Rumor: G.I. Joe for d20 Modern

[Sir Elton]

Posted over on RPG.net:

"GI Joe for D20 Modern is in the works. So said a WotC rep when queried about why GI Joe figures were being used for D20 Modern demos.

GI Joe is a Hasbro property.

There you have it: An actual rumor that could be anything from the real deal to leg pulling at the WotC booth."

Well, I was using Joes back around 1989 for my Top Secret S.I. game, so this may just be idle gossip.

But I think a nice G.I. Joe sourcebook would be a welcome addition.

And if it sells...the Transformers can't be far behind.

G.I. Joe vs. Al Queda! Duke vs. Osama BinLadin! I can see that campaign happening. Actually, that scenario would be much more relavent to our time.

If anyone can get Al Queda, it better be the Joe team.

 

[D.Shaffer]

Hey guys, I don't have any news on an official d20 G.I. Joe book, but here is a .pdf that someone made that you might find interesting.

The nitpicker in me wants to mention there's at least one member of GI Joe who's from the Coast Guard, several from non-military government agencies, and at least two who are technically civilians. The nitpicker also wants to mention that B.A.T. stands for Battle ANDROID Trooper.

The raving fanboy wants to know where the vehicles are.

 

[buzz]

I'm going to apologize in advance for the probable snarkiness of this post; I can't think of a way to ask this wihtout giving offense, but I assure you that I am simply looking for enlightenment.

Anyway...

I have to admit that I don't fully understand why grownups playing a game targeted at 18-24 year-olds want an rpg or supplement based on a license that's essentially directed advertising once used to sell toys to 8 year-olds. Consequently, I'm having a hard time seeing why WotC would find it profitable to invest time and money in such a product. I'm feeling the same sort of suspicion/confusion that I would with a licensed He-man rpg or a Jem and the Holograms supplement. (And, boy, I don't even want to think about the field day the RPG.net crowd would have if WotC actually released G.I. Joe d20.) Frankly, I'd be kind of embarassed.

Is it just the nostalgia? Admittedly, I've never read any G.I. Joe or Transformers comics, so I don't know if they somehow "upgraded" these "settings" to something more than a means to move product in toy stores.

Anyway, what you guys should really be looking at is Cartoon Action Hour, not d20M.

Again, apologies if this came off too "William Shatner at a Trek convention."

 

[garyh]

I'm going to apologize in advance for the probable snarkiness of this post; I can't think of a way to ask this wihtout giving offense, but I assure you that I am simply looking for enlightenment.

Anyway...

I have to admit that I don't fully understand why grownups playing a game targeted at 18-24 year-olds want an rpg or supplement based on a license that's essentially directed advertising once used to sell toys to 8 year-olds.

Here's my answer. I'm 24 (25 in two weeks). Transformers came out in 1984, GI Joe in 1982. I was born in 1978. These franchises - toys, comic, cartoons, lunch boxes and the rest - were part of my childhood. For my entire cohort, these characters made a large impact on us.

Maybe you aren't considering me a "grown-up." I can understand why a 40 year old wouldn't care for TF or Joe games - but that age group is probably all over the Star Wars RPG instead (no knock, I dig the SW:RPG too).

As for the depth of the franchises - both GI Joe and TF's have made large strides in creating legitimate fiction. The characters (in most permutations... the TF cartoons since Beast Machines have been terrible, though the comics are good. But I digress...) change, grow, come into personal conflicts beyond lasers... everything you want in good fiction.

Anyone who's read Snake-Eye's backstory or saw Dinobot give his life to defend humanity can tell you that this is more than just marketing. This is great story-telling, about characters we care about.

 

[Ranger REG]

Yeah, part of it is nostalgia. While some of our childhood isn't so great, there are great memories and memento that reminds me of them, from music of the 1980's to Saturday morning cartoons. Even D&D is nostalgic (started playing it in high school -- 10 years after its debut), but here we are still playing it.

You'll understand it when you reach my age. Besides, I'd look ridiculous trying to wear the latest fashion trend for 18-24, or dance the latest hip-hop move. I'd rather act my age ... in this case, I'm a headbanger.

 

[JPL]

I'm going to apologize in advance for the probable snarkiness of this post; I can't think of a way to ask this wihtout giving offense, but I assure you that I am simply looking for enlightenment.

Anyway...

I have to admit that I don't fully understand why grownups playing a game targeted at 18-24 year-olds want an rpg or supplement based on a license that's essentially directed advertising once used to sell toys to 8 year-olds. Consequently, I'm having a hard time seeing why WotC would find it profitable to invest time and money in such a product. I'm feeling the same sort of suspicion/confusion that I would with a licensed He-man rpg or a Jem and the Holograms supplement. (And, boy, I don't even want to think about the field day the RPG.net crowd would have if WotC actually released G.I. Joe d20.) Frankly, I'd be kind of embarassed.

Is it just the nostalgia? Admittedly, I've never read any G.I. Joe or Transformers comics, so I don't know if they somehow "upgraded" these "settings" to something more than a means to move product in toy stores.

Anyway, what you guys should really be looking at is Cartoon Action Hour, not d20M.

Again, apologies if this came off too "William Shatner at a Trek convention."

The G.I. Joe comic was good throughout most of its run. Larry Hama, the writer, knows an awful lot about the military, the martial arts, and espionage, and he created a comic which brought an air of authenticity to some fairly fantastic situations. Heck, the filecards, also by Hama, are what got me hooked. The new comic is pretty good, too.

The comic was a far cry from the show [although the latter had some enjoyable characterizations along with the silly plots]. People shot real bullets, they got hurt, and they died.

And although the cartoons were for kids, and were on some level just meant to sell toys, I think they were pretty good cartoons. It was the U.S. military vs. the Legion of Doom. Any kid could grow up and have a chance to serve his country. And the characters were fun and well-defined.

Now He-Man...that, I don't get. But since our hobby is to play make-believe, I try not to judge, Buzz.

 

[buzz]

Thanks for the well-reasoned replies, folks. I'm not trying to judge, just understand.

I guess that I'm old enough to not have much nostalgia for 1982's Joe or 1984's Transformers, as I was, respectively, in junior high and high school when they came out. The Joe of my childhood was 10" tall and had real fatigues.

But, I'm a snob about these things, so I'm probably best ignored. If WotC does produce a Joe rpg, here's hoping it lives up to your expectations.

 

[JPL]

Thanks for the well-reasoned replies, folks. I'm not trying to judge, just understand.

I guess that I'm old enough to not have much nostalgia for 1982's Joe or 1984's Transformers, as I was, respectively, in junior high and high school when they came out. The Joe of my childhood was 10" tall and had real fatigues.

But, I'm a snob about these things, so I'm probably best ignored. If WotC does produce a Joe rpg, here's hoping it lives up to your expectations.

Buzz, you're too nice a fella to be hanging out at rpg.net.

Joe the cartoon is perfect for Cartoon Action Hour. Joe the comic is perfect for d20 Modern. I'd guess that the typical Gen X gamer would dig the latter, especially a good solid sourcebook for the whole Joeverse.

 

[Brother Shatterstone]

Can I please have a link to the GI Joe D20 forum you mentioned?

Kenpo. Opps, I never saw your question... I think I might had deleted my subscription to this thread by accident cause I haven't been getting emails on this thread anyhow…

Anyway to answer your question the form is long goner and it got terminated without my knowledge and most if not all the work is gone.

I probably have notes if theirs enough interest to make it work my time to figure it all out again.