Hasbro should only make a single run of their first wave figures.
They never look like their on-screen counter part anyways.
First assortments should only be a teaser or preview of what's actually coming.

The TMNT business model works, come on Hasbro, stop pretending that you're still in the game and look at what's actually working instead of only relying on the name of your brands.

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What company's name *doesn't* fit neatly in that blank?





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//...rass'n frass'n mattel...
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I would love to see a 1:18 redo of the GIJOE from the Adventure Team sets of the sixties. The same accessories, the same animals and vehicles, just done in 1:18. It would also be a treat, for the 50th, if they flocked the hair and beards just for that run. (Come to think of it, I have a tube of Woodland Scenics in that same brown which I am very tempted to attempt that classic look.) Make an "8 Wonders of the World" pack with a backdrop of them in the blister.

I would love to see a one-shot of Time Travelling Joes and Cobras. A figure set of both, in their futuristic look, then following sets themed for the eras that they would have to time travel to for the adventure.

The ROC armor kept me thinking of both HALO and Dead Space. Maybe its time for GIJOE to think about otherworldly threats like it tried with the Lunartix. Let's face it, they keep skirting the trademark devils with their "too close for infringement" figure styles (Tracker, POC Spirit, Reactive Armor, and so on), maybe it is time to just admit they dig it and make a run at it.

Still think it is time for them to start Submarine vehicle crews. Make a nice large current style submarine with at least ten crew members and three to five gimmicky features, like a sonar ping, dive horn, missile bay sounds, torpedo launch sound, and ocean wave track.

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I still think civilian is the way to go, I mean look at the sales of both Playmobile and Lego basic sets. I would love to be able to get housing and stuff that fits. Plus it would work around the parents who want gender neutral or non military toys.

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will tell you that civilians don't sell just like females don't sell.........

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As a kid I used Playmobil figures as civilians and Windmill was the town drunk, so I'm pretty sure that while they might not be the top sellers, civilian figures would be a cool addition to the various Hasbro lines.
I'm surprised that they don't do a secret identity line with the various Marvel heroes. It would be cool to have Peter Parker and the gang in regular clothes and not just unmasked versions.

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And yet for a long while one of the hardest figures to find in the MU sets was Mary Jane Watson... a female civilian

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Crypto-hunters. 4" modern Joe looking for Sasquatch like the 12" club set from a few years ago. The last version of Snow Job (30th?) seemed more Adventure Team than military to me, so start there. Packs, tents, camping gear, camera, hunting rifle, jeep, etc. And we'd get some cool monsters too...Jersey Devil, ghosts, zombies, lost Dino's, giant gator, cool fun stuff, but not gross like Mcfarlane monsters.
I thought the sets with the animals at the end of Sigma Six were great, but too little too late. Why not start a 4" line like this at the beginning instead of green movie Dukes.
Crypto weirdness is popular enough to draft off of. But that's my .02 cents.

An Adventure Team-style concept is what I'd go with, too. It just covers too many bases to ignore:

-It's non-military, so it doesn't alienate the segment of the population who prefer not to get involved with all that.
-It depicts scientists and scholars as role models, which is always a good thing.
-It can draw from almost any subject matter: mythology, history, science-fiction, modern science, horror-fiction, etc.
-Since any occupation/hobby/stunt/whatever can be turned into an adventure, it could run for years without repeating itself.
-It's adaptable to current trends in a way that most lines with a more rigid concept aren't.

And, while it might have been mentioned already, it would also lend itself well to some kind of video-game tie-in: each item in the line could unlock an environment/tool/character/etc. in the game, with larger-ticket items unlocking more significant or useful things. It would take a little more development on the game side, but from a business perspective, it would also provide many more opportunities for sales than a single game ever could.

Plus, I just want to see it happen: I missed the AT stuff on account of being born too late, but I've been having a blast making my own custom AT line and I'd love to see everyone else have a shot at such an open, imagination-stimulating concept.

This would be so cool. Do it like Spooks or Monster Hunter International.

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It ties into vintage Adventure Team concepts, too, for the 50th.
I just want a "4 Squatch figure. Chewbaccas don't count!

AT really is versatile, it can apply to anything.

I've been thinking about how a monster hunter type toy line could work. I figure seven to eight dollars, for a 4" figure of either a human with a small assortment of equipment, or a man sized monster. At the 10 to 12 dollar price point you get either a six inch monster, or a four inch human with some kind of a trap or other large accessory. three to five dollars gets you a small playset made of flat panels (this could be made from cardboard) packed with an idea sheet for how to dress up the playset with moss from the store's floral section, or things from the craft section.

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yes. Do you mean something like this? ...

Falklands War:
British Royal Marine, Para, Ghurka
Argentine Commando. Regular Army

Grenada:
US Marine, 82nd Abn, Rangers
Cuban 'Construction Worker'

Invasion of Lebanon (82):
Israeli Paratrooper, Mechanized Infantry
Syrian Soldier
PLO fighter

Vietnam:
US Marine, Air Cav, Phoenix, SEAL, Special Forces, Advisor
NVA, Viet Cong
S. Vietnamese Marine, Ranger
S. Korean Army
Australian Army

World War II:
list is endless ... no idea where to start
British Long Range Desert Group, 8th Army, Chindits, commandoes, Paras, Ghurkas
German Paras, 'Elite' Infantry, Regular army
US Marines, Airborne (overlord, Mkt. Garden), Rangers, Patton

All of the above could be done as repaints except maybe some of the WWII stuff.

Gunny,

That is one way to look at the realistic battlefield and historic heroes stuff. but more like
2014" G.I. Joe: Theme; "Coalition Forces"
Wave 1
S.A.S. Commando: Code Name: Big Ben
Russian Mountain Trooper: Code Name: Big Bear
British Combat Advisor: Code Name: Sokerk
African Tribal Fighter: COBRA Local security
Organized Crime Boss: Code Name: Headman,
Modern Costal Pirate: Code Name: Reef Snake, COBRA Lamprey Commander

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The biggest advantage hasbro still has over most any competitive line is the nature of the construction form of their Joe brand (in house licensed) figures. For various reasons they've been unwilling or unable to utilize that construction style for other licensed properties. That simple move would remain my top choice.

Assuming that it's not possible for some reason, I would still open up the format and create various other in house lines simultaneously, all using same format. There would still be new Joe product each year, in terms of named characters and vehicles. But in non movie years there'd simply be less. Filling the blanks though would be an Adventure Team line AND various civilian lines a la Playmobile. I think having the Hasbro style figure become the property rather than a bunch of snake eyes figures would open up a lot of doors. And by spreading it out, they'd cover multiple bases without over saturating any one wave as they are now prone to do.

Even if random hasbro sets of figures and accessories aren't labeled as Joes the shared scale and form would have collectors eating them up and better target the way kids play as well. Joe styled office, medical or garage sets? Yes please.

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