Hasbro Studios titles quietly depart Vimeo

As of this week, all Hasbro titles are no longer available on Vimeo for purchase or rental.

Vimeo logoNearly a year-and-a-half ago, online video content site Vimeo became the exclusive digital home for the Hasbro Studios animation library.  Titles such as the classic 1980’s G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, Transformers (Generation 1), and Jem were available for both rental or purchase.  They were joined by other series like My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, G.I. Joe: Renegades, and Transformers Prime.  Accessible via website or mobile app, the Vimeo deal was a bold new step for Hasbro which had only previously hosted digital content on Netflix.

hasbro studios vimeoAs of Monday this week, the Hasbro Studios page on Vimeo told a very different story.  All content appears to have removed from the site, for either purchase or rental.  Users who had previously purchased animated episodes or series may still access them, but will also see a disclaimer attached.

g.i. joe gone vimeoFor those who have purchased Hasbro Studio titles, the question remains: how long will users continue to be able to access that content?  Vimeo titles may be downloaded DRM-free but, given the file size of both the Sunbow G.I. Joe and Transformers G1 series, this is not a simple task.  We’ve reached out to both Hasbro PR and Vimeo but have yet to receive an answer back at this time.

With a new Transformers movie hitting theaters this summer, is Hasbro seeking a new digital partner for their content?  Or is the Pawtucket toy maker seeking to develop its own online portal for content access going forward?  As of now, all we know is that the Vimeo run was nice while it lasted.  (My fiance’s nephew loves to watch animated Sunbow G.I. Joe on my phone.)  We’ll post more information as we have it but, for now, it seems that Hasbro’s partnership with Vimeo has come to an end.

G.I. Joe Resolute DVD back in stores!

G.I. Joe Resolute DVD

G.I. Joe Resolute is back on shelves of Walmart stores!

The micro series debuted on Cartoon Network’s website back in 2009 as a series of 10 minute webisodes.  Penned by writer Warren Ellis, Resolute took a decided darker tone with the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero mythos that included the off-screen deaths of several core characters.  It also featured what may be the first definitive animated footage of G.I. Joe characters using weapons that fired actual bullets!  (Yes, I realize that there are shots in Sunbow that show shell casings but the weapon’s discharge is still indicated to be laser beams.)

G.I. Joe Resolute spawned a few action figures and then POOF!  It was gone!  Whatever the intent behind the project was it certainly wasn’t a long-term marketing push.

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