Quote from: P-Siddy on February  9, 2013, 10:46 PM

Hasbro has heard the complaints and have talked with Amazon about how they package figures.  They are concerned as we are that their product makes it to the customers hands in good condition.  Whether Amazon listens is another thing.

If I could waive free shipping in exchange for having someone carefully package my items with protection to ensure they arrive in as pristine condition as possible, I'd gladly do it.

I definitely understand the concerns.  But this is an issue with a number of online retailers, isn't it?  If it isn't Amazon, it's Hasbro Toy Shop, Target, WalMart, TRU.com, etc.  The only online stores that you can count on for good packing are small businesses that deal almost exclusively with collectors like EE, BBTS or Brians Toys.

The Cato Neimoidia segment served a couple of purposes.  First, to bring in the new Jedi Interceptors as well as the Tri-Droid Fighters.  IIRC, this is the first appearance in the series for both.  And then we saw the Buzz droids, ala the space battle in ROTS.  But it seemed that Anakin and Ahsoka's presence there was only meant to serve the purpose of bringing Jedi back to Coruscant who may not have been involved in the Temple bombing. 

Regarding Lara's presence at the Temple?  I think it was very clear that Lara was an anti-war protestor (or something along those lines), and she used her husband to promote the anti-war / anti-Jedi agenda.  This episode was very much about the growing distrust of the Jedi because of the prolonged nature of the Clone War.

The investigator droid was a funny nod to David Caruso on CSI Miami with the overly dramatic, halting dialogue.  Add in the visor flipdown, and Filoni & co were definitely having a bit of a laugh with this one.

I've seen a few tweets suggesting that the postponement of the 3D films means any chances we had of "big" stuff to go with them is gone too...

Also saw a few tweets that indicated that Hasbro pretty specifically said retail can't handle a $200 Sail Barge (re: #bringonethebarge petition). 

You look at today's presentation and it's VERY CLEAR.  We need to look at 2013 as a year to essentially reset the line and Star Wars as a whole.  Until Episode VII gets into production and the Disney hype machine can get things rolling, I think we're looking at a pretty bleak year.  Meaning no large vehicles.  Especially when you don't have media to support the release of that large vehicle.

Nice to see Amazon getting some exclusives.  With the distribution fiasco at brick & mortar retail last year, Amazon proved to be one of the more reliable retail avenues for figures. 

I hope this TIE Interceptor has the new style cockpit and ejector seat.  But with Hasbro only showing mainline offerings and not exclusives, I guess that's the only image we've got to go on.

Very happy to see this version of Slave I offered at last.  And I've REALLY, REALLY been wanting a new Han Solo in Carbonite for years.  The POTF2 one just didn't suffice. 

Based on the imagery from the showroom, I guess that none of the exclusives were on hand to be photographed.  The boxed photo of Slave I looks pretty cool, but I'd like to see more of it.  AND the Carbonite block.

Very glad to hear about this set.  I'll definitely be picking up a few of these 2-packs, just like last years AT-ST crews.  I had been hoping that Hasbro would follow through and give us the 2nd Scanning Trooper as a basic figure as they had originally planned.  But it seems that since large accessories with basic figures are a thing of the past, this is the best avenue for doing that.  I'm okay with that compromise.  I just hope that with these 2 new Scanning Troopers we get new heads for both, and not one portrait that's the same as the TLC RED version.

Interesting bit on the exclusives.  We got announcements for exclusives at the following retailers:

-Toys R Us (Biggs X-Wing, Geonosis Gunship)
-Target (Vader origin 4-pack)
-K-Mart (Ewok catapult, Scanning Trooper 2-pack)
-Amazon (TIE Interceptor, TESB Slave I w/ Han Solo in Carbonite)


No mention whatsoever of a WalMart exclusive.

It looks like they're specifically trying to evoke the setting of the Carbon Freeze Chamber in TESB.  Darkness combined with that orange lighting. 

Honestly...it looks pretty drab from that single photo.  I'd like to see some more imagery.