SDCC Shockwave Hiss Tank - Love!

[faustx]

Hey all,

So I'm thinking that Shockwave Hiss Tank is a slam dunk must have from SDCC this year. Naturally it doesn't transform since the exclusives never have original molds but still, Shockwave Hiss Tank!

http://www.seibertron.com/images/events/207/r_DSC05435.jpg

What's your thoughts?

p.s. Here's hoping the HasbroToyShop site will behave this year (it won't, but hope anyway).

James

[Undrave]

Geez when are you going to go full on with this Hasbro and just release a darn GIJoe/Transformers crossover line! The whole Human Alliance thing is just a huge tease for that!

From what I hear the Transformers guys would be all for it but not the GIJoe guys... those guys are morons. Beside which franchise get the lion's share of toy shelves? You're lucky to find a few pegs of GI Joe figures nowadays. Marketing should push the GI Joe guys to accept the partnership on a line, it'd be SO FRICKIN' COOL.

[Nullray]

I am goona get one of these for sure. Looks awesome.

[Rogue_Optimus]

then hopefully more tf fans can get their hands on it this yr

[SleeplessKnight]

I managed to finally get the Starscream last year because it definitely is a MUST HAVE. This one's pretty cool too and oh... I will have it. My wallet will hate me but I will have it.

[faustx]

Geez when are you going to go full on with this Hasbro and just release a darn GIJoe/Transformers crossover line! The whole Human Alliance thing is just a huge tease for that!

From what I hear the Transformers guys would be all for it but not the GIJoe guys... those guys are morons. Beside which franchise get the lion's share of toy shelves? You're lucky to find a few pegs of GI Joe figures nowadays. Marketing should push the GI Joe guys to accept the partnership on a line, it'd be SO FRICKIN' COOL.

The danger of course being that it would end up like the constantly mediocre Star Wars/TF crossovers...none of that please.

[CobraCommander]

I like that it comes with a briefcase with money, a pimp, a robot goon and soundwave... but where's the Ho and the Blow? :p

I find it a bit odd that two of the cassettes look like ramhorn and steeljaw?

[jjwankenobi]

I like that it comes with a briefcase with money, a pimp, a robot goon and soundwave... but where's the Ho and the Blow? :p


Agreed.

HasTak shoulda recognized Destro's pimpness.

If there was a sound chip in either the mini- Soundwave or on the Shockwave Hiss Tank that played this song then the package would be complete:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPAdK_b5vZo

[Scrapper6]

*SIGH* Yet another item from SDCC that I'll want, but won't be able to afford. Darn it, first the Chris Latta Tribute now a Corey Burton/Frank Welker combination with whoever voiced Destro.

I for one would prefer it if they did more like Snow Cat from Energon, not necessarily to Joe scale, but at least some sort of cross-brand promotions.

I'm still waiting for my HftD Scout Hubcap repaint into Jem and the Holograms' Rockin' Roadster though. :innocent:

[Ozrein]

Looks just as awesome as the Starscream Skystriker from last year. Unfortunately another exclusive that I probably will never own.

I do hope they continue with these though, it may eventually create a great subline to GI Joe.

As far as a cross-over goes, I think it's best avoided since there hasnt been one TF/(insert line here) cross-over figure that I've liked yet. I think they're better off with these Joe vehicle repaints that can actually interact with the Joe figures.

[CyberMnky]

The danger of course being that it would end up like the constantly mediocre Star Wars/TF crossovers...none of that please.

A part of that, from my understanding, is that the SW vehicle modes are required to look like the vehicles, thus limiting the robot modes. Minimal panel breaks etc...

[faustx]

Looks just as awesome as the Starscream Skystriker from last year. Unfortunately another exclusive that I probably will never own.

I do hope they continue with these though, it may eventually create a great subline to GI Joe.

As far as a cross-over goes, I think it's best avoided since there hasnt been one TF/(insert line here) cross-over figure that I've liked yet. I think they're better off with these Joe vehicle repaints that can actually interact with the Joe figures.

Of course the one point in favour of a crossover is that most of the failures up to now have resulted in trying to merge a character from another universe with a transformer. IE make a giant robot look like the Hulk or a Clone Trooper. Relax that restriction, let the TF be a TF, and have the GIJOE in the cockpit and we might be just fine.

BUT, and this is a big but, the main reason it likely isn't happening is that GIJOE is the most US-centric and war like of all of their brands and one they have tried to downplay, especially in the wake of terrible movie #1 and because movie #2 is likely to be equally poorly received.

The reality is that there are plenty of kids that love TFs as much as we do, but far fewer that even know what GIJOE is beyond some lame action movie that came out. If the Joes blow up huge Hasbro would be all over the crossover...until then, only in our SDCC hauls IMHO.

James

[Dynamo.Dave]

I'd be all over a GI-JOE themed G1 redux.

Rolling Thunder would be Optimus of course.

Agreed that a robo version of Obi-Wan Kenobi is, for me, a complete failure of an idea. The fact that it was executed is poor.

Just think about how many GI: Joe vehicles there are, and then map those to Autobots or Decepticons.

[Scrapper6]

Of course the one point in favour of a crossover is that most of the failures up to now have resulted in trying to merge a character from another universe with a transformer. IE make a giant robot look like the Hulk or a Clone Trooper. Relax that restriction, let the TF be a TF, and have the GIJOE in the cockpit and we might be just fine.

BUT, and this is a big but, the main reason it likely isn't happening is that GIJOE is the most US-centric and war like of all of their brands and one they have tried to downplay, especially in the wake of terrible movie #1 and because movie #2 is likely to be equally poorly received.

The reality is that there are plenty of kids that love TFs as much as we do, but far fewer that even know what GIJOE is beyond some lame action movie that came out. If the Joes blow up huge Hasbro would be all over the crossover...until then, only in our SDCC hauls IMHO.

James


I'm sorry faustx I have to disagree with you. The GIJoe Movie is not to blame for the toylines current status. It's the complete lack of Retail Support due to Hasbro's treating G.I.Joe so terribly over the years.

Let us look at this toyline from its beginning. G.I.Joe was branded as the Boys version of Barbie, the Action Figure that was a Real Man, and All Man. He was even called Action Man in the U.K. (This was around, what? The nineteen sixties?)

This version of G.I.Joe was well recieved and young boys as well as war enthusiasts really got behind the brand. It lasted for a while, but eventually it petered out in interest.

Hasbro then decided they wanted to re-invent the brand, to modernize it and launch it as a brand new boys toyline/franchise. Getting rid of the larger 12 inch size (for the most part.) they began to introduce a new 3 3/4'' figure line featuring characters with code names. It wasn't just one man called G.I.Joe anymore, it was an entire battallion.

Hasbro contacted Larry Hama and asked him to do what Bob Budiansky would do for the Transformers. Create brand new backstories and names for the entire line from the Ninja Commando to the Cobra Leader.

G.I.Joe was introduced with a bang, in a comic series, a television cartoon and a toyline that struck the kids of the 80's hard.G.I.joe became as big a household name as Transformers and He-Man. The adventures of America's Daring, Highly Trained Special Mission Force, against the Ruthless Terrorist Organization Determined to Rule the World was loved by many. It was a simpler time back then.

But as all 80's franchises did, interest began to wane. Around the point where G.I.Joe stopped being viable anymore, and even before that, Hasbro was trying to fix the wheel, in essence they wre re-inventing a franchise that ultimately didn't completely need to be re-invented 100%, if you ask most fans.

Enter G.I.Joe Extreme, and other series later on down the road. G.I.Joe began to fail, due to too much shifting the focus of the toys and not enough medi tie-ins to support it. Or encourage the Retailers to support it.

When the 80's revival hit, it hit hard, Wal-Mart and everybody was stocking the G.I.Joe vs. Cobra line and even the Valour Vs. Venom line, but this eventually dried up. Because unlike Transformers they didn't keep producing cartoons to hook the new generation of kids whose parents were buying up all the product to share with them.

Then along came Sigma Six, around the same time as Cybertron, even animated by the same Japanese company. The cartoon was felt to be a little goofy, it was interesting, however I will admit that it is a highly forgettable cartoon which aired on THE WORST CARTOON CHANNEL TO AIR IT EVER! Fox Kids. I don't even remember if YTV aired this thing.

The kids couldn't get behind the show, the toys were not the same 3 3.4'' scale that the older fans wanted and it was totally botched.

Hasbro's G.I.Joe team wanted to keep this franchise going I'll bet, so when the breakout hit of the Summer of 2007 prooved to be so successful they immediately shopped Joe around. (Maybe even before that, I can't recall.) Hasbro was expecting to make another blockbuster live action franchise, and they were going to get the kids to love Joe again.

So what went wrong? Retailers overcompensated, they believed that G.I.Joe ROC would be just as popular as Transformers. They were wrong, not because the movie was bad per-se, but because G.I.Joe and Transformers are two vastly different franchises with similar bleed through, but not enough to warrant such a large bet to be placed on it.

Rise of Cobra was a great film, I loved it to death, and I'm going to enjoy the Sequel to no end. But because Transformers wowed the Retailers and Hasbro alike, they overcompensated. They popped out more product then they could realistically support. And because of this Wal-Mart and other Retailers backed out of supporting G.I.Joe Pursuit of Cobra or Renegades.

They were stung once with over-stuffed shelves full of figures no one was buying that they had to clearance out. It wasn't because the kids didn't like the movie, it was because there was nothing in-between the film's release and Renegades to keep the kiddies short attention spans focused on the toys. (Those stupid over-sized missile launchers probably didn't help any either.)

Transformers actually hurt the sales of G.I.Joe in a way, because Hasbro was betting on another slam dunk win, and when it didn't happen the way they thought their backers. The Retailers who support them by buying their products to sell to the kids, soured on the G.I.Joe franchise.

All because they 'expected', they 'assumed' that G.I.Joe would be the same as Transformers. And it coulnd't be, we're talking two seperate entities with similar archetypes, but the one thing Joe has against it, if you ask most Transformers fans who don't 'get' Joe, is the lack of cool cars and things for the characters to turn into.

I've adored G.I.Joe for a very long time, as long as Transformers, but while I sold off most of my Post ROC collection to streamline it, and didn't really hurt too much when doing it, Transformers will always be my first love. (In a way.)

I liked RoC, I loved the RoC line, even with the overabundance of Dukes and Snake-Eyes, I mean it's the same old thing that has been part of Hasbro's business plan for the Joes for a while now. That being said, the G.I.Joe franchise just doesn't have the staying power of Transformers, because it hits too close to home in these troubled times.

Sure its great to see the soldiers win out against the Terrorists, its fun to watch characters you loved since childhood become live action characters who can fight and put the hurt on to Cobra. The problem is the global climate has changed a considerable lot since the 80's. A lot of countries HATE American Soldiers and their Military. And a lot of people get a bit turned off by seeing such comical terrorists like Cobra running around in the movies when the real thing is so much more terrifying and unsettling.

I'm not saying that G.I.Joe should go away, or be re-invented yet again, because we all know the re-inventions aren't going to do any better from past experience. But I am saying that G.I.Joe has become a bit more of a niche market in the toy collecting world as opposed to say, giant alien robots battling each other in a civil war.

G.I.Joe = Realism

Transformers = Science Fiction, a lot more kids gravitate more to Transformers than Joe because of this.

I may have glossed over some stuff concerning the European Hasbro's efforts at keeping Action Man relevant, from what I understand it hadn't faced nearly the same problems as Joe had before the 3.34'' line was introduced. So correct me if I'm wrong on that front.

[faustx]

I'm sorry faustx I have to disagree with you. The GIJoe Movie is not to blame for the toylines current status. It's the complete lack of Retail Support due to Hasbro's treating G.I.Joe so terribly over the years.

Let us look at this toyline from its beginning. G.I.Joe was branded as the Boys version of Barbie, the Action Figure that was a Real Man, and All Man. He was even called Action Man in the U.K. (This was around, what? The nineteen sixties?)

This version of G.I.Joe was well recieved and young boys as well as war enthusiasts really got behind the brand. It lasted for a while, but eventually it petered out in interest.

Hasbro then decided they wanted to re-invent the brand, to modernize it and launch it as a brand new boys toyline/franchise. Getting rid of the larger 12 inch size (for the most part.) they began to introduce a new 3 3/4'' figure line featuring characters with code names. It wasn't just one man called G.I.Joe anymore, it was an entire battallion.

Hasbro contacted Larry Hama and asked him to do what Bob Budiansky would do for the Transformers. Create brand new backstories and names for the entire line from the Ninja Commando to the Cobra Leader.

G.I.Joe was introduced with a bang, in a comic series, a television cartoon and a toyline that struck the kids of the 80's hard.G.I.joe became as big a household name as Transformers and He-Man. The adventures of America's Daring, Highly Trained Special Mission Force, against the Ruthless Terrorist Organization Determined to Rule the World was loved by many. It was a simpler time back then.

But as all 80's franchises did, interest began to wane. Around the point where G.I.Joe stopped being viable anymore, and even before that, Hasbro was trying to fix the wheel, in essence they wre re-inventing a franchise that ultimately didn't completely need to be re-invented 100%, if you ask most fans.

Enter G.I.Joe Extreme, and other series later on down the road. G.I.Joe began to fail, due to too much shifting the focus of the toys and not enough medi tie-ins to support it. Or encourage the Retailers to support it.

When the 80's revival hit, it hit hard, Wal-Mart and everybody was stocking the G.I.Joe vs. Cobra line and even the Valour Vs. Venom line, but this eventually dried up. Because unlike Transformers they didn't keep producing cartoons to hook the new generation of kids whose parents were buying up all the product to share with them.

Then along came Sigma Six, around the same time as Cybertron, even animated by the same Japanese company. The cartoon was felt to be a little goofy, it was interesting, however I will admit that it is a highly forgettable cartoon which aired on THE WORST CARTOON CHANNEL TO AIR IT EVER! Fox Kids. I don't even remember if YTV aired this thing.

The kids couldn't get behind the show, the toys were not the same 3 3.4'' scale that the older fans wanted and it was totally botched.

Hasbro's G.I.Joe team wanted to keep this franchise going I'll bet, so when the breakout hit of the Summer of 2007 prooved to be so successful they immediately shopped Joe around. (Maybe even before that, I can't recall.) Hasbro was expecting to make another blockbuster live action franchise, and they were going to get the kids to love Joe again.

So what went wrong? Retailers overcompensated, they believed that G.I.Joe ROC would be just as popular as Transformers. They were wrong, not because the movie was bad per-se, but because G.I.Joe and Transformers are two vastly different franchises with similar bleed through, but not enough to warrant such a large bet to be placed on it.

Rise of Cobra was a great film, I loved it to death, and I'm going to enjoy the Sequel to no end. But because Transformers wowed the Retailers and Hasbro alike, they overcompensated. They popped out more product then they could realistically support. And because of this Wal-Mart and other Retailers backed out of supporting G.I.Joe Pursuit of Cobra or Renegades.

They were stung once with over-stuffed shelves full of figures no one was buying that they had to clearance out. It wasn't because the kids didn't like the movie, it was because there was nothing in-between the film's release and Renegades to keep the kiddies short attention spans focused on the toys. (Those stupid over-sized missile launchers probably didn't help any either.)

Transformers actually hurt the sales of G.I.Joe in a way, because Hasbro was betting on another slam dunk win, and when it didn't happen the way they thought their backers. The Retailers who support them by buying their products to sell to the kids, soured on the G.I.Joe franchise.

All because they 'expected', they 'assumed' that G.I.Joe would be the same as Transformers. And it coulnd't be, we're talking two seperate entities with similar archetypes, but the one thing Joe has against it, if you ask most Transformers fans who don't 'get' Joe, is the lack of cool cars and things for the characters to turn into.

I've adored G.I.Joe for a very long time, as long as Transformers, but while I sold off most of my Post ROC collection to streamline it, and didn't really hurt too much when doing it, Transformers will always be my first love. (In a way.)

I liked RoC, I loved the RoC line, even with the overabundance of Dukes and Snake-Eyes, I mean it's the same old thing that has been part of Hasbro's business plan for the Joes for a while now. That being said, the G.I.Joe franchise just doesn't have the staying power of Transformers, because it hits too close to home in these troubled times.

Sure its great to see the soldiers win out against the Terrorists, its fun to watch characters you loved since childhood become live action characters who can fight and put the hurt on to Cobra. The problem is the global climate has changed a considerable lot since the 80's. A lot of countries HATE American Soldiers and their Military. And a lot of people get a bit turned off by seeing such comical terrorists like Cobra running around in the movies when the real thing is so much more terrifying and unsettling.

I'm not saying that G.I.Joe should go away, or be re-invented yet again, because we all know the re-inventions aren't going to do any better from past experience. But I am saying that G.I.Joe has become a bit more of a niche market in the toy collecting world as opposed to say, giant alien robots battling each other in a civil war.

G.I.Joe = Realism

Transformers = Science Fiction, a lot more kids gravitate more to Transformers than Joe because of this.

I may have glossed over some stuff concerning the European Hasbro's efforts at keeping Action Man relevant, from what I understand it hadn't faced nearly the same problems as Joe had before the 3.34'' line was introduced. So correct me if I'm wrong on that front.

Hmm, that was a pretty long post to basically agree with me. My core point was that Hasbro doesn't invest heavily in GIJOE because war-based brands aren't where the market is heading (we get away with it with Transformers because they are clearly fantasy and less US centric) AND because fewer and fewer kids under 12 have awareness of the brand, which you confirmed with your profile of the history of the lack of cartoon support over the last 10 years.

The movie franchise helps, but not enough because it isn't kid focused and moms are less likely to take kids to see it because of that.

The result is less cool shit for us as collectors, but we can always dream.

J