Hi. This video is long because I wanted to talk about a few points with minimal editing. It's certainly not for everyone but I hope some of my thoughts and experiences resonate with a few of you. You're welcome to think that I'm completely wrong as well. TLDW: I like Dart Zone but their quality control is seriously lacking, they still don't know how to run events, and they're heavily investing in "blaster" everything for the DZ brand exclusively. Don't let brand loyalty blind you to shortcomings and questionable decisions even when you're told "we listen to the community".
I got the blue MK4 and it's fine, yeah my complaints are the same, why can't we use the scar on when we really need it, when it's on the highest fps settings. MK4 is more of a collector's piece for me at this point. Probably will just stick to Worker when it comes to springers moving forward cause at least we know Worker really just aims for the best instead of rushing stuff. The biggest factor is like what you said, it's a Swift Clone. Might as well just buy a Harrier at this point cause Swift is old. 13:18 Lmao I thought it was just mine. My red dot sight that I put on is angled on the right to just get straight shots. I thought it's just the case on mine but you just did confirm it lmao.
I have a conspiracy theory that Dart Zone purposely misassembled and only released a small batch of Omnia pros so they could then act like a responsible company that cares about their consumers by saying that they would then recall the “broken” blasters. It may seem stupid, but in the long haul a company that seems like it cares will get more people buying from them. How could they not realize something as simple as misaligned flywheels.
I largely concur with this. They got a lot of goodwill in the hobby because they were the "underdog" who listened to the hobbyists and made products out of the box that we could use compared to Hasbro who basically did whatever they wanted. But there's been too many flawed releases between the 1.2, mk3, Deuce Pro, and Omnia, and others I'm forgetting to simply give them a pass. Their change in corporate demeanor also doesn't help. At this point, it's foolish for anyone in the hobby to buy a Dart Zone product because they're trying to support the "Good guy", but if you think they're producing something that you will make good use of, there's no reason to not get them. They're a corporation, not our friends.
X-Shot is no exception. As stated above it's always good to remember that they are also a corporation, which doesn't mean we can't be friendly, but be careful how far you let them take that.
@@ddm_gamer I really like the Xshot Longshot, but the plunger tubes are utterly useless and require a replacement. To be clear, I own three of them, so it hasn't been enough to make me not use them, but any product that requires aftermarket parts to be functional is a flawed launch.
@@beretnarfYeah, way I see it right now is you wait and see if it sucks or not before you buy. I think they've burned out the blind faith and benefit of the doubt they once had.
@@DanGodofThunder to be fair, the plunger tubes itself seems to be a "hit or miss" issue (given how I've had no problems with mine) quality control issue, more than a problem with the design itself. I've had more issues with how... irksome is its feeding - chewing darts that are't quite new, or being quite sensitive to the common practice of feeding the mags am extra dart over its stated capacity.
I love a lot of the Dart Zone blasters, but even the ones I’ve bought I always watch reviews before I buy a blaster. I do that for all brands. That’s what reviews are for. And I watch reviews from multiple channels to get an overall opinion. I do see the good Dart Zone has done for the hobby, but I will not be blind to what they have and probably will continue to do. We all have to remember that Dart Zone started as a toy company, and for the most part, they still are. They exist to sell a product. I try to remind myself of that sometimes. I do like Dart Zone, I really do, but man, they are certainly starting to slip lately.
They've had a string of blasters lately that have consistently felt like they were the result of a monkey's paw wish and it'd be 90% great and the you get to the "BUT" cursed part that's something fundamentally awful and almost ruins the blaster entirely. They seem to keep taking stuff out of the oven a little too early and the product has been critically suffering as a result. They just need to slow down and be more thorough about crossing their t's and dotting their i's.
I like the idea of the pumpgrip on the mk4 being a vertical, horizontal, and angled foregrip all in one. No idea how it feels in the hand, but I appreciate the innovation attempt
I'm glad that recent offerings like the Outlaw have been well received. I mentioned that the primary discussion around disappointing and problematic blaster releases is in their "Pro" line, or "Pro MK-" blasters, and those are typically running higher prices.
Im glad you made this video, people need to understand that companies gonna company now matter what we think. Love em or hate em, they gonna act within their best interest to meet quota. Even if all they did was what we wanted, theres no possible way they could please everyone. Only time will tell if they truly do care about customer interest.
Speaking on the CO Blaster Bash side of things, I paid for both tickets, the time slot ticket and the "Zombie Attack" ticket. It ended up devolving into morning and afternoon slots presumably because the attendence was lower than anticipated. I beleive it was a net loss for Dart Zone as they had spent thousands on transporting so many blasters and even more on batteries. Unfortunately, they did skimp out on darts. They provided a pool their rival rounds and full length darts that were used and didn't work well with springers which were provided or you could bring. In addition, they provided no information on what you could and couldn't bring to the event. I came prepared with a bag of blasters, a tool bag for jams and repairs, and a cooler of beverages to stay hydrated. I was turned back immediatly upon finding the enterance and had to go drop off all my bags in my car and couldn't bring the cooler or any of my drinks in. I managed to carry quite a bit of stuff back with me and thankfully it was all within their legal fps caps that they didn't specify either. All in all, I did have a great time and made the best of it (and I got to go home with a MkIII) but I agree that dart zone shouldn't be putting on events. Especially with as little advertising and communication as they had with this one.
Thanks for sharing your experience! I don't doubt getting turned away initially was frustrating- that's almost a worst case scenario if you've traveled from out of town and can't adjust your carry-ins/loadouts because it was never made very clear. Glad you still felt it was a fun experience even if there was ample room for improvement.
Agreed! Though I think X-Shot should always be considered in a different category. They give us good performance and great value, but not at the overall quality of DZ, Worker, and Hasbro (Pro line/Rival).
@@espinita.Socialisms motto: "you have one choice of blaster manufacturered by the state by people who dont care if you like it or not because they are paid regardless" Lol yeh that would work much better! 😂
The only DZ Bamboos I like are the originals, which weighed pretty close to a gram if I remember correctly. The 2.0s were dog water... just straight dog water... the 2xs... pretty sure they're sill ligher as well so I'll just stick to worker Bamboos at this point. The MK1.0 likes them and they're fairly accurate as well.
I appreciate DZ joining the pro line. The Nexus and short darts off the shelf brought a fresh wind to the hobby. I live in Europe so I do not directly benefit from this change, it is hard to get to any of the new blasters due to the high price and/or FPS restrictions. So, I need really hard to think on what to buy. Got a Nexus Pro (great blaster), got a Tomcat due to the hype it was surrounded with. It came with the shell warped to the left, according to the local distributor all blasters were affected. Waited for a replacement, wasn’t warped that much. The catch is making problems instead, sometimes it is only possible to release the trigger by slapping the blaster on the side. Adding the drum loading problems, shoulder stock wobble, I should have stayed away from it. I purchased the Harrier and never regretted that decision. DZ should slow down, have more attention to details and better quality control. Still I will go for the Outlaw :)
Hey Dart Zone......you good? Seriously though, great video. I agree with many of these points and have felt this way about DZ's products for a while now and feel the same way. Needed to be said.
Thank you for the info. I generally tend to wait a few months before I go in on Dart Zone products. Too many issues with my MK1.2 and my MK3 broke my trust. I am now on the “Worker” train since they have been showing consistently great products this year.
Let's make a fun list of well-known Pro release issue: Mk1.0/Mk1.1: incredibly finnicky with most darts, or the slop in the prime Nexus: priming slop/some would break at the buffer tube, no so great ergo Aeon: small Nexus with heavier prime MK2: Some models were underpowered Stryker: better ergo Nexus, not compatible with all Nexus parts though Jurassic Pro: wobbly stock, not the strongest construction, personally don't like the ergo MK3: Feeding/jamming issues, mag compatibility, technically full auto fire rate being lack luster but that's not an actual issue. Tomcat: Rotation mech related misfires Duece Pro: Rotation mech related misfires MK1.3: Many Omnia: Misaligned flywheels and fire delay/circuit failure. Does not mean I hate DZ but the trend shows a bit of reason to have a cause for distrust.
It's hard too when you put everything on a scale...like we want perfection but realistically if certain issues could be resolved but others had to stay many folks would be split on what's more important.
Dart Zone showed us their true colors long ago when the Liberator was released with its claims on the box of "Performance FPS". They're happy to release trash and engage in deceptive marketing and have been for a long time. And they have never got the dart fit on a cylinder right. They're not especially evil, but they're no better than Nerf, Buzz Bee or X-Shot at the end of the day.
Pretty much all of their blasters aside from the Mk4 are side-grades at best, downgrades at worst. It's why I've stopped bothering to pay the exorbitant price to import one from stateside to Aus and review one. They're the same blaster, new look.
Speaking the truth dude. I’ve been buying more worker blasters this past year simply because the Dart Zone has been dropping the ball lately. I still like Dart Zone but I’m hoping in 2024 they actually make something good in the pro line because that MK4 was really just dumb.
Great video! At the end of the day, Dart Zone is a Company, they worry about themselves first, and THEN the consumer. LMFAO @34:15 made me giggle (if you know you know) 🧄
Bert is a straight shooter, plus he recognizes the beauty of the roblox snek blaster, I've been waiting for a reason to upgrade from the max stryker for a bit and still don't see it
14:00 Why Did I buy a MK4? When it's a Swift clone? Because to me, it Does offer Useful Features the Swift does not: Locks. The breech locks shut so you don't double prime. The trigger locks so you cannot accidentally fire with an open breech. Yes, I am a wierdo. Most people don't like locks; I do. I like having safety features on a blaster that keep it from self-destructing.
Hi Brett well I may disagree with some of your examples at some point in the video I definitely agree with a lot of what you’re saying. I can still agree with you even if I disagree on a specific example you use. For what it’s worth a dart zone has won a lot of favor for me so I’ll admit my biases and say it’s Difficult to talk about their negative sometimes because they have done a lot of cool things but I think it’s important for reviewers like you to keep them striving for higher standards or at least keep them at a set standard so I appreciate you making this video to discuss things that you honestly are worried about. Hopefully in the future they’ll put more time into development for their blasters and find ways to make them more economical. Also hopefully X shots new pro series can give them enough competition to also drive further innovation. I know I’ve been having a lot of fun with my X shot longshot
First off: NEED that shirt lmao Second: Dart Zone ABSOLUTELY missed the mark by not calling their podcast The Dart Zone, or something similar. I mean, come on! Last and most important I think Dart Zone’s biggest problem truly might’ve been peaking too soon. They should’ve kept doing what they did w/the Nexus and just iterate it into perfection; they were already taking steps in that direction w/the Stryker, so it kind of makes you wonder what happened. *Sigh* here’s hoping they follow Hasbro’s lead and just hire some of the community to consult on their next blaster’s dev cycle. -the Foam Mandalorian
I love the Advanture force Dart zone desprto... It's just a nerf mavick level great blaster in my heart... But yeah Why no safety or removable barrel in a blaster most would reload pointed at that eye with a light trigger with not gard? Like dart zone my guy your asking for a lawsuit.
I mentioned that the primary discussion around disappointing and problematic blaster releases is in their "Pro" line, or "Pro MK-" blasters. I'm glad that other recent offerings like the Outlaw and Thunderbolt have been well received.
Cant even get Dart Zone stuff in the uk without big import charges. Even if we buy from Blaster Time in Holland there is extra delivery charges to get from there to here. Worker is and has been for a long time putting out better stuff than Dart Zone and you cam get Worker stuff anywhere in world for basically the same price no matter what market you are in.
For many in the hobby is a moot point for the difficulty of getting any Dart Zone product at all at the right side of the Pond. On that sense, they are losing to X-Shot, because at least a Longshot _can be bought_ around here, while a Mark [insert number here] remains as unattainable as that *sweet* Bert Zone T-shirt
@@beretnarf Nah, no bigguie, Beret-man. In case it wasn't clear (and if it wasn't, it was entirely MY fault), my comment is about Dart Zone's international selling policies (or rather, lack thereof) being also a point to consider in their relationship with the fandom - a point that sadly makes Dart Zone itself irrelevant for many of us, NOT about your video being somehow irrelevant for international fandom.
Well that sounds like yur problem right there as too why they don send u blasters any more, u didn’t do a designated/full review on the MK-1.2 they sent ya…. 😕
I realize how naive I was about them because I was so happy with the Mk 1.1 and Mk 2. It’s a shame because there’s a lot to love about their blasters, but now their designs are falling short and it’s costing us. The Omnia is the last straw for me. I bought it believing it was a reliable, tested product. I didn’t consent to testing it FOR them with my hard earned money. With Pro in the name, a blaster should at least function properly out of the box. Worker is eclipsing Dart Zone these days. I’m favoring 3D printed blasters more lately. At least the community gives the community what it wants.
If they hadn't said anything about "early adopters" or "first batch" for the Omnia in an attempt to minimize the impact, I probably wouldn't have cared as much. But I feel you there, when worker makes a good product it lands.
I hate the argument of “oh you can just go in and fix the blaster” like it’s a product that should work on arrival. Mods should be an extra change that can tune up performance or change aesthetics. You shouldn’t have to go in and do the companies job.
41:55 Dart zone legally can't copywrite "Blaster tag" because the BTA is a thing... So you should be able to find a lawyer to do thius case "For free" as they can get money out of dart zone for Legal fees... Which Means Dart zone is etheir nive to think that can do this... Or eviler then all the companies who fail to do this all the time... They could be doing this just for intmdation and not to have a fun phase to put on a box. By Copywrite I mean trademark ofcorse which in the 4 criteria of a trademark you need it to be noval and used by yiou often... Like does dart zone use blaster tag or just BTA?
If a product has a fault and it's being sold, it is a completely legitimate thing to complain about no matter how "simple" the fix is. Shut up fanboys.
no offense , but the mk 4 is more powerful then 1.2 not less and two all your questions about the mk 4 were talked about when dartzone revealed it , go watch the video literally everything you questioned were addressed in that video 👍😁 , also on the omnia maybe you got a bad one , i know mine literally has none of those issues ....they have fixed it since
MK-1.2 vs MK-4 performance might be pretty comparable. Yes I've seen all of DZ's MK-4 videos...we still have questions why they made certain choices. I'm glad some Omnia's released with no accuracy issues but that doesn't diminish the quantity of blasters that did ship with issues. They haven't fixed the production issues yet and their hope is to re-release by November (source: literally Dart Zone).
I feel like there's a lot of nitpicking trying to make a point . I think any company is gonna put sales first . Are they on Hasbros level right now ? No ,hopefully DZ don't go that way , but they are miles ahead of the competition. Are they perfect ? No , but better at least .
Perhaps years ago it was just nitpicking. But others have expressed in the comments as well, those nitpicks added up over time due to their consistency...so is that trying to make a point from nothing or identifying a trend? And be careful how often you pull the "at least they're better than Hasbro" card. That's how we end up being complacent with almost anything they put out even if they appear to be "miles ahead of the competition".
gotta wonder if those holding back their reviews on the omnia until the issues are corrected are being compensated in some way. many reviews have dropped and were more or less favorable. but a handful of reviewers and channels are holding back, and to my eye it seems to be the biggies.
Dart Zone did ask folks who received review samples to hold off until updated units could be sent. I think it's fair they wait especially if their own units were faulty but I totally understand the awkward position.
I'm just tired of hearing all the complaining. Let me say this WITHOUT DART ZONE, WE PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE THE SHORT DART SCENE. Seriously DART Zone made pro blasters affordable and easy access. Idk I really think without them we wouldn't have all the other companies trying to improve on their designs
We had short darts before Dart Zone jumped in. Worker half darts are superior in so many ways but Dart Zone wins for accessibility in North America. Would half darts have become as quickly adopted without DZ? Hard to say if other companies would've jumped in instead. I said I gave them credit for entering the scene with the MK-1 (and half darts) but then really optimizing down to the affordable, pro options like the Nexus. Their recent offerings don't feel as strong, and while part of that is because the competition has gotten fiercer, another part is their own design choices. If you wanna throw everything under "complaining" then I guess we're not allowed to share honest critiques and concerns anymore.
I think that the first failures that we saw with their products was caused by trying to fulfill too many hobby wishlists without calculating how those features work together. I know everyone dogs Nerf's extremely long development cycle, but it works for a reason. Maybe DZ should look at extending their development cycle a little and make testing a bit more extensive. Or maybe I'm dumb.
Trying to appease the hobby will always be a recipe for disaster because we're a fickle bunch. And yeah while Dart Zone doesn't put out blasters at the same rate as Nerf it means those releases are more likely to be scrutinized. A serious mistake probably hurts a lot more.
If I remember correctly, Dart Zone did more than ignore complaints about the MK 1.2. They blamed it on user error, despite those users being competitive players with years of blaster experience. Although I don't really care about Dart Zone since their stuff still isn't available here. The only part that might be relevant to me is the 'blaster tag' trademark.
They have definitely come a LONG way since the first blaster they put out at 180$ plus shipping...and it was hot trash that was really cool...it jammed so so much...was hard to unjam as well. But they definitely still have issues
@@beretnarf I mean the current one. I don't have a single blaster that I don't have to adjust where I am aiming and I am saving 30$? (also I believe there are some quick fixes for both the aiming and the delay)
Bert - if you're listening...i'm kinda bummed myself but i'm not giving up...I'm motivated you see. I recently (before even trying pro-x and seagulls) kicked out all long dart blasters from my collection with the exception of my 5or7kg alphatrooper (pick and choose spring based on speed of prime 5kg was fave but poor dist.) and the 12kg ionfire (using falconfire upgrade spring) both of these systems rocked the precisepro/exactstrike series darts and the ionfire even takes trimmed down darts...but my upgraded rival killed it and yeah my upgraded hyper does even better. Haha my 12 and 13 coil k25 hop-up hyper even beats the pro-x out of the box...but...a stock hammershot spring behind the pro-x spring brings it up to spec...but I still have 800+ mother fluffin' gorsh dern long darts and daaaaaaag nabbbbbit I want the best long dart sys...even if I have to upgrade/downgrade --- it's come down to this MK 1.2. Don't hate me...the prime on nexuspro jerks my twice broken arm and I foresee that happening with other iterations too like the stryker...it came down to jurrasic pro or the 1.2 and I have a feeling I can get one last hurrah with my long darts with that 100 fps spring and perhaps a spacer. Kinda like a pre-pro-x that kept it's long dart feature. I have dreamed a dream and now that dream has --- aww nuts!!! I may regret this...but I just watched every 1.2 video. Yours actually depressed me the most...but also made me make my final decision. Already have a pro-x and seagull...I wanna see something really really beat my donkey slappin ionfires with trimmed exact strikes or all the darts from a 35 rd drum landing in the same spot like the 5kg alphatrooper!! Last chance for long darts...and it's worth $80 to try. 😢 (dart zone lng and lng sureshot in the mail...they may be the same just diff colors)
Corporate lawyers explain a lot of the things you are confused about. Corporation that size cannot directly admit fault. Ever. It opens them up to legal risks that they couldn’t defend. Any public statement has to run through a PR team and a legal team, and it’s obvious they wrote the final version. It also explains the trademark registration. I work as a consultant in the tech industry, and you see copyrights and trademarks filed there at a rate comparable to a proton pack spewing foam down range. They filed it in case they need it, and more importantly, to make sure Hasbro doesn’t do it first. I am not saying any of this excuses their actions. I’m just providing some missing context. I have confidence that they will fix the issues with the Omnia, and they’re going to be able to treat the community right, IF WE HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE. You can love a company and still criticize them when they make mistakes. (I am a longtime Blizzard fan, I know better than most the struggle of loving and hating a company at the same time). this type of conversation is what we need, because, unlike Hasbro, Dart Zone is trying to listen.
I'm with you about wanting to use blasters out of the box. I have modded. I've been involved in this hobby for many years. I'm an old school modder before kits and 3d printed parts. I've been there done that. Modded many retaliators and Longshots and stryfes. I don't enjoy that so much anymore especially with so many so called playable blasters out the box. I liked the nexus pro and max Stryker (not perfect blasters but playable at a decent price point) but the other more expensive blasters I've been let down in similar ways as you expressed. I wasn't quick enough to get the omnia pro thankfully but the other offerings I really don't even want to play with because I don't want to use a blaster if I'm worried about it performing correctly. My homemade brass breech Longshot performs better and more reliable then a lot of these blasters and anyone that's made a brass breech mag fed blaster knows how finicky they can be
Ordered the simple new hammer action pistol Max gor myself for Xmas. Love the style, size, power! It broke with no hammer locking and shooting anything after less than 20 shots! A POS😢
From what I see worker is still the best. Their product keep surpassing the previous. I am sure the next will be a top brushless flywheel with mosef at affordable price. Do not buy Omnia now, wait for worker phoenix 3.0. I am sure they will come out one.
If the marketing was better and they didn't change the date, the colorado blaster bash could have been a lot better. But the pricing structure was wacky lol
We won the Pro Tour in 2022. We were supposed to be the company that ran the event or tournament but we didn’t as it was a conflict of interest. Instead we fielded 2 teams practiced since 2019 and won everything. We were disappointed with the rules, blaster jams just as anyone else. We wanted that tournament to hit espn or garner thousands of views but it didn’t accumulate to much. Our hobby has many different organizations running their own pro events or tournaments but how do we unify to the point where we can have an actual pro league with teams in each major city etc. We need the financial backing to make that happen. Living in NY why would we travel with 10 players to California for a $500 prize? We are all for helping this sport grow but feels like we are still all over the place.
Yup and why would we send 10 players from CA to NY for a $500 prize? I don't know how to fully unify the different, regional groups, and in truth maybe they never will be? So I at least hope those organizations can become the best versions of themselves in the meantime. That's where the DZPT fumbled the ball because it could've taken the FPT to that next level. Congrats on the win and I can only hope that they were willing to listen to your teams' feedback with open ears and minds.
When the large corporation acts like a large corporation. I don’t see how this is much of a surprise, they’ve listened to us a lot but in the end companies like this always need to make more money
I think it's still hard to tell how big our hobby is. Getting blasters on store shelves means they're available, but not everyone who even picks that up is participating online or attending games. Idk who all considers themselves to be a part of it.
The DZ Dictator is still my favorite of the entire product line from DZ. Its accuracy issues are easily fixed by a 6" scar (which both gives more barrel space for the volume of air the plunger tube generates, and adds spin to the dart), and it's just more fun.
Hi. This video is long because I wanted to talk about a few points with minimal editing. It's certainly not for everyone but I hope some of my thoughts and experiences resonate with a few of you. You're welcome to think that I'm completely wrong as well.
TLDW: I like Dart Zone but their quality control is seriously lacking, they still don't know how to run events, and they're heavily investing in "blaster" everything for the DZ brand exclusively. Don't let brand loyalty blind you to shortcomings and questionable decisions even when you're told "we listen to the community".
Neat
I got the blue MK4 and it's fine, yeah my complaints are the same, why can't we use the scar on when we really need it, when it's on the highest fps settings. MK4 is more of a collector's piece for me at this point. Probably will just stick to Worker when it comes to springers moving forward cause at least we know Worker really just aims for the best instead of rushing stuff. The biggest factor is like what you said, it's a Swift Clone. Might as well just buy a Harrier at this point cause Swift is old.
13:18 Lmao I thought it was just mine. My red dot sight that I put on is angled on the right to just get straight shots. I thought it's just the case on mine but you just did confirm it lmao.
I have a conspiracy theory that Dart Zone purposely misassembled and only released a small batch of Omnia pros so they could then act like a responsible company that cares about their consumers by saying that they would then recall the “broken” blasters. It may seem stupid, but in the long haul a company that seems like it cares will get more people buying from them.
How could they not realize something as simple as misaligned flywheels.
I largely concur with this. They got a lot of goodwill in the hobby because they were the "underdog" who listened to the hobbyists and made products out of the box that we could use compared to Hasbro who basically did whatever they wanted.
But there's been too many flawed releases between the 1.2, mk3, Deuce Pro, and Omnia, and others I'm forgetting to simply give them a pass. Their change in corporate demeanor also doesn't help.
At this point, it's foolish for anyone in the hobby to buy a Dart Zone product because they're trying to support the "Good guy", but if you think they're producing something that you will make good use of, there's no reason to not get them. They're a corporation, not our friends.
Zuru X shot hasnt done anything wrong so if someone would want to support the "good guys", It should be them
X-Shot is no exception. As stated above it's always good to remember that they are also a corporation, which doesn't mean we can't be friendly, but be careful how far you let them take that.
@@ddm_gamer I really like the Xshot Longshot, but the plunger tubes are utterly useless and require a replacement. To be clear, I own three of them, so it hasn't been enough to make me not use them, but any product that requires aftermarket parts to be functional is a flawed launch.
@@beretnarfYeah, way I see it right now is you wait and see if it sucks or not before you buy. I think they've burned out the blind faith and benefit of the doubt they once had.
@@DanGodofThunder to be fair, the plunger tubes itself seems to be a "hit or miss" issue (given how I've had no problems with mine) quality control issue, more than a problem with the design itself.
I've had more issues with how... irksome is its feeding - chewing darts that are't quite new, or being quite sensitive to the common practice of feeding the mags am extra dart over its stated capacity.
Thanks for voicing out what we're all feeling. Take care, Brett.
I love a lot of the Dart Zone blasters, but even the ones I’ve bought I always watch reviews before I buy a blaster. I do that for all brands. That’s what reviews are for. And I watch reviews from multiple channels to get an overall opinion. I do see the good Dart Zone has done for the hobby, but I will not be blind to what they have and probably will continue to do. We all have to remember that Dart Zone started as a toy company, and for the most part, they still are. They exist to sell a product. I try to remind myself of that sometimes. I do like Dart Zone, I really do, but man, they are certainly starting to slip lately.
They've had a string of blasters lately that have consistently felt like they were the result of a monkey's paw wish and it'd be 90% great and the you get to the "BUT" cursed part that's something fundamentally awful and almost ruins the blaster entirely. They seem to keep taking stuff out of the oven a little too early and the product has been critically suffering as a result. They just need to slow down and be more thorough about crossing their t's and dotting their i's.
I like the idea of the pumpgrip on the mk4 being a vertical, horizontal, and angled foregrip all in one. No idea how it feels in the hand, but I appreciate the innovation attempt
goody ahh grip
You can easily replace that big front grip thankfully. I'm not a fan mostly because the part to grab is further forward and it's already a stretch lol
You either die the hero or live long enough to see your self become the villain
I will say the new revolver the dartzone max outlaw is a home run, getting a second and already have the lower power springs ordered from their site
I'm glad that recent offerings like the Outlaw have been well received. I mentioned that the primary discussion around disappointing and problematic blaster releases is in their "Pro" line, or "Pro MK-" blasters, and those are typically running higher prices.
@beretnarf agreed I postponed Getting the aeon until they fix the issue, another one I was really excited to get
Honestly it’s the best blaster they have made since the Nexus Pro. With a lower power spring, it’s my favorite revolver ever.
Im glad you made this video, people need to understand that companies gonna company now matter what we think. Love em or hate em, they gonna act within their best interest to meet quota. Even if all they did was what we wanted, theres no possible way they could please everyone.
Only time will tell if they truly do care about customer interest.
We definitely have unrealistic expectations so it's impossible for dz to try and please everyone, but I do believe they care about customer interest.
WAKE UP BABE NEW BERET DART ZONE DRAMA VIDEO JUST DROPPED!!!!!!!!!
Speaking on the CO Blaster Bash side of things, I paid for both tickets, the time slot ticket and the "Zombie Attack" ticket. It ended up devolving into morning and afternoon slots presumably because the attendence was lower than anticipated. I beleive it was a net loss for Dart Zone as they had spent thousands on transporting so many blasters and even more on batteries. Unfortunately, they did skimp out on darts. They provided a pool their rival rounds and full length darts that were used and didn't work well with springers which were provided or you could bring.
In addition, they provided no information on what you could and couldn't bring to the event. I came prepared with a bag of blasters, a tool bag for jams and repairs, and a cooler of beverages to stay hydrated. I was turned back immediatly upon finding the enterance and had to go drop off all my bags in my car and couldn't bring the cooler or any of my drinks in. I managed to carry quite a bit of stuff back with me and thankfully it was all within their legal fps caps that they didn't specify either.
All in all, I did have a great time and made the best of it (and I got to go home with a MkIII) but I agree that dart zone shouldn't be putting on events. Especially with as little advertising and communication as they had with this one.
Thanks for sharing your experience! I don't doubt getting turned away initially was frustrating- that's almost a worst case scenario if you've traveled from out of town and can't adjust your carry-ins/loadouts because it was never made very clear. Glad you still felt it was a fun experience even if there was ample room for improvement.
It's a good thing we have X-Shot now, who randomly woke up and chose greatness somehow
Agreed! Though I think X-Shot should always be considered in a different category. They give us good performance and great value, but not at the overall quality of DZ, Worker, and Hasbro (Pro line/Rival).
X-Shot has its own pros and cons forsure but they definitely approach the foam flinging scene differently than Dart Zone.
If X-Shot can continue their rise to Dart Zone’s level we could see some fierce competition. And thats when the consumers win.
They need to thicken up that plastic eventually, but, X-Shot has been doing fun stuff!
Love this stream of consciousness! Thank you
once you get to the top you stop innovating
happened to hasbro
Capitalism's motto
@@espinita.Yup
@@espinita.Socialisms motto: "you have one choice of blaster manufacturered by the state by people who dont care if you like it or not because they are paid regardless"
Lol yeh that would work much better! 😂
@@LL-wc4wnhaha! Yeah, totally how that works! Also the only system that isn't capatalism!
The only DZ Bamboos I like are the originals, which weighed pretty close to a gram if I remember correctly. The 2.0s were dog water... just straight dog water... the 2xs... pretty sure they're sill ligher as well so I'll just stick to worker Bamboos at this point. The MK1.0 likes them and they're fairly accurate as well.
I don't understand this Bert video
Bert Zone.
I appreciate DZ joining the pro line. The Nexus and short darts off the shelf brought a fresh wind to the hobby. I live in Europe so I do not directly benefit from this change, it is hard to get to any of the new blasters due to the high price and/or FPS restrictions. So, I need really hard to think on what to buy. Got a Nexus Pro (great blaster), got a Tomcat due to the hype it was surrounded with. It came with the shell warped to the left, according to the local distributor all blasters were affected. Waited for a replacement, wasn’t warped that much. The catch is making problems instead, sometimes it is only possible to release the trigger by slapping the blaster on the side. Adding the drum loading problems, shoulder stock wobble, I should have stayed away from it. I purchased the Harrier and never regretted that decision. DZ should slow down, have more attention to details and better quality control. Still I will go for the Outlaw :)
Enjoyed this video. Really really captures everything happening, and I think it's all presented pretty fairly.
I'm a big Worker fan at the moment. I did just purchase the Outlaw. I'm loving it so far.
I can wait another 50 minutes to go to bed
They need to relax on pro dart blasters for bit make RIVAL ones
Hey Dart Zone......you good?
Seriously though, great video. I agree with many of these points and have felt this way about DZ's products for a while now and feel the same way.
Needed to be said.
Yes the alternate title haha. But I couldn't do that to Buzzbee.
Thank you for the info. I generally tend to wait a few months before I go in on Dart Zone products. Too many issues with my MK1.2 and my MK3 broke my trust.
I am now on the “Worker” train since they have been showing consistently great products this year.
Let's make a fun list of well-known Pro release issue:
Mk1.0/Mk1.1: incredibly finnicky with most darts, or the slop in the prime
Nexus: priming slop/some would break at the buffer tube, no so great ergo
Aeon: small Nexus with heavier prime
MK2: Some models were underpowered
Stryker: better ergo Nexus, not compatible with all Nexus parts though
Jurassic Pro: wobbly stock, not the strongest construction, personally don't like the ergo
MK3: Feeding/jamming issues, mag compatibility, technically full auto fire rate being lack luster but that's not an actual issue.
Tomcat: Rotation mech related misfires
Duece Pro: Rotation mech related misfires
MK1.3: Many
Omnia: Misaligned flywheels and fire delay/circuit failure.
Does not mean I hate DZ but the trend shows a bit of reason to have a cause for distrust.
It's hard too when you put everything on a scale...like we want perfection but realistically if certain issues could be resolved but others had to stay many folks would be split on what's more important.
Dart Zone showed us their true colors long ago when the Liberator was released with its claims on the box of "Performance FPS". They're happy to release trash and engage in deceptive marketing and have been for a long time. And they have never got the dart fit on a cylinder right.
They're not especially evil, but they're no better than Nerf, Buzz Bee or X-Shot at the end of the day.
i got the mk4 and it was shooting low and to the right. i had to sand and shim the fps extention to make it shoot straight
Missed ya buddy. Love the long-form videos.
You know it’s a good day when Brett uploads.😁
Pretty much all of their blasters aside from the Mk4 are side-grades at best, downgrades at worst. It's why I've stopped bothering to pay the exorbitant price to import one from stateside to Aus and review one. They're the same blaster, new look.
Yeah not having them in local stores or through local shipping yields no debate needed haha
Speaking the truth dude. I’ve been buying more worker blasters this past year simply because the Dart Zone has been dropping the ball lately. I still like Dart Zone but I’m hoping in 2024 they actually make something good in the pro line because that MK4 was really just dumb.
Great video! At the end of the day, Dart Zone is a Company, they worry about themselves first, and THEN the consumer.
LMFAO @34:15 made me giggle (if you know you know) 🧄
Wait, what's the context? I genuinely do not know.
I passed on all 3 of their blasters. Sticking to worker nerf.
Bert is a straight shooter, plus he recognizes the beauty of the roblox snek blaster, I've been waiting for a reason to upgrade from the max stryker for a bit and still don't see it
14:00 Why Did I buy a MK4?
When it's a Swift clone?
Because to me, it Does offer Useful Features the Swift does not:
Locks. The breech locks shut so you don't double prime. The trigger locks so you cannot accidentally fire with an open breech.
Yes, I am a wierdo. Most people don't like locks; I do. I like having safety features on a blaster that keep it from self-destructing.
Hey man! Have you checked out the XYL Unicorn? Half dart CQB style blaster. Im loving it so far!
I don’t have a 1.2…but as far as the MK 4 goes I’ve never had a jam with it. Is it inaccurate, yes, but you can tune it really easily.
Hi Brett well I may disagree with some of your examples at some point in the video I definitely agree with a lot of what you’re saying. I can still agree with you even if I disagree on a specific example you use. For what it’s worth a dart zone has won a lot of favor for me so I’ll admit my biases and say it’s Difficult to talk about their negative sometimes because they have done a lot of cool things but I think it’s important for reviewers like you to keep them striving for higher standards or at least keep them at a set standard so I appreciate you making this video to discuss things that you honestly are worried about. Hopefully in the future they’ll put more time into development for their blasters and find ways to make them more economical. Also hopefully X shots new pro series can give them enough competition to also drive further innovation. I know I’ve been having a lot of fun with my X shot longshot
Sad, I've had a Nexus Pro since day one and never have problems with it even after all these years.
also at least they do listen , nerf doesn't at all nobody is saying perfect dude
First off: NEED that shirt lmao
Second: Dart Zone ABSOLUTELY missed the mark by not calling their podcast The Dart Zone, or something similar. I mean, come on!
Last and most important I think Dart Zone’s biggest problem truly might’ve been peaking too soon. They should’ve kept doing what they did w/the Nexus and just iterate it into perfection; they were already taking steps in that direction w/the Stryker, so it kind of makes you wonder what happened. *Sigh* here’s hoping they follow Hasbro’s lead and just hire some of the community to consult on their next blaster’s dev cycle. -the Foam Mandalorian
I love the Advanture force Dart zone desprto... It's just a nerf mavick level great blaster in my heart... But yeah Why no safety or removable barrel in a blaster most would reload pointed at that eye with a light trigger with not gard? Like dart zone my guy your asking for a lawsuit.
No outlaw?
I mentioned that the primary discussion around disappointing and problematic blaster releases is in their "Pro" line, or "Pro MK-" blasters. I'm glad that other recent offerings like the Outlaw and Thunderbolt have been well received.
I LIKE YOU VERY MUCH !!
dirt zon
Cant even get Dart Zone stuff in the uk without big import charges. Even if we buy from Blaster Time in Holland there is extra delivery charges to get from there to here. Worker is and has been for a long time putting out better stuff than Dart Zone and you cam get Worker stuff anywhere in world for basically the same price no matter what market you are in.
For many in the hobby is a moot point for the difficulty of getting any Dart Zone product at all at the right side of the Pond. On that sense, they are losing to X-Shot, because at least a Longshot _can be bought_ around here, while a Mark [insert number here] remains as unattainable as that *sweet* Bert Zone T-shirt
Haha yeah I should always start these things by emphasizing this likely impacts US or maybe overall North American audiences the most.
@@beretnarf Nah, no bigguie, Beret-man. In case it wasn't clear (and if it wasn't, it was entirely MY fault), my comment is about Dart Zone's international selling policies (or rather, lack thereof) being also a point to consider in their relationship with the fandom - a point that sadly makes Dart Zone itself irrelevant for many of us, NOT about your video being somehow irrelevant for international fandom.
Well that sounds like yur problem right there as too why they don send u blasters any more, u didn’t do a designated/full review on the MK-1.2 they sent ya…. 😕
I realize how naive I was about them because I was so happy with the Mk 1.1 and Mk 2. It’s a shame because there’s a lot to love about their blasters, but now their designs are falling short and it’s costing us. The Omnia is the last straw for me. I bought it believing it was a reliable, tested product. I didn’t consent to testing it FOR them with my hard earned money. With Pro in the name, a blaster should at least function properly out of the box.
Worker is eclipsing Dart Zone these days. I’m favoring 3D printed blasters more lately. At least the community gives the community what it wants.
If they hadn't said anything about "early adopters" or "first batch" for the Omnia in an attempt to minimize the impact, I probably wouldn't have cared as much. But I feel you there, when worker makes a good product it lands.
I hate the argument of “oh you can just go in and fix the blaster” like it’s a product that should work on arrival. Mods should be an extra change that can tune up performance or change aesthetics. You shouldn’t have to go in and do the companies job.
#stryfekiller
Cool
41:55 Dart zone legally can't copywrite "Blaster tag" because the BTA is a thing... So you should be able to find a lawyer to do thius case "For free" as they can get money out of dart zone for Legal fees... Which Means Dart zone is etheir nive to think that can do this... Or eviler then all the companies who fail to do this all the time... They could be doing this just for intmdation and not to have a fun phase to put on a box. By Copywrite I mean trademark ofcorse which in the 4 criteria of a trademark you need it to be noval and used by yiou often... Like does dart zone use blaster tag or just BTA?
If a product has a fault and it's being sold, it is a completely legitimate thing to complain about no matter how "simple" the fix is. Shut up fanboys.
I guess will just have wait until someone gets the Cease and Desist letter from Dart Zone re: the Blaster Tag trademark.
no offense , but the mk 4 is more powerful then 1.2 not less and two all your questions about the mk 4 were talked about when dartzone revealed it , go watch the video literally everything you questioned were addressed in that video 👍😁 , also on the omnia maybe you got a bad one , i know mine literally has none of those issues ....they have fixed it since
MK-1.2 vs MK-4 performance might be pretty comparable. Yes I've seen all of DZ's MK-4 videos...we still have questions why they made certain choices. I'm glad some Omnia's released with no accuracy issues but that doesn't diminish the quantity of blasters that did ship with issues. They haven't fixed the production issues yet and their hope is to re-release by November (source: literally Dart Zone).
I feel like there's a lot of nitpicking trying to make a point . I think any company is gonna put sales first . Are they on Hasbros level right now ? No ,hopefully DZ don't go that way , but they are miles ahead of the competition. Are they perfect ? No , but better at least .
Perhaps years ago it was just nitpicking. But others have expressed in the comments as well, those nitpicks added up over time due to their consistency...so is that trying to make a point from nothing or identifying a trend?
And be careful how often you pull the "at least they're better than Hasbro" card. That's how we end up being complacent with almost anything they put out even if they appear to be "miles ahead of the competition".
gotta wonder if those holding back their reviews on the omnia until the issues are corrected are being compensated in some way. many reviews have dropped and were more or less favorable. but a handful of reviewers and channels are holding back, and to my eye it seems to be the biggies.
Dart Zone did ask folks who received review samples to hold off until updated units could be sent. I think it's fair they wait especially if their own units were faulty but I totally understand the awkward position.
I'm just tired of hearing all the complaining. Let me say this WITHOUT DART ZONE, WE PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE THE SHORT DART SCENE. Seriously DART Zone made pro blasters affordable and easy access. Idk I really think without them we wouldn't have all the other companies trying to improve on their designs
We had short darts before Dart Zone jumped in. Worker half darts are superior in so many ways but Dart Zone wins for accessibility in North America. Would half darts have become as quickly adopted without DZ? Hard to say if other companies would've jumped in instead.
I said I gave them credit for entering the scene with the MK-1 (and half darts) but then really optimizing down to the affordable, pro options like the Nexus. Their recent offerings don't feel as strong, and while part of that is because the competition has gotten fiercer, another part is their own design choices. If you wanna throw everything under "complaining" then I guess we're not allowed to share honest critiques and concerns anymore.
First🤓
I think that the first failures that we saw with their products was caused by trying to fulfill too many hobby wishlists without calculating how those features work together. I know everyone dogs Nerf's extremely long development cycle, but it works for a reason. Maybe DZ should look at extending their development cycle a little and make testing a bit more extensive. Or maybe I'm dumb.
Trying to appease the hobby will always be a recipe for disaster because we're a fickle bunch. And yeah while Dart Zone doesn't put out blasters at the same rate as Nerf it means those releases are more likely to be scrutinized. A serious mistake probably hurts a lot more.
@beretnarf yeah FICKLE is a understatement I mean look at what this video is about...Fickle Fickle Fickle
@@allencarey7336 your comments do a better job of appearing fickle than mine lol
Wow. This was a great summary of the Dart Zone experience. Thanks for putting in all the time and work to do this. Keep up the great work.
Honestly I've never used the term "blaster tag", but I agree that it's just an unnecessary cost that is just going to be bad press for them.
Great honest Vid Man, and this is why I watch you, cheers 👊🏻👽
If I remember correctly, Dart Zone did more than ignore complaints about the MK 1.2. They blamed it on user error, despite those users being competitive players with years of blaster experience. Although I don't really care about Dart Zone since their stuff still isn't available here. The only part that might be relevant to me is the 'blaster tag' trademark.
They have definitely come a LONG way since the first blaster they put out at 180$ plus shipping...and it was hot trash that was really cool...it jammed so so much...was hard to unjam as well. But they definitely still have issues
imo... omnia still beats the stryfe x out of the box (except if it doesn't rev)
You mean the hypothetical Omnia Pro with no problems? Or are you actually saying that you'd still take a current inaccurate one?
@@beretnarf I mean the current one. I don't have a single blaster that I don't have to adjust where I am aiming and I am saving 30$? (also I believe there are some quick fixes for both the aiming and the delay)
I saw the sh17 for Blaster bash two days after. I live 60 miles away! Pshh.
Sometimes you like to use blasters still in the box, not just ready out of the box
True!
I pretty much always prefer the classic thumb tab mag release like an AK47 i really don't like the pistol grip well push button releases
Bert - if you're listening...i'm kinda bummed myself but i'm not giving up...I'm motivated you see. I recently (before even trying pro-x and seagulls) kicked out all long dart blasters from my collection with the exception of my 5or7kg alphatrooper (pick and choose spring based on speed of prime 5kg was fave but poor dist.) and the 12kg ionfire (using falconfire upgrade spring) both of these systems rocked the precisepro/exactstrike series darts and the ionfire even takes trimmed down darts...but my upgraded rival killed it and yeah my upgraded hyper does even better. Haha my 12 and 13 coil k25 hop-up hyper even beats the pro-x out of the box...but...a stock hammershot spring behind the pro-x spring brings it up to spec...but I still have 800+ mother fluffin' gorsh dern long darts and daaaaaaag nabbbbbit I want the best long dart sys...even if I have to upgrade/downgrade --- it's come down to this MK 1.2. Don't hate me...the prime on nexuspro jerks my twice broken arm and I foresee that happening with other iterations too like the stryker...it came down to jurrasic pro or the 1.2 and I have a feeling I can get one last hurrah with my long darts with that 100 fps spring and perhaps a spacer. Kinda like a pre-pro-x that kept it's long dart feature. I have dreamed a dream and now that dream has --- aww nuts!!! I may regret this...but I just watched every 1.2 video. Yours actually depressed me the most...but also made me make my final decision. Already have a pro-x and seagull...I wanna see something really really beat my donkey slappin ionfires with trimmed exact strikes or all the darts from a 35 rd drum landing in the same spot like the 5kg alphatrooper!! Last chance for long darts...and it's worth $80 to try. 😢 (dart zone lng and lng sureshot in the mail...they may be the same just diff colors)
Corporate lawyers explain a lot of the things you are confused about.
Corporation that size cannot directly admit fault. Ever. It opens them up to legal risks that they couldn’t defend. Any public statement has to run through a PR team and a legal team, and it’s obvious they wrote the final version.
It also explains the trademark registration. I work as a consultant in the tech industry, and you see copyrights and trademarks filed there at a rate comparable to a proton pack spewing foam down range. They filed it in case they need it, and more importantly, to make sure Hasbro doesn’t do it first.
I am not saying any of this excuses their actions. I’m just providing some missing context. I have confidence that they will fix the issues with the Omnia, and they’re going to be able to treat the community right, IF WE HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE.
You can love a company and still criticize them when they make mistakes. (I am a longtime Blizzard fan, I know better than most the struggle of loving and hating a company at the same time). this type of conversation is what we need, because, unlike Hasbro, Dart Zone is trying to listen.
I'm with you about wanting to use blasters out of the box. I have modded. I've been involved in this hobby for many years. I'm an old school modder before kits and 3d printed parts. I've been there done that. Modded many retaliators and Longshots and stryfes. I don't enjoy that so much anymore especially with so many so called playable blasters out the box. I liked the nexus pro and max Stryker (not perfect blasters but playable at a decent price point) but the other more expensive blasters I've been let down in similar ways as you expressed. I wasn't quick enough to get the omnia pro thankfully but the other offerings I really don't even want to play with because I don't want to use a blaster if I'm worried about it performing correctly. My homemade brass breech Longshot performs better and more reliable then a lot of these blasters and anyone that's made a brass breech mag fed blaster knows how finicky they can be
Ordered the simple new hammer action pistol Max gor myself for Xmas. Love the style, size, power! It broke with no hammer locking and shooting anything after less than 20 shots! A POS😢
From what I see worker is still the best. Their product keep surpassing the previous. I am sure the next will be a top brushless flywheel with mosef at affordable price. Do not buy Omnia now, wait for worker phoenix 3.0. I am sure they will come out one.
What I see is, you love Dartzone and you truly want them to do good that why criticism is necessary.
If the marketing was better and they didn't change the date, the colorado blaster bash could have been a lot better. But the pricing structure was wacky lol
SELL THE MK-4.0 IF U DON WAN IT BRO. 😭
I did
We won the Pro Tour in 2022. We were supposed to be the company that ran the event or tournament but we didn’t as it was a conflict of interest. Instead we fielded 2 teams practiced since 2019 and won everything. We were disappointed with the rules, blaster jams just as anyone else. We wanted that tournament to hit espn or garner thousands of views but it didn’t accumulate to much. Our hobby has many different organizations running their own pro events or tournaments but how do we unify to the point where we can have an actual pro league with teams in each major city etc. We need the financial backing to make that happen. Living in NY why would we travel with 10 players to California for a $500 prize? We are all for helping this sport grow but feels like we are still all over the place.
Yup and why would we send 10 players from CA to NY for a $500 prize? I don't know how to fully unify the different, regional groups, and in truth maybe they never will be? So I at least hope those organizations can become the best versions of themselves in the meantime. That's where the DZPT fumbled the ball because it could've taken the FPT to that next level. Congrats on the win and I can only hope that they were willing to listen to your teams' feedback with open ears and minds.
Spot on man. It was such a great opportunity to unite the factions lol. Keep in touch
When the large corporation acts like a large corporation.
I don’t see how this is much of a surprise, they’ve listened to us a lot but in the end companies like this always need to make more money
Periodic reminder that they are, in fact, a very small, privately held company.
Represent!
The only thing I disagree with is when you said "our small hobby." Small hobbies don't get an aisle at Wal Mart.
I think it's still hard to tell how big our hobby is. Getting blasters on store shelves means they're available, but not everyone who even picks that up is participating online or attending games. Idk who all considers themselves to be a part of it.
If we can still be mad at Nerf for their bullshit 3 years later, its only fair we do the same for Dart Zone
We must stay mad lol.
The DZ Dictator is still my favorite of the entire product line from DZ. Its accuracy issues are easily fixed by a 6" scar (which both gives more barrel space for the volume of air the plunger tube generates, and adds spin to the dart), and it's just more fun.
I had zero accuracy problems with my Dictator, but my absolute favorite part was the $15 at Target.