2010 GI Joe Q&A Round something or other

[Sonneilon]

Alright sport fans, it's that time again.

Submit your questions by March 5th so I can sort over the weekend and send 'em in Sunday or so.

Apparently, Hasbro is cracking down on how the questions are asked. CHeck this out!


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Get suited for battle solider, because the G.I. Joe Q&A is getting called back into active duty very soon, with a new twist! Please take the following instructions into consideration during your future participation:
· The 2010 Q&A is five (5) rounds, not including the January 2010 round (already completed).
· For every round, each participating site is allowed to submit three (3) questions, at least one (1) of which will be answered. The remaining questions of the 40 total submitted to Hasbro will be the “best of the rest.”
· Additionally, we will give all participants answers to all the questions, once each site is give 48 hours to post their own. That way, each of you will, in essence, have 40 questions for each round to post to their own site.
· If you represent more than one outlet, you must submit a separate email containing your questions for EACH site. (So if you represent two sites, you send in two emails, each with their respective questions.)
· Your email containing Q&A submissions should have a subject line in this format: GIJ Q&A Date of submission deadline (MM/DD) – Site Name – First Last. (So lets say the questions are due to us no later than March 8, your subject line should look like this: GIJ Q&A 3/8 – HunterPR.com – Danny Palestine)
· In the body of your email, the top-most line should have the following information: Outlet – First Name Last Name (Example: HunterPR.com – Danny Palestine)
· Please do not include phrases like “Dear Hasbro” or “From USER NAME” or any likeness of this.
· Please format the numbers in your email like this: “#)” - Not “Q#:” or “#.” or any other alternative (Example: 1) How many….)
Now that we have cut through that jungle, please find Hasbro’s G.I. Joe 2010 Q&A schedule attached. Please realize these dates are subject to change. There is a lot of time between each round, please plan ahead and get them in on time!

[Sonneilon]

1) Why wasn't Shadow Tracker shown at ToyFair? Has he been pushed back or canceled?

2) Do you often contemplate the complexities of the existence of mankind and the universe? (you can laugh at that one Rambo and ToneGuns)

3) Can I have a ROC Kamakura?

You guys DO know you can ask as many questions as you want, right? I'll just sort thru them and choose.

[Rambo]

Hehehe G. Good question. I have mine too and this time is not O-ring oriented. It is:

[SIZE=3]Are you happy?[/SIZE]

[Nekoman]

1) Has the canceled "Robot Rebellion" toy line influenced recent toys or concepts?

2) A surprisingly small amount is set for release during these early months. Why will there be so few new products?

3) At this point what is Hasbro's interests in the older, o-ring construction figures?

[pbarny1701]

1) How will the elimination/cutting of Hasbro's R&D division affect new tooling, paint aps, materials product development in the future? Inother words, how can you innovate with no one really working on it every day?

2) Is this new format a consquence of getting the same 2 questions every month from every GI Joe site? :eek:

3) When can we expect to see Shipwreck's other pet: the naughty monkey who won't leave Timber, Junkyard, Freedom and Polly alone? :cool: :eek: :D

[turner]

In upcoming product, to what extent can we expect to see figures or vehicles that are faithful updates to the 82-94 line (like the recent monkeywrench, night force tunnel rat and shockblast, rampage, and battle stations)?

[Sonneilon]

PBarny, Hasbro got rid of their R&D? WHen did this come about? Are WE their R&D now?


And yeah, I tried to decifer what Hasbro wants. We give them the usual 3 questions. They will answer 1 of ours and then, I gather, they want us to post ALL the questions answered on our sites. They are prolly tired of answering the same questions over and over. Which is a prolly a good idea for us to ask the more bizarre questions (I mean, OUR questions have been very good as of late, imo).


So I'm asking all here or those who have Hisstank and TerrorDrome accounts, WOULD YOU PLEASE COPY AND PASTE THEIR QUESTIONS AND POST HERE so i can sort thru them all? That way I can send in questions that aren't asked by the other sites. Just PLEASE make sure you indicate what sites they are from. ("these were the questions asked by Terrordrome...")

Thanks in advance.

[pbarny1701]

[QUOTE=Sonneilon]PBarny, Hasbro got rid of their R&D? WHen did this come about? Are WE their R&D now?
.[/QUOTE]

Sorry, I was misremembering their 3rd Quarter Shareholder release (so glad I divested from Hasbro this year). That's a 10% cut to R&D only, but still, a cut is a cut. So I rephrase, to with the slight reduction in R&D...blah blah blah...

And I was serious, that was my #2 question. :rolleyes:

[Nekoman]

[QUOTE=Sonneilon]1) Why wasn't Shadow Tracker shown at ToyFair? Has he been pushed back or canceled?[/QUOTE]

Just heard he's been pushed back to 2011:

http://vimeo.com/9583999

[Sonneilon]

Frak. that's a year away or so! Those bastardos!!!

[Otto the Otter]

1) Are you ever going to have another contest where the winner gets their likeness made into a figure?

2) You're coming up on version 50 of Cobra Commander, is there some kind of special milestone figure planned? Coz you really blew it with Snake Eyes v50. Coulda done something really cool there, but instead we got an accesory-less Snake Eyes as a driver to a cheesy vehicle. (you don't have to include that last part Sonne :) )

3)Is there plans for a DVD pack release for the animated movie with figures that were featured in the moive?

4) Are there plans for more Past and Present sets?

5) The file cards on the RoC packages suck ass. Since new packaging is going to be introduced, will this mean the return of the good, old school file cards? Again, Sonne, you can edit this as you see fit :)

[fightingswords]

Now that Toy Fair has shown us the start of POC, what figures and vehicals will be releast between now and August?

[Sonneilon]

Gee whiz Otto, I like your questions. Or at least, the idea behind them. It would make perfect sense that Hasbro would do a VERY special version for certain #'d versions. Certainly the MA SNOWY Snake Eyes as a 50th version would be pretty lame. But something like a CS SE would be a cool upgrade and a great version.

And the contest... Wasn't that originally thru the now-defunct FHM magazine? Anyone want to answer that one?

[sithviper]

Q. What is the possibility to include an accessory box with the basic figures similar to the one that came with the Saga Legends Star Wars figures? You could make the box look like a foot locker, and some of the possible accessories could include the Cobra Trooper’s dagger & Dragunov, Clutch’s knife & M9 pistol, Duke’s M16A2 M203 rifle, the various MP5s and G36s that have come out, RoC Heavy Duty’s M-32 Grenade Launcher, or any other accessory that has come out in the line.

[Tracker]

Will the head sculpts on the resolute 7 pack Scarlett and Baroness be changed?

Will there be a P.O.C Low-light?

Will the be a resolute cobra H.I.S.S tank made?

[tycondrius23]

1. will there be more Female Joes or cobras made
Ie, new characters vs remakes of old ones.
2.is poc line going to be released to Europe ?
3. since the Larges AT-At has been planned for launch at a $100 price point cant we expect more larger Joe or cobra vehicles to be made (retooled Terrordrome perhaps)
those are just a few that spring to mind

[Death_at_Midnight]

The ROC Neo-Vipers are pretty cool figures once you get used to them. But for a long time the classic Vipers with the chrome faceplate/helmet has been a favorite for fans. Are there plans to design a new series of Neo-Vipers combining the new look with the classic chrome faceplate? Just doing simple head swaps with the 25th Vipers onto ROC Neo-Viper's bodies do look very cool, with lots of possibilities. If there are no plans, please consider it.

[Otto the Otter]

[QUOTE=Tracker]

Will the be a resolute cobra H.I.S.S tank made?[/QUOTE]

The HISS that is coming out with the PoC line has a very similar looking to the Resolute HISS, not 100% accurate, but close.

[ender098]

Why was the Desert Rockslide, LAva Pod and Polar Sharc wave cancelled?

Are we going to see new Figures or just the same ROC figures in different enviromental uniforms (Jungle, Arctic threat, Desert, City Strike)?

Are there any plans to make a "Night Stalker" figure or army builder set?

Are there plans to make 25th or RoC Versions of the Oktober Guard?

Can You please quit advertising upcoming items (The twin battle gun with the Range Viper, the Desert Rockside, the Lava Pod) if you are not going to produce them or shoot them down pre-production? I'd rather be in the dark until it hits shelves than get my hopes up only to have them dashed!

[Sonneilon]

[font=Arial][size=7]UPDATE[/size][/font]



Hello Hasbro G.I. Joe Fans Fans!

I just wanted to send you a friendly reminder that in one week from today, March 8th, at 12pm (noon), the first round of questions are due to GIJOEQA@HUNTEPR.COM.

As our new Q&A format only allows for 40 total responses, we thought we would help you hone your question submissions per the brand’s guidelines. Hasbro’s G.I. Joe team greatly appreciates the collector-fan community’s continued passion and support, and is always listening to its valuable feedback – particularly with regards to the Q&A program. In an effort to ensure that you receive “newsy”-type answers that will be of interest to your readers, we thought it might be helpful to share these notes as to what types of questions we are able to elaborate on, and what type of questions will garner an answer such as “we aren’t able to provide information on that at this time”:

· Topics open for discussion – Deco Decisions, Design Choices, Design Process/Development and Redeco/Retooling. Also, questions pertaining to past and current Lore/Storyline, Line Strategy and Marketing.

· Topics that cannot be addressed - “When will X toy be made/redesigned/released?”, Hypothetical, Sales/Cost Data, Product Idea Submissions, Potential Design/Redesign and Future Movie/Entertainment.

If you have already submitted questions, and feel that those questions do not fit into these guidelines, please feel free to resubmit the questions, and mark in clear and bold language that these are your new questions, and you would like to have your old questions replaced.

Please take time to look back at the email I had sent you last week regarding the new rules and regulations for the G.I. Joe Q&A, before you submit your questions. If you have any questions or concerns about the new rules, please feel free to contact me directly. Again, please find Hasbro’s G.I. Joe Q&A schedule attached. Understand that these dates are subject to change. There is a lot of time between each round, so please plan ahead and get them in on time!

[Outrider]

[QUOTE=Sonneilon]Hasbro’s G.I. Joe team greatly appreciates the collector-fan community’s continued passion and support, and is always listening to its valuable feedback....[/QUOTE]

Ha ha ha, they also have some swampland they want to sell us.

[Rambo]

Hasbro:
1. don't you think these new rules for Q&A kill this initiative?
2. do you have a question for me?

[ender098]

Graham, are you for real? Did Hasbro REALLY say that (the things in your last post on this thread?) Guess they got as tired of us mocking their ambigious answers as we got coming up with hard questions for them to dodge!

I think I'm gonna stay off this thread, because everytime I read GOOD questions, I get ticked at how they go out of their way to use LEAGAL-ESE to sidestep it and keep us in the dark! Add to that, I'm sick of seeing tons of cool shit in the pictures from the toys shows (TOYFAIR, etc) only to have them cancel the friggin stuff (Polar Sharc, Lava Pod and Shadow Tracker) before it hits the shelf and then see the crap they DO put on the shelves(that new Cobra snow tank thingy...WTF??)

They should just say it like they mean it....."only questions that praise us and exhault our PERFECT toymaking Monopoly will be answered....you traitors who actually want to question our ambiguity and lack of ability to deliver after we show you what we're making, you people can rot.....just keep buying our $hit! Thank you and ALL HAIL HASBRO, THE GOD OF TOYS!" Grrrrr....

[Death_at_Midnight]

1) Who's finger prints are those in the back of the figure packaging? Are they artist inspired or obtained from some real world database?

2) It's easy to remember that as a kid, the GI Joe line brought me hours of fun. Now, as an adult, I tend to wonder what the toy designers must feel knowing that they have brought endless hours of joy to children around the world. Any insight on this?

3) As a software engineer I am always involved in meetings which often have live demos illustrating new concepts. As a Joe collector and fan, I often find myself wondering what are the Hasbro's Joe design team meetings like? Do you guys/gals bring out your favorite Joes?

4) Does Hasbro strictly design new figures or vehicles completely inhouse, or are there at times fan-based customs that tend to inspire new designs?

5) With the new Breaker being a character from Morocco, and as defined in the Rise of Cobra movie, the Joe team consists of international members, will we see more Arab or ethnic based characters?

6) Does one person answer all these questions, or do the questions get passed around to whomever might be able to answer?

7) With UAV's and robots gaining increased used in real world battlefield situations, are you guys gonna re-release the GI Joe Pack Rats?

8) A deco-type question: What were the inspiration behind the original neon orange colors of the original Alley Vipers?

9) A design-type question: what is the process of designing a new figure from concept to production?

10) A retooling-type question: the Target exclusive Rhino vehicle is an awesome vehicle. A 25th style figure is included, and yet the foot pegs throughout the vehicle appear to be designed for the older O-ring figures. Was retooling the Rhino footpegs accidentally overlooked?

11) A deco-type question: I am curious to know the reason behind the design choice to use blue paint schemes to arctic vehicles? For example, the Ice Dagger.

12) A deco-type question: Why is the Toys-R-Us exclusive Doc figure with such a bright color scheme?

13) A design-type question: In the past, Gung-Ho was released with Marine dress blues. It was an awesome figure. Any hope to get a modern version of Marine dress blues for the current line of Joes?

14) A line-strategy type question: With women increasingly serving in the many armed forces of many countries throughout the world, many families tend to experience a mother or sister in the service. Any plans to increase the female figures in both Joe and Cobra?

15) How can I buy shares in Hasbro? ;-)

[Sonneilon]

Alright sports fan, check this out. These are 2 of the 3 questions asked.


1) Are you ever going to have another contest where the winner gets their likeness made into a figure? (You guys might remember that FHM had that contest in their magazine. Luke Ellison, a prior member of JoeDios.com, won. He not only got a figure of himself (as part of the Steel Brigade) but he got a tour of the office.) And just for the record, was that a GI JOE Hasbro contest done in FHM or did FHM talk you guys into a contest? (that would just be for clarification)

2) As a software engineer I am always involved in meetings which often have live demos illustrating new concepts. As a Joe collector and fan, I often find myself wondering what are the Hasbro's Joe design team meetings like? Do you guys/gals bring out your favorite Joes?

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Hey Graham,

Your first two questions were chosen for response, however, at this time, we only have the answer to question #2. Please bare with us as we get the other response to you. In the mean time, please post the answer to #2, and look forward to getting the COMPLETE roster of this round of Q&A send to you on Tuesday, March 23.

Thanks,

Danny

2) The meetings during which we map out the newest wave or product segment are some of the most fun - and challenging - meetings we have. The Design Team creates sketches and inspiration boards to visually tell the "story" behind the character, vehicle or situation. Sometimes they do add flavor to the discussion by bringing a classic figure to a meeting and that sparks additional conversations and debates.

[tycondrius23]

so let me get this straight they decided to just answer one question of a "you only get to ask 2 Questions" meeting?

wouldn't that negate the 1st question meaning they should of answered another one instead ? [QUOTE=Sonneilon]Alright sports fan, check this out. These are 2 of the 3 questions asked.


1) Are you ever going to have another contest where the winner gets their likeness made into a figure? (You guys might remember that FHM had that contest in their magazine. Luke Ellison, a prior member of JoeDios.com, won. He not only got a figure of himself (as part of the Steel Brigade) but he got a tour of the office.) And just for the record, was that a GI JOE Hasbro contest done in FHM or did FHM talk you guys into a contest? (that would just be for clarification)

2) As a software engineer I am always involved in meetings which often have live demos illustrating new concepts. As a Joe collector and fan, I often find myself wondering what are the Hasbro's Joe design team meetings like? Do you guys/gals bring out your favorite Joes?

------

Hey Graham,

Your first two questions were chosen for response, however, at this time, we only have the answer to question #2. Please bare with us as we get the other response to you. In the mean time, please post the answer to #2, and look forward to getting the COMPLETE roster of this round of Q&A send to you on Tuesday, March 23.

Thanks,

Danny

2) The meetings during which we map out the newest wave or product segment are some of the most fun - and challenging - meetings we have. The Design Team creates sketches and inspiration boards to visually tell the "story" behind the character, vehicle or situation. Sometimes they do add flavor to the discussion by bringing a classic figure to a meeting and that sparks additional conversations and debates.[/QUOTE]

[Sonneilon]

Actually, we ask 3 questions.

A minimum of 2 will be answered off the bat.

We got 1 answered. It would seem we are keeping them on their toes with OUR questions! Smart questions, make them think, better answers for the most part!



The unanswered questions goes into what they call a "best of the best of the best" or something that will be revealed in a year or something.

[tycondrius23]

ah you ask 3 I thought with those new rules they numbed it down to 2 . yeas or smart questions means they have to think harder for a vague answer lol

[QUOTE=Sonneilon]Actually, we ask 3 questions.

A minimum of 2 will be answered off the bat.

We got 1 answered. It would seem we are keeping them on their toes with OUR questions! Smart questions, make them think, better answers for the most part!



The unanswered questions goes into what they call a "best of the best of the best" or something that will be revealed in a year or something.[/QUOTE]

[Sonneilon]

I'd like to think that what we put forth is far better than any other site. There was a typo that said we could only ask 2 questions but I knew from the original email that we can ask 3. The last question was about DOC's rather obnoxious colors but Hasbro is putting that one off! lol

[Sonneilon]

FROM THE JBL


You asked and Hasbro answered. Here ya go.

1) Great showing at Toyfair! With all of the other characters getting new heads to look less like the actors will Cobra Commander get the same treatment, You also mentioned some of the things we saw at Joe Con (Shadow Tracker, Arctic Threat Duke, Jungle Strike Rip Cord, and Cycle Armor with Ashiko)
might get pushed back into 2011 and some might get cancelled all together can you elaborate on this?

Thank you! We had a great Toy Fair and were excited to show off a lot of new goods. Some of these items you mention are planned for the Spring 2011 line, such as Shadow Tracker and Cycle Armor with Ashiko. We will have more details at JoeCon! See you in Providence...

2) What is the status of the ROC wave 3 Alpha Vehicles are we going to see them at retail or are they getting cancelled?

Some quantities of this wave have started shipping, so keep an eye out!

[rds13601]

Mine would be what Frank posted. Will there be a 25th or ROC October Guard set coming out?

[sithviper]

Here are the ones from YoJoe.com

[quote=RedClaw]YoJoe: The design team at Hasbro is filled with creative people. If you look at the history of GIJOE; the most popular years, 1984 -1986 were mostly new characters debuting each year in a wave of 16-17 figures. Would the staff rather create new characters and new situations such as the Pursuit of Cobra storyline, or do their best to copy an original design? Do the team actually come up with their own designs and then just call a desert figure Dusty/Snow Job since he is the established desert/cold weather expert?

Hasbro: The Design team prefers to create something new. It's always great to create a new storyline like POC, but G.I. Joe has such a fantastic history that they use the lore for inspiration. In many cases they know the characters they want to create, like Dusty. They will use the original as a starting point and then revise it for today's purposes.



YoJoe: Why was the G.I.Joe brand logo changed from the movie style to a more 80s familiar logo for the Pursuit of Cobra line?

Hasbro: We felt the Pursuit of Cobra line was a celebration of new and classic G.I. Joe, so the logo was a tribute that merged key elements from both.
com.[/quote]

Original Thread (http://forums.yojoe.com/news/74261-hasbro-q-answers.html)

[Sonneilon]

Hi Graham,

Here is the answer to #1:

We have no immediate plans for this type of contest but we can't rule it out for the future.

Thanks for your patience. Please post this immediately for your readers – we’re going to blast out the all of the responses to all of the GI Joe Q&A participants soon!

Best,

Danny

[Sonneilon]

Here's the full deal from all the sites involved!


1) Are you ever going to have another contest where the winner gets their likeness made into a figure? (You guys might remember that FHM had that contest in their magazine. Luke Ellison, a prior member of JoeDios.com, won. He not only got a figure of himself (as part of the Steel Brigade) but he got a tour of the office.) And just for the record, was that a GI JOE Hasbro contest done in FHM or did FHM talk you guys into a contest? (that would just be for clarification)

We have no immediate plans for this type of contest but we can't rule it out for the future.

2) As a software engineer I am always involved in meetings which often have live demos illustrating new concepts. As a Joe collector and fan, I often find myself wondering what are the Hasbro's Joe design team meetings like? Do you guys/gals bring out your favorite Joes?

The meetings during which we map out the newest wave or product segment are some of the most fun - and challenging - meetings we have. The Design Team creates sketches and inspiration boards to visually tell the "story" behind the character, vehicle or situation. Sometimes they do add flavor to the discussion by bringing a classic figure to a meeting and that sparks additional conversations and debates.

(1) Great showing at Toyfair! With all of the other charters getting new heads to look less like the actors will Cobra Commander get the same treatment, You also mentioned some of the things we saw at Joe Con (Shadow Tracker, Arctic Threat Duke, Jungle Strike Rip Cord, and Cycle Armor with Ashiko) might get pushed back into 2011 and some might get cancelled all together can you elaborate on this?

Thank you! We had a great Toy Fair and were excited to show off a lot of new goods. Some of these items you mention are planned for the Spring 2011 line, such as Shadow Tracker and Cycle Armor with Ashiko. We will have more details at JoeCon! See you in Providence...

(2) What is the status of the ROC wave 3 Alpha Vehicles are we going to see them at retail or are they getting cancelled?

Some quantities of this wave have started shipping, so keep an eye out!

1) At the start of the 25th line all of the figures came with "Diaper Crotches", and as we moved along those crotches were fixed to allow better movement and playability. Did you go back and change the tooling on that specific body part, or did you make new tooling and swap it in?

In most cases we went back and modified the tool to change the "diaper crotch", but in some rare cases we had to re-mold the lower torso.

2) One interesting piece of information to come out of Toy Fair this year is the decision to change some of the Pursuit of Cobra head sculpts from the movie actor likenesses to the more traditional head sculpts. Considering PoC is supposed to be a continuation of the movie universe it seems a bit odd to change the character’s sculpts (especially the incredible Zartan/Arnold Vosloo head). Can you explain the reasoning behind this decision?

The Pursuit of Cobra line is a celebration of the G.I. Joe universe. The brand has a rich heritage and we wanted to use inspiration from both past and present. So we pulled classic characters from the lore and layered on the more realistic styling that were established through the movie.

[Sonneilon]

1) In the vintage line, it was a common practice for head sculpts to be based on the likenesses of Hasbro employees and others as the designers felt appropriate. As adults, this has become one of the most enjoyed sources of trivia for many collectors. Have the 25th anniversary heads done the same? Could you share any with us? We would really like to know what heads may even have been 3 dimensional scans.


This is no longer common practice. Heads are inspired by and created by designers and are totally fictional.

2) When a part is said to be "retooled," does this mean that the sculpt is changed and a new mold is made or that the existing mold is altered? It is a point of curiosity for collectors when it may mean the original style may no longer be available to be used. In some cases, it is apparent that a new mold was made (such as with the Flash mold being given the waffle pattern yet available without it later for use on HISS Driver). But this doesn't always seem to be the case.

When a part is re-tooled we basically make the mold again. This is different to a tool being altered, which permanently modifies it. It depends on the condition of the mold and the designer's vision.

1) In the 1980's a subset of redeco such as Night Force might have something contrary to the concept, such as glow-in-the-dark paints. Do you find it to be a design challenge to come up with realistic paint styles and still keep them eye-catching for the kids?

Yes, this is definitely a challenge for the Design team. The more realistic the color scheme, the less distinguishable the character or vehicle will become. Color has always been a key trait to the G.I. Joe brand and understanding that balance is essential.

2) For the collector on a budget who can't get the whole line, does the Joe team have a favorite figure or vehicle in the upcoming Pursuit of Cobra line?

Without a doubt, that would be the Cobra Commander figure since it’s the first time we've released a figure on Cobra-carded packaging.

1) Why was the decision made to include the newly created character "Storm Rider" with the upcoming Dreadnok "Doom Cycle" instead of one of the highly demanded Dreadnok Characters like Zarana, Road Pig, Zanzibar, etc that Gi Joe fans have been practically begging Hasbro to make for years?

The designers saw this as an opportunity to create a new, relevant figure that fits into today's pop culture. We have requests for both new and existing characters and we need to have a balance of both in the line to keep the nostalgia but also lay the groundwork for the next generation of collectors.

1) With the departure from the movie head sculpts for figures (thumbs up),
will all various figures of the same character still have the same basic
head sculpt as was the trend for ROC and the early POC showings? (not
crossing across lines like Resolute to POC, but within the same line, i.e. all
Dukes in POC would have the same basic head sculpt.)

Yes, all POC characters will have the same head sculpts if we do multiple variations of that character.

2) Does the new Recondo (Jungle) have hair under that removable Slouch Hat?

No, Recondo has a shaved head.

[Sonneilon]

1) We're psyched to get two new Sgt. Slaughters at San Diego Comic-Con, but you've whetted our appetites for more classically-styled figures. Will the Pursuit of Cobra figures incorporate any classic-styled designs, or will figures be styled only according to the four different environment themes?


Thanks, we're glad the fan response has been so positive for the Sgt. Slaughter exclusives! The Pursuit of Cobra will focus on the four environment themes but we will try and sneak in some classic elements. We can reveal more at JoeCon!

2) I know there's still a ways to go before Joe Con that will happen in the last week of April, but since this is the last Q&A before then, can you give us an idea of what we'll be seeing there? When can we expect some more details on the event?

JoeCon is going to be a true celebration of G.I. Joe over the decades. We are very pleased JoeCon is in Rhode Island and we plan to make it a very special event. We will showcase new and old products and have some amazing displays, such as a life-sized version of Willys Jeep. Plus, there will be giveaways and activities for kids. Pre-registered guests will even get a chance to tour Hasbro, where we will showcase original one-of-a-kind 80's packaging artwork like the RAH Night Raven!

1.) At Toy Fair we were told Ashiko with his transformable motorcycle armor and Shadow Tracker would not be coming out in 2010, and perhaps not at all. These were brand new designs NOT from the movie, and they were perhaps two of the best new ideas to come out of the line. Why were these two in particular cut, when you could have cut out yet another Destro or Firefly instead?

These items will be released in Spring 2011. They are very cool new designs and we feel they are perfect for the Pursuit of Cobra line.

2.) It seems to many collectors, or their perceptions, that the 25th Anniversary was a resounding success. Many collectors could not find many items at retail and many 25th Anniversary figures were highly praised and sought after. There are still so many vintage characters/figures that would be purchased on a large scale by collectors seeking new and redone classic characters. Why do the development teams continue to focus on reinventing G.I. Joe when you have a large and substantial collector fan base that supports one of the venues of product and would be happy to purchase newly done but older characters? (Many of us want "new" characters as well, but would love to complete or have an entire collection of classic characters utilizing the new construction.)

Part of G.I. Joe's success is its ability to stay relevant and re-invent itself for every generation. We try to infuse the line with classic characters that collectors request but we also need to maintain the core cast of characters so kids can engage with the brand and learn about the key storylines. Our development team try to keep it balanced so the brand will remain successful for many more years to come. Saying that, there is always opportunity for fan favorites like the upcoming Sgt. Slaughter SDCC exclusive figure.

1.) What led to the design decision to release a smooth torso for Sarge, as opposed to a more muscular version as depicted in the cartoon? Also, what led to the deco decision to place the "USA" on Sarge's abdomen instead of his chest? If possible, I would prefer to have it reduced in size to fit on his chest as that would be more accurate to both his vintage figure and how he looked in the cartoon. While I know that Hasbro can not speak to specific production numbers, will both variants be produced in equal numbers or will one be more limited (harder to collect) than the other?

The designers chose to depict Sgt. Slaughter in his 1986 appearance based on photographic reference. We understand some fans would have wanted to see him in his cartoon form but we chose to create something new and special for SDCC. We also felt the USA deco was better placed on his abdomen. With regards to the two figures, yes, the Triple T variant will be in lower quantities.

2.) How will Sgt. Slaughter be packaged? I would love to see him on a 25th-style cardback similar to PDD and SDCC Cobra Commander, especially as the Sarge has never been released this way before.

Without giving away too many details, I think you will be satisfied!

1) Images have surfaced of the upcoming Exclusive Sgt Slaughter. What changed about the use of his likeness which was previously unavailable? Especially since this new figure seems to be based more on his actual likeness rather than how he was depicted in the GI Joe Cartoon. Also, it appears he has a new wrist joint compared to previous Joes, is this a trick of the lighting, or is this a new articulation being introduced into the line?

We wanted to do something special and unique for the SDCC exclusive therefore the team were inspired by original photographic reference from 1986. You are correct, there is a new wrist joint, this adds another level of pose-ability. We have added this joint to several future figures in the POC line.

[Sonneilon]

2) The upcoming Resolute 7 packs look great and are highly anticipated. One thing that has been noticed though is that some of the figures head sculpts seem to have been "re-imagined" in more realistic manners vs. their actual animation appearances. Roadblock and Scarlett especially stand out as being less "animated" in their styling's while Duke and Destro for example seem very close. Was this a conscious choice on the design team's part, based upon earlier test art which wound up different from the actual animation, or something else?

We try to have our characters exist seamlessly within all 3 & 3/4” figures from the various years. We do this with our collectors in mind. For instance, with Roadblock & Scarlett we wanted them to be different from previous versions of these characters so they could co-exist with fans of 25th & ROC collections. With Duke & Destro being main characters from GI Joe lore, we wanted them to closer resemble the animation style so they could stand apart from versions we did in the past and be instantly recognizable as GI Joe RESOLUTE.

1) What GI Joe assortments can we expect to see released in Canada in 2010 and in what quarters?

The full Pursuit of Cobra line will be released in Canada.

3) Will the Combat Heroes line continue with Pursuit of Cobra?

Unfortunately no the Combat Heroes will not appear in the Pursuit of Cobra line.

1) Comparing what we saw at Toy Fair in February with what was shown at GIJoeCon last year, it's evident that some figures are not currently being released as planned. What went into the decision on which figures to cut from assortments? Figures like Desert Battle Ripcord seemed to have a ton of fan love and looked like a terrific addition, not to mention lots of money invested in the additional tooling. Why would a figure like that get dropped from current release plans?

The majority of figures are being released as planned. If a figure is dropped, it could be because it was not fully tooled and it is no longer relevant to the theme or storyline.

2) What is the current status of the third wave of Target Exclusive vehicles, the RAM w/ Sandstorm, Whirlwind w/ Range-Viper, Trubble Bubble w/ Elite-Viper, and Glider w/ Ace? Are they still getting released?

Unfortunately there are currently no plans for their release.

1) Can you tell us the definitive word on the RoC Wave 3 Alpha Vehicles? Yes, No, in distribution, or a small number leaked out accidentally? Hopefully this isn’t a repeat of the infamous DVD #5 sets.

Some quantities of this wave have started shipping, so you should begin seeing them at shelf.

2) What Resolute character did you want to make but just couldn’t due to time, cost or executive decision?

Lady Jaye

1) as revealed at Toyfare, why was the mail-away Cobra Commander turned into a retail chase figure?

We loved the figure so much that we wanted to provide it at retail rather than as a mail-away. This is the first time we have ever released Cobra-carded packaging and seeing it on shelf alongside the other Pursuit of Cobra items will be amazing.

[Sonneilon]

2) Canadians were promised (and received) more store exclusives, but the walmart battle stations and some toys r us exclusives were not released here. What was the reasoning behind this; did the exclusives we did get not perform to expectation?


Retailer space and product choices differ by market. Sometime variations in product listings do occur.

1) The design team at Hasbro is filled with creative people. If you look at the history of G.I.JOE; the most popular years, 1984 -1986 were mostly new characters debuting each year in a wave of 16-17 figures. Would the staff rather create new characters and new situations such as the Pursuit of Cobra storyline, or do their best to copy an original design? Do the team actually come up with their own designs and then just call a desert figure Dusty/Snow Job since he is the established desert/cold weather expert?

The Design team prefers to create something new. It's always great to create a new storyline like POC, but G.I. Joe has such a fantastic history that they use the lore for inspiration. In many cases they know the characters they want to create, like Dusty. They will use the original as a starting point and then revise it for today's purposes.

) Why was the G.I.Joe brand logo changed from the movie style to a more 80s familiar logo for the Pursuit of Cobra line?

We felt the Pursuit of Cobra line was a celebration of new and classic G.I. Joe, so the logo was a tribute that merged key elements from both.

1) As a follow-up to the first question, with the environment themes.
Is the idea to have a core set of characters like Duke, Snake Eyes,
Scarlett, Destro, Cobra Commander, etc that revolve around the themes
essentially creating a new version of said character to match an
environment; and then have unique specialists to match each one too,
like Snow Job (Arctic), Snow Serpent (Arctic), Recondo (Jungle),
Jungle-Viper (Jungle), Dusty (Desert) and so on?

Yes, the Pursuit of Cobra line is based on four missions and we wanted the core cast to appear in the missions as well as key specialists. It’s a great way to tell the story in an engaging way and it can appeal to kids and collectors.

2) I think that some the new details you guys are adding (e.g. ammo
pouches, an array of accessories, modern weapons, etc) have really
been taken notice of and are big hit with the fans. What was/is some
of the inspiration you are drawing from for these new designs? Like
with the Jungle Viper, the hi-tech looking Firefly and the modern
Recondo? Is there any chance we could see some early production
sketches and early concepts of some of these new exciting figures?

Inspiration is taken from many sources. We use the brand's rich history, personal experiences, research, stories, and pop culture. In the case of Jungle-Viper, the figure actually appeared in the Designer's dream. He woke up and sketched a basic outline, and then researched a variety of high-tech gear. If you are coming to JoeCon, during the Hasbro tour we plan on showing sketches and concepts of released products, as well as concepts that never made it out the door.

1) - The POC Duke has a new head sculpt that is distinctively different from the ROC and 25th/ME Duke. What was the inspiration for this sculpt and is this the version that we should expect with future Duke figures?

This sculpt was inspired by Resolute, Classic and Valor vs. Venom. This head will be the head used for all Duke POC figures.

2) - Are the weapons from the RHINO (and other DTC vehicles) and upcoming mech suits compatible with the modular weapons ports on the new HISS?

Some of the weapons are interchangeable, but because the R.H.I.N.O. is an older design they may not fit perfectly.

3) - Is the Pursuit of Cobra line limited to American markets, or will it be marketed internationally like the Rise of Cobra line?

The Pursuit of Cobra line is offered to all markets, but listings are dependent on retailers.

[Sonneilon]

1) Why the decision to invent a new Dreadnok before getting to updated versions of Zarana, Zandar, Road Pig, Zanzibar and Thrasher? From a kids stand point it seems like either way, they will view these figures as brand new characters, and from the collectors stand point it would be more appealing to be able to finish out their 25th anniversary collection before moving on to brand new characters that are likely going to have overall less appeal for them


The Designers saw this as an opportunity to create a new, relevant figure that fits into today's pop culture. We have requests for both new and existing characters and we need to have a balance of both in the line to keep the nostalgia but also lay the groundwork for the next generation of collectors.

2) Why was the mail-away "Pursuit of Cobra" Cobra Commander figure canceled as a mail-away. Both Transformers and Star Wars have mail-away figures this year, so why not G.I.Joe? And are the rumors that this figure will only be available in 1 out of every 10 figure cases true? Making a figure that hard to find is no fun to anyone and just makes trying to collect that much more frustrating.

We loved the figure so much that we wanted to provide it at retail rather than as a mail-away. This is the first time we have ever released Cobra-carded packaging and seeing it on shelf alongside the other Pursuit of Cobra items will be amazing. While numbers will be limited, it is not true that it will be in 1 out of every 10 figure cases. We don't want to make it frustrating for anyone.

1) When designing Joes & Cobras, what is the process for deciding how many Joes & Cobras (including Female figures) are made & what branch of military they'll belong too?

We look at many aspects including the following: What is the theme or storyline for the segment? How many figures can we release in total? How have historical figures performed? What is relevant to today's pop culture? Each case is different and we spend a great deal of time discussing the line as a team.

2) What's the Process for redesigning certain characters (Duke, Flint, Destro, Etc) & How do you decide who to pick?

It all depends on the story needs and the what is relevant to the brand at that time. We look at the personalities and skills of each character in the story to identify who could satisfy those needs. We always look to the lore for inspiration, but sometimes we feel new characters are needed to add freshness or bring a new dimension to the brand.

[Sonneilon]

All this talk about figures for a storyline but what IS the story??? lol

[Da Talent]

[QUOTE=Sonneilon]All this talk about figures for a storyline but what IS the story??? lol[/QUOTE]

lol, that is exactly what I was thinking when reading that.

[pbarny1701]

[QUOTE=Sonneilon]All this talk about figures for a storyline but what IS the story??? lol[/QUOTE]

The one that will allow us to continue to use the trademarks: Duke, Snake-Eyes and Stormshadow. Beyond that, they're monkeys banging on typewriters I say.

[Rambo]

Thx for recollecting it for us.

[Sonneilon]

That's how I see it. BUT if they bring in 'specialists' who actually push the line forward, cool. I talked a LOT about this on the JBL years ago, how hasbro should do short stories and cater to them. That "Colton Captured on Cobra ISland" was the bomb. It had SO many of us wanting a RESCUE Colton (and GI Jane) 6-pack and what not. Short scenarios are cool. Give the fans figures that didn't get love from the 25th era or the whatever the hell it's considered now.

Anyway, I put forth the concept of short stories over 3 years ago. Everyone else might see it as the 'environment' series, but I'm not sold on that yet. Unless they can actually support it properly. Otherwise, it's just a holding stage till the next movie.


[QUOTE=pbarny1701]The one that will allow us to continue to use the trademarks: Duke, Snake-Eyes and Stormshadow. Beyond that, they're monkeys banging on typewriters I say.[/QUOTE]

[Otto the Otter]

Hey Sonne, thanks for putting all that together.

There were some good questions asked, though some seemed to be a bit wordy so the asker could sound more intelligent I guess. Since I got back into Joes about a year ago and started reading thes Q & A sessions, I can say that Hasbro's answers have definately gotten better. These are far less aloof and evasive than I've seen in the past.

I read a lot of positive stuff that I, and I assume other fans, wanted to hear.