Additional League Prizes Provided by Hasbro

[isoaker]

Hasbro has been kind enough to provide four blasters to be used as prizes for the WaterWar.net League. Added to the possible prizes for WWn League members to win now include:
Two (2) Nerf Super Soaker Lightningstorms
Two (2) Nerf Super Soaker Electrostorms

These prizes can be used by League organizers to recognize member participation in water wars. Exactly how these prizes will be used remains to be determined. That said, I'd still like to say "Thanks" to them for making these additional prizes available!

While some may feel that the latest offerings in the Nerf Super Soaker line leave much to be offered, it doesn't hurt to keep our communications channels open.

[martianshark]

That's interesting. Since you're in contact with Hasbro, have you suggested that they make better blasters?

I guess Hasbro is listening.

[Nitro123PG]

That's very strange, I would think they would give us some useful blasters to use as prizes, like some extra Arctic Blast or at least the Hydro Cannon. Haha, those blasters should be used as punishment to whoever contributes the least points to the leauge.

[marauder]

My guess is that they want to advertise the guns they released this year. Yes, Arctic Blasts and Hydrocannons are still available, but not nearly as much as Lightning Storms and Electrostorms. We won't be using these prizes as punishment, although believe me, I have joked about that too.

I think they will end up being distributed to members achieving the 50 point mark. With that being said, I think we will have more than 4 members reach 50 points.

[Nitro123PG]

They are definitely using it for advertisement. If they were giving away the 2012 line as a "kind gesture," it would be more of an insult than anything else, especially with much better guns readily available.

50 points sounds fair. (NEGATIVE 50 points) Although for the only 4 guns thing, I doubt anyone will be disappointed that they didn't get a Lightningstorm or an Electrostorm.

[isoaker]

They are definitely using it for advertisement. If they were giving away the 2012 line as a "kind gesture," it would be more of an insult than anything else, especially with much better guns readily available.
50 points sounds fair. (NEGATIVE 50 points) Although for the only 4 guns thing, I doubt anyone will be disappointed that they didn't get a Lightningstorm or an Electrostorm.

While I understand how many members feel about the 2012 Nerf Super Soaker line, hostility and disdain does not help our cause. Advertising in our rather tiny community doesn't really do much for them; these are gifts from some nice people who happen to be working for Hasbro that I have build a good relationship with. While the Nerf Super Soaker mothership needs help steering them in the right direction, anger and non-constructive criticism does nothing to fix things, either.

[Nitro123PG]

Okay, that may have been a little harsh, but still. The 2012 line is bad, and they have other readily avavailable guns that we can get much better use out of. Who gave you the guns, the people who designed them or somebody else?

[atvan]

I'd thank them for the shells. For modding. The internals would undergo a minimalization. Heck, it'd be fun to have a "Least Recognizable Minimalization" competition.

I'd like to thank these kind people anyway. If nothing else, they can help to carry out one of the main purposes of the League- promoting the sport. There would be no reservations by any of us for letting others use them for battles. When they get hungry for more, it offers a prime advantage to introduce them to the community.

[Nitro123PG]

I'd thank them for the shells. For modding. The internals would undergo a minimalization. Heck, it'd be fun to have a "Least Recognizable Minimalization" competition.

I'd like to thank these kind people anyway. If nothing else, they can help to carry out one of the main purposes of the League- promoting the sport. There would be no reservations by any of us for letting others use them for battles. When they get hungry for more, it offers a prime advantage to introduce them to the community.

That's something I really wish Hasbro would start doing. They turned Nerf into a sport, why not water warfare? The only issue, (for Hasbro, at least) is that if everyone started playing water warfare as a competitive sport, people would be figuring out how much better the Water Warriors brand is to Hasbro since they would start hunting for better guns. It would force Hasbro to at least re-release the XPs, at least.

[isoaker]

Blasters were provided by a different part of Hasbro (not the design team).

As for turning Nerf into a sport and why not water warfare? I think the answer is somewhat obvious - even we, as a community, are having difficulty agreeing on an objective way to score hits. For larger games, we end up falling back to honor system and ~fist-sized splotches/noticeable or perceived hits. While I like the idea of a gridded area on a T-shirt, others feel that this still is too limiting on where a Player can be hit/tagged. Anyhow, this is digressing.

As for the prizes provided, themselves, in the end, they are generally trying to promote the new models for 2012, thus making these items the ones they have more samples of for distribution. Free isn't a bad price. Besides, if someone wins one and really doesn't want it, the blaster could either be received graciously and used as a loaner or donated to another member if desired. What I don't like is a gesture of good will being met with so much negativity. If we want them to listen to us, we have to be sure we present ourselves and our ideas respectfully.

[martianshark]

They could make gridded jerseys that change color, like the T-shirts we were talking about.

I'd actually like one of these prizes. I could use them to compare it with other, better blasters.

[Nitro123PG]

The guns are not from the design team? In that case, I do extend my thanks. And I agree with martianshark. They could just make jerseys that change color when wet.

[HBWW]

Edit: I made a mistake. See posts below.

Edit: Please read: http://urbantaggers.blogspot.com.au/201 ... f-uts.html

DX and I saw this link posted on a Facebook comment stream. Advise extreme caution or complete avoidance at giving ANYBODY any of your addresses. (Only the address of where the community war(s) in question are taking place should be given.)

http://www.crikey.com.au/2012/04/24/ner ... ?wpmp_tp=1

DX doesn't buy it (at least based on what he said, but I want to be absolutely sure that there's no validity to it first before we proceed further.

To be perfectly honest, this explanation (if a bit on the nutty conspiracy side) still makes more sense than Hasbro having an interest in helping out the WW community. Urban Taggers seems to back it up. http://urbantaggers.blogspot.com.au/201 ... -true.html

I would err on the safe side, and perhaps lock down parts of the League forum to members-only.

Edit: More links.
http://boingboing.net/2012/04/24/hasbro ... -into.html
http://www.geekosystem.com/hasbro-targets-fan-blog/
http://urbantaggers.blogspot.com.au/201 ... f-uts.html

After all this, I'm getting convinced that the recent offer is just a scam for an address. All members, do NOT give away any addresses that show where you live! Especially if you're the administrator of ANY water warfare website.

[isoaker]

Edit: Please read: http://urbantaggers.blogspot.com.au/201 ... f-uts.html

DX and I saw this link posted on a Facebook comment stream. Advise extreme caution or complete avoidance at giving ANYBODY any of your addresses. (Only the address of where the community war(s) in question are taking place should be given.)

http://www.crikey.com.au/2012/04/24/ner ... ?wpmp_tp=1

Wow. That's pretty messed up.

Well, for better or for worse, for stuff I post on iSoaker.com, unless I find a link from another site (that I can reference), I don't push up info unless clearing things with manufacturers. While what Hasbro and/or Hasbro's Lawyers appeared to have done in that case is rather unsettling, at the same time, if one opts to post leaked images (or really any images that are not one's own), one should cite sources or be very wary that images may have been taken without consent and, thus, really should not be made available. While it may seem like additional free marketing/advertising for Hasbro, the problem with earlier-than-planned release of upcoming products means competitors have more time to potentially create products that would compete sooner in the same area resulting in lower sales. While this does not justify some of the apparent things that happened to UT, I can also understand Hasbro having serious concerns and wanting to find out how information about their products were leaking out early.

[HBWW]

My primary concerns are:
1. Uses of imagery.
2. The fact that their latest products do not have very high approval amongst the community.

We have no knowledge of unreleased Hasbro products as far as I know, so I think that's irrelevant. Copyrighted imagery gets mashed up and used around all the time. Not sure if they have taken issue with the Scumbag meme I posted earlier, or if it's just in general.

In any case, we need to be very cautious and know what's going on before taking action, giving away information that we shouldn't be giving, etc.

I will open up a new thread in the admin forum for further discussion of this issue and of the best course of action.

[isoaker]

My primary concerns are:
1. Uses of imagery.
2. The fact that their latest products do not have very high approval amongst the community.

We have no knowledge of unreleased Hasbro products as far as I know, so I think that's irrelevant. Copyrighted imagery gets mashed up and used around all the time. Not sure if they have taken issue with the Scumbag meme I posted earlier, or if it's just in general.

In any case, we need to be very cautious and know what's going on before taking action, giving away information that we shouldn't be giving, etc.

I will open up a new thread in the admin forum for further discussion of this issue and of the best course of action.

I appreciate the concern here, but there is none to be had with respect at least to these prizes for the WWn League.

*I* already have them in hand and will be the one to ship them out to winners for the WWn League. Hasbro will not be given any personal contact information for any member and I wipe shipping info after I send things since I do not wish to be accountable should anything ever happen to my computer. If there's anyone who really enjoys and respects personal privacy, that would definitely be me.

[HBWW]

If you have them already in hand, then I'll drop this issue. (I deleted my post in the other forum, but it seems that you posted there too just before I deleted mine.)

[isoaker]

If you have them already in hand, then I'll drop this issue. (I deleted my post in the other forum, but it seems that you posted there too just before I deleted mine.)

This issue is very important to bring up and should serve as a reminder to always be careful who you give what information to. It's a matter of trust and knowing one's rights in the event things go awry.

In this case, the one who provided the prizes did not contact me out of the blue offering them; it is someone who I've been in contact for many years and I actually asked whether they might be willing to send some. They've shipped me samples before for review on iSoaker.com and these prize offerings were just a kind gesture on their part.

[Nitro123PG]

This is very messed up. I feel bad for UT, and I hope he gets through the issue alright.

iSoaker is fortanute that he was in contact with a kind, trusted person this whole time.

My opinions on Hasbro have both risen and fallen throughout this, depending on the department in question.

[martianshark]

I saw that too.