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Collectibles => Past Hasbro 3.75" Lines => 30th Anniversary Collection => Topic started by: Brian on April 5, 2007, 09:49 AM

Title: Future of Star Wars Collecting - v2
Post by: Brian on April 5, 2007, 09:49 AM
Sorry to bring this up again, as this is a topic we've discussed before (in the TSC thread), but after reading through the loyalty to Hasbro thread it got me to thinking about it again.  We all know that Hasbro has the license to at least 2018, but I'm really wondering what we'll be getting at that point.  At the current Hasbro pace of at least 60 figures per year, we could have an additional 600 figures released in that time (at least) - if the line continued to go that strongly for the entire time.  Now, I'm not sure there will be quite that much juice to it, but you never know.

I guess - barring TV shows and any new movies (doubtful) - I don't see what they could possibly be making figures of at that point, aside from some sort of "restart" of the line.  Now maybe sculpt/articulation/paint/etc. will improve that much from the current offerings, but I guess I have trouble seeing that.  Many figures (such as the vintage line, and many of the recent basic line offerings) are pretty near perfect and I don't see how they could be improved upon much.  Of course, maybe we said the same things during the POTF2 days ("buffness" aside) - and look how far things have advanced since then.

Just looking at what is being offered this year in the basic line (and last year), there has been a good mix of fairly definitive main character sculpts and some pretty obscure background characters.  You would think in the next few years, most of people's want lists will be pretty well covered.  We'll probably see more TV (toon and live action) figures peppered into the line (or maybe a subline) in the next couple years, and EU (comics/books) are getting more attention than ever now.  Taking all of this into consideration, what do you think the future of the Star Wars line holds?  Do you think it will last until 2018, and if so, in what capacity?  I'm not saying I don't want it to continue, but I can't imagine seeing another 600+ figures over the next ten years.  Will sculpting/articulation/etc. improve that much in another five years?  What do you think will happen to the line in the future?  What would you like to see happen?
Title: Re: Future of Star Wars Collecting - v2
Post by: speedermike on April 5, 2007, 10:22 AM
In a way, I actually se SW getting bigger.  If the animated Clone Wars show is any good, it will do very well, and will be a big hit with kids.  In general, TV shows sell more toys than movies.  Sure movies sell all their stuff within a few months and they take over a toy isle, but then they're gone.  TV stays around all year and sells, and sells.

I think Hasbro will take some chances witth other source material, such as Force Unleashed, and stick less closley to the movies.

I think that 10 years from now, there wiill still be SW on the pegs.  However, I think that the charcters/stories will unrecognizable to us.
Title: Re: Future of Star Wars Collecting - v2
Post by: David on April 5, 2007, 11:15 AM
Well they do have every vintage figure left to redo in the premium figure in repro card waves. Then I guess they could tackle PT stuff in that format, time allowing.

The shows should also provide good material. There will aways be video games, too. And everyone said all those years ago after The Last Cruscade that there would never be an Indiana Jones movie again, and now, eighteen years after The Last Cruscade, Indiana Jones 4 has begun filming. Could the same thing happen with Star Wars?

I can think of one hundred figures, no prob, that Hasbro has yet to do. And if every year after 2007 is as good as 2007 has been so far (unlikely  :( ) then I think we are in for a good future of Star Wars collecting.
Title: Re: Future of Star Wars Collecting - v2
Post by: Rob on April 5, 2007, 11:21 AM
Hasbro will definitely need to be creative about their releases, and at some point I doubt we'll be seeing 60 figures per year, but there isn't any reason they can't keep going and going and going especially with EU, playsets, more background characters, resculpts, and the viintage line... there are tons of things left to do.  And if the video game figures do well, you can bet we'll get more of those in the future - even from past games.
Title: Re: Future of Star Wars Collecting - v2
Post by: CHEWIE on April 5, 2007, 11:25 AM
I don't see the line ending anytime soon or them having any trouble whatsover filling the line with figures through 2018... or even beyond.  I remember doomsdayers saying the line would end in 2006, it's funny how wrong they were.

Moving forward they will probably continue to offer some new characters here and there, resculpts, rehashes, etc. from the films.  And dip into EU more and more, the TV series, etc.  I agree with speedermike that Star Wars might get even bigger.  But I don't think the characters will be unrecognizeable, at least not all of them.  We'll always see Vader, Luke, Han, Yoda, Kenobi, etc. as the heart of the characters of Star Wars and Hasbro will always make sure there are core characters to the films available each year.

I also see things like Battle Packs as a strong selling point for the line in the future... I mean look at all the possibilities they can do now that they haven't made yet, and so many down the road they can do.  For example, in 2-3 years maybe we get a Cantina Battle Pack with Myo, Gotal, and a few other aliens thrown in.  Just so many possibilities... and remember that the new figures that are out now and over the next few years will be prime material for repacks further on down the road to supplement the new sculpts... Wow, I remember back around 2000 chatting with people saying they should rehash some figures, and people were ADAMENT that Hasbro/Kenner would never do that... and here it is now part of their primary marketing strategy.

I don't really like at times Hasbro, but they do have a plan that has seemed to work and I don't see why they won't continue to do so.

 :P
Title: Re: Future of Star Wars Collecting - v2
Post by: Since1978 on April 5, 2007, 11:28 AM
I believe we'll keep going strong until at least the end of the live action TV series - which if it starts in 2009, should run until 2013 given the episode count they're talking about - perhaps a year after that we'll see it finally slow down in popularity unless there's something else coming along to keep the interest up - another movie, another TV series, whatever - and given the Lucas empire, I strongly doubt that they'll let it go.

As far as figures are concerned, I think the line will continue to move forward very well.  Seeing as we're now effectively two years after ROTS, sales and release quantities seem very similar, and the interest seems just as strong.  The same could not be said in 1985 when Star Wars collecting previously "died."

What will the figures be?  I think they'll continue with the format for this year (obviously with tweaks and the requisite packaging changes), introducing a stronger dose of TV-based figures over the next couple of years as those productions ramp up.  Considering some of the wish lists that I've seen (my own included) I know there's plenty of remaining movie-character options - my current list is around 250 - so there's more than a third of your "600" figures.  There will always be some minor variation they can do on the main characters to keep those in the line (DS Escape Luke and Han - take the VOTC figures and add Stormtrooper belts or Lando "Ewok Celebration" - for a couple of examples) as well as PUH-LENTY of Cantina Denizens, Jabba Henchmen, Ewoks and random soldiers.

I do believe that at some point they'll move to a true "collector" series type of release where the figures get so obscure, or so long-term collector focused, that they'll have to come out separately from the main line, and likely at a higher price due to lower distribution.  Again, for example, I really want ALL of the Padme outfits that they haven't done yet, and there are something like 25 of them - it's doubtful that ALL of them will make it into the basic line.  So if I have to pay extra to get the "Kohun Attack" Padme because it's in a special collector focused line, so be it.

There will also continue to be a very healthy dose of video game and comic book characters for the EU segment - FU and similar releases will continue to garner more and more attention with collectors - Darth Revan is only the start this year, with any luck he'll be as popular as the polls indicate he will - as that just shows that the EU segment really does have a market and that they can grow it.  Many of you from that "other" board know me as EU hater, but that's only when EU is chosen in favor of movie characters - at this point I look at it a little differently, that the EU is one of the keys that will keep the interest in the line over the next several years, which may keep the movie characters coming - so long as there's interest, Hasbro will keep making them.

I also question the 600 estimate - I think it will be higher by the time you count two-packs, battle-packs, collector multi-packs and similar non-basic releases - so let's bump that to 1000 figures between now and 2018 (IF it continues that long) - I'd guess that it'll break down into something about like:

350 Movie
350 TV & "New Cannon"
300 EU - VG, Comics, Novels

Sure there will be rehashes and re-releases in that mix, but over that 10 year run, there will be a LOT of great stuff.

Remember that 2017 (40th Anniv. to the math challenged) is the year before that "end" and lord knows what Lucas will do around that time, something tells me that somewhere in the back of his mind, is the desire to "remake" Episodes 4, 5 and 6 to make them "fit" better with the PT.  An unholy comment to most here, but he's the kind that constantly meddles, so you can't rule out that sort of possibility.

Then we get to start ALL over again!

Cheers,

'78
Title: Re: Future of Star Wars Collecting - v2
Post by: Brian on April 5, 2007, 11:37 AM
Quote
I also question the 600 estimate - I think it will be higher by the time you count two-packs, battle-packs, collector multi-packs and similar non-basic releases - so let's bump that to 1000 figures between now and 2018 (IF it continues that long)

Yeah, I was using a conservative estimate of an average of 60 figures per year, which we know if its anything like this year will be much higher than that once you consider battle packs, Saga Legends, comic packs, etc.  As it was mentioned in one of the GH Q and A's a week or two back, there's already been something like 85 figures released in 2007 all things considered.  A big year, to say the least.  I think you guys are right, Star Wars has plenty of life left in it.  I mean, who would think we would have a 60 figure basic line, plus comic packs, battle packs, Saga Legends, VTAC, etc. in a non-movie year - two years after the last movie release.  More than enough stuff out there, and plenty to keep it going for awhile, I'm just curious what the line will look like 5-10 years from now.  I think it will definitely be there, at least in some capacity, and it will be interesting to see where it goes.  I know my wife sometimes asks me "will they ever stop making this stuff?" :).
Title: Re: Future of Star Wars Collecting - v2
Post by: CHEWIE on April 5, 2007, 11:41 AM
You know another thing that I really think makes the line strong now - the internet.  Star Wars didn't have that in the early-mid 80s to talk about this stuff, spread interest and excitement, etc.  Plus now there are two markets - kids and collectors.  There's so much more potential for the line these days to keep it going long after ROTS.

 :P
Title: Re: Future of Star Wars Collecting - v2
Post by: TheBlackDog65 on April 5, 2007, 12:09 PM
I made this point in my post about loyalty to Hasbro.  Lucas did a wonderful thing with the prequels if you love collecting this line. What he did was to raise interest in the line and bring a whole new generation into collecting. Thus as old farts like me, transition out, we are/have been replaced by 2 to 4 new collectors. This should extend the line for up to 8 years if not 10 and by then you have the TV series and the other cartoons.  A combination of both shows the marketing genius of Lucas. The cartoons will bring in kids, and the series will drive new figures and new characters. Overall the health of the line is fine as others have already stated, and I think it will last for sometime, unless something unforseeable at this time comes up in technology that changes the marketplace.
Title: Re: Future of Star Wars Collecting - v2
Post by: Brian on April 5, 2007, 12:47 PM
Quote
Lucas did a wonderful thing with the prequels if you love collecting this line. What he did was to raise interest in the line and bring a whole new generation into collecting. Thus as old farts like me, transition out, we are/have been replaced by 2 to 4 new collectors.

That's a good point.  The prequels were definitely a success from that sales/marketing standpoint, especially with ROTS.  I wonder what would have happened to the figure line post-OT special editions, if the prequels weren't on the horizon.  Of course, part of the reason those were released was to raise interest in SW with TPM on the way, so I guess a lot of things would have been different.
Title: Re: Future of Star Wars Collecting - v2
Post by: Morgbug on April 5, 2007, 01:27 PM
I dunno, I don't think the prequels did quite as much as we think.  They really aren't that good as movies, in as much as they won't have the holding power for the imagination like the OT did.  Sure, people started collecting toys because of them, but contrast that to LOTR from ToyBiz.  Great set of movies, arguably a better trilogy than the OT and surely a better trilogy than the PT but the toyline is dead.  Guys are dumping stuff left, right and center. 

Will that happen with the PT collectors (The Next Generation :P)?  I have no idea, but I don't think the newer collectors have the same love of the toys as our generation did.  They're much more fickle and readily move on to new, different stuff as they've been taught to in our disposable society. To use BlackDogs number, sure, 2-4 collectors move in for each of us old farts, but how many stick it out for 20+ years?  Not many, if not zero is my guess.  If the movies had been done based more on plot and actual character development than relying on cliches and CGI, then there might be staying power on the level that LOTR holds.  But I don't see that and aside from the SW brand, I figure the PT DVDs would be in the $5 bin at Walmart. 

Brian's conservative number scares me too.  I'm already questioning spending as much as I do annually on this junk, and carrying it forward for 10+ years?  Yikes.  I'm viewing this year as a desperate grab by Hasbro for cash before people start forgetting the movie hype.  I do agree there's lots of nice product coming but the sheer volume is amazing. 

All I know is I'll stop actively buying lots of stuff well before the line dries up. 
Title: Re: Future of Star Wars Collecting - v2
Post by: Artoo on April 5, 2007, 02:00 PM
The shows should also provide good material. There will aways be video games, too. And everyone said all those years ago after The Last Cruscade that there would never be an Indiana Jones movie again, and now, eighteen years after The Last Cruscade, Indiana Jones 4 has begun filming. Could the same thing happen with Star Wars?
It ahs with SW before. Lucas a little bit after ROTJ said there would be no more (or something like that) then in the 90's we got bored & made the prequels.

I see the line lasting until atleast 2015. Maybe if sales are aren't good with retail it'll move as a collector's only line. There's a crap load of EU characters when we got basically every cool characetr the movies have to offer. As far as main characters go, when we run out of movie costumes, EU has a bunch which will keep kids happy because they can find their Anakin or Han & keep us happy by getting something new.
Title: Re: Future of Star Wars Collecting - v2
Post by: Since1978 on April 5, 2007, 02:13 PM
I don't know that I agree with your point there Morgbug - sure the movies weren't as good, but that's from the perspective of a 30/40 something that was young when the first movies came out.  Yes they're better, but some of what makes them better is the nostalgia factor, and the fact that we were seven (give or take) when we first saw ANH.  Many of the kids today may grow up with the same nostalgia and love for the PT, I know I still see kids to this day that run to the pegs begging mom for an Anakin or Obi-Wan, and whenever I see that it gives me GREAT hope!

I think with the upcoming TV series will just continue the wave where ROTS left off.  The fact that we're doing as well as we are two years out is a GOOD sign that it'll just increase when new material comes along.  If anything this year isn't a desperate money grab it's a reaction to last year's surprise.  They had LOW expectations for last year, and the sales greatly exceeded their expectations - I think that's why we kept seeing so many re-mix cases through the last half of the year, as they had to go back and produce more based on the demand that they were experiencing.

As for your comparison to LOTR, obviously there's some flaw - and I think it's the fact that a superior movie doesn't mean that the toys will be popular.  LOTR was arguably a better trilogy of movies, and enjoyed immense popularity while it was out, alas it just didn't click with the toy buying public outside of it's core audience - thus when the movies went away, the interest in the line went away and only the core audience was left, which happens to be much smaller than the audience for SW.  That's a long way to say that SOMETHING about Star Wars just CLICKS with kids, it reaches them on a much more fundamental level than something like LOTR - which was a much more adult story (hmmm, circle back to my comment about *when* we saw the OT).  My wife would tell you countless stories about the boys on the playground at school playing "Star Wars" and fighting over who got to be Anakin - many of them had never even seen ROTS because they were deemed too young (by their parents) to see a PG-13 movie.

Heck, even in a year where there was a HUGE blockbuster in POTC2, the SW toys still maintained their status as the number one boy's toy property.

So while we may not have thought the movies were as good, it doesn't mean that they didn't have the desired effect - setting up a whole new generation of addicts.  The fact that the movie was designed in that regard is subject to a completely different debate, and maybe the fact that they weren't the greatest films is part of what will keep the line moving forward - how's that for a two-edged sword?

'78
Title: Re: Future of Star Wars Collecting - v2
Post by: Morgbug on April 5, 2007, 04:36 PM
Here's hoping you're right and I'm wrong. 

I agree about the nostalgia, but part of the nostalgia is a function of the time.  I'm sure kids are playing "star wars" at playgrounds and elsewhere.  I know friends that bring their sons to my house just to see the sheer volume of crap I own and they are in utter awe.  Jaw open, speechless kids look pretty cool.  But they also seem to move on very quickly these days and it's the old movies and their toys versus video games debate.  I just don't know if the "new generation" will have that nostalgia when all is said and done.

With respect to LOTR, I'll disagree with you if you don't mind.  LOTR sales where I am were huge.  Movie attendance was big and it wasn't just adults, there were tons of kids in those theaters too.  They were buying toys and while a sword isn't quite as cool as a lightsaber, I'm old enough that swords were cool before there were lightsabers. ;)  And really, they're the same thing, especially once Hollywood gets hold of them.  So I think the decline in LOTR toy popularity is owing more to "attention span" than a 'click' or nostalgia or anything else. 

Digressing even further, I'm not sure there's still something in the PT that really clicks with kids.  I don't see it quite so clearly.  I think the potential was there, but it was overwhelmed by poor writing/directing combined with too much CGI.  The PT story, (the fall of Anakin Skywalker) had the potential for greatness but it was never quite fulfilled.  Stifling acting in TPM, pointless time wasted on developing a love in AOTC both contribute to that lack of fulfillment.  ROTS was pretty good and did away with a lot of the pointless, wooden dialogue.  But a trilogy that does not make. 

There was also a significant lack of consistency in terms of a villain for the PT.  Oh sure, we all know Anakin's going down the tubes and that's fine.  But kids just aren't going to dig an "evil politician" in Palpatine and Count Dooku was fairly lame too.  I do think there was a classic villain to be had in all this, but they cut him in half at the end of the first movie (in what still is my favorite light saber battle of all time, so the movie isn't without redeeming features).  I just think Lucas and friends did a fine job of making the PT not so classic, not so fundamental that it clicks.  It was just too inconsistent in too many ways.  My contention is that you could show the kids of today the original movie and they'd be playing Darth Vader instead of Anakin, it's still cool, just the modern version won't stick. 

As I said, I hope you're right, not me.  And I do appreciate your comments, they are well reasoned. 
Title: Re: Future of Star Wars Collecting - v2
Post by: Since1978 on April 5, 2007, 05:25 PM
we could most certainly go down a LONG diatribe about how the PT didn't have any consistency, and what was lacking - I agree with pretty much every point you make, but like I said at the end - I think that's a separate discussion (you pretty much noted the same thing).  I always wish that I could edit together Episodes I and II into a true "Episode I" come up with a true Clone Wars Episode II and then with those two, you can still stick ROTS on the end - with a very few tweaks (mostly in the dialog).  The biggest failing in the villian is that EVERYONE knew that Palpatine was the bad guy, there was no hiding it because it was a prequel...  I could go on forever.

And it's fine to disagree, I appreciate the compliment as all I'm trying to put forward are semi-sound arguements for how the PT can have the same effect on kids - I think ALL of the failings that you and I might list about the PT - bad acting, overly CGI, etc.  made them so "Video Game" that perhaps their very failing as a film is what makes them stick with the current short attention span generation - and could be the same reason that LOTR failed to achieve any longevity.

At any rate, we'll hope Star Wars keeps enough staying power to stay popular until the TV shows get into full swing, and then see what the future holds from there.  For now though Hasbro is doing very well, so I don't see a shift any time soon!

'78

Title: Re: Future of Star Wars Collecting - v2
Post by: Artoo on April 5, 2007, 05:29 PM
I've never seen a kid pick up any PT charcaters unless it was a clone or droid. The ones I see pick up OT characters. That proves, that atleast in my area, the OT is still popular. Maybe it's just because kids are now getting into the OT, with the PT story done, who knows.
Title: Re: Future of Star Wars Collecting - v2
Post by: speedermike on April 5, 2007, 07:01 PM
I've seen plenty of kids buy PT characters.  I actually saw a kid recently digging through the figures looking for Qui-Gon!
Title: Re: Future of Star Wars Collecting - v2
Post by: Artoo on April 5, 2007, 07:35 PM
I've never seen it. I'm sure it happens because I didn't see half of Geonosis or Naboo wave. Poor kid looking for a non-existent Qui-Gon figure.  :-\
Title: Re: Future of Star Wars Collecting - v2
Post by: Darth_Anton on April 9, 2007, 09:41 AM
I've been taking things on a year by year basis. It scares me to look too far into the future because then the question becomes, how old is too old to collect. By just taking in the current year, it gives me focus. Also, my main collecting goal right now is to complete an Imperial Batallion which I realised is one of my life long collecting goals. After that. I'll take a look at where I want to go.
Title: Re: Future of Star Wars Collecting - v2
Post by: Darth_Anton on April 23, 2007, 09:41 AM
Been thinking hard about this question lately. Right now, I want to say that 30 AC might be my last year as a completist. I might try to do what I did with E1 before it went on cearance, drop a carded collection and just get figures I really want like OT figures.
Title: Re: Future of Star Wars Collecting - v2
Post by: JesseVader08 on April 23, 2007, 03:23 PM
Been thinking hard about this question lately. Right now, I want to say that 30 AC might be my last year as a completist. I might try to do what I did with E1 before it went on cearance, drop a carded collection and just get figures I really want like OT figures.

I've enjoyed my collecting of Hasbro figures a lot more since I did exactly that.  Buy what I like, pass on what I don't.
Title: Re: Future of Star Wars Collecting - v2
Post by: CHEWIE on April 23, 2007, 04:27 PM
I dunno, I don't think the prequels did quite as much as we think. 

I think they did MORE than a lot of us think... really, what would be on pegs right now if not for the prequels?  The "clone craze" has done so much for Star Wars... I'm not sure that the line would have gone much past the year 2000 if not for the prequels... or at least, if it did, it would be much smaller.

I also think with how much most people liked ROTS it really changes things, and the success allows for more of a delve into EU with the pre-ANH era... now if ROTS were a weaker film, such as AOTC or God forbid down to TPM territory, then yeah the line would be in trouble and the prequels would have more of a short term impact... granted, it hasn't been that long since ROTS debuted, but it seems like it will continue to keep the prequels above water.  So no worries for me other than on my wallet.

Also, I know not everyone customizes, but if you take a look around the various boards at customs and photonovels, most of it's prequel stuff that people are making.  There's a lot of interest in that area and I think it's going to continue... when the TV series hits, I think that most people will turn their interest to that timeline but the prequels for now still generate a ton of interest.

 :P
Title: Re: Future of Star Wars Collecting - v2
Post by: speedermike on April 23, 2007, 05:56 PM
I agree.  The silent majority liked the Prequels a lot.  TPM did over 400  Million in 1999.  Even with the lousy word of mouth that it generated, it was still a huge hit.  And I think that ROTS ended the whole thing on a high note.
Title: Re: Future of Star Wars Collecting - v2
Post by: Artoo on April 23, 2007, 09:16 PM
I dunno, I don't think the prequels did quite as much as we think. 
I also think with how much most people liked ROTS it really changes things, and the success allows for more of a delve into EU with the pre-ANH era... now if ROTS were a weaker film, such as AOTC or God forbid down to TPM territory
I feel AOTC was a much weaker film, it's box office record helps that. It's the only SW movie NOT to be #1 all year in the U.S. That says something right there. If ROTS was like AOTC, boy we wouldn't have all these figures out this year.



But that's just my opinion. I'm not a group follower when it comes to AOTC vs. TPM.  :P


Back on topic, if we keep seeing TV series like Lucas plans to do, we may see figures from Hasbro untill their license expires in 2018. Plus, there's other EU sources to be help too.
Title: Re: Future of Star Wars Collecting - v2
Post by: Darth_Anton on April 24, 2007, 02:24 AM
I agree.  The silent majority liked the Prequels a lot.  TPM did over 400  Million in 1999.  Even with the lousy word of mouth that it generated, it was still a huge hit. 

What the films did in their year of release means nothing. The reason why the PT was made in the first place is because the OT was so damn good.  The PT may have been a huge financial success, but let's see how well they are regarded 30 years from now.

Title: Re: Future of Star Wars Collecting - v2
Post by: Morgbug on April 26, 2007, 01:51 PM
I dunno, I don't think the prequels did quite as much as we think. 

I think they did MORE than a lot of us think... really, what would be on pegs right now if not for the prequels?  The "clone craze" has done so much for Star Wars... I'm not sure that the line would have gone much past the year 2000 if not for the prequels... or at least, if it did, it would be much smaller.



The reality is that there'd be nothing on the pegs most probably without the prequels.  If Lucas hadn't decided to do the prequels I seriously doubt we'd have had the 1997 re-release of the OT films.  Without those re-released films, we wouldn't have had the POTF2 line released at allin all likelihood.  So it's a circular argument but it doesn't really support your point.  I'm with Anthony on this one with respect to his comment above mine. 

And I'm not convinced the clone craze has done much for Star Wars.  It's done a lot for Hasbro and Lucas, but for the movies?  Gee, I think I'd have been ok if they'd all been white and regular military instead of the rainbow clone brigade. 
Title: Re: Future of Star Wars Collecting - v2
Post by: Brian on April 26, 2007, 03:33 PM
Quote
And I'm not convinced the clone craze has done much for Star Wars.  It's done a lot for Hasbro and Lucas, but for the movies?  Gee, I think I'd have been ok if they'd all been white and regular military instead of the rainbow clone brigade. 

That's an interesting point.  I wonder how the majority of people feel about the rainbow clones - from the movie standpoint.  Granted, many to most of us buy up the majority of the variants in figure form, but would it have been better to see them as all white in the prequels as they were in the OT?  I guess I wouldn't have minded seeing them that way, but still having the Galactic Marine and Elite Corps troops as nods to the OT - but in all white.  Even clones with different "looks" like Cody would be ok, but still be all in white.  I'll admit, some of the colored clones look pretty cool (I like the shocktrooper look), but the colors have gotten a little crazy - and are obviously there to sell toys.  But, it works.
Title: Re: Future of Star Wars Collecting - v2
Post by: Morgbug on April 26, 2007, 04:23 PM
Oh I agree Brian, lots of them look really cool.  I'm partial to the 501st and Shock troopers myself. 

But I'm convinced the whole reason for going from white troops to color designations is nothing but marketing for the collectibles side of thing, Hasbro being primary, but others like Gentle Giant and Master Replicas have also benefited.  And I've bought right in too, though I think that hunger has been pretty well satiated by now. 

But the trooper variations in the OT struck me as functionality chanes to design: snowtroopers with skirts to help keep the extremities warm; biker scouts with more flexible armor for riding the bikes and maneuvering in the bush on Endor.  Functionality, not marketing. 

In AOTC we met the clones and it seemed that most were white with any variations in color designating rank and not much more.  Though I suppose they snuck in the pilots on us, but I'd assumed those were a precusor and functionality thing like the Tie Pilots they resembled.  ROTS introduced a spate of different functionality changes in terms of gear and I'm not opposed to that at all.  Commanders having different gear than grunts is groovy.  Jeez, having different gear for different purposes in different units strikes me as downright logical. 

But when I think of the different, blatantly obvious markings on the clones I think marketing, not unit designations.  Yeah, you could tell a paratrooper from an SS officer in German militia, but the differences weren't that obvious.  What's the point in the clones on Utapau having orange?  I can sort of accept the point of the camouflage on Kashyyk but I'm left scratching my head as a bunch of camo troops are standing on a beach.  Huh?  Yeah, I know, it was meant more for the forest that seemed to resemble Endor. 

I'm just kind of amazed at the inverse evolution of troopers in the Star Wars universe and I'm not sure it's a good thing.  I guess my concern stems from a fear of Lucas going back and Ted Turner-ing the OT with troopers from the rainbow world.   :-\  It's fun from a toy standpoint and bluntly put it's bloody brilliant marketing considering they can use a half dozen slightly different molds a dozen times each.  It's a perpetual money machine.  I get it and I'm not against them making money.  I just don't think it did anything for the movies is all. 
Title: Re: Future of Star Wars Collecting - v2
Post by: Brian on April 26, 2007, 04:29 PM
I agree with you Brent.  I like the gear/functionality differences in the troops, but the colors have gotten a little crazy.

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But I'm convinced the whole reason for going from white troops to color designations is nothing but marketing for the collectibles side of thing, Hasbro being primary, but others like Gentle Giant and Master Replicas have also benefited.  And I've bought right in too, though I think that hunger has been pretty well satiated by now.

Like you said, I think I'm pretty well satisfied with clones overall for now - after picking up the Galactic Marine, Airborne, and Elite Corps recently in particular.  I'm sure we'll see more and more "made up" clones, and maybe I'll even end up buying them, but like you said - it really seems like marketing genius more than anything else.  I have the same fear of the "super special editions" having colored Stormtroopers all of a sudden, but I really hope that is an unjustified fear.  Like you said, the AOTC clones weren't even quite as bad, as the colors designated rank differences.  Now the colors don't seem to have any rhyme or reason to them for the most part, like you said.  I guess I can't complain too much, I keep buying them like a sucker ;).  Great post(s) though Brent, I agree totally.
Title: Re: Future of Star Wars Collecting - v2
Post by: Dan on April 28, 2007, 08:09 PM
I dunno, I don't think the prequels did quite as much as we think. 

I think they did MORE than a lot of us think... really, what would be on pegs right now if not for the prequels?  The "clone craze" has done so much for Star Wars... I'm not sure that the line would have gone much past the year 2000 if not for the prequels... or at least, if it did, it would be much smaller.



The reality is that there'd be nothing on the pegs most probably without the prequels.  If Lucas hadn't decided to do the prequels I seriously doubt we'd have had the 1997 re-release of the OT films.  Without those re-released films, we wouldn't have had the POTF2 line released at allin all likelihood.  So it's a circular argument but it doesn't really support your point.  I'm with Anthony on this one with respect to his comment above mine. 

And I'm not convinced the clone craze has done much for Star Wars.  It's done a lot for Hasbro and Lucas, but for the movies?  Gee, I think I'd have been ok if they'd all been white and regular military instead of the rainbow clone brigade. 

I don't know, I think the figures made the comeback based on the secondary market popularity of the vintage line. That was a cash cow waiting to be milked, and Kenner and Lucas started pulling. If I remember the timeline correctly, the figure rebirth started a a year to a year and a half before the re-release of the OT trilogy in '97. That dog had legs without the movies-  I'm sure it would have been long over by now without the new flicks, but that OT figure market was just waiting to be filled. I had started picking up the vintage ones about that time, paying something like $15-20 for figures like hoth soldier and 2-1B. The new line with no missing paint or accessories at $5 a pop was an easy sell for me.

That being said, I've just about left Hasbro behind at this point. I have 3 AC figures- last year I picked up nearly 200 figures. The frequency of releases and glut of repaints finally tipped me over the edge. I'm sure I'll still get a few, especially OT imperials when there are sales.