BAF's will not work in the 6" line. Better to just include definitive character-specific accessories and weapons. Make these the last 6" versions of any Joe you'd ever need. ARAH cardbacks, resealable if possible. Also for the 4" line there's no reason it cannot go alongside a 6" line as they serve different purposes. There's a lot of cool vehicles that defense contractors are developing that are ripe for use as design inspiration for future 4" scale vehicles. New characters would be best served in a 4" line with 6" saved for fan-favorites.
So you and I both know if Hasbro does a 6” Joe line they aren’t going to give us ARAH vintage style packaging first. They’ll release the figures in new packing and then a little bit down the road try and sell it to us again in a vintage style card-back. Just saying that’s classic Hasbro mold and toyline juicing, I am not against a build-a-figure if it’s cool. You could do build-a-figure BATS for Cobra and Steel Brigade for Joe. There’s all kind’s of options. You could even part in a SNAKE armor. Vehicles would work as exclusives, Target, BBTS etc.
The BAF concept annoys me, played out method, I'd rather buy a SNAKE armor by itself or paired with a Cobra Trooper for $40 rather than having to buy multiple figures to build it.
You don't know that for sure. There was a former designer who was openly opposed to the generic Retaliation packaging and guys like Mark Weber were very heavy into ARAH.
Killer Whale is one of my all time favorite toys. If they made a 6” scale one, I’d break myself for it, lol! I still think they should just stick to small vehicle packs like the ML riders series. Absolutely no BAFs.
Oh I believe they’re into it. I am just saying they know enough of us are into it that they can get us to buy figures a second time with the ARAH card-back and art. Hell they’ll even do a mild repaint on it to squeeze $$$. That’s all I am saying. They release a GI Joe 6” line in Baked Bean cans and we’re going to buy it. They offer it again on the card-back and I know I am enough of a sucker to buy it again. But I agree my preference is ARAH resealable cards, I just wouldn’t bet on it, first.
True, but it'd be an easy way for Hasbro to move less popular characters. And if it makes business sense, Hasbro will do it. I think either Slave IV or TR mentioned Figuarts Joes, since we're still in the fantasizing mode right now. That to me would be ideal. Hasbro runs Joe, but I'd much rather own Figuarts versions.
If they make a 6” Whale I’m driving it to work everyday. And screaming “Yo Joe!” out the window at people.
I can’t get to it easily for a better picture at the moment but here is a quick shot I just took from my “warehouse”
Yeah, I brought them to the community pool by my house all the time. And yeah, in the bathtub too. I think I took baths instead of showers for a lot longer than most people because of those things. I love how the Whale could float for so long and it even had the drains that were like bilge pumps on real ships.
They have to deal with the fact that the suits normally are gunshy for GI Joe to begin with. There's demand for a 6" line but I don't think it's large enough to compensate for inevitable shelfwarmers that aren't fan-favorites. If I were to go into it, I would go for ARAH cards outright, that's what the primary demographic for this line(older collectors) wants. It's also something guys who haven't bought Joe's since the 80's would instantly recognize. That's something I would bank on, to draw those guys in, especially since ARAH was a line with largely unique card art per character release aside from later repaints. Given the odds against GI Joe internally, might as go all out the 1st time around because another go isn't guaranteed. I'd probably pass on Figuarts Joe's. I doubt Bandai would make them 6"+ scale and would stick to 5.5". I don't doubt that the sculpts would be good but I'm not a fan of them using non-functional sheaths/scabbards. Plus not a fan of their way of swapping hands. In addition, I think since GI Joe is a western property, they'd probably use the more conservative Figuarts bodies with the dropdown hips like they do for their Marvel/Star Wars Figuarts. Snake Eyes would be ideal on their Fighting Bodies or art model bucks but I have my doubts they'd use them. If Hasbro were to license out 6" Joe's, Mezco ONE:12 would be my preference. Not sure if they'd use faux sheaths/scabbards as well but the figures would probably look like smaller Sideshow figures which I'm down with. Also after seeing BAF d-listers shelfwarm for years I think it's a concept that doesn't really work to move them. On paper it works but in actuality, especially with prices rising these days, I'd rather pay more for a bigger item outright. I'd pay $50 for a Cobra Viper + Trouble Bubble easy. Or for Serpentor with his Chariot.
Re: the Figuarts bods, I've found that there's sometimes a bit of random variation with articulation even within the same line. Jedi Luke and Biker Scout don't seem to have drop-down hips. Captain Marvel doesn't have the drop-down hips, but Wasp does, while Wasp has a biceps cut but Captain Marvel doesn't. The Fighting Bodies on the Kinnikuman figs are all pretty consistent, and they all have drop-down hips too--they're probably my favorite Figuarts bodies as well. Bandai did use good working sheaths/scabbards on the Turtles. If you take the best elements of Figuarts and combine them, I'd be pretty happy. I wouldn't mind the smaller scale. The quality--sculpt, plastic used, paint apps/detailing, QC--would be something I'd much rather pay for vs. a Black Series-/Marvel Legends-type figure. Re: Mezco, I'm still not crazy about the look of the cloth, especially in that scale, and for a character like Snake Eyes, because of the skin-tight outfit, I'd prefer regular old plastic. Re: BAFing of the toy lines, I do wonder how well the concept has been contributing to Hasbro's bottom line, and if that's what continues to "drive the business," per Hasbro's ex-senior director from a few years back (The Marvel Legends Team Divulges the 'Secret Sauce' at NYCC).
An easy way would also be for them not to do less popular characters in the first place till they're sure the line is successful enough, or save them for Con or online/store exclusives. But you do have a good point, but like I said earlier, I'd rather have more weapons and swappable body parts over BAF pieces if given the choice.
Maybe the could do them as 2-packs. To include less desirable characters with desirable ones or something. We can 100% guess otherwise what characters would get figures... G.I.Joe Duke Scarlett Snake Eyes Flint Lady Jaye Hawk Stalker Tunnel Rat Gung Ho Beachhead Roadblock COBRA Cobra Commander Destro Storm Shadow Baroness Zartan Firefly Major Bludd Tomax Xamot Cobra Trooper Cobra Viper
I don't feel like making lists right now but that's a start. I thinnk 2 packs make sense, especially for Tomax/Xamot and troop builders.