Category: toy

Nerf N-Strike Elite Retaliator and Rampage Range/Demo follow up videos

https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf

Thanks for stopping by!  I had some more time, so I took the Nerf N-Strike Retaliator and Rampage out for some additional testing.  I wanted to look at performance depending on using original streamlines vs. Elite, original Nerf N-strike blasters vs. Elite, and so on.  I decided to just make one gigantic video, but have no fear!  The link to each pertinent section follows.  And yeah, I kept the Retaliator barrel on for its firing.  I’ll do another vid without it soon, but in the meantime:

Handy dandy timing break down for the video-

  • Rampage w/Elite darts and 12 round magazine – 1:33
  • Rampage w/original streamlines and 12 round mag – 2:09 
  • Nerf Raider w/12 round mag and original streamlines – 2:51 
  • Nerf Rampage w/12 round mag and Firefly Tech darts – 3:02 
  • Nerf Dart Tag Quick 16 w/Dart tag darts – 3:23 
  • Nerf Clear Recon (stock) w/Elite darts and 6 round magazine: 3:46
  • Nerf Elite Retaliator w/6 round mag, Elite darts – 4:21 
  • Retaliator w/18 round magazine (Nerf Stampede’s), Elite darts – 4:36
  • Nerf Elite Retaliator w/35 round drum mag and Elite darts – 4:51

There’s still more to do, such as checking the ranges and accuracy without the barrel (personally, I like the looks so I kept it on) and a general opinion on the Elite line.  But, that’s another blog post.  As for today, enjoy seeing what the blasters shoot like 🙂

Now that the video is done, I’ll be updating this post in a few minutes with pictures as well.  Stay tuned!

OP/ED: Hey, marketing/PR/design toy people, just a thought –

After another Toy Fair, it got me thinking.  I’ve listened/read to many a pitch about this or that product, and it always boils down to a few target markets in the toy business, parents and kids.  Either the advertising/initiatives/campaigns are geared to the fantasy roleplay of a child’s imagination that gets them to bug their parents for a toy, or the parent thinks their child might be interested in said toy.

Well, what about us?  For years I’ve heard that the NIC and other communities just do not make up enough of a population to necessitate any marketing.

 I wonder just how true that is.  Worldwide, I’d like to say that interest in blaster-based games has increased exponentially.  Sure, there are mainstays like airsoft and paintball (where applicable) but the fact that Nerf/related product blogs has grown exponentially in years says a lot.  There’s interest, there’s people paying attention, and I think it’s time some of the quoted talking heads I’ve seen doing news pieces or whatever on toy blasters need to be on notice.

Like some cartoons, not all toys are “Just For Kids.” 

I saw this piece a months ago (thanks to the Aussie Canberra crew for linking this on their FB) – http://www.timetoplaymag.com/toys/2814/the-maya-group/xploderz-xranger-2000/ – and while I respect the Time to Play team (seen them, never had a chance to actually speak with them) for their work, this little quote regarding Xploderz made my eyebrow raise a little,

Xground Pounder

“Who It’s For
The Xploderz XRanger 2000 is for ages 8 and up. We think that this will have a special appeal to older boys, even college-age kids.”

I’m sorry, what?  College age?  I tried the Xranger (and the Xploderz stuff in general), and… well, if I got this in school chances are it would have been donated to some needy family or theater kid for costuming.  In fact, the blasters look like space ships more than anything designed with ergonomics in mind so it could probably fill in for a student sci-fi film.  Between the 4 hour wait-time (Sea Monkeys, anyone) for extra ammo and the overall unreliability of the blaster (it shoots when it wants to, even moreso with the Xground Pounder) and the lack of accuracy (due to the pull-release mechanism) to simple issues like BLOCKING YOUR SIGHTS WITH A HIGH-CAPACITY MAGAZINE (again, Xground Pounder)… I wasn’t a fan.  My mother taught me, “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all” but in a case like this, it’s buyer misinformation. 

And I don’t think this was in bad form.  For almost $40 the Xranger and Xground Pounder are not worth the experience, and on a college kid’s non-budget there’s a lot better stuff out there.  The Time to Play team (or many other bloggers out there) play with blasters like I do, such as with the Tacticool Tag and Gaming Society of Chicagoland (http://ttagschicago.blogspot.com).

I exchanged some emails with a company about samples they sent, and told them that the blaster they sent me was not functioning well, and the company wanted to go over what was happening.  One thing they mentioned was feedback like mine was good because they get an idea of how users actually deal with their blasters outside of shooting targets in their room

So… what do they imagine kids are even doing once they take these out?  Sure, shooting targets is fun but we all know the first thing we did when we got the new toy home was aim it at a sibling or our buddy (NOT RECOMMENDED winkwinknudgenudge).

Which brings me to the point.  Between all these communities like Mall Wars, HvZ, and the already existent aftermarket community, it’s not worth a company’s time to market to us a little bit?  Nerf’s done a pretty decent job of outreach to bloggers, Zing Toys, and Vapor, but they’re the only ones.  At places like Toy Fair, people ask about my readership.  When I mention all the places that show up on my analytics (and that one hit from Uzbekistan) their eyes grow huge.  We’re out there.  We want to spend money.  LET US BUY YOUR BLASTERS.  TELL US ABOUT THEM.  MAKE THEM AWESOME.  If there’s one thing I’ve learned these past few months is that the Internet becomes a fantastic bargaining chip.  Think of all the recent internet events where with one keystroke, items go viral, facebook and twitter blow up, and then a company either admits fault or disappears.  Oh, hey Ocean Marketing and Papa John’s.  Rush Limbaugh, how’s that apology for the Fluke going?  Miss your sponsors, right?

Our words have power.  Our web presence has power.  We want to have toys for all ages, that play awesomely, and keep us coming back for more.  We’re not just a niche market anymore.  We are a viable share of the market.

And I’m currently working on a way to prove it quantitatively.  Stay tuned.

TOY FAIR 2012 – (it never ends!) Construction stuff? (Lego, Mega Bloks,

So, today’s update of more awesome stuff from Toy Fair 2012 – 

LEGO –  (Some highlights)

From “Monster Fighters”

DC Universe!  (Notice Superman needs the rescuing?  Go Wonder Woman!)

Star Wars, a redux of the TIE Fighter
Helm’s Deep!

https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf

MEGA BLOKS –

Thanks for this to the Mega Bloks FB page – https://www.facebook.com/megabloks

NANODOTS! –

https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf

How do you spell Spring/Summer? N-D-T-L

Word has it that the NDTL tour stops will be announced later this month, but in preparation for that announcement and the coming NDTL events let’s grab a look at some of the current gear

– Furyfire

– Hyperfire and a Strikefire (aka Dart Tag Blaster, this is the original blue version. The pistol was first named the Crossfire.)

– Stormfire w/Capture the Flag Beacon

– New Dart Tag Fast Load Sleeves, and the Dart Tag Vision Gear! (Shown: old grey version. Also sold separately in white, navy, and black)

Lock and Load!

– Vas The Stampede

New Video from the Nerf youtube channel!

Nerf’s been busy since Toy Fair ended! Found this video on their youtube channel that features a couple of members of “Forever the Sickest Kids” whose musical stylings you’ve heard in some of the latest commercials. They take a look and give a view of some of the new stuff! Mum’s the word though on the 09/09/10 blaster still.

Keep an eye out for the N-Strike tactical vest and the “camo ammo”, for instance you have an idea of what the vest is going to look like on a full grown adult. And the camo ammo, will be hard to find in a forest. But anyway, here’s the vid:

-VasTheStampede