Jinx in yellow!
 

Yellow Jinx by Elenaevil:
http://i619.photobucket.com/albums/t...il/Render6.png

Just admit it, NJ, you just like Elodie Yung...:)

NIGHT-VIPER http://i.toynewsi.com/g/index.php?m...ize=800&start=0

The elephant in the room - Articulation...
 

posted in G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe 2, G.I. Joe 2: Retaliation, G.I. Joe Retaliation Toys, G.I. Joe Toys, G.I. Joe: The Movie, Toy Fair 2012 |

It was immediately obvious when I approached Derryl DePriest and began speaking that they knew articulation was an issue that was going to arise today. Between Mr. DePriest and designer John Warden, there were a lot of articulation questions flying around, and as many of us suspected, it all boils down to cost.

Yes, of course there are costs associated with new tooling for figures that are 5 points of articulation, but as explained from Mr. DePriest, it’s more than just the new tooling. Manufacturing costs for figures with that many joints and movement points are extremely expensive above and beyond the tooled parts, so even using existing tooling was cost prohibitive in most cases.

They weighed this fact with the idea that many of these vehicles were being geared for children, who would do little more than slam the figure in the cockpit and drive it around, and the decision was made…if they had to cut articulation, the drivers were the best place to do it. It is a constant battle between quality of the product and the costs that can be absorbed creating that product, and in a year when they are trying to build the brand back up, they have to be extremely prudent.

John Warden also brought up some interesting discussion points in regard to costs of vehicle production. As a fandom, we’ve been complaining pretty heavily about vehicle size, and they’ve taken that into consideration. By reducing articulation and reducing costs associated with the vehicles, they can balance things out and end up producing vehicles that are a bit larger than we might be used to. The Ghost Hawk II is a perfect example. This vehicle was surprisingly large I thought when I was in the showroom, and I honestly didn’t think Hasbro would be able to make it the size I would have wanted, but they did, and some of that is due to costs saved with reduced articulation.

So even though it seems to many of us that the trade off isn’t worth while, we are getting a somewhat larger vehicle, and some other very nicely designed vehicles to go along with it. Mr. Warden confirmed that the heads of the driver figures are totally swappable to normal figures and he even name dropped Rock n Roll as being an inspiration for the Clutch figure. It sounded to me like there was much careful consideration and financial analysis done, short term and long term, and the articulation changes are going to save money, which could mean better things in the future. I’m not happy with the way the driver figures look, but the vehicles are excellent, by and large, and the toyline is very nice as well.

As for the single pack figures…John Warden also confirmed that some of those figures have reduced articulation, but as I deduced on a recent episode of What’s on Joe Mind, it’s due to form and function. Articulation is given on an “as needed” basis, so generic troopers might not get the full range of motion, but the ninjas do. Another example was that the first release of Roadblock won’t have double knees or ankles, but the Wave 2 “Battle Kata” version will, because he’s got more training.

Cutting articulation is not something anyone wants. Not the fans and not the Hasbro designers. But financial justifications seemed to warrant it in this case. Don’t worry about it overtaking the line, that is not a concern.

Yummmmm....Elodieeeee. :)

agreed! :)

Looking forward to troop build :D on the
green shirts and cobra troopers
red ninjas
night viper :)

i like zartan he looks cool
blindmaster be cool
crimson guard/ look good but i am on hold on that one
yellow jinx going for her i like the colour code
as for the rest i have to wait and think about :confused:
great pictures thanks for posting..

ARASHIKAGE-WU TANG forever!
 

Our Blind Master rocks!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CE3hb__ylG4
See at 2:30...he's in training for Retaliation!
:D

I always wanted a Flint bobblehead. I hope Colton doesn't have the hunchback problems Recondo had. It looks like the Crimson Guard are finally getting a more combat-orientated look. Night Vipers look great. The Joe/Cobra troopers look decent enough to get a few. Maybe those Black Dragon ninjas. The muscle shirt Roadblock.
Mostly, I'll probably just wait for the Zedhatch or generalsjoes reviews. Those two are always good at spending my money.

Yeah, the 85 CGs always looked a little too...ceremonial (like 87 Gung-Ho) to get dirty, which is fine cuz there is a place for ceremonial troops in the world of G.I. Joe & Cobra, but the fact that they were always billed as "elite troopers" just sort of didn't completely gel for me.

I really like "Ty Cobb" Storm Shadow though! :)

Toy Fare 2012 Video!
 

Cool!

That's the first I've seen that storm Shadow with the Zebra-type black camo print on his white trench coat (0:48 seconds in). Interesting!!

100% agree on the troop builds... :)
i like blind master too, can't wait.

After seeing the ToyFair pics, anyone at all optimistic about seeing anything after wave 2? Waves 1 and 2 are going to clog the pegs and we won't see anything after that.

Agreed, although chances of getting red ninjas jump high with that revelation.

But RN's and CC is all I plan to get from that wave, CC looks cool and I don't want to pass him up.

I won't lie to you. I skipped most of this thread as soon as I saw this, so I jumped ahead just to say this: OMGWTFBBQWIN!
The possibilities are endless!

Seriously, I want like 20 of him. I'll build a skyscraper for John McClain. A Hover Cab for Corbin Dallas. A Security poncho for David in "Unbreakable." The Jackal, 12 Monkeys, Last Man Standing, Lucky Number Slevin. All movies where he played an awesome character that deserves its own dio. Oh Yea.

Oh yea, my other comment on the line.
Ninja Force part 2... hooray (sarcasm)

I think it's funny how everybody is thinking of this figure as Bruce Willis and not Joe Colton.

I thought every girl wanted a pony? ;)

You mean to tell me when this figure rolls out, that ToD won't feature every die hard joke possible? I am disappoint.

Could be because Joe has only had two figures and neither look anything alike. ;)

Nice! Yeah - I think they do ;)

That's what I get for listening to my 13 year old niece refer to her pony tail as a "pony"....:D Ha!

Don't forget Striking Distance! :D He had that police speedboat & Marty from Frasier was his Dad and Elden the painter from Murphy Brown was the crooked cop serial killer!! Maybe re-paint that boat that Battlewagon just reviewed? :)

I totally forgot that movie. Speed Boat cop Bruce... I'm gonna need an entire shelf in my garage for Bruce Willis figures.

Maybe but probably not. I've see a ton of people already planning to do John McClane customs so I suspect all the forums will be saturated with nothing but Die Hard jokes once he comes out.

Moonlighting references. No one will see it coming!

Last Boy Scout
 

I liked that movie Last boy Scout that Willis is in too..Any body remember the name of his character..

Joe Hallenbeck