GI Joe Movie Toys

[DarkArtist]

this was posted on Hisstank.com... things might start to look glum for the Rise of Cobra merchandise....


HISS Tank member Nordland has passed along some rather unsettling news from Hasbro UK about the upcoming, or rather, in limbo, G.I. Joe Pursuit of Cobra line in the UK:

Thank you for your email.
I can confirm that the Rise of the Cobra toy line was released earlier this year, alongside a large scale marketing campaign. Unfortunately though, consumer demand has not been as anticipated, which obviously impacts retail demand too. As a result, retailers haven't moved through the waves on the range as we would have liked. With regards to the Pursuit of the Cobra toy line, we are yet to confirm if this range will be available in the UK. Please contact us again in February/March when we receive on new range information for 2010.
With reference to the comments you made with regards to the item, these have been noted and will be forwarded to our Marketing Department. We would like to thank you once again for taking the time to write to us as we welcome our customers' comments and suggestions, as they are invaluable for future improvements.

May we thank you for contacting Hasbro and if we can be of any further assistance, either now or in the future, please do not hesitate to contact us again.

Kind Regards,

ASK HASBRO
Hasbro UK Ltd
00800 22427276

Keep those fingers crossed 'Tankers! The Pursuit of Cobra impressed many collectors when unveiled at this year's JoeCon, to some(or maybe most), this line is more exciting than the current Rise of Cobra line. The big question is, will we see it? and again somewhat confirmation from the G.I. Joe Collector's Club... sounds like the crazy pursuit that followed with the last wave of 25th Anniversary vehicles :

Get ready for a double whammy 'Tankers, if the Pursuit of Cobra In Jeopordy for UK story hasn't rattled your nerves, try this next bit of info on for size. HISS Tank member Phweep has passed along info that the G.I. Joe Collector's Club has been sending out emails to members stating that the G.I. Joe Rise of Cobra wave 3 alpha vehicles have been cancelled by Hasbro until further notice. Hasbro says this wave may see the light of day next year. To further refresh your memories, the vehicles from wave 3 include:
Lava Pod with Volcano Viper
Tiger Claw with Leatherneck
Polar SHARC with Ice Storm
Desert Rockslide with Dusty
Now some 'Tankers have gotten their hands on these items within the past few months, and boxed samples can be currently found on auction sites. How many of the wave 3 vehicles made it out of the factories prior to cancellation? That's the biggest question regarding this wave at the moment.

Another thing to ponder, is if more items could be cancelled. Of all the vehicles in the line, the alpha vehicles seem to be ones that move the least. This is something witnessed all across the board. The bravo vehicles have tended to sell better, yet have they sold well enough so that upcoming bravo vehicles will not share the same fate as the wave 3 alpha vehicles? Of all the vehicles in the line, the Wolf Hound AKA Snow Cat and Cobra Fury AKA Cobra Rage are anticipated the most.

Site sponsor BigBadToyStore does have preorders open for the wave 3 alpha vehicles; could ordering the vehicles online be one of the only routes to take until next year?

[JEDIpartner]

I pretty much predicted this would almost go the way of the Indy Jones figures.

[pbarnard]

That's just the vehicles. Which isn't all that suprising. GI Joe expanded too much. It needs to contract. It can sustain the 25th level of stuff being released, but it can't be Star Wars.

[JEDIpartner]

I guess they "needed" to do the movie-styled figures in order to reboot the line, but where do they go from here now that the movie really didn't linger in the hearts of the fans? Will they revert back to the more animated styled designs or will they continue to modify the more realistic designs to move away from actor specific likenesses?

[El Chuxter]

I hope and pray they go back to the 25th Anniversary style after the movie and "Pursuit of Cobra" dies.

[RooJay]

My guess is that if things really are as bad as this makes it sound (I remain unconvinced) that the GI Joe line overall would be done for, at least for the time being. Retailers simply will not recognize or acknowledge the difference between the GI Joe movie toy line and a GI Joe non-movie toy line. It's all the same to them, and it'll look like GI Joe as a concept is dead as far as consumers are concerned. If this were the case, I would find it doubtful that we'd see GI Joe in this kind of product expression again any time soon.
Sucks that a lot of people couldn't see past that horrible movie, and recognize the incredible toys on their own merit. I still have yet to see that mess, and I've been in love with the toys pretty much since the first prototypes were revealed.

[JetsAndHeels]

I am not shocked at all. My local stores have tons of these figures rotting on the pegs, and the vehicles just collect dust as well.

At this point the only 2 figures from the movie I still want are the Doctor and the final battle Storm Shadow, or whatever he is called.

[El Chuxter]

With every day that goes by, and every hunting trip where I see billions of first-day figures and almost as many wave 1 mini-vehicles, my concern mounts over ever getting the few figures I want. I'm thinking there might be a better chance of a Beatles reunion than of me ever getting Night Adder or that black SNAKE Armor.

[JetsAndHeels]

I found the Arctic assault Storm Shadow earlier tonight. All I need now is the Doctor, and I am all done.

Its funny how one Walmart in town can have newer assortments, while the other one, about 10 minutes away, has nothing more than the first day figures.

[Phantom-like Menace]

I hope and pray they go back to the 25th Anniversary style after the movie and "Pursuit of Cobra" dies.

Seconded. I was horribly digging the 25th figures, and I'm never going to get enough of the Assault on Cobra Island Cobra figures. A chance to get an entire squad of classic Alley Vipers was one of the reasons I was excited about the return of classic G.I. Joe.