Since it seems Transfans aren't happy with their 25th anniversary, how about making G.I. Joe vehicles into transforming robots? I personally would think a Transformer Nightraven would be cool:

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i agree, i think that would be really cool. awesome pic, too!

 

Transforming Hiss Tank, transforming Sky Shark, transforming snowca- wait a minute, we already got that one.

But yeah, I'd love to see some GI Joe crossover stuff.

 

Mean Dog would be nice. Both sections that turn into 2 different bots.

 

Hasbro always cries "Joe is not popular enough" on this front, but I'm GUESSING they're missing the format that would actually pretty much guarantee sales-success.

Hasbro Thinking-
Star Wars Cross-Overs = Star Wars vehicles that change into robot-versions of the appropriate pilot.

Marvel Cross-Overs = Character-Themed vehicles that change into robot-versions of the Marvel characters.

Therefore

GI Joe Cross-Overs = GI-Joe vehicles that change into robotic versions of Gi-Joe Characters. (I.e., A Wolverine tank that changes into a robotic CoverGirl, or a Night Raven that changes into a Robotic StratoViper)

Which would be, probably, a pretty dodgy line to try to sell to all but the most hard-core of fans

WHEREAS

What I think what we would all like to see, and would sell very well, would be a line of Gi-Joe style vehicles that changed into TRANSFORMER charcaters.

They could do it per the recent cross-over comic designs (Not my preference, and possibly a conflicted-marketing-issue with all those Autobots as Cobra Vehicles...but still probably a workable idea)

Or perhaps a better idea still, Joe-Vehicles changing into Autobots, and Cobra-Vehicles changing into Decepticons.

MY absolute-preference would be to use this line to get some of the B- and C-list TF characters some updates they'd never get otherwise.

Assuming that I'm not the only one who see THIS as the ideal cross-over line, could a Bot-Con attendee PLEASE communicate the idea to the TF team this year? I'd bet dollars to donuts that as obvious as this is, they're NOT thinking along these lines when they hear "Gi Joe Cross-Overs"

*EDIT*
My proposed list of character choices. Bear with me on these. All '87 and earlier vehicles/characters for both lines. All characters that are recognizable, but which have not received an update lately (in either line for the most part, though I was focusing on TFs who need love), and are not likely to in a main line. Mostly Autobots, a few 'Cons, which is the standard marketing ratio. Tried to squeeze in a few combiner-guys to go with our Leaders (Onslaught, 'Bolt, upcoming HotSpot)

This is my dream line-up, and I would buy each and every one in a heartbeat  

GIJoe/Autobots
VAMP -> Trailbreaker
SkyStriker -> AirRaid
Conquest -> Skydive
KillerWhale -> SeaSpray
SHARC -> TopSpin (The Function and color scheme even work  )
Silver Mirage -> Groove
Tomahawk -> Blades
Tactical Battle Platform -> Metroplex (Even rendered as a standard figure... )
Flagg -> Broadside (Yet another stripped Triple changer, but that's the trend..)
HAVOC -> Hardhead
LCV -> AfterBurner
Defiant -> SkyLynx

Cobra/Decepticons
HISS -> Brawl
NightRaven -> Blast Off
Mamba -> Vortex
ASP -> Shockwave
STUN -> Runabout (Ok based purely on color scheme...but YEAH!)
Maggot -> Trypticon (The assauly-mode for Tryppy is close, and I could see a TF-scheme working, colors aren't half bade either)
SeaRay -> Scourge

D/L

 

You're being a little American-centric in your thinking. AFAIK, GI Joe doesn't sell well outside America. Can't remember the last time I saw a toy store in the UK carry it at all.

You think wrong. Personally, I'm very happy with the present arrangement: Transformers remains a seperate entity, and GI Joe does whatever it wants a long, long way away.

 

I would like that quite a bit. Done in the current fashon would only make me look at a fig to see if I could make it a TF character. Such is the fate of current crossover lines for me.

 

Well, this is part of my thinking, since Hasbro agrees with you that Joe characters don't carry a big enough marketing-stick to warrant a cross-branded line, my idea gives the Joe-vehicles a push by tying them into TF characters that do. It's very likely that not many people other than hard-core Joe fans give a rat's ass about the VAMP, but I'm betting a new Trailbreaker that happens to have a VAMP alt mode might move some plastic. In this arrangement, the Joe-fanbase sales, and the potential "Hey, I remember that vehicle" nostalgia factor is a added-value rather than the main-sell.

But yeah, lots of double-interest here in the Americas.


D/L

 

I see what you're getting at, but I doubt Hasbro would go for it. With the Marvel and Star Wars crossovers, Hasbro are using two successful franchises to sell toys to two audiences at once. With the TF/Joe idea, they'd be using Transformers in an attempt to sell Joe stuff to TF fans.

Just out of curiosity, and sort of relevant, anyone know if the SW or Marvel crossovers are sold in Japan?

 

I was pondering the same question, I want to say I recall seeing Japanese magazine scans with the Marvel stuff, but not the Star Wars, but I could be wrong.

I definitely see your point , and yeah, Hasbro might not ever go for it (especially since the Joe movie is looking worse with each new trailer), but it seems like a potentially successful line for the domestic (US) market and an easy "excuse" to pump out a whole slew of characters that the fans would like to see but won't ever (likely) warrant a Universe etc. update.

D/L

 

I would definitely buy one of each of any Transformers GI Joe Crossovers toy line.

 

What I'd like to see is Joe vehicles, that turn into transformer characters, that the 3.75 inch joes can fit into. It's possible that the Movie "Human Alliance" figures are an effort on Hasbro's part to test this potential market, so I reccomend we make sure that EVERY ONE of those figures sell COMPLETELY OUT, so that Hasbro knows that human characters go well with Transformers. Heck, I hope my Joes will fit into these Transformers, and it's gonna be the first thing I check when I get one.

 

Maybe someone took "A Real American Hero" literally LOL!

How is the Trans 25th anniv. so far? Maybe we and Hasi can celebrate an improved-economy-belated-25th when the econ. improves.

 

Maybe it would be the cross over that drops the mech thing and makes them actual Transformers characters. So a HISS tank that turned into the Cobra Commander mech would be a total pass. A Night Raven that turned into Skywarp would be something I just had to have.

Plus GI Joe gets sold overseas they just change the names to things like Action Force to represent the country they are sold in. Plus if they didn't think the GI Joe brand would sell outside of the US I don't think they would be pumping as much money as they are into a live action movie.

Maybe after the GI Joe movie line perhaps Hasbro will run out of excuses as to why it can't ever be done.

 

Joe sold pretty well as Action Force and later as GI Joe in Europe back in the day.

 

Would you be willing to substitute red for purple

 

Sure Cobra has been using a wider pallet of colors so it would work.

 

THIS is my point, see my post above  

I'm betting Hasbro is not thinking outside their own "cross-over box" anytime someone brings this up. We need to let them know that we want a full-fledged TF-Joe cross-Line not Swamp-Skimmers that turn into Robo-Zartans  

Any people at BotCon who are reading this willing to beat the drums??


D/L

 

I think a lot of the chance of this happening rides on the success of the upcoming movie. If GI Joe gets relaunched as a successful international franchise, you might be in with a shot.

 

I completely agree with you on that point, which is rather unfortunate, since I'm not holding my breath for the Joe-Movie's success :/

D/L