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under Other

Last year saw a big loss in the passing of long time Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner.  His vision transitioned Hasbro from a toy company to the one we see today, focusing on brands and entertainment in addition to our plastic goodies.  Today the company has named Chris Cocks the new CEO.  He was previously President and CEO of Wizards of the Coast and Digital Gaming division, where he expanded properties like Magic the Gathering into even more successful parts of the company.  Interim CEO Rich Stoddart will step down in February and become Chair of the Board. Hopefully the vision set out by Brian Goldner to transform the company continues and grows under Cocks.

Read on for the full press release from Hasbro.

[Read more…]

under G.I. Joe Classified, Other

Hasbro has applied and has successfully secured a brand new patent for an anti-theft, anti-tamper packaging for their toy figures.

Published on November 25th, this new patent may very well be a step in the right direction to prevent rampant toy tampering due to Hasbro’s new eco-friendly packaging with plastic-less open windows. What’s interesting is the fact that the locking mechanism is a part of the toy itself.

Official description at World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO):

A package can include a product display panel to which a product is to be secured, the product display panel comprising an opening for receiving a product locking assembly. The product locking assembly can include a locking element having a peg and an extended portion extending from the peg, and the extended portion comprising first and second spaced apart projections, and a receiving element disposed in or attached to the product, the receiving element comprising an aperture having a first end and an inwardly disposed second end. The locking element is adapted to fit through the opening and be inserted into the receiving element to a first position such that product display panel is secured to the product and the first projection extends past the second end of the aperture of the receiving element to prevent the locking element from being removed from the aperture, and the locking element being further adapted to be further inserted into the aperture after removal of the product display panel from the product to a second position such that the second projection extends past the second end of the aperture of the receiving element.

The above sounds like a lot of words, but we’ve attached some images from the patent application to help you understand the solution better.

In addition to the anti-theft and anti-tamper features of the new packaging design, the patent also highlights a feature to prevent returning a different toy in place of the original that was in the packaging. Once taken out of the package, the locking mechanism (known as ‘The Key Lock’) is permanently pushed into the toy to make it less obvious. This will prevent the toy from being reattached back into the packaging. If the toy is not reattached, the store can identify if the toy is used or a different toy is in place of the original. The seller can also examine if the locking mechanism is removed.

The only downside of this mechanism is having a visible mark of the lock on the toy itself. However, Hasbro may design the toys to have the lock, less obvious.

It is likely that we will see this new application on future Hasbro toys including Transformers and G.I. Joe.

under Other

A sad day today – Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner  has passed away at the age of 58.   He had been battling cancer since 2014 and recently took a sudden leave of absence. Mr. Goldner was involved with creating the Hasbro we know today, joining in 2000 and becoming CEO by 2008, transforming the company into an entertainment focused one and reviving core brands.  Under his leadership G.I. Joe grew into a new era, giving us 3.75 Modern, 3 movies, a cartoon and most recently – G.I. Joe Classified.  His focus on balancing nostalgia while moving brands into the future allowed G.I. Joe to escape the 80s and flourish.

We here at HissTank would like to thank him for his leadership at Hasbro, letting the teams do what they do and giving us some great product over the last 20 years.  For additional information, please see the below press releases.

• Hasbro Chairman & CEO Brian D. Goldner to Take Medical Leave to Focus on Health

• Hasbro Announces the Passing of Beloved Leader and Longtime Chairman & CEO Brian D. Goldner

under Other

As mentioned in our previous news post, Cubles just revealed their initial lineup (Series 1) of G.I. Joe Paperboard figures.

“G.I. JOE CŪBLES are Ready for the Jump. They’re Real American Heroes! Made, Not Born & Tough as Nails! (Cardboard ones, that is.) This first series of JOES is reporting for duty.

Officially licensed by Hasbro. The G.I. Joe® SERIES 1 CŪBLES uses no glue, tape, or scissors. With pre-designed pieces and made with our sturdy and strong CŪBLEStock™ paperboard, the G.I. Joe Collection is an easy and fun activity for all ages. Featuring: Snake Eyes, Storm Shadow, Baroness, and Scarlett

(+) Best of all, thanks to our patented engineering, your new figure has moveable parts that require no plastic or metal pieces! Color-coded instructions make each one fun and easy to assemble.

All CŪBLES are Made in the USA, 100% Recyclable and for every 1 tree used to make CŪBLES, the company plants 100 more by donating to OneTreePlanted.”

Each figure is priced at $7.99, and you can buy all four for $24.99.

Storm Shadow, Snake Eyes, Baroness, and Scarlett each come with one out of four diorama backgrounds in addition to their signature weapons.

You can pre-order the figures via Cubles Official Website.

under Other

We have learned that Cubles has acquired the license to produce buildable Paperboard G.I. Joe Figures.

The line is set to release via Amazon this holiday season.

These papercraft figures are priced from $7.99 to $24.99.

We will let you know when these model kits are up for pre-order. You can check out some of their products, after the jump.

under Other

Hasbro is currently looking for a Franchise Strategy Co-op (intern) specifically for their G.I. Joe brand. It is clear that the toy giant is hoping for a long and successful life ahead for the franchise we know and love.

What is expected from the role:

  • Becoming Immersed in the Fan Conversation: Provide regular updates to the G.I. JOE Franchise team on the discussion around the brand across social, fan sites, etc.
  • Social Platform Management: Assist in managing social calendar and trafficking assets to necessary teams for owned G.I. JOE social platforms.
  • Manage Brand Materials: Build and update key brand and franchise materials, including master editorial calendar, presentations, asset trackers, team resources etc.
  • Support Holistic Action Brands Franchise Team: Work with entire Action Brands team, including high-profile brands such as Transformers, Power Rangers and G.I. JOE, on key projects, including regular Competitive Tracking, Action Brands Global Newsletter and Streaming Landscape Analysis.
  • Additional projects as needed

If you are interested, you can apply to the job listing via Hasbro Careers.

under G.I. Joe Various, Other

Pinfinity is set to release their Augmented Reality G.I. Joe Metal Pins this month.

Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow will lead the charge and based on the unlocked artwork, it is likely that we will also see Duke, Scarlett, Cobra Commander, Baroness, Cobra Officer, and Destro.

Official Description:

“Our G.I. Joe file card series is sure to please any G.I. Joe fan. Scan your pin to see a digital version of the packaging with fun illustrated representation of the toy. POP OUT the experience by moving your pin off-screen or phone away from pin. Tap on the back side of the AR Packaging to find 2 wallpapers!”

HISSTANK tested out the functionality with both pins. Users can run the Pinfinity app and point the “scanner” to the pins to register the artwork. Once detected, the app will download the data for the pin’s AR assets. Cardback of the character will then be displayed. The user can tap the card to flip it to view the back of the card. The user can touch the message denoted as ” to download a mobile phone wallpaper of the faction symbol of the character. But, there is also a hidden mobile phone wallpaper of the character as well. The user can unlock it by touching the “cross-sell” image of the scanned character.

It is interesting to note that the background music played during Snake Eyes’ AR is identical to the background music of the Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins secret trailer shown to the investors during a Hasbro investor event. The movie was still being filmed at that time and that was the oldest know trailer for the movie. The same trailer was set to reach a wider audience during CinemaCon 2020, but with the event cancellation, the appearance was also disbanded. Thus, the initial trailer never made it to the public.

You can download the Pinfinity app via Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.

You can check out a recording of the AR process, after the jump.

[Read more…]

under G.I. Joe Vintage, Other

G.I. Joe Hollywood Rides Die-Cast Duke & VAMP 1/32 Scale Vehicle

G.I. Joe joins the Hollywod Rides line with the iconic VAMP Jeep paired with a die-cast figure of Duke in 1/32 scale. Made of die-cast metal and real rubber tires, these are sure to make a great addition to any G.I. Joe collection!

G.I. Joe Nano MetalFigs 18-Pack

From G.I. Joe comes highly collectible figures in Jada’s Nano MetalFig series. This pack has plenty to fill your G.I. Joe collection!

Box Contents:

Duke figure
Scarlett figure
Lady Jaye figure
Storm Shadow figure
Doc figure
Firefly figure
Snake Eyes figure
Dusty figure
B.A.T. figure
Cobra Commander figure
Barbecue figure
Cobra Trooper figure
Baroness figure
Roadblock figure
Zartan figure
Destro figure
Flint figure
Serpentor figure

under Other

Surprising everyone during Hasbro’s 2021 First Quarter Financial Results Conference Call, Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner stated that the company is looking forward to generating NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) based on Hasbro properties such as Transformers and G.I. Joe.

“NFTs are a real opportunity for us. As you know we have so many brands that really operate on multiple demographic levels; whether it’s Transformers, whether it’s Magic [The Gathering] and the D&D brand, and brands like G.I. Joe. We have a team that is leading our effort out of the west coast. We have our arms around this and see multiple opportunities on the NFT side and you’ll hear more about that as we move forward. But, we are actively developing our opportunities here and we do see it as substantial.”

For those who do not know, a non-fungible token (NFT) is a unit of data stored on a digital ledger, called a blockchain, that certifies a digital asset to be unique and therefore not interchangeable. NFTs can be used to represent items such as photos, videos, audio, and other types of digital files. Access to any copy of the original file, however, is not restricted to the buyer of the NFT. While copies of these digital items are available for anyone to obtain, NFTs are tracked on blockchains to provide the owner with a proof of ownership that is separate from copyright. The NFT market value tripled in 2020, reaching more than $250 million.

What do you think of Hasbro’s new initiative? Sound off on our Boards.

under Other

A while back, we posted a news regarding Renegade Studios entering a brand new licensing agreement to manufacture RPG board games based on Hasbro properties. Transformers is one of them.

Creative talent at Renegade is working tirelessly during this ‘new normal’ period to complete their work and highlighted the same during an online podcast.

Elisa Teague, Senior Producer of Role Playing Games, stated the following:

“No, you’re not gonna be playing [as] Optimus Prime or anything like that. You get to pick up your own character. What kind of vehicle are you going to be? What is your motivation? What is your your rank? Are you an Autobot? What is your primary function? So, you get to create all of that and go off on adventures. That stuff is really exciting and it is coming along so amazingly and I just want to be out already, I know everybody does, but it’s been a joy to work on for sure.”

Additionally, she also highlighted G.I. Joe. It is likely that the gaming mechanic will be the same for the Joe brand as well.