Tag: stampede

WORD FROM NERF: BATTLE OF THE ADS!

HASBRO ANNOUNCES TOP TEN FINALISTS

IN POPULAR NERF “BATTLE OF THE ADS” VIDEO CONTEST

Fans Compete to Win $10,000 and a Chance to Have Their NERF Video Air on Prime-Time TV

PAWTUCKET, R.I. – October 21, 2010 – For the first time in the history of Hasbro, Inc.’s (NYSE: HAS) NERF brand, fans were able to showcase their passion for NERF gear and game play in front of a national audience. Today, the NERF “Battle of the Ads” contest, which received nearly 1,500 submissions to its website www.NerfBattleoftheAds.com revealed the top ten finalists whose videos will be considered to receive $10,000 and air during prime-time television next month as part of the NERF brand’s official TV campaign.

“The quality and creativity of the over 1,000 videos we received for the “Battle of the Ads” contest made it incredibly hard to narrow it down to just ten,” said Kelly Stone, U.S. marketing director for NERF at Hasbro. “Entries were sent from fans of all ages from all over the country. The submissions were as diverse as the NERF brand itself, but there was one underlying theme connecting the top ten finalists: IT’S NERF OR NOTHIN’!”

Throughout the summer, fans and amateur film-makers were encouraged to submit their videos featuring one or all of the brand’s N-STRIKE, N-FORCE, DART TAG, SPORTS, and SUPER SOAKER segments. A montage of the top ten NERF “Battle of the Ads” entries will air during “American Dad” on FOX, November 14 at 9pm EST. Fans will have to tune into FOX again on November 21 at 8pm EST to see the winning video during “The Simpsons.”

Videos were judged based on factors including public vote, creativity, enthusiasm, and use of NERF products. The top ten NERF “Battle of the Ads” finalists, in alphabetical order, are:

*

Ben Boutwell – The Chase – Winnsboro, LA
*

Benjamin Radford – Elevator Ambush – Hendersonville, NC
*

Charlie Heller – Super Awesome NERF Showdown – Princeton, NJ
*

Dylan Bitton – Operation Overboard – Vista, CA
*

Gerhardt Slawitschka – N-STRIKE The Movie – Stone Mountain, GA

(more…)

*

Jeremiah England – It’s Ageless – Olathe, KS
*

Ryan Summersett – The Alleyway – Austin, TX
*

Stephen Pfeil – Lock N’ Load – Hammond, LA
*

Steven Mee – NERF Perfect – Yucaipa, CA
*

Spencer Lowery – The Evolution of Play – Chatsworth, CA

To view the top ten NERF 2010 “Battle of the Ads” contest finalists and learn more about official rules and conditions, log onto www.NerfBattleoftheAds.com. Keep up with all the latest action going on in NERF NATION by following www.Facebook.com/NerfNation, www.YouTube.com/Nerf, and www.Twitter.com/NerfNation.

Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE:HAS) is a branded play company providing children and families around the world with a wide-range of immersive entertainment offerings based on the Company’s world class brand portfolio. From toys and games, to television programming, motion pictures, video games and a comprehensive licensing program, Hasbro strives to delight its customers through the strategic leveraging of well-known and beloved brands such as TRANSFORMERS, LITTLEST PET SHOP, NERF, PLAYSKOOL, MY LITTLE PONY, G.I. JOE, MAGIC: THE GATHERING and MONOPOLY. The Hub, Hasbro’s multi-platform joint venture with Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) launched on October 10, 2010. The online home of The Hub is http://www.hubworld.com. The Hub logo and name are trademarks of Hub Television Networks, LLC. All rights reserved.

Come see how we inspire play through our brands at http://www.hasbro.com. © 2010 Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

-VasTheStampede

What an adventure… for the Nerf Stampede ECS

Well, if you’ve coasted the net and this blog chances are you’ve seen Hasbro/Nerf threw a shindig at Stout’s in New York City to celebrate not only the past 40+ years of Nerf products but to herald the coming of the much-speculated 09/09/10 blaster – the “Big Blast” which is now officially called the “Stampede ECS-50”.

I could tell you about the trip; from the hotel, to the transportation, or whatever but you want to know about the blaster.

Let’s answer some quick questions:

Why?

Ever since the NDTL last year, I’ve been in touch with people who handle PR for Nerf. This resulted in an invitation to this media-only event. Media-only meant the attendees were adults, so the location of the bar (Stout’s) was fine. Were this the NDTL, a bar would be… odd.

What?
The Stampede! Older Nerf products from the last 40 years (including Super Soaker that is now a brand of Nerf) like the Blast-A-Matic, Nerfuls, and even the Brainball (it was a brain-shaped football).

Shoot, pictures tell the tale:

Cammo Ammo:

MORE PHOTOS:
http://picasaweb.google.com/110890746836784809541/FFA_NerfReleaseJuly2010?authkey=Gv1sRgCM2fiILXuK_OWw#

Anyway. Ok, I posted some initial impressions of the Stampede before but let me expand a bit.

NERF N-STRIKE STAMPEDE
$49.99

– The first fully automatic NERF Clip System blaster to date (the vulcan was EBF, Magstrike was AS, and RF-20 doesn’t use clips).
– Pop-out bipod, which doubles as a handle
– Removable shield
– The NERF N-STRIKE STAMPEDE ECS blaster also comes complete with one six dart Clip and three extended Clips which hold 18 darts each

Available at most major retailers nationwide and HasbroToyShop.com beginning 9.9.10.

(Thanks to Nerf for the run-down!)

There are multiple tactical rails along the top and around the muzzle for your other n-strike accessories. Personally, for laughs I like to use the tactical red dot sight.

You can expect 25-30 feet range-wise for any Nerf blaster right out of the box, and the accuracy’s going to hurt a little bit based on the usage of streamlines (you can see a video of how the Stampede fires here:. Then again, are you really looking for something to shoot laser straight with the inherent nature of using a Nerf blaster? And hopefully out of 18 shots SOMETHING’ll work. It felt a bit faster than the vulcan too, but when I can test one more thoroughly I’ll make sure to check that.

The blaster holds comfortably size-wise but as you’d expect with something that uses six “D” batteries has a noticeable heft after holding it up at shoulder-height for a few minutes, bipod or no bipod. Also, don’t expect to use the bipod laying prone using the 18 round magazine; it juts out further than the bipod extends.

The N-strike blasters are notorious for stuff slipping loose (sights on the rails, the flip clips) while running, but I don’t think this is the case with the bipod and shield. Dare I say it I tested them thoroughly during the event, and everything held together pretty solidly.

Reloading was easy as pie this time around; previous blasters like the longshot, longstrike, deploy, raider, and vulcan all had a manual action in their reload cycle. The Stampede lets you drop a magazine and throw in a fresh one, no manual mechanism involved. This significantly decreased the reload time between magazines and the user error that would happen sliding a bolt or priming arm back and forth.

I’ll revisit some of these points when I have a unit at-home; but these are my initial impressions. I understand that $50 is a lot, but hopefully the points I’ve provided make a good case. I personally look forward to swinging around with two of them at the same time each with a 35 round drum magazine. Also, remember what it sounds like each Stampede is coming with:

-shield
-bipod
-ammo
-3 18 round magazines & 1 6 round magazine (probably looking at 54 darts)
-The Stampede

So it’s still a pretty sizable bunch of items you’re getting.

Anyway, if you have any questions feel free to comment. Whew!

-VasTheStampede

P.S. – THANK YOU HASBRO AND NERF FOR HAVING ME THERE AND TO THE STAFF ON ALL FRONTS FOR ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS!

Photos!

Well, by the grace of Nerf I had the fortunate opportunity to attend a media event party that you’ve probably seen publicized all over the place by now. (Nerfhaven, gizmodo, nerfhq, the list goes on). I could prattle on about the showcase of 40 years of products Nerf put on display (no crossbows, calm down), I could tell you about the unveiling of the Stampede ECS and it’s rate of fire and decent range (more to come when I actually get my hands on it), the camo ammo, the vest, or the N-Force Battlemaster Mace… but I have…

PICTURES!

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

Enjoy! If you have questions, please comment below or fire off an email at: Foamfromabove@gmail.com

-VasTheStampede

SO IT BEGINS! NDTL! NERF DART TAG LEAGUE!

Hasbro’s NERF Brand Teams Up Again with 2010 Dew Tour for the Second Annual NERF DART TAG WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Competition
Regional NERF DART TAG League Tournaments Kick Off in Boston

PAWTUCKET, R.I., Jun 23, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — –Fans to Compete for a Spot in the NERF DART TAG WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP and $25,000!

Following an action-packed NERF DART TAG WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP premiere in 2009, Hasbro, Inc.’s /quotes/comstock/13*!has/quotes/nls/has (HAS 41.28, +0.01, +0.02%) NERF brand is back at Dew Tour to bring fans an awesome way to suit up, compete and battle it out, NERF DART TAG style. This summer as part of the Dew Tour’s award-winning Festival Village, the NERF DART TAG League will host regional NERF DART TAG tournaments in Boston, Chicago, Portland, Salt Lake City, and Las Vegas. Teams will compete against one another in the NERF Battle Dome Arena for a spot in the final NERF DART TAG WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP event.

At each regional tournament players will compete in teams of four in one of two age groups: 8-12 years and 13-17 years. The winning regional teams will enter battle one last time at the NERF DART TAG WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP event in Las Vegas this October to show off their blaster skills and compete to receive ultimate DART TAG fame and win $25,000!

“The NERF DART TAG tournaments offer fans across the country a unique, competitive sporting environment to show off their blaster skills, strategy, and teamwork,” said Jeff Jackson, vice president of marketing, Hasbro, Inc. “As a sponsor of the Dew Tour for the second consecutive year, we’re thrilled to provide NERF NATION with an ideal arena for this popular competition and – based on the action we saw from our fans last year – to celebrate achieving the incredible with NERF!”

The 2010 Dew Tour features more than 150 of the world’s top action sports athletes, competing in Skateboarding, BMX, and Freestyle Motocross, and will make the following stops:

— June 25-26 — Skate Open, Boston, MA — TD Garden

— July 23-24 — Nike 6.0 BMX Open, Chicago, IL — Museum Campus

— August 12-15 — Wendy’s Invitational, Portland, OR — Rose Quarter

— September 16-19 — Toyota Challenge, Salt Lake City, UT — EnergySolutions Arena

— October 14-17 — Dew Tour Championships, Las Vegas, NV — Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

For more information on 2010 NERF DART TAG tournament rules, eligibility, registration forms, and the NERF DART TAG WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, visit http://www.hasbro.com/ndtl/en_US/Registration.cfm. NERF NATION can be followed on http://www.Facebook.com/NerfNation, http://www.YouTube.com/Nerf, and http://www.Twitter.com/NerfNation. Sign up for the NERF DART TAG League newsletter at http://reg.hasbro.com/Nerf/DartTagLeague/.

About Hasbro, Inc.

Hasbro, Inc. /quotes/comstock/13*!has/quotes/nls/has (HAS 41.28, +0.01, +0.02%) is a worldwide leader in children’s and family leisure time products and services with a rich portfolio of brands and entertainment properties that provides some of the highest quality and most recognizable play and recreational experiences in the world. As a brand-driven, consumer-focused global company, Hasbro brings to market a range of toys, games and licensed products, from traditional to high-tech and digital, under such powerful brand names as TRANSFORMERS, PLAYSKOOL, TONKA, MILTON BRADLEY, PARKER BROTHERS, CRANIUM and WIZARDS OF THE COAST. Come see how we inspire play through our brands at http://www.hasbro.com. (C) 2010 Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Dew Tour

The Dew Tour consists of five major, multi-sport events spanning across the country, with a cumulative points system, a $2.5 million competitive purse a bonus pool at year-end based on overall tour standings. The Tour features skateboarding (park and vert), BMX (park, vert and dirt) and freestyle motocross. At season’s end, the overall points leaders in the five disciplines will be crowned year-end champions and awarded the prestigious Dew Cup. As part of an Alli property, key lifestyle elements complement the competitions at each Tour event including the Festival Village, specialty competitions, and live, cutting-edge music. The Dew Tour is broadcast live on NBC Sports with additional competition and lifestyle broadcasts on MTV, MTV2 and USA. The Dew Tour is also distributed on Fuel TV, Universal HD, and internationally on Eurosport 2, Fox Australia, Extreme Channel and Allarco Superchannel. The Dew Tour partners include Mountain Dew (tour title sponsor) and Nike 6.0, Wendy’s and Toyota (event title sponsors). Associate partners include Ball Park, JCPenney, MATADOR by Jack Link’s, Paul Mitchell, PlayStation, PowerBar, Sony and Verizon. More information can be found at http://www.allisports.com.

SOURCE: Hasbro, Inc.

-VasTheStampede

NEW NERF BLASTER ALERT: N-Strike Spectre REV-5 blaster

Here are the stats:

· N-Strike Spectre REV-5 blaster

· Combines fave features from the N-Strike Maverick REV-6 blaster and the N-Strike Recon CS-6 blaster

· Adjustable stock

· 5 dart rotating barrel with barrel extension

· Available exclusively at WalMart, October 2010

Yup, got this in my inbox today! So there you go, Target gets the Trooper, Toys R Us gets the Barrel Break, and WalMart gets the Spectre. See you in October!

– VasTheStampede