Toy Bender

I was running through my bookmarks the other day snooping around for toy news when I discovered that the website for Joyride Studious is gone. In its place was the website for Johnny Lightning. Joyride was mostly known for its Halo toy license and over the years it produced some pretty good, if not bordering on awesome, Halo toys.

I shot an email over to the Johnny Lighting folks to see just what was going on. Apparently, the RC2 corporation that owns Johnny Lightning, Joyride, and several other brands announced in January of 2007 they were discontinuing most of it’s collectibles lines. I couldn’t believe it at first. I’ve been cruising toy websites and reading ToyFare since Toy Bender started, and don’t remember seeing this mentioned anywhere. While I couldn’t find the exact press release stating JoyRide’s demise, I did find some extremely boring financial statements that confirmed that this is sadly true. (Look what I do for you people) In 2004 they had made about 60 million in their collectibles line and then in 2005 they had only made about 30 million. I guess toy buyers weren’t as hot on buying multiple recolored Master Chiefs in 2005. This kind of loss of profit must have scared RC2 enough to get the hell out of dodge.

You might be wondering if Joyride doesn’t exist anymore who then holds the Halo toy rights? According to the rep from RC2, they still retain the rights for both Halo and Halo 2 but not for Halo 3. This is a kind of odd situation, unless Master Chief’s look changes a whole lot who’s to say if he was from Halo 2 or Halo 3? This goes for most of the characters that will be reappearing in the next Halo game. They’d be foolish not to release anything with their license when Halo 3 goes gold, but chances are they won’t. If they truly are out of the “collector’s market” then the only Halo products you’ll possibly see are more Johnny Lightning Warthogs.

While other companies will be making Halo merchandise like Gentle Giant’s busts and statues or the Halo 3 Kubricks, hopefully someone can step in and continue to make a Halo action figure toy line that’s affordable and of decent quality (and as poseable if not more so). When Halo 3 hits almost every X-Box 360, toy buyers who are Halo fanatics (including me) will be stirred up and more eager to own plastic effigies of their favorite first person shooter.

Regardless, rest in piece JoyRide. I’m pouring a metaphorical 40 of King Cobra on your grave and drinking a real one right now.

toy, toy collecting, action figure, Master Chief, Halo, Xbox, Johnny Lightning