--- title: "Nerf’s New DRM’d Ultra Blaster Won’t Fire Knockoff Darts" description: "A new line of foam dart blasters called Nerf Ultra that promise to launch specially designed darts from 120 feet away won't work with knockoff darts." date: "2019-09-24" modified: "2019-09-24" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/nerf-drm-ultra-blaster-knockoff-darts" categories: - "Robots and Machines" tags: - "copyright" - "the digest" - "toys" - "warefare" --- # Nerf’s New DRM’d Ultra Blaster Won’t Fire Knockoff Darts ![]() *\Image: Nerf\* ## Nerfed! Remember when Keurig used digital rights management (DRM) to force its coffee machines to only accept company-approved coffee pods? Now, foam dart toy brand Nerf, by Hasbro, is trying something similar. A new line of foam dart blasters called Nerf Ultra promise to launch specially-designed darts 120 feet — but the system won't work with knockoff darts, [*The Wall Street Journal* reports](). How exactly the blaster detects an incompatible dart is still unclear. ## Cheap Imitations Knockoff Nerf darts have become ubiquitous in the industry thanks to their simple design that makes them "easy to copy," Hasbro VP Michael Ritchie told the *WSJ.* The new DRM could make Hasbro a bucket of money. Twenty of the new Ultra darts will put you back ten bucks — for the same amount you can pick up 200 previous-generation knockoff darts on Amazon. ## Knockoff Blasters Knockoff blasters have also been flooding the market, undercutting Nerf and causing them to lose some of their market share, the *WSJ* reports. Whether or not the new Ultra lineup of blasters and darts will manage to keep the third-party industry at bay is unclear. As [*The Verge* put it](): "If the new darts are good, the community will find a way." **READ MORE:** [Parents, Beware: Nerf’s Newest Blasters Won’t Fire Knockoff Darts]() \[*The Wall Street Journal*\] **More on toys:** *The Toybox 3D Printer Deluxe Bundle Lets Kids Print Their Own Toys* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()