2014 Blaster Predictions

[the oncoming storm]

While some may feel that it is to early in the year to predict 2014's blasters it is clear from reading Isoakers posts in febuary that at least Water Warriors has been working on there 2014 lineup.

Top range WW gun Gorgon 2
while some may still not be sure about whether this will come to fruition little things like this " (the tracked pump thing is actually from previous years' we just did not realize that it'll end up reducing pump volume by 30%)." shortly after we suggested the Gorgon 2 make it clear to me that it is going to be made

Predicted stats
10x largest setting (largest possible due to tubing)
5x general combat setting
2-3x conservation setting
Quad burst setting

42-45' range

100oz tank
25oz single or twin PC water capacity
1oz pump volume

[Nemesis]

ooh boy I sure do hope that you are right Oncoming Storm. If they made it so that the trigger and grip were below the pump and body of the gun like the cps 1500, as compared to the cps 2700, then that would be one sweet gun. It sounds battle practical.

[DX]

Worst case scenario is the Gorgon 2 comes out with awesomely redesigned ergonomics, an angle meter, smaller PCs, and sells more than 10,000 units...

But in all seriousness, BBT already knows what I want to see and what I think is possible to push. If I do reiterate what I want to see for 2014, it will be in much greater depth than a post can handle.

[HBWW]

I expect to see the usual small steps BBT has been taking to improve the blasters. Hope to see a Colossus 3 that can take on a Vindicator =p. Also would like to see some minor tweaks to the already great ergonomics on this year's blasters. In particular, the Python 2's trigger could be a bit more outward.

I predict no surprises from Hasbro, as always. More magazine loaded gimmicks and probably some sort of new attachments. Maybe they might make something pressurized of size, but I'd expect no less than the same old pathetic performance/capability.

[martianshark]

BBT might make make a Colossus 3, but they might instead release an entirely new gun as their big gun of the year, and it will probably be awesome. If this occurs, the Colossus or Colossus 2 might be re-released alongside it. Probably a few more neat sidearms, and some random useless stuff as usual. They might also decide to take a break and just have the Colossus 2 around for another year, plus a few other new little guns.

Hasbro will make more crap. Horrible ideas they may have come up with:

-A huge Vulcan-sized electric water machine gun
-More magazine styles
-A bad separate chamber gun that uses magazines
-A badly performing gun, likely electric, with two triggers and two nozzles
-A piston-powered CPS 1-3-5
-A remake of the Flash Blast, but a bigger, more shotgun-style one
-A syringe gun that looks like an RPG
-More piston guns

At least one more motorized gun will be made with some sort of gimmick, like maybe an electric-powered Bottle Shot.

Return of CPS of any kind is unlikely, as shown by that email from Hasbro saying they don't plan on returning to it anytime soon.

Brands like Banzai will continue to be ignored, because they're guns are bad. Almost as bad as Hasbro's guns.

[HBWW]

I want to see a Gorgon 2.

Interesting call on the electric bottle shot, but I have that feeling that they'd much, much rather you buy their mags.

[isoaker]

I'm hoping for a ditching of the sequential number theme... I don't want to see names like Colossus 3, Python 3, Gorgon 2. I prefer new names or different one (or numerical-based names, but not based on order e.g. CPS2000)

[marauder]

Arguably the Gorgon is the Orca 2, or even Orca 3 if you consider the 2 different releases (fill cap). I'm glad they just gave it a different name altogether.

[HBWW]

I generally prefer any names based on letters/numbers: easier and quicker to remember / say. Imagine if all XP's and CPS's had their own odd, "unique" names; how much worse that would be to keep up with all of them!

Separating the Orca and Gorgon names wasn't a bad idea though. The Gorgon internals feature some key improvements aside from using a completely different pressurization method.

[martianshark]

Interesting call on the electric bottle shot, but I have that feeling that they'd much, much rather you buy their mags.

Good point. For that reason, they probably won't use that particular gimmick.

Edit: Maybe they'll make a magazine that screws onto a bottle.

[HBWW]

You mean like some sort of bottle to blaster adapter? Seems odd and unlikely, but still possible.

I can't help but wonder if Hasbro will try to pull some kind of anti-competitive move again in the future like they did with the patent injunction. Maybe re-release crippled/easily broken versions of some CPS's in an attempt to win back sales from those who switched to WW's for performance and lower cost, then take things back down the drain. That said, major, meaningful changes between product lines each year have only happened a few times throughout history, more particularly the introduction of the SS 50 and CPS 2000. The rest have been more gradual changes for better or for worse between years and if any of us are honest about what we've observed in recent years, we know that it's almost certain that nothing dramatic will happen over the next few years. Hasbro's Nerf SS brand has become one of the most mundane and predictable ones I've ever seen anywhere.

As for BBT, I'm a bit dismayed that it appears that they're done attempting products like the Gorgon. I was way too late for it; they're no longer available in stores at all in my area and there's no easy way to find them used. Perhaps in the future, they will be able to bring something similar back, but I don't think the market's encouraging them very much to do so. (Particularly with the lack of any meaningful competition.)

BBT seems to be fighting an uphill battle, but they're the last one's releasing stock blasters that are of use. They're the only reason why I haven't 100% said that the water blaster market is dying a slow and horrible death, but some of the recent performance decreases aren't encouraging either. On the bright side, there may always be demand for pressurized water blasters, leaving BBT in the place they're at (with the performance of their best blasters fluctuating up and down slightly over the years as they have been doing) for plenty more time to come.

On the other hand, after a few chats with DX, I've conjectured that Hasbro is actively trying to trivialize the water blaster market, in favor of Nerf blasters that sell year round and in presumably much higher volumes. These are not dumb people who do not know how to make good blasters, they are professional marketers, engineers, and others who know how to put products together to sell for profit. The fall of the Super Soaker brand is beneficial to the Nerf product line as people give up on water blasters and potentially switch to Nerf, but at the same time, they can also sell and profit off of gimmicky products while doing that by catering to the majority of those who buy water blasters: parents of young children.

While I'd hate to do something as awkward as a Super Soaker boycott, I've also been actively directing those I can away from Nerf Super Soakers. I've only done it out of legitimate interest of helping others seek better water blasters, but it apparently has the same side effect of avoiding Nerf SS's on principle of what they've done to the brand. I was never one to care for branding and fanboyism, but the current situation has really pushed for something like this to happen more than anything else in our community's history. After all it's not brand fanboyism if we're promote both the good Super Soakers and the good Water Warriors. (As well as those HBWW-branded APH's I gotta start making on a large scale and selling. Nah, I'm kidding.)

Martianshark's list of horrible ideas Hasbro will probably jump onto hits the nail right on the head. The piston powered 1-3-5 is hilarious because it sounds EXACTLY like something they would make. I'd definitely expect the sequel to the Hydro Blitz too: Motor powered hunk of plastic with "super" 2L water capacity and the performance of a thunderstorm. It'll probably be heavy as hell and cost $20, advertised as a minigun. Maybe it won't be motorized, but instead feature the Hydro Blitz's crank handle pump. No pressure chamber of course, or a pressure chamber accompanied by a self-opening valve or a pinch valve trigger.

[scottthewaterwarrior]

Enter: The CPS 2000 MK III
Motorized with no trigger pulling required! Just add water and the motor turns on with only a slight delay. Now with light and sound effects and front/rear facing nozzles! It is the biggest Nerf Super Squinter ever! [small] Disclaimer: this large product may or may not be making up for something else... [/small]

[HBWW]

Scott, you forgot how there's Nerf rails tacked everywhere, the new stock attachment to the rear of the res, and the non - zooming "scope" it comes with.

[soakinader]

Yeap. Nerf Super Soakers: I love how they put scopes on water guns that can't even shoot 25 feet.

Also, 20$ for the Hydro Blitz sequel? More like 40-50$ here. Gosh, the prices in Canada and the US. If I wanted a Hydro Cannon or Thunderstorm, I wouldn't be able to buy one for less than 30$ (unless it was on sale). Back in time, I'm pretty sure a 2-pack of Max-D 5000's cost 40$. Shot blasts are around for 20-30$.

Can someone point me towards that Hasbro/CPS letter? I'd like to scrutinize it, or at least the thread.

I see nerf SS making plenty of easy-to-use guns with magazines. Shotguns, pistols rocket launchers, tactical rails, shoulder stocks, you name it. It seems to me that the Shot Blast and Hydro Cannon were very popular models. So expect more of that.

I can see Buzz Bee making better AP blasters. The Colossus 2, Drench N Blast, heck the Python 2 are proof of that. These are new designs with multiple nozzles, ergonomics, range and power. They are going to be quirky in their own Buzz Bee way (like angle meters!) but at least there is hope.

[martianshark]

Someone mentioned Hasbro's response to a question they asked in another thread. I don't remember who said that or what thread it was in, and the actual letter wasn't posted. Maybe someone else knows?

[SEAL]

Hasbro: Crap, crap, and more crap.

BBT: Likely a few more semi-useful low-caliber guns. I'm guessing next year will be similar to this one. A "Gorgon 2" type blaster is a possibility, but I seriously doubt it would be like oncoming storm's prediction. 10X nozzle and 45 feet of range? If that happens I will......uh, never mind.

Sorry if I sound like Dr. Doom or something, but nothing I've seen in the past few years gives me any reason to believe that top-tier blasters will make a comeback.