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Unread 06-01-2009, 03:17
BrentJ BrentJ is offline
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Re: Source for Orbit Ball

Quote:
Originally Posted by peter View Post
To all First competitors,

I would like to take this opportunity to clarify many of the rumors regarding the Blip Toys Orbit Ball. At this time Blip Toys does not have any stock of the Orbit Ball to sell to competitors directly. First has purchased extra units for the competition and has informed us additional balls we will be sold via their website in the next 24 hours. To date Walmart has been the only retailer to carry the Orbit Ball and has elected to not purchase the ball for the upcoming spring season. All remaining orbit balls through Walmart are available in their stores and are being sold on clearance. They were not offered by Walmart via their website or in any other countries. Our analysis shows around 14,000 pieces throughout their stores across the U.S.

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Blip Toys
This shows that maybe with FIRST expanding into more countries the game designers need to check that playing pieces / field parts are available in all competing countries.

We don't have Walmarts in New Zealand. Also a google search failed to show anyone in NZ selling the field material. There maybe an equivalent but it will take a lot of time to find a suitable one.

So maybe in the future once the GDC have worked out what is needed for the field and pieces they could contact a FIRST rep in each country to confirm the item or exact equivalent is available. So on kickoff day a list of all equivalent parts are in the manual. The FIRST rep would have to be signed to a confidentiality clause.

How are the teams in Israel / England / Germany doing at getting the field floor and game ball?

Some years depending on the game it might not be so critical but the field for this year definitely is.

Any thoughts?