I've seen it more times than I can remember. So much so that it doesn't irk me anymore. It's just something I've come to accept. There's a 75%+ chance I'll see it on any given trip to Wal-Mart. It's also becoming more common at Target. I've seen it in stores throughout the CA Bay Area.

Wal-Mart is where I usually see the most half-hearted attempts. My favorites are the horrible custom figures or something that's been cobbled together from spare parts. It's also not uncommon to see a half transformed Transformer bouncing around loose in it's box. At least it is usually the correct toy, but it's a return that shouldn't have made it back out onto the shelf.

I just don't see this helping with the problem except to prevent the casual mischief such as all the Space Jam Lebron(?) figures that were missing heads. I never actually saw one with the head until the packaging got changed to prevent popping the head off. A piece of bamboo or cardboard isn't going to stop a sticky figured individual from yanking the figure out. And the people who swap figures will continue to do so since they know that the person at the return desk isn't going to give it more than a casual glance.

 

Off topic, but is Hasbro still planning on releasing NFTs? Because all the good they are trying to do is undone by this one thing. Who cares if they're cutting down plastic if they are also selling digital crap that takes a city's worth of energy just to ultimately verify as genuine.

 

It's the *retailers* who get hurt by this. And if they're getting hit bad enough they're going to start putting pressure on manufacturers to take action or they'll shift which products they order.

When stores have to pre-removd the heads from LeBeon James or put them behind glass reserved for video games, they're going to think twice before stocking anything like that again.

 

If it's anything like what Mattel/Spin Masters use, "yanking" isn't going to be that easy because you'll have to take most of the box with you in the process.

It's not something you'll just "do" and walk away. It'll take time/effort and hopefully discourage all but the most genuinely dishonest.

Hell, if it keeps kids from accidentally knocking shit loose it'll be a big help.

 

They are not trying to "do good." It's cost cutting wrapped up in "for the planet" as justification. If they cared about the environment, they'd make their crap in countries with environmental laws.

 

It's *both*

 

I will miss the clear plastic windows, as the packaging on retail releases is just feeling cheaper and cheaper, but the illustration on that patent looks really interesting to me. If it can be done without interfering with any internal mechanisms, I say go for it. I like the idea of the one-time insertion of the mechanism, and it's minimally invasive from an aesthetic standpoint.

I see it mostly being practical for stuff like humanoid action figures... they may be able to mold the outline into a shape where the seam lines end up looking like "folds" in the characters' back muscles. Transformers may require something more creative...

 

Yes, the company that only works in countries where you can literally set rivers on fire is concerned with the eco system.

 

I love how in the first 2 pages it is said by a Hasbro employee in the department that this won't be used on Generations, and then 5 more pages of ranting follows anyway 

On the topic of stealing though, I do think Hasbro needs to find a balance between eco friendly, and secure packaging. Removing windows entirely is just dumb, the (ever increasingly expensive) figures could be damaged much easier, theives and idiots who steal toy's heads have better access, it allows dust to get into the box, and its just not a good idea. Closed box is even worse, because scum bags won't even have to swap figures for other figures anymore, they could just toss a water bottle in the box, not that the employees would know the difference anyway 

 

They’ll just change the name to not say Generations, or just not give a shit and do it anyway. Companies always say they aren’t using these patents and then proceed to use them.

 

The amount of engineering that goes into a mainline transformers precludes the use of this asinine "creation" which can be circumvented by anyone who has the capacity for rational thought with glue dots, museum gel, booger glue or nanogrip tape.

Engineers build things to do something which usually blinds them to how they can be deconstructed, its why a programmer can spend years creating a computer game yet a random smartarse player can find ways to exploit it outside its intended parameters in hours or even minutes.

I doubt this will go anywhere, it adds cost to both product and packaging and solves literally nothing.

 

Anti tampering? Why not a simple holographic foil seal/decal over the box flaps that get wrecked once opened? Same ones used in pharmaceutical products. All these mental gymnastics, once seal is broken, do not accept unless with video evidence the item damaged even MISB.

Or put/engrave a security bar code into the actual toy that should match with the box code. If not, then switched/tampered. Like a call back to the original rub symbols. Encode it into the rub symbols.

 

Best anti-theft: police guard in every toy aisle.

Edit: and anyone buying more than 1 of the same figure gets a Nightstick upside the head

 

People don't read the articles, what's new?

 

Cyberverse has been doing this from day 1 though and movie tie in figures have been doing it since at least AoE.

Not Generations, mind you, but certainly the larger "gimmick" figures that usually come with the media line.

And that's no different than Paw Patrol and the like that have been doing it from the beginning. It's not as big an issue as people think.

 

Now I'm convinced that it will never happen.  

 

Easy way to complete my G1 Targetmaster Cyclonus. Or Artfire. Or Stepper.

 

Just saying, you don’t patent something you don’t plan on using.

 

Imagine if rubsigns were being introduced nowadays and all the complaining about the big square indent forced into the figure's sculpt to accommodate the sticker to prevent buyers from buying KO transforming robots.

 

...I don't think they are comparable?