Check out the latest information moving around the Nerf internet community. Mattel is getting into the blaster game full-force with the release of their BOOMco line of blasters this Fall (2014)! Well, some material has said Fall, some has declared Summer. Either way, we're interested.
BOOMco released their promo videos a couple of weeks ago on Youtube -giving BOOMCco their own channel, but the news is really starting to circulate today thanks to MarcusH26051 on Reddit and other bloggers like blasterlabs and Adult Fans of NERF on the trail.
There are three blasters we've seen so far come from the Argos website in the UK. They seem extremely Nerf-like in their design. There are tactical rails, areas for dart storage and the BOOMco Farshot (pictured here) has a target painted on it like some of Nerf's Dart Tag blasters from before. The Farshot is listed at £9.99 in the UK. That price is probably be lower for the US. £9.99 UK translates to $16.63 US The other ones on the retail site are the Clipfire blaster and the Twisted Spinner. There is also an alternate color scheme for the Farshot sold as part of the Dual Defenders blaster set. The biggest difference from NERF seems like it will be the Smart Stick technology they're bringing in. It's what allows the darts to stick to the targets they also provide.
We've seen sticky darts meet minor successes at best over the years. Generally gummy or velcro powered sticky darts don't perform valiantly in the long-term. The Dart Tag specific jerseys and vests that NERF had were alright, but still left some things to be desired. These target pads from BOOMco look like they may have some promise, though. I'm looking forward to trying them out.
I haven't seen anything more about the Rapid Madness (pictured on the right). This one (seen in the promotional video) looks like it may have an air tank that you pump from the front. It also seems to have a side-loaded clip. Yes, it looks like it's actually a clip in this case as opposed to a magazine. I wonder how it would hold up against a Magstrike? . . . note to self.
Hasbro has been the leader in blaster toys for a good while. Last year they saw major growth in their NERF brand according to the investor meeting we digitally attended in February. Mattel is a top toymaker in the world, but Hasbro has been meeting them and beating them in many areas for years too. Many financial reports and a lot of commentary will show both companies treading into what might be called each other's territories. This latest battlefront could prove to be very interesting. As always, it will be about the performance and price in the end!
One more question this toy war leaves me with. Will the darts be cross-compatible? The BOOMco darts seem longer with the accordion-style neck they have just under the head of the darts. I would really like to see if BOOMco blasters can use NERF darts and vice versa. That would give them even more of a chance to break in to NERF Battlefields across the world! ~Chris
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