to cover a variety of costs and does its best to deliver its products at the best possible price. Looking at the Hasbro portfolio of boys products, we continue to reinvent our brands and bring out the best toys on the market.
3) If the movie is not a success for any reasons (accelerator suit, soccer moms, kids being dumb because of cell phones, etc) does it mean the end of GI Joe or will you still maintain a toy line following the huge success of the 25th anniversary and the millions of fans?
H3: The GI Joe brand has been and will continue to be important to Hasbro. We can't wait for the movie to hit theaters!
The Terror Drome
Q1 — Besides Footloose what other vintage Joes will we see next in the RoC line or otherwise?
A1 — We are not ready to reveal the future vintage figures coming yet….but there are more coming in 2009 and 2010!
Q2 — G.I. Joe fans everywhere from embryos to retirees are begging for more Resolute! How close are we to seeing a sequel or cartoon series?
A2 — We are still working on the future entertainment plans and do not have a plan we can share yet. We have heard loud and clear that fans love Resolute!
Q3 — Hasbro also owns "Wizards of the coast" that produces several RPG's and Miniature games (Dungeons & Dragons, Star Wars, Modern Die 20, ect), will they be producing similar products for GI Joe?
A3 — At this time we are not developing any GI Joe RPG's or card games, but we may revisit this after the movie.
YoJoe.com
YoJoe: Our members are asking a lot of questions lately about vintage themed figures and vehicles carrying over into the post-movie assortments. We have seen leaks from overseas featuring such items as Snow Cat, Cobra Rage, a European exclusive themed Scarlett (in green and black deco), a Night Force themed Lt. Falcon, Resolute figures and so much more. We know a lot of these are from items that were planned for 2008/2009 but were subsequently canceled, but with that in mind are we going to continue to see dedication to the vintage themed G.I.Joe or is it full speed ahead for the Movie based Joe concept for the foreseeable future?
Hasbro: The current plan is full speed ahead on the movie line, but to continue to find ways to bring in classic GI Joe characters and vehicles into the new fantasy.
YoJoe: It's time again for that obligatory fanboy question, "where is DVD set #5" but this time around our fans are asking why this often bemoaned, often scalped set is showing up at discount/bargain basement retailers like Marshalls, Ross Dress for Less, Tuesday Morning and Big Lots. We were told to hold tight as these trickle down into the retail supply chain but wow, a lot of Joe fans out there are pulling their hair out trying to complete their MASS Device sets. Any advice for our bewildered collectors?
Hasbro: The advice to collectors is to keep hunting as the sets were made in a significant quantity and will make it into the market. Due to inventory levels and retailers moving to movie product, many discount retailers are taking this opportunity to pick up GI Joe products including the DVD packs.
YoJoe: We're seeing an onslaught of G.I.Joe Movie tie-in items like role-play sets, board games and more showing up on retailer shelves. Seriously, what's the G.I.Joe design team's favorite non-action figure items and what should collectors find especially interesting?
Hasbro: The replica Snake Eyes sword will be on display at ComicCon and is a favorite of the design team.
Click the link for ArashikageClan.com Q & A Round 3 answers
Figures.com
F 1) With San Diego Comi-Con just around the corner and movie toys and products showing up at retail the first week of July, what is there for GI Joe collectors to keep an eye on and what should they expect to see at SDCC and for the coming year?
H 1) The GI Joe team will be debuting new waves of figures, vehicles, and annoucing exclusives at Comic-Con. We will also be selling two of the best Comic-Con exclusives ever done! (See all of Hasbro's SDCC exclusives HERE!)
F 2) When can GI Joe fans expect to see the online exclusive "Cobra Island" 7-figure sets? We are dying to get our hands on these vintage themed figures! And can we expect to see more items like these in the future?
H 2) The 7-packs are now available for pre-order!
F 3) No doubt by now Hasbro knows that G.I.Joe Resolute is a huge hit with the collector community. We are totally enamored with the cartoon and the fresh designs for the characters, so are there any plans to revisit the Resolute concept, both in media as well as products?
H 3) We are currently working on the Resolute DVD release plan as well as a potential Resolute figure pack in the future.
GeneralsJoes.com
Q: With the “Street Date” for G.I. Joe: The Rise of COBRA hitting today, it’s immediately evident that there is a TON of figures being released on opening day. Can we expect this rate of release to continue throughout the rest of the year? How many single packs are slated to be released this year?
A: There are over 30 single carded Rise of Cobra figures planned for 2009.
You can expect to see new figures released consistently for the rest of
the year.
Q: The San Diego ComicCon Destro looks amazing, and Hasbro’s desire to re-use tooling is well-known. Can we expect to see the “business suit” tooling re-used down the line somewhere, perhaps as the Crimson Twins?
A: Currently there are no plans for the the suited twins, but we have heard fans ask for this and will consider it down the line. This also came up after the 2008 suited Cobra Commander figure.
Q: The lack of retail pre-orders for the upcoming Assault and Defense of COBRA Island 7-Packs has many collectors scratching their heads. Can you give us a definitive timeline of release for these two excellent sets and some idea of when we might see pre-orders? Any idea why they’re not showing up yet?
A: Pre-orders are now being taken and product will be delivered over the next couple months.
ActionFigureInsider.com
Q1. What is the status of the characters that were to be in GI Joe Combat Heroes series 3? Any chance we still might see this wave produces or perhaps they will be added to a retailer exclusive set in the future?
A1: The third wave of pre-movie Combat Heroes were not produced and will not make their way out to retail.
Q2. Will Quick-kick, Tunnel Rat, and Lt. Falcon follow Tripwire from the box sets/two packs into singles once the movie figures die down a little?
A2. It is possible that some of these characters will be added to the single carded figure line…but there are not plans right now.
Q3.While it’s nice to see a new female character being introduced to the G.I. JOE universe with Helix, any chance of a female ninja joining the ranks of off-screen characters in the movie line? You know, without naming any names, of course.
A3: Jinx is not yet returning to the GI Joe team, but we are not ruling out a return to the line over the next couple years.
Toymania.com(Raving Toy Maniac)
1. Will we see any Resolute figures outside the Walmart 2-packs?
Answer: The team is looking into opportunities, but there is nothing officially lined up as of yet.
2. Will Hasbro continue classic characters in the 12 inch format?
Answer: The 12" format going forward will be characters based off the movie or movie universe.
3. Any chance of extending the 25th anniversary line with characters from the comic who have never been made (Kwinn in jungle gear, Dr. Venom, Soft Master, unmasked Snake Eyes)?
Answer: We know that there are figures in the 25th style that fans would like to get their hands on. We will continue to look for ways to get them into the line or offer them through the Collectors' Club. Right now, there are no plans for any of the figures you suggested.
JoeBattlelines.com
1) Star Wars collectors are able to purchase blank figure stands with labels. Is there a chance that G.I. Joe collectors might be able to do the same at some point in the future?
Hasbro 1) While there is no plan for this, we will look at this as a possibility for a future JoeCon item.
2) Will the DIC cartoon Run of G.I.Joe be included in an eventual DVD release? Also, will we see G.I.Joe Extreme and regular season run of SIgma Six cartoons on DVD as well?
Hasbro 2) The plan right now is to get out the first series this fall with Shout Factory. Based on the success of that DVD, we will look at the DIC series.
3) Since the TRU Viper set was canceled, could we see Mercer's sculpt tweaked and released, single-carded? Maybe perhaps add the other Renegades to the mix also?
Hasbro 3) There are no plans right now for Mercer or the other Renegades at this time.
JOhio.com
JOHIO: 1. The Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen movie is clearly marketed to younger children based on the large number of toys specifically marketed to kids, and the advertisment spots on cartoon channels, yet the movie with its crude sexual humor is extremely inappropriate for our children. Was there any concern about keeping the G.I. Joe movie "family friendly" so we can bring our kids, or should we expect the same level of crude sexual "humor" as T2?
Hasbro: Hasbro encourages parents and caregivers to be involved in all aspects of their children's development, including play and entertainment. The G.I. Joe movie is rated PG-13, ultimately a parent or caregiver knows his or her child best and is best equipped to make decisions on what forms of play and entertainment are most appropriate for his or her child. Being a 45 year old brand, GI Joe has fans of many ages (similar to Transformers) and we hope that the movie will be enjoyable for many age groups. Hasbro encourages parents and caregivers to acknowledge the rating and read reviews ahead of time to determine if it is appropriate for their child to see. We offer many forms of entertainment for kids to enjoy the GI Joe brand such as toys, publishing and apparel in addition to the live action movie - so if a parent decides the their child is too young to see the movie, there are many other ways to engage in the GI Joe fantasy. Many recent PG-13 movies such as Iron Man and Transformers have been able to have both successful movies and great kid toy lines.
JOHIO: 2. In the last round of the Q and A, an answer from Hasbro stated "Hasbro prefers to reveal product at key times like Toy Fair, Comic-Con, and JoeCon with the final deco and packaging."
The 3 3/4 scale GI Joe collecting community has grown up as a part of internet culture, and as such are used to a constant update of content available at the click of a mouse. (Even that colloquialism is quickly growing dated) When real content isn't provided, fan speculation rapidly fills the gap, often leading to unfavorable opinions on Hasbro or GI Joe related products (See the Reaction to this year's Con set for recent proof).
If the Communications Department at Hasbro is anything like the one at the company I work for, there is probably a desire to find a way to utilize alternative media outlets provided by social media such as Twitter or Facebook. I guess what I'm getting at is why rely on vestages of old and out-dated buisness practices? Would you not get better results from keeping a monthly buzz going about your products, rather than 3 big over-dosed loads per year seperated by 3 equaly big periods of rampant fan speculation and rumor-mongering?
Hasbro: This is a regularly discussed topic at Hasbro. On one hand we want to find a way to make key events special with product reveals.but we do want to get fans the most up to date info and stop rumors and speculation.
We're always looking to keep information flowing to the fan community and try to do so as regularly as possible - such as with these Q+A's. At the current time, with the team focused on and devoting their time to developing the best toy lines possible we're not able to address fans' concerns via Facebook or Twitter in a significant way. Available time and resources direct us towards this Q+A format as the best way to address as much as we can in addition to attending key events. We could definitely spend all day talking about GI Joe, but need to use most of our time developing it!
JOHIO: 3. Will the DiC Joe Cartoon, the G.I. Joe Extreme Cartoon, Sgt Savage episode, or the Sigma 6 cartoon be included with the huge cartoon DVD set that is coming out, or will it just be sunbow? If it is just Sunbow, when can we expect to be able to see these priceless pieces of Joe history on DVD?
Hasbro: The DVD release will be Sunbow only and make a debut at Comic-Con this year.