Hasbro's 2003 lineup of boys toys is a return to the classic brands that have made the Pawtucket-based toy conglomerate a leader in the boys category. With no Star Wars film in the immediate future, a key portion of the Hasbro line is greatly reduced from last year's, which is probably a very healthy thing. Hasbro renegotiated its Star Wars deal with Lucasfilm (see 'Hasbro Renegotiates, Extends Star Wars License') and gained terms that should allow the toy company much more flexibility in developing the line over the next few years, by removing some of the constant financial pressure created by Hasbro's original royalty guarantees. With a reduced Star Wars lineup set for 2003, it will be up to Hasbro's other lines to keep the company in the forefront of the action figure and boys' toys categories, and that's consistent with its stated strategy of emphasizing its core brands (see 'Hasbro Sales, Profits Down for Year').
Transformers
One of Hasbro's main initiatives for 2003 involves the production of the most elaborate Transformers toy ever -- the Unicron is a planet that changes into a robot and can hold up to 24 MINI-CON figures. The evil Unicron will be the focus of the next series of Transformers cartoons, Transformers Armada: The Unicron Battles, which the Cartoon Network will beginning showing next fall. The elaborate Unicron, which has projectiles that actually shoot, light-up hands (and eyes), hidden traps, and hiding places galore, has long been considered the 'holy grail' for Transformers collectors, and now they will be able to collect the huge 16' robot, which should sell for around $50.
BeyBlade
With more than two million Beyblade tops sold in the U.S. last year, this Japanese import was one of the hottest toys in the country and winner of the ICv2 Award as 'Toy Product of the Year.' For 2004 Hasbro is bringing out a constant stream of new feature-based Beyblade tops throughout the year, plus a new double launcher, a cool new Beystadium, and even a radio-controlled Beyblade to give players the ultimate edge. These tops have interchangeable parts so new tops with new features released throughout the year present a constant temptation to those who want to customize their Beyblades to the peak of fighting perfection.
Zoids
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This venerable line of toys was one of the surprises of 2002. Near continuous exposure of the Zoids anime series on the Cartoon Network has provided these ingenious imports with the kind of publicity that money can't buy. For 2003 Hasbro has three lines of Zoids including one that incorporates the 'rip-strip' motor technology that drives the Beyblade tops. These elaborate, mechanical/organic creatures should continue to fascinate a certain segment of the population as long as the Zoids anime remains on the air.
G.I. Joe
Hasbro's major push with G.I. Joe this year is a new Spy Troops storyline that continues the G.I. Joe vs Cobra theme from last year with a new series of characters who go underground and infiltrate the Cobra organization. Hasbro is including a 44-minute, computer-animated Spy Troops DVD with each Ninja Showdown 12-inch figure two-pack. The inclusion of a DVD with toy products is another prominent trend in the toy industry; WizKids also included an animated DVD with its Creepy Freaks game. One of the ninjas that will be released as an action figure in Hasbro's Ninja Showdown series this summer is Kamakura, a character designed by Josh Blaylock of Devil's Due, the company that publishes the G.I. Joe comic book through Image.
