I have thrown Storm and Roto Grip balls for many years and have enjoyed just about every ball I've had the pleasure of owning (VG Nano Pearl notwithstanding).  I'm starting to wonder though about the direction of the company's products. It seems to me that Storm has become satisfied just recycling cores and covers. The spring releases this year seem to support this idea. We have the Lights Out (recycled R2S Hybrid+Turbine), Freaking Frantic (recycled 2 Fast/Fringe), Supernatural (Turbine + "new" U3S cover), and 2 new colors for the Tropical Breeze Pearl. Go back to the past year and the IQ Tours are reworkings of the Centripetal Core with the R2S thrown on them, the Reign of Power recycles the C.A.M core. Even the Sync's G7 core is a reworking of the Shape Lock which reared its head in 2007 with the NRG cover. Storm has done this in Asia for a while. Just today I saw the Marvel S on an Asian site (http://stormbowlingthailand.com/Balls.html although the data sheet link for this ball is broken) which is the Centripetal core with the NRG. It seems like the US Market is now getting the international treatment in turns of recycling.

Storm has renamed/recycled balls before and I know other companies have done it as well. The worst example is probably Ebonite's Endure/Persevere being released 3 months apart with only a slight surface change difference although Rising Star/Wrecker comes close. Anyway, has Storm cut down on R&D and just become satisfied with mixing and matching covers and cores to drive sales? Product drives sales but so does innovation. I won't be buying any of the new releases this Spring because I already own something similar that Storm has previously released. I don't think I'm the only one who isn't really excited about the Spring releases.  I'm curious to hear what other bowlers think on this topic.

This is a great topic. Storm and Rotogrip have been doing this for a while. As long as there is a market, they will continue. And it isn't like they are recycling garbage. These are popular release they are mixing/matching. I know.have 2 Light Out on order. LOL! The Wrecker is an amazing piece that all things considered is nothing more than the Rising Star. But when balls are selling, its hard to say,... "Ok, Let's make something totally new."

I have a supernatural on order..I love my natural and I'm Intrigued by the hybrid cover.

Well if you like the idea of the Lights Out you should love the Fast. Exact same ball. Core specs read a hair different but not enough to justify the rerelease in my opinion.

Of course others have done this also. Columbia did it with the Burst which was a recolored renamed Resurgence. But, hat was a popular top end ball that many wanted to see offered again.

Now I would be a big fan of Storm bringing in some lower end introductions in the Polar Ice line maybe that used Curyelon. I think there is a great market out there for that cover. And a limited run of some Domination cored balls for the U.S. with with R2S solid and pearl and R2X solid and pearl. But that would probably hang with their top end balls so it would blur their product lines.

And finally, the OP is a bit misguided or forgetful of cores and covers they have tried. The IQ cores are all new, The Marvel cores before that were and Marvel pearl cover was (mica loaded). The Anarchy and Invasions were all new cores and covers. The Vivid was a new core and the Lucid used that core with a new cover, Reign of Power benefits from an older core with a newer cover, and the lowere tier line has gone from Tropical Storm, to Tropical Breeze, to Tropical Heat in the last 10 years.....that is a lot of development for the entry level market and it drove all the other companies to catch up by upping their game in that segment.

No....Storm is doing just fine. Watch for an IQ Hybrid next and how well that one will sell. If they stick the right color and scent on it it will be the top seller come late summer into fall.

Quote from: 2handedrook12 on April 16, 2013, 04:35:04 PM

I like the idea of the lights out because i've watched bowlers who threw a tropical heqt and needed more reaction. I also think storm is trying to match up covers and cores without being to far away from the original idea. And i think the shape lock hd is too far different from the g2 core with a different shape on the lane. Also be aware that other companies secretly use the same covers with a different name. And they give them different names sometimes due to different additives in different bowling balls. But don't get me wrong therw are alot of similar bowling balls in the storm family. But to be honest, the wrecker and the rising star reacted different for me. Wrecker had more backend and the rising star was a bit rolly. Look at the difference in successful products in dv8, storm,  and roto grip. Compared to ebonite who has had multiple high performance introductions in the last 3 year's.  Not bashing them just referring to the marketing.

Actually the Lights Out is a hybrid cover, the Freakin' Frantic is the pearl that is basically same ball as Fast and 2Fasy

Besides, I don't think ANY core has been "recycled" as much as the gas mask core used in the Black Widows and Taboo's, and then tweaked for the Vibes. Just sayin.

LOL!! I think this says it all, although everything mentioned above is all true as well! If it ain't broke you don't fix it! Storm has had great success with a number of pieces, so why not mix and match covers/cores to try and get different looks from different combos. All of the cores they are using are proven winners....they can't go wrong! I don't look at it as lazy R&D.....I look at it as being creative.

So it would seem. I was going off the info from a local staffer who posted on Facebook that the Lights Out was R2S pearl. Sorry about the confusion. Bill I did not know they used the MAD core previously....thanks for the info.

The Fast was a pure pearl. The Lights Out is a hybrid and technically the first time it has been released in this combination. Different covers.
The 2Fast, Fringe and now Freakin Frantic are all the R2S pearl, BUT many people believe that color makes a difference in ball hook potential and  how it reads the lane. To me, my Frantics, even though hybrid, seemed to push easier than my Fringes. Maybe it has to do with the green pearl that was used in the Frantic, and now looks very similar to the green pearl of the Freakin Frantic.  I kinda always felt that red bowling balls hooked the most and maybe that's why the Fringe hooked sooner for me, with my slower ball speed.

The other issue, I think this is a really great core. The 2Fast and Fringe should've sold much better than they did.The 2Fast was a great looking ball, but not flashy. The Fringe, either customers liked or hated, nothing really in between as far as looks. Even in today's game, color of the bowling ball still has a factor in a persons decisions to buy or not, especially at the lower price points.  Hopefully the color and name change will live up to the  strong sales of the Frantic.

These are my own personal beliefs based on my experiences as a pro shop operator and bowler, and not that of Storms.


Besides, I don't think ANY core has been "recycled" as much as the gas mask core used in the Black Widows and Taboo's, and then tweaked for the Vibes. Just sayin.

Tommy, did storm modify the core any on the freakin frantic?

I have noticed that most all of Storm's releases lately have been more mid to early hookers.  I personally hope that Utah as a whole is not going that route.  The defiant edge was a bit later, same witht he VG Nano and Critical Theory, but the soul looks like it hooks a bit earlier than the Edge.  I like the looks of how most of the balls from Utah look, and have a buddy who has thrown predominately Storm/Roto for  12 years, but with the direction my game and shot is going, i can't see myself with a mid or early hooking ball.