Nerf makes your arrows tamper-proof
In October, Nerf launches the new "Ultra One Blaster" on the US market. You can use it to shoot the new arrows a full 35 metres. The catch: the blaster recognises fake arrows.
The range of Nerf arrows is one of the most decisive factors when organising a battle against each other. In 2012, Nerf presented the Elite arrows, which fly just over 20 metres. Two years later came the "Elite XD Blaster". With these, you can propel the arrows another five metres further. The fact that the new "Ultra One Blaster" can now achieve a range of 35 metres is one of the biggest advances at Nerf in recent years.
But the manufacturer has put more than just stabilising fins into the arrows. According to The Wall Street Journal, DRM (Digital Rights Management) has also been built in. "If the blaster recognises an incompatible dart in the barrel, it won't fire and will jump to the next chamber," the American news portal said.
This will not please many Nerf fans. Current foam arrows are being copied and sold on the internet at a fraction of the original price. This is of course a loss-making business for Nerf, but they have their own pricing policy to thank for this. With the new Ultra Arrow, the manufacturers want to force the customer's hand thanks to copy protection. However, ten US dollars for 20 arrows will be too expensive for the Nerf community. I think that in a few weeks, if not days, the counterfeiters will find a way to circumvent the DRM. After that, the game will start all over again.
The Blaster is expected to be available from March 2020. However, the blaster will be released in Europe in an ISO version for legal reasons, as the US version has too high an exit speed. You can find all other Nerf products here.
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Riding my motorbike makes me feel free, fishing brings out my inner hunter, using my camera gets me creative. I make my money messing around with toys all day.