Board Thread:General Nerf discussion/@comment-27358116-20151207044302/@comment-27306930-20151223045249

I don't think so either. But my reasoning is more circuitous. There is a subtle but distinctive move away from blasters that look like real weapons, to more futuristic, and in many cases steampunk look. I've wondered whether that reflects a general shift in consumer preference, or possibly Hasbro's response to the multitude of recent acts of violence. In any case, it's fairly evident in the latest releases. The LongStrike, in addition to having an abysmal track record (even this Wiki has a dedicated Problems section for the LS) is one of those blasters that looks very realistic. Heck, just look at the repaints. Get shot by a cop carrying one of those in the park.

I also think the Star Wars craze is just getting started. Considering they made $248 million opening weekend, I'm thinking Hasbro is contemplating a whole line of white-orange-&-black blasters, undoubtedly one for each of the characters. And an extra one, um I mean three for Han Solo. Ca-ching ! I'll bet the next 12 months of Nerf looks like "The Empire Strikes Gold", IMHO. Gotta remember some of these toys are two years in the making, so who knows what injection molds the focus groups were steering them toward in Spring of 2013. Let's hope it was a vastly improved Centurion that can actually hit things at 30 feet. Aaaah, who am I kidding. It was a My Pretty Pony pink blaster that had sparkly tassels on the end of the darts. For sure.