zedhatch wrote:
In addition, dispite some apologists claims, this line has not been marketed to kids at all since the original ARAH run. Virtually nothing has been aimed at getting kids into GI Joe. This runs very counter to everything marketing 101 teaches, the most basic premise, aim at your target audience.
DING DING DING we have a winner. Exactly. I am NOT buying a ton of Joe product. I am 33 now, I have two kids. I just spent hundreds of dollars on bedroom furniture. Not a dime of that went to Joes, even though at this stage in my life I could scoop up a Flagg when I want on eBay or buy lots of figures. You can't sell to us forever, no matter how much we love Joe. They have to aim it at the kids. Remaking our childhood has got to stop. I remember after I got the 8 millionth Viper pack/Officer Pack/CG Pack, etc, that I realized they had made EVERYTHING I wanted, EVER. Now it's time to innovate, to make new stuff.
zedhatch wrote:
In addtion, ever notice the "kids" excuse is only used when there is some assinine move done by Hasbro that everyone knows is a bad idea but Hasbro wants to push forward-T-Crotches, Action attack, repetive characters, atriculation, repaints, ect. Even when faced with the fact that these ideas simply don't work, they say "but that's what kids like" Spring loaded launchers? When has that worked, now we find out that apparently the Clone wars line that Hasbro has claimed is a mega seller doesn;t sell that well and they are putting it on the back burner, a line loaded withlaunchers (although smaller) aimed at the kiddies. If it fails for the Juggernaut Star wars, what makes them think it will work for Joe?
I wouldn't agree with this part. I think they come up with something, test it, and hope it works. T-crotch was probably a compromise in gimmick vs. cost, and didn't work well for kids or collectors (double strike). I don't like spring launchers at 33, but at 6 we might have had a different liking.
Joe needs something BIG, something distinctive, some research into it that makes it a NEW toyline. Something like the articulation that you could not get in 82 that blew everyone else away. I'm seeing something like "Laser Battle GI Joe" where the vehicles incorporate the old Laser Tag tech. Each vehicle gets strengths and weaknesses, exploding cockpits like Captain Power, reloadable missiles, WHATEVER, but something where new and fun tech has been applied. Otherwise you keep selling to 30 year olds, who, even if we bought EVERYTHING, would not be able to keep this thing going.