Saturday, May 19, 2012

No Top-Rail Elite Accessories?

So we've been getting more and more official (and unofficial) information about the N-Strike Elite Lineup and the one thing I can't help but notice is that amidst all the cool recolors, gimmicks, and accessories... we have no N-Strike Accessories for the top-rail.  The only N-Strike Accessory for the rail system currently is the Retaliator's foregrip.  We have at least 2 new clip sizes (12 round and 25 round), two new stocks (Retaliator and Stockade), but nothing for the top rail.  While I can't say there have been many accessories that have been especially helpful anyways, I just find it odd that there's nothing to mount up there.  The foregrip from the Retaliator is only really useful on a bottom-mounted grip, which only the Retaliator has... so there's not much else to put there.  Earlier photos of the Rampage had shown a top-rail mounted shield, but since then, everything else has omitted this.  But wait, there's more!

The Retaliator, Rampage, Hailfire, and Stockade all have N-Strike Accessory rails on the top of the blaster.  It's likely that the Firestrike (poised for a 2013 release) also has a top-mounted rail... but what's the point of including this on there if there's no "Elite" products to attach?  It certainly has me wondering.


Now I'm no super sleuth, but I might be onto something here.  The image to the left is an open-box photo of the packaging for the Rampage.  When I saw this, I couldn't help but think that there was an awful waste of space in the center of the box.  Those darts could've easily been tucked away somewhere else, but instead they're smack dab in the center "filling in" that space.  That'd be a perfect place to put the shield that we've seen in earlier versions... so either this accessory was flat-out cancelled, or the box is already accommodating for it's inclusion in some kind of "Value Pack" release later on down the road.  That'd be at least ONE top-mounted rail accessory.  Perhaps there are plans to expand this release with added accessories after the initial release of the Elite Lineup to help bolster sales.   After all, they're mostly reshelled N-Strike blasters.  Could the lack of these accessories be a sign that Nerf has a backup plan if 75 feet of range isn't enough to sell these blasters?

8 comments:

  1. good detective work!

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  2. They're probably going to do the same to the Nitron, remake a box with a shield in it.

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  3. True but, what about dis? http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xy7W80iYTUE/Ty4tx8F1WTI/AAAAAAAAAPo/CRZLdG3kQlg/s1600/1.jpg.
    ~RedHawK

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    1. That would be the shield that I mentioned /referenced in the post.

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  4. And Also With that space on the box you can already tuck a stock attachment there :D

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    1. Yeah, move the ammo down a few inches, put in a shield, give it updated flashy box art, raise the price, and done!

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  5. but that sheild looks like it would be for left handed people
    im right its useless to me

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    1. I think the clip is meant to complete the shield on the other side. But on any other blaster you're right, it's pretty biased.

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