Collectibles > The Legacy Collection

The Hasbro Q & A Compendium

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Matt:
THE CATEGORIZED LISTINGS ON THIS PAGE ARE NOT BEING UPDATED PAST 3/16/07.  THE CHRONOLOGICAL LISTINGS WILL CONTINUE TO BE UPDATED ON THE FOLLOWING PAGES.

Index

30th Anniversary Collection
30th Anniversary Commemorative Tin Collection
Abandoned concepts

Accessories
Action Fleet and Micro Machines
Army-builders
Articulation
Attacktix

Battle Packs
Battlestar Galactica crap
Beasts and Creatures
Business and marketing issues

Case assortments
Clone Wars
Coins and Coin Album
Collector club
Comic book two-packs
Customizable figures?
Deluxe figures
Evolutions

Exclusives
Expanded Universe (general)
Expanded Universe (comics)
Expanded Universe (novels)
Expanded Universe (video games)

Fan Relations
The Force Unleashed
Foreign distribution
Galactic Heroes
Georgetrooper

Greatest Battles/Heroes and Villains/Saga Legends assortments
HasbroToyShop.com
Holiday figures
Indiana Jones
Licensing issues
Mail-aways
Marvel Legends-style figures?
McQuarrie concept figures

Packaging issues
Past lines
Playsets

Potatoes
Pre-Production
Production
Replacement parts
Role-play toys

Specific figures (Episode I - The Phantom Menace)
Specific figures (Episode II - Attack of the Clones)
Specific figures (Episode III - Revenge of the Sith)

Specific figures (Episode IV - A New Hope)
Specific figures (Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back)
Specific figures (Episode VI - Return of the Jedi)

Specific figures (Original Trilogy general)
Specific figures (Prequel Trilogy general)

Television-based figures
Titanium (figures)
Titanium (vehicles)
Toy Fair 2007
Toy Fare/Fan's Choice
Transformers
Ultimate Galactic Hunt
Unleashed (2")
Unleashed (7")

Vehicles (General)
Vehicles (Expanded Universe)
Vehicles (Original Trilogy)
Vehicles (Prequel Trilogy)

Vintage-style figures
Miscellaneous - 3 3/4" issues
Miscellaneous - Non-3 3/4" stuff

30th Anniversary Collection

Is the Vader figure slated for 2007's Wave 3 different from the 2007 #01 Vader that comes with the Coin Folder/Album? Is he a new Vader sculpt or is he just the same Vader sculpt as the Coin Folder #01 Vader but with a new ANH coin? (JD, 01/26/07)

He is based on the Darth Vader from the comic pack, with new movie deco. He was in turn a rework for EPIV from the 500th Vader.

Other than the Comic 2-packs and Battle Packs, will there be any sub-lines for the 3¾" figures (such as Deluxe, Evolutions, Tins, etc.) next year? (AF, 12/15/06)

Right now, aside from the occasional exclusive, we are focusing a little more tightly and do not plan for more tins or deluxe. This is simply because shelf space will be extremely competitive next year and we will not have the luxury of pursuing items like a widespread listing of tins.

Can Hasbro give us an idea of how many waves and figures there will be in '07? And roughly how many from each movie or EU source? (SSG, 12/15/06)

I cannot give you as many specifics as you want, simply because we do not want to reveal some surprises we are holding in store. But we will answer your question since we have seen some concern from fans who are afraid that we are abandoning the OTC. That is very far from the case now and in the future! It's been simply a case where a lot of discussion (and excitement) has been expressed about exploring EU in the Q&A so naturally fans have been seeing this. Here's a chance to assuage some concerns. There are nine waves of the 30th Basic Figure line (which I think you are asking about), not including Saga Legends or comic packs which are separate SKUs. There are 60 figures in the 30th figure line, of which 8 are McQuarrie figures. The remaining figures break down as follows: 50% are original trilogy, 25% are prequel, and 25% are from other sources, including some Clone Wars. I cannot give more specifics on this breakdown, in order to save some surprises.

Are there any special plans to keep this line alive and well after the 30th Anniversary celebrations are done next year? (ST, 12/08/06)*

You bet!

Can we see pictures of the 2007 Basic asst 2nd wave now please? Think of it  as an early holiday gift for the fans! (ST, 12/01/06)*

They will be available soon….just not yet.  Sorry!

Will all the straight-repacked figures solely be in the Greatest Hits collection next year, or will they also be mixed in with the regular line as they were this year? (AF, 11/17/06)

There were few straight re-packs mixed in the mainline Saga Collection this year, and there should be even fewer in the main assortment next year. There will be re-packs, but we are trying to make each of them differentiated (from their previous release) in some key element.

The Battle of Naboo wave is just starting to show up at retail now and there are 22 more figures slated for the Saga Collection and less than 2 months to go before the new year. Are these all slated for release in 2006 or is the plan to have them released in 2007 and lap over the start of the 30th Anniversary Collection? (JTA, 11/10/06)

These last 22 Saga figures will stretch out from roughly the first week of December through 3/24, when the 2007 greatest hits waves should start to feed into the pipeline. If all goes according to plan, these will have ample time at retail for collectors to get them and will not suffer the same short-window fate as prior basic figure waves.

What is next on the drawing board at Hasbro HQ that is going to blow us all away? (ST, 11/03/06)*

We've got a lot of fun stuff in various stages of development so it's difficult to answer that specifically.  We've already revealed a good number of secrets for the line next year, but there are more to come. Sorry to revert to the old "stay tuned" but we gotta!

Is the Darth Vader #01 figure in The 30th Anniversary Collection the same figure as The Saga Collection Darth Vader #038, minus the "debris" accessories? (SWC, 10/27/06)

It's actually the same figure we reissued for Heroes and Villains of Episode III #1.

What percentage of figures you release a year are new characters?  To put it another way, how much room do you give for new characters in a line based largely on the main-line heroes (Vader, Luke, Chewie, etc) in different poses or outfits?  I don't necessarily mean new sculpts, just new characters... (TJ, 10/22/06)

Roughly about 40% of the basic figures next year are "new" figures that have never been done before (which also includes some trooper type variants we have not done).  The balance are new takes on main characters.

Which items are the official end of the Saga Collection toys and which are the beginning of the 30th Anniversary Collection toys? (JTA, 10/6/06)

The last wave of the Saga figures will be seen at retail in February and will be on shelf until roughly the end of March. All other figures and sublines on shelf in 2007 will be 30th Anniversary. As for how you (the fan sites) categorize the items, maybe this helps. We planned the last wave of Starfighter vehicles (Vader's Starfighter, Droid Tank, Hailfire) to be in 2006 but decided to put them in the 2007 line look to save our rework for next year since they will carry over. But as far as we're concerned, they are 2006 or Saga products. The same with the first wave of Battle Packs, and Saga tins. Because they were designed to carryover, they got the new look. But really we consider them Saga-year products and are "on the books" for this year. I know, this is probably more complicated than you want!

You were recently quoted as saying that in the 2007 basic figure line, the "alien slots" for that year were already full. Could you tell us what these various slots are (possibly something like "core character slot", "imperial character slot", "droid slot") and how many of each would be in that group? If not exact numbers, how about by approximated percentages? (AF, 9/29/06)

We design any line with several levels of figure in each wave. The optimal mix is designed to have both kid and collector traction. It goes something like this: Some core heroes (very strong), some lesser but still know heroes, and then some (usually 2-3) collector figures. These collector figures are drawn from a number of core categories (troopers, Cantina aliens, pod racers, Ewoks, droids, alien Jedi, vidgame characters, Padme and other females, Jabba's palace denizens, Separatists, Senators, Jawas etc) that we know are embraced by, if not all collectors, a stronger and vocal subset. We try and spread it around so there is a good bet that most, if not all, of these categories will be represented each year. One hint... we are fans of Cantina denizens and it's a good bet there will be at least two every year until... well, we run out!

Last week, you said you were planning 9 waves for 2007. Will there be a specific "EU" wave or will the EU figures continue to be peppered into the movie themed waves they were this year? And since you can't talk about specific 2007 figures yet, can you at least give us a hint on the themes for those 9 waves? (JD, 9/29/06)

There will be a themed EU wave next year that will have most, if not all, of the EU figures (Clone Wars and game-related figures). Most of the 6 movies, but not all, will have at least one wave while some will have more than 1.

We already know that the entire line for 2007 is being called the 30th Anniversary line, but can collectors expect offerings that are similar to the 25th Anniversary 2-packs we got in 2002? (TJ, 9/29/06)

There are no plans for a similar product.

Can we expect an entire wave or waves of the 30th Anniversary Collection to be devoted to Clone Wars, or can we expect some sort of mixed EU wave? (TJ, 9/22/06)

Good question.  The latter, with some "hero" characters carry-forwards assorted from prior waves.

How many waves for 2007? You said there would be a Concept Art figure in the first 8, but will there be more than 8 waves? (AFI, 9/19/06)

There will be nine waves total, with a McQ figure for each of the first 8 waves (including the reissue Stormtrooper in Wave 1).

Hasbro Q&A revealed a few weeks ago that the 2007 line has been "put to bed". Is the team hard at work on Clone Wars 3D toys, or do they get some downtime before that ramps up? (GH, 9/19/06)

"Put to bed" means that the ideation is done & locked up, but execution is far from done for the back-half.  At any time we are working on parts of 2 years worth of product in differing stages… fine tuning Spring '07, input drawing & sculpting for Fall '07, & strategic direction & line planning for '08.  As a reward for their hard work, we have given our team this Friday afternoon off as down time (Note: Hasbro has year-round half-day Fridays, but the R&D team hasn't been officially informed yet...).

After 100+ basic figures in the 2006 line (75 Saga, 13 Hero & Villains, 14 Greatest Battles), a lot of collectors are feeling the budget pinch trying to keep up. Can you give us a ball-park estimate for the number of basic figures you are planning for 2007 so we can start planning our 2007 budgets now? (JD, 9/19/06)

Well, you bring up an interesting point.  We consider the loose, completist figure collector first & foremost when we decide how many figures we are going to do in the basic figure line.  That is why the 26 "EpIII Greatest Hits" figures from this year, along with the UGH figures, were straight repacks so the loose collector could concentrate on the manageable core of the line.  We are going with the 60 basic figures as such (plus the EU 2-packs) for the new figure offerings in '07.  As for packaging collectors, well....this is the inherent complication.  As demand for the line remains very high, we seek to find solutions for the market, especially in kid-appealing figures, that will satisfy overall demand for more figures & help us ensure that we have the best overall mix at retail.  Without introducing additional items like Greatest Hits this year, our need to keep up with demand would cause us to release even more collector figures (like Poggle, Lushros) or cause us to pull them out of the Saga asst completely for whole waves at a time which is not ideal either for the core collector.  We are not trying to build as much product as the carded collector can absorb - we are very sensitive about keeping our collectors bases (loose and carded) engaged in the brand & that means striking the balance.  But when demand continues to be very high, carded collectors do feel the pinch largely due to the success of the line and the necessity of finding additional solutions to a what is otherwise a nice problem to have.

Recently, you said some of the figure rumor lists are inaccurate. Will you debunk one of those rumored-to-be-coming-soon figures that Hasbro actually does *not* plan to release in any format in the next 18 months (any figure rumor of your choice)? (AF, 9/01/06)

We were referring to the "leaked" line lists that were circulated a couple months back. These were essentially a very early "wish list" line ist that was not finalized by us and Lucasfilm. As a result, the Yuuzhon Vhong figure is on there which a lot of collectors were excited about. We won't be doing this one next year, unfortunately, but it's high on our "future" wish list.

With the large number of figures in The Saga Collection (thank-you!), we're fast approaching a point where a '600th' figure could be released.  Are you planning anything special for that milestone? (TJ, 8/25/06)

Ha - good question.  We'll talk about it, but we'll probably wait until the 750th to do something special.  Now if only the Boba had been the 250th, we could have had a logical progression of commemorative figures.

With the 30th anniversary next year, the majority of the figures released will be from A New Hope. Will these figures be new sculpts, or simply re-released figures from years past. Will there be more creatures/aliens from the Cantina made? (ST, 8/25/06)*

We have not yet revealed anything of the 2007 lineup beyond the few EpIII figures we showed at Comic Con, and a few other hints.  It will celebrate all 6 films, Clone Wars, and the EU…. and will not be EpIV dominated as you indicate.  We have said that there WILL be a curved cantina bar end next year...that's all the hints we'll give, though.  For the rest of the lineup, you'll have to wait and see.

As 2007 is the 30th anniversary of Star Wars, will we see a larger percent of Original Trilogy characters who have never been made before, compared to previous years? Characters like CZ-3, Hermi Odle, Yarna Gargan, Tonnika Sisters, etc, would make great 30th anniversary presents! (RS, 8/25/06)

Tough one to quantify, but I think that collectors will be very happy with the selection of new OT figures next year, including at least two that you mentioned.

Over the years, we've seen many changes in the price of a basic figure. Anywhere from $4.99 to $6.99. Is the current price the new norm, or will the MSRP increase/decrease for 2007? (BTT, 8/25/06)

We do not set prices, but they are established by our retailers. We do not anticipate a rise in our wholesale cost from this year to next, if that helps. Beyond that, it's the individual call of the retailers for any pricing decisions.

Can we expect the 30th Anniversary line to focus on the original movie or the entire Saga? (TJ, 8/11/06)

The 30th Anniv. line will run the entire year, and will celebrate the Saga, all six films plus extensions such as CW and EU.

We love hints and teases... how about dropping a nice tease about a yet-to-be-announced figure from the first official wave for 2007? At SDCC, we saw the 2007 Utapau Airborne Clone, the Mustafar Lava Miner, and the Galactic Marine - what else do you have lined up for us in 2007! (JD, 8/11/06)

We have to hold something back…we felt we revealed a lot as it was for products that still have many months of production to go. Sorry….we're going to hold tight on the rest of the wave for now to have SOMETHING to talk about later.  ;)

Of all the offerings that you have planned for 2007 so far, who is the one figure that you are really, really excited to see offered up? Yeah, I know it's like asking who your favorite child is, but there must be at least one 2007 product that stands out as super-cool? (JD, 8/04/06)

We truly do have too many favorites to pick one. But it's nice to finally have revealed the Galactic Marine!

Are the mini-holo figurines in TSC being replaced with minted coins for the 2007 line? (SWC, 8/04/06)

The '06 holo figures and bases are being replaced by coins.

Will the figure-numbering system reset in 2007? (BTT, 7/14/06)

The figure numbering will reset with each new line look. When we started the 2006 line, we didn't know how far it would go, so our packaging team inserted the '0' in there. We won't do that again unless we have specific plans to pass 100.

Ever since TSC's debut in 2005, finding a mint figure has been nearly impossible. As each wave has come and gone, I have noticed more dents than ever from figures coming from the factory itself. With the new 2007 packaging, will we see a package less vulnerable to dents (especially on the top of the bubble)? (SWC, 7/14/06)

We won't have 2007 samples for months yet, so it's too early to say for sure but the blister will have at least as much integrity, if not more, than Saga blisters. The card back will be different though….stay tuned.

Why is Hasbro ending The Saga Collection at just 51 figures (not including exclusives)? What was the point of that triple-digit numbering system, if they never even got up to 100? (SWC, 6/30/06)

We will be making a packaging change going into 2007, and the numbering will start over for the 30th Anniversary series.

Will there be any new vehicles or maybe even playsets to celebrate the 30th anniversary? (SWC, 6/30/06)

Yes, we will have vehicles for the 30th anniversary. Stay tuned for more details.

Will the mini-hologram promotion end with the Naboo wave at the end of this year? (POTF2, 6/30/06)

Possibly.

It's safe to assume that the 30th Anniversary will be celebrated with exclusives from all of Hasbro's retail partners. Without revealing details (but feel free if you're willing), is there anything over-the-top exceptional in the works for us collecting fiends? (GH, 6/30/06)

Without revealing details.Yes. Come to our panel on Friday morning of Comic-Con to find out more!

With the last wave of TSC hitting in October, what can we expect to see for the holiday season? (BTT, 6/23/06)

Good question.  We’ll have plenty of product announcements for Fall 2006 and beyond at Comic-Con.  Be sure to attend our panel discussion on Friday morning to get all the details!

Will themed waves continue past the Saga Collection? (GH, 6/23/06)

Yes.

Based on the overwhelming response to the current TSC-style cardback, are there any plans to depart from this style once the 2006 line has ended? (YF, 6/23/06)

We are looking at a different line look for 2007, which we'll be showing at Comic-Con.

With next year being the 30th anniversary of the birth of the Star Wars franchise, can we expect anything from Hasbro to commemorate the release of the first Star Wars Movie? If you are, can you give us a taste of something you may have in mind? (F, 6/09/06)

Yes! Stay tuned for details in the coming months.

30th Anniversary Commemorative Tin Collection

Are there any plans to release some of the upcoming tin set figures individually carded for a later release? Several of the new or retooled unique figures from these sets are considered army builders (ANH Sandtrooper, ESB Snowtrooper, ROTJ Scout Trooper and ROTJ Endor Rebel Soldier, all with removable helmets). I know that many fans and collectors would like to acquire multiples of these figures to add to their collections. Having them only available through the tin sets is a bit prohibitive. (RS, 8/25/06)

There are no plans right now to release them down the road on individual cards. We do realize that there are some troop builders in there that in the future would be great to bring onto the 6x9 format, but we're planned far down the road with other figures.

The 30th Anniversary Commemorative Tin sets shown at Comic-Con revealed the A NEW HOPE set will feature the Evolutions Darth Vader, but with the head of Hayden Christensen in REVENGE OF THE SITH underneath the removable helmet. With only four years taking place between ANH and RETURN OF THE JEDI, shouldn't the head still be the Sebastian Shaw one used on the Evolutions Darth Vader from 2005? (SWC, 8/25/06)

We were trying to add some freshness and variety to the figure for this set. With both Hayden and Shaw having different appearances, having both versions available allows collectors to choose the one they want as their iconic Vader.

Abandoned concepts

Are the "poster style" action figures completely off the table, or is there hope that we'll see them elsewhere (exclusive or otherwise)? (GH, 10/27/06)

They are off the table for now.

With the QnAs, it's clear that many collectors have a two track mind: Playsets and vehicles!  What kinds of things are on Hasbro's wish list?  Can you tell us about any of the cool things you've worked on, but didn't (or can't) release? (TJ, 10/6/06)

Oh I wouldn't say that collectors have a two-track mind…add in troops and droids and Cantina guys and accessories and videogame figures…well, there are a lot of dimensions to what is being suggested!  In any case, we put time and energy behind the things we know we can bring to market and that have the best chance of success.  Right now, that's the Starfighter vehicle SKU and the exclusives vehicles which are almost always updates on existing (previously tooled) vehicles.  Our wish list would be to continue to roll out new vehicles each year with some cool updates to classics.  The Death star playset comps we have are well-known as one of those "if we could do anything" things, but one of the more interesting concept models we've worked up is a Clone Turbo Tank.  We won't be looking at a big vehicle like this unless it's in the animation, but it's one of those things that we'd like to get to sometime.  The model is very cool.

What is the top 3 things that Hasbro has wanted to do, but were shot down, whether it be by LFL, costs, time, etc? (ST, 9/22/06)*

Usually cost, time, and item count limitations are the culprits in having to lay aside a good idea.  For 2007, there are two concepts we wanted to pursue but couldn't make work at the time: 1) Poster packs, built around the original theatrical posters matched to 3-3/4" figures, was a victim of item count and costing. These were conceived for '07 because of the widespread anticipation of the 30th Anniversary, but because of their size and cost we had to put them aside.  We may look at this some time in the future, possibly as an exclusive farther down the road; and  2)  A 3-3/4" Turbo Tank.  Yes, it will pain some people to hear that we were working on a model that will not make it to market in 2007, but we just couldn't make the timing work.  Now that we are looking at the animation, we will re-visit which large-size hero vehicle or playset we do.  It may not be the Turbo Tank first...but we love this vehicle and will eventually get to it...patience will be rewarded.

Matt:
Accessories

The weapons/accessories that come with the figures have numbers or letters imprinted on them. I believe these are the cavity numbers used when creating the mold. What is the purpose of this designation? (BTT, 3/16/07)

It is chiefly used for debugging purposes by our factories to keep production moving quickly and smoothly. For instance, if it is noticed that during production all of the guns from the "4" cavities are showing deformities (such as from something preventing full plastic injection, or details that have become obscured due to overuse), the tool can be quickly debugged and serviced and gotten back into production quickly, preventing costly downtime.

The large accessory pack-ins with some of the 30th Anniversary basic figures shown at Toy Fair were out of this world. Things like Umpass Stay's drum, Luke's moisture vaporator, and the corner curves to the bar are long requested fan items. Can you tell us if you have any other large accessory pack-ins planned for the future, either the second half of this year or next? (JD, 3/16/07)

Thanks! There are a few more surprises planned, such as the torture rack for Han Solo. We will look to do this when we can, but with increases in both plastic costs and the costs to tool up these cool accessories, we can't guarantee we'll always be able to do it. But we're glad fans appreciate them, they are important pieces we've been waiting to deliver up!

Will Academy outfit Biggs from wave 3 have his cape, and if not, why? (AF, 3/02/07)

He will have a cape - we just forgot to bring it to Toy Fair.

Can you please offer two points of clarification for the new figures revealed this week on the net? Specifically, will "Academy" Biggs Darklighter have his cape, and will Umpass-Stay have a large drum to beat on (either included with the figure or is it eventually planned for separate release)? (GH, 3/02/07)

Biggs will have his cape - we just forgot to bring it to Toy Fair.  Umpass-Stay will come with 1/2 of the drum, which is designed to snap in place to make a whole should you decide to get two for this purpose (or wait until it may be re-released at some point).

With all the Clone Trooper figures being released, there's a significant shortage of rifles among my clone armies. Especially for AOTC Phase I Clone Troopers, who carried rifles, not blasters, yet they are always packed with blasters (why is that, anyway?) Has Hasbro considered a clone trooper weapons pack with rifles, binoculars, new pistol and rifle sculpts (ARC Trooper pistols and sniper rifles maybe?) and perhaps gunship turrets? And will the Saga Legends clones (all colors) fix this recurring error? (RS, 3/02/07)

This is a good comment that we've heard from many different avenues, and we'll look at it. It's unlikely we'll do the ball turret in something like this venue, though.

I noticed that the hilt for the up coming Ceremony Luke is the hilt from Darth Vader. Is this just a case of a sample image with the wrong saber hilt? If not, why does Hasbro keep getting this wrong? (i.e. VTSC X-wing Luke also came with the Vader hilt). Also, the hilt in on the attached saber hand for the Ep. III Obi-Wan (which was made early on). (YF, 3/02/07)

We know that the hilt is wrong, but have been spec'ing it when we need a hilt that gets us pretty close. It's something that we are aware of and will be looking at for future releases.

With all the SA clones being released, there's a significant lack of rifles for clone armies. Has Hasbro considered a weapons pack of rifles and other assorted clone gear to help army builders? (JI, 01/26/07)

We have heard fans, and we are considering this for a future year. What would fans ideally like to see in such a pack?

In any future re-releases of the Saga '04 Luke (Jabba's Palace) figure, would it be possible to use the lightsaber mold from the ROTS Pilot Obi-Wan figure? That lightsaber is much more accurate now than the version from '04 (which was really reusing the lightsaber from the POTJ Ben Kenobi figure from 2000). (SWC, 01/26/07)

Good suggestion - thanks.

A couple of the figures released lately have incorrect figures bases/stands. (i.e. Kit Fisto, Clone Trooper Sergeant). Will these errors be addressed/corrected in later case revisions? (YF, 01/26/07)

Unfortunately, by the time we caught these mistakes it was too late to change them out. However, there will be an interesting component to our collector stand pack (which will be available through HasbroToyShop.com for the first time at CIV) that will easily allow collectors to "correct" the mistake. Stay tuned...

In an earlier Q&A, Hasbro said they wanted to put larger accessories in the packages such as the Moisture Vaporator and the curved bar section for the cantina. Can you elaborate on some of the other larger accessories we may see? (SSG, 12/15/06)

We cannot give details on others right now simply because they would reveal characters. You'll have to stay tuned. ;)

Removable lightsaber blades so Jedi figures could have saber accessories that were "on" or "off" and could be worn on their belts was a good concept, but this made the saber blades more fragile. Are there any plans to release Jedi figures - both main characters and secondary - with both solid one piece ignited lightsaber and "off" lightsaber hilt accessories? (SSG, 12/01/06)

We have done this in some cases already. It's a good idea for more widespread use and we'll look into it.

In the Episode I line, the Naboo Pilot Anakin figure came with a flight simulator accessory that was really the panel with control sticks and actually fit in the Naboo Fighter vehicle. Would you consider reissuing this accessory in more accurate colors, and making similar flight simulator control stick accessories for the X-wing, Snowspeeder, Y-wing, TIE Fighter, Jedi Starfighters, etc.? These control stick accessories add a welcome layer of realism to the toys and could be released with future pilot figures or with the vehicles themselves. (SSG, 11/17/06)

That's an interesting suggestion. We prefer blasters and sabers (or removable helmets) as primary accessories but will see if your suggestion can be incorporated for a future figure at some point.

You recently mentioned you've considered doing rebel pilot/droid 2-packs, and you also mentioned that you've looked at including Micro Machines as pack-ins, but that neither concept really worked. How about combining them? You could release a rebel pilot, his astromech, and a uniquely painted version of his MM ship, along with a stand for them to go on, with perhaps a cardback photo that you could cut out for a backdrop. This would be great for the anniversary of the Death Star trench run scene, and it would be all repaints except for a couple new head sculpts for removable helmets. This concept would also work for Jedi pilots and their droids. (SWC, 11/17/06)

We've thought about combining figures & vehicles in the past in such a way (the obvious idea is a pilot & his ship), but the thought is that the ship would need to be substantial to make this interesting, & the Titanium line fits that bill. Right now we're of the mind that 3-3/4" & Titanium are separate audiences & should probably be kept that way for the time being.

Customizers and diorama builders debated for years but have determined that Star Wars and GI Joe are roughly 1:18 scale. We love to get the background accessories, like the recent Bespin Vader's boxes, or Luke Tatooine's Footlocker. When designing vehicles and accessories, do you try to keep to that exact scale whenever possible? Also, are there any accessories you'd really like to make someday? (FFURG, 11/10/06)

Yes, we like to keep true to the scale of the figures which (we won't quibble) is approximately 1:18 scale. As for more props, we look to signature movie accessories whenever possible to update a character. One example for next year will be the Moisture Vaporator packed with Luke. We will do these when we feel we have a good window to do them and can afford the piece count. They will tend to be more "signature" than generic, though.

Also, speaking of the Cantina, is there any chance of seeing screen-accurate tables and chairs? The tables that came recently with Momaw Nadon and Hem Dazon were too small. And once the molds are made, this can be an annual rerelease and/or exclusive with different characters included to keep it fresh and expand on the Cantina. (RS, 11/10/06)

This is a good idea and we'll look at it. There are some other Cantina pieces (like the alcove for Han/Greedo encounter) that also deserves to be made at some point. Patience!

Finally, we have seen the prototypes from a few years ago for the Rebel Fleet Trooper accessory pack. Any chance of seeing the X-Wing Ladder, ground lights, and handheld lights eventually released? Preferably with carded figures instead of vehicles so that we can collect multiples at a more reasonable price? (RS, 11/10/06)

They have a better chance of being done with basic figures than as accessory packs, which just haven't been big sellers for ANY action figure line including Star Wars. Some of those we have looked at for pack-ins down the road. It may take a while to get to these, so we recommend patience. Thanks for the input.

Have you ever considered offering packs of guns or lightsabers for replacements? Lightsabers especially are easy to break or lose. Specifically saber hilts that were released with specific jedi and troops in accessory packs would be nice. (RS, 10/27/06)

Unfortunately, this is much more complicated for us than it sounds since the weapons tools are scattered all over and matched with the figures. It is a very tall logistics order for us and our factories. If we figure out a way to do it where it makes sense, we'll look at it.

Any chance that micro-machine sized ships could be used as a future 'pack-in' item?  They could either be random or themed (like Chewie packed with a Millennium Falcon)? (TJ, 10/27/06)

That's an interesting idea and one we've considered.  However, they are expensive little buggers so we weighed the cost-tradeoff and have decided not to pursue since it might mean compromising some for the accessories we want to do with the figures.

Rather than give us pack ins that most fans don't want like the Hologram figures and coins, would it be possible to give fans something that they want and could go with their figures? How about something similar to the Marvel "build a bigger figure" wave of figures, but instead SW figures could come with pieces that go together to make up a location set or accessory from the movies. I originally had an idea of deluxe modular sets but this could be scaled down to a piece of wall, floor or door per figure. This would give the fans what there after, a playset of some sort without Hasbro needing more space in stores and larger parts could even be provided in battle packs etc. They could still take or leave certain figures and Hasbro would sell more figures through a more attractive offering. (YF, 10/27/06)

We think there is a demand for the coins and we're happy to get the chance in an anniversary year to bring back this cool pack-in. Not every fan will want every pack-in we offer, but we think the coins have a certain nostalgic magic that is just what we were looking for next year. As for the future, it's too early to say but we're looking at lots of ideas. With the rising cost of materials (plastic resin, metal, paper) we feel lucky to be able to offer something next year and hopefully we can keep that going for future years too.

The images of the interacting Super Battle Droid and R2-D2 from the 1st wave of 30th Anniversary figures fresh in mind...will other figures from that line have features that interact and/or will they come with accessories that interact on either the basic figure level or a "deluxe figure level next year? (JTA, 10/22/06)

The Cantina bar pieces will also have the same effect of interacting with each other. But for the most part the other accessories are stand alone.

In the pursuit of movie accuracy, why doesn't Hasbro improve the light-sabre for 3 3/4" action figures, i.e. if you notice the actual sabres are "white hot" with a characteristic colour surround, not transparent as are the current sabres. I would consider this a marked improvement in both play and display modes. (RS, 10/22/06)

Interesting suggestion..we'll take a look at that.

As a follow-up to a previous question from week 6, we ran a Probe Droid Poll asking if fans would like to see blank sets of their movie titled basic figure stands on HasbroToyShop.com, including an Expanded Universe (EU) version. The response was overwhelmingly in favor of such a set (all 6 films and EU). Can we hope to see this in 2007? Figures need stands! (RS, 10/6/06)

And so it is (time to do stands, that is). Look for a stand multi-pack from HasbroToyShop.com next year, at a date to be announced. Thanks for the feedback!

Why doesn't Hasbro include basic figure pack-ins that we can actually use (eg: clear stands; Mouse Droids; Senate Cams; Sith Probes; extra accessories like on and off lightsabers, commlinks, scanners, pilot headsets, oxygen masks, backpacks) instead of gimmicks like holo-minifigs and coins? (SSG, 10/6/06)

Star Wars has a rich history of including pack-ins to enhance the collectibility of the line, admittedly with varying results. Our intention with the coins (and to a lesser extent holos) is to establish a parallel collectible segment with a nostalgic tie back to the vintage days. We think fans will enjoy them, since they are "incremental" to the line in the line and not a replacement for accessories. Incremental in the sense that we make sure each figure has the accessories it needs to be a great figure... and many of them next year have great accessories. Wait and see...

Accessories have progressively been getting more and more detailed and interesting.  Witness Ben Kenobi's chest which was packed with the most recent Tatooine Luke Skywalker.  Has there been a concerted effort made towards coming up with accessories like these, and what is the methodology behind the design and inclusion of said accessories? (TJ, 10/6/06)

Sure.  We look to those things that resonate or would be cool as inspiration for either updating a character or giving a new character as an accessory. The inspiration is almost always based on something on-screen.  An accessory we haven't done before, like the chest, or T-16 skyhopper model, or a moisture generator, can be the basis to update a figure to be specific to a particular scene.

Any plans for releasing the Geonosian Cannon that was on Display with the Arena playset during Toy Fair in 2002? With all of the Clones and Jedi in the arena it'd be nice to give the Separatists some firepower. (AF, 9/29/06)

That's an interesting idea, but there are no specific plans right now. We'll keep it in mind. Hopefully, it will show up in the animation at some point which would help move it higher on the list.

Early in the POTF2 line, Hasbro included extra guns and accessories for, as you've mentioned before, additional playability. Figures like Grand Moff Tarkin used to be great for customizers who would get an extra stormtrooper blaster to arm their customs. Where did these extra accessories go in the modern line today? Please bring them back! (FFURG, 9/29/06)

Some figures, like Clone Commander, still come with many guns but for the most part we don't pack in extras. We mix up the accessories depending on what we think each character needs. We take this gestalt view at the beginning of each year, recognizing that some characters will be coming with significant accessories, which means others will have just what they need. This way, overall, we're able to achieve our cost target across the whole assortment.

Were the scene specific bases that came with some of the 2002/03 Saga figures or the 2004 OTC Dagobah figures designed with anything specific in mind? It seems like they were designed to be a part of something larger as most of them look like they could connect with something else. (JD, 9/29/06)

The Padme Factory Chase figure's base was designed to interact with the Geonosis Arena playset, as were some of the Deluxe item bases like the C-3PO & Battle Droid Factory set. In the Dagobah sets, they were just designed to go together and form a larger piece of terrain but there was no specific combination in mind other than combining with themselves. These bases were more of a precursor to the 2005 Collection 2 bases.

Since we're supposedly getting the curved part to the cantina bar in '07, is there any chance we'll see a Wuher or some cantina character that comes with some sort of drink dispenser piece to add to our cantina bar sections? I was kinda disappointed that the second or third release of the Wuher figure didn't come with something like this. You could even kit-bash it from IG-88's noggin for that extra bit of accuracy. (YF, 9/22/06)

That's an interesting idea, and we'll look at that. Thanks.

We often see Hasbro is trying to offer some kind of value added pack-in with the Basic Figure line.  In the past 18 months we've gotten stands and the mini-holograms and we're now expecting coins in the 30th anniversary collection.  What goes into choosing this kind of pack-in, and has Hasbro given serious consideration to abandoning the concept to bring Basic Figure prices down? (TJ, 9/19/06)

We do not set retail pricing - that is entirely dependent on the retailer.  The pack-in has little to do with retail price in any case, and it's inclusion or exclusion does not change our pricing structure.  The principal components are and have always been the figure itself and the packaging.  With the small amount we have to work with we have elected, in the case of this year and next, to include these bonuses as extra values over the course of the year.  In the case of the coins, they are a collectible segment in their own right and kids and collectors will have a fun time collecting them as a parallel to the basic figures.

With the elimination of stands for the upcoming SW30 figures, will stands be made available in packs on the official Star Wars or Hasbro shop websites? (YF, 9/01/06)

The answer is…Yes. They will be available sometime in 2007, although not right away.

What plans do you have for moisture vaporators? (JI, 8/11/06)

Info on that will be released when we get ready to announce the specific product it will be included in. Stay tuned.

Any plans to release the Death Star conference room table from Episode IV to go along with the "Imperial Briefing" set of figures? (JI, 8/04/06)

No plans.

Will we ever see a Moisture Vaporator in toy form? (AF, 7/26/06)

Yes.

Accessory packs seem to have some popularity from the collector base, and people are always happy to get small accessories that look great in scenes and dioramas I believe (Scanner tech box, or the "Hoth" box for instance). Is there a possible chance we'll see the format revisited in the future to include perhaps some pieces that make up a scene like the Scanner Tech boxes, Cantina tables/chairs, or the Outlander bar/stool pieces? (JD, 7/26/06)

They just don't sell well - this is a historical truth across lines like Star Wars or GI Joe. Instead, we recognize the demand for cool accessories and are putting them into basic figures or other sets as we think appropriate. You'll see some pretty cool accessories in 2007!

I've really grown to like the little figure stands that are shipping with the current figures, each being embossed with the particular movie logo the character is from. What are the chances that these movie specific bases might be available for mail order from the website in the future, even if the bases have no character name? Maybe even a Jedi Points reward type item? (RS,  7/26/06)

The easiest thing for us to do would be a multi-pack with all movies (say a 30-pack with 5 of each film). Would people want an EU base in it too?

Will there ever be the curved Cantina bar end piece, and if so, when will it be made available and what will it come with? (SSG, 6/16/06)

Yes. The specifics on when it will be available aren't ready for announcement yet.

Action Fleet and Micro Machines

What is the status/future of Action Fleet under its original concept - minifigure interaction and true play features? And what is the status/future of actual Micro Machines (the smallest vehicles Galoob regularly made in plastic)? If there are no immediate plans or foreseeable future for either line, why is that? (SSG, 11/17/06)

There are no immediate plans for either scale, primarily because we are putting our development efforts against making sure Titanium is as strong as it can be.

Star Wars collecting has always had heavy interest in its vehicles, the figures are 3.75" tall because that size would best allow action figures to interact with toy versions of the vehicles (a Millennium Falcon for 6" figures would be the size of a sofa, way too big). Lewis Galoob Toys made its mark on SW with 2 major lines: Micro Machines and Action Fleet, both were vehicles supplemented by little mini-figures, and in their heyday Galoob was the 3rd-largest toymaker behind Hasbro but ahead of LEGO (all SW licensees, perhaps not a coincidence?). In late 1998, Hasbro bought Galoob and within a couple years cancelled all the MM SW lines (MM, Die-Cast, and AF), effectively ending consumers' access to SW vehicle toys - many of which could never have been done in the 3.75" line. Hasbro has made several attempts to rejuvenate these MM concepts, often with sub-par results, but so far the only attempt that has not failed is the Titanium Series 3" vehicle line (which admittedly deserves many accolades, and its future appears to be getting even brighter); MM vehicles have not been re-attempted at all, while several AF relaunch attempts have lacked vehicle features and mini-figures resulting in slow sales - both the Saga AF and Titanium Series 6" Ultra Vehicles started slow with weak entries and higher prices only to pick up steam and fans right as the lines were cancelled. SW collecting again lacks access to those sizes of vehicles, with that in mind, why did Hasbro buy Galoob toys if that company's main line did not meet Hasbro's sales expectations and its core lines were cast aside? (SSG, 9/22/06)

At the time of the purchase, the micro vehicle category was certainly very robust (I recall the days when it occupied almost an entire WALL in the Toys 'R Us planogram!) and was a very popular kid play pattern. However, the micro scale crashed and crashed hard, leaving the collector following as kids moved on to other things. Aside from the robust Titanium line, the micro efforts you mention have been relegated to the occasional exclusive which never really gives the segment the ability to gain traction and build into something bigger. With the focus on Titanium for the vehicle extension, and with 3-3/4", Galactic Heroes, and Unleashed 2" for the figure expression of the brand, it's unlikely that we are going to try and fit in micro even though we know there is a following for it. So I'm afraid there isn't better news on the micro front.... right now, there just isn't the opportunity nor strategic focus to purse for Star Wars.

When the Action Fleet line was canceled the second time (under the 2002-2003 Saga line), one of the comments that kept coming up in the discussion with Hasbro about it was the future of the molds that were almost to production but halted, and how molds are a very significant portion of the toy's cost and have specific budgets that they are expected to make back in order for Hasbro to consider them worth doing in the first place; the AF line had several molds that were nearing production and many others that were more than halfway finished but were canceled and shelved before release rather than risk not making their money back. Shouldn't those molds nearing or at fruition at least be run to recoup some of their budgets in partial sales, how can a mold that's already spent most of the budget be more cost-effective to make zero sales than 50% of its expected sales (isn't that still making half its money back versus making none of its money back)? (SSG, 9/19/06)

We base our line plan around product concepts we believe will have the highest audience following and in support of a strategic direction for the line (like the 3-3/4" world of play). As cool as AF was, it really tailed off and we have moved in a different direction with vehicles (Titanium). That's why even though there was development work for additional AF vehicles, we are not interested in pursuing those right now. We know there is a collector following for the brand, which is great, but do not have plans for these or the rest of the AF library right now.

Army-builders

The sculpts of many of the army-building figures have gotten quite better over the past few years (biker scout, snowtrooper, rebel troops, etc). Are there any plans for more army builder packs like we saw with the stormtroopers, sandtroopers, and rebel troopers? (JTA, 11/17/06)

The battle packs have been an answer to some of this (for example, the Tantive IV pack). However, we would rather have a rich variety of army builder figures offered as basic figures to facilitate fans being able to scale up as they want. We do not plan to go back to the 4-pack model from the past, simply because we understand the troop building affinity and will seek ways to get great troop builders at mass retail.

Our Stormtrooper armies are seeming a little thin these days. (Deserters? Recruitment problems? Cloning malfunctions?) What action is Hasbro taking to beef up the ranks for the Imperials? (GH, 11/03/06)

OTC Troop fans should be well-pleased by some upcoming packs next year, from basic figures to the upcoming Tantive IV Battle Pack. One of the reasons we did not consider the VOTC Stormtrooper for eligibility in the current Fan's Choice voting is because this sculpt will be used in the 2007 line. Stay tuned!

Fans love the Evolutions line. Fans love troop builders (especially of the Imperial variety). How about taking the three troop builders from the OT 30AC tins and packing them together in an Evolutions-esque 3-Pack: Sandtrooper, Snowtrooper, Biker Scout! It'd be like a license to print money, right? Everyone wins! (JD, 10/27/06)

We think Evolutions had a specific role as the place to introduce new premium figures. Instead of your suggestion, we would look to use these (existing) figures in new ways down the roads like Battle Packs or as the Greatest Hits voting suggests, as single-carded basic figures. Either way, you can bet that long-term fans will be seeing more of these figures, just not in the format you suggested.

Many Imperial, Rebel, and other-faction lower-rank troopers seen in minor roles in the films have been given names and backstories in the EU. Any chance of seeing these minor individual 'grunts' released as individual character figures thus lending satisfaction for collectors when the names and individual likenesses of these troopers see action figure recognition, as well as another way of bringing greater variety to the various trooper ranks? (SSG, 10/27/06)

Interesting question. Every once and a while we will give a grunt (Bren Derlin) a name, but for the most part we think keeping these guys as troop builders, rather than one-off characters, is more appealing to most collectors. 
(SSG ed note: Major Derlin is a script-named character in Empire Strikes Back, not a Hasbro-named character.)

Will Hasbro consider making more "clean" army builders such as the ARC trooper, Sandtrooper, Republic Commando, Clone Commander, Galactic Marine, Airborne Trooper, etc., in an army building white color scheme, e.g. no color markings or non-removable pauldrons? (SSG, 9/22/06)

That is a good comment. Right now, we do not have plans to go back to those figures in the near future, but if we do those are good suggestions for making them different and desirable as troop builders.

Can we once again look forward to Army Builder 4-packs?  With so many new Clone versions, new sculpts on old favorites (Sandtroopers!), Are there plans to bring this concept back? (ST, 9/22/06)*

The modern Battlepack series has taken the place of this concept.  We may look at a variation of this for Internet accounts next year, but it won't be the same format.

Do you sometimes use head sculpts of figures that didn't turn out so well as 'generic' heads for soldiers? Some of the heads look like they could've been Luke, Han, etc. heads that did not work out as planned. (JTA, 7/26/06)

No, we haven't done that.  The "generic" soldier heads are based on scrap (film) reference or, occasionally, real 3-D reference (i.e. people our sculptors work with).

Could troop builder figures be made available (indefinitely if possible) on Hasbro Toy Shop after they're taken out of regular circulation? (SSG, 7/26/06)

The preference would be to do more troop builder figures at retail, rather than DTC.

Will there be more products specifically geared towards army building in the near future?  Either as part of something like the recent EE exclusive Clone Troopers, basic case assortments with 3 each of 4 different troops, or solid cases? (TJ, 6/30/06)

Troops will be an even greater focus later this Fall, but we won't be having cases as heavy as you suggest simply because we don't want to neglect the rest of the core characters and the other figures in the line. It's always a balancing act getting everything in.

Will we ever see army builder figures packed consistently in cases, regardless of the relevance they may have to the particular "wave" of figures? A considerable amount of collectors love army builders, and to have a few Super articulated Clone Troopers, Stormtroopers (plain white VOTC mold, not dirty like the Sandtrooper #37 from the Saga Collection), Scout Troopers, ett packed in a case would be great. (YN, 6/16/06)

You bet. This year in fact you'll see more mixing, especially later in the year, and troop builders will be key. However, we haven't created a specific clean Sandtrooper version yet.

Articulation

Many collectors believe that the recent trend of figures having ball-jointed heads has more flaws than advantages, what with the joint requirements creating heads that appear cut off behind the jaw and below the ears making for a bizarre profile, as well as unrealistically long necks. In some circumstances the ball joint's range of motion can be so limited that it renders the joint all but moot; also, with removable-helmet figures sometimes the head comes off with the helmet. Some examples of problems caused by ball-jointed heads are the Ep IV Commemorative Tin's Sandtrooper, the Evolutions Ep II Anakin figure, and VTSC Luke Pilot. So would it be possible to do away with ball-jointed head articulation and either go back to the traditional swivel neck or come up with something that looks and works better? (AF, 3/02/07)

Thanks for the input. Ball jointed heads do offer some advantages in development, for example when there is an opportunity to do head character head swaps. We are aware of the issues and are working on solutions to make the ball joint function better and still have the aesthetics that we think can be very successfully achieved with this format.

Would you consider doing a reversal on the ball joints and swivel elbows on figures? You've proven you can make knee articulation utilizing swivel joints with the POTJ's Rebel Fleet Trooper and both Sagas' Sith Training Maul. With most figures, the elbow articulation is SO, much more important than the knee articulation, especially with the lack of chairs or accessories that require sitting. (YF, 01/26/07)

We take it on a case by case basis depending on cost and other factors, but we do hear you that the ball joints and swivel elbows allow for greater poseability. We will incorporate this as the situation allows, but one thing we cannot do is use super-articulation for every figure - we just wouldn't be able to cost out the line if that were the case.

Most of us hate the elbow swivel joints they are using, it makes posing too hard. Are there any plans to change this, or will this be what we see from now on? (ST, 11/10/06)*

We take the needs for each figure into account and realize that there are inherent trade-offs between the different styles of articulations and, importantly, cost of the waves.  Swivel will remain an option for us when a figure needs more articulation, but we are not able to execute a different or more complex (i.e. ball and socket) scenario due to figure or wave costing.

As you've seen from past Q&A's from FFURG, we love the simple head swap. Sometimes, Hasbro has made it easy for us to swap heads for unique customs, like Wedge, Dutch, SAGA Endor Soldier, etc. Having seen the removable ball joint peg from the refreshed Endor Soldiers, what is the possibility of seeing a universal ball joint peg in the future for scale across the range of humanoid figures? (FFURG, 10/27/06)

We hear you loud and clear and know that this is a cool secondary benefit to a contingent of collectors. We will still design each figure as merits for that figure, and we'll take into account ball and socket when it lends itself.

When deciding to give a figure an angled-cut-swivel elbow joint, why not add an additional-horizontal swivel joint directly above the elbow joint?  This, in additional to a swivel wrist joint would greatly increase the level of posability in the figure and would seemingly be a great substitute when ball-jointed elbows are cost prohibitive. (TJ, 10/27/06)

Each separate part we add brings with it a cost, and what you suggest does make a more expensive figure along the lines of a ball joint elbow, but with different aesthetics (more like GI Joe swivel-arm).  We'd probably opt for a ball joint in that case if we decided the figure needed to have a more premium articulation.

You recently talked about the extra expense of hinged knees in action figures due to having to use nylon pins riveted through the parts. Why can't you just use a rivetless design and snap them into place the way you do with some of the Transformers line's hinges? If it's a choke-concern, most of the figures come with choke-hazard warnings anyway. (AF, 9/22/06)

Our hinged knees actually do not have a rivet. In any case, the process we currently use is the less expensive compared to your suggestion and results in (we feel) a better aesthetic.
(AF editor's note: our question mistakenly used the term "rivet" as the manufacturing process, but none the less the question is still about the use of nylon pins - which Hasbro does employ in some figures' knee articulation - not rivets.)

In a recent Q&A response, you said that the ball/socket articulation is somewhat expensive due to its design. Would you ever consider using a less expensive style of articulation to slip more poseability onto more figures? For example, simpler hinged knees instead of the more costly/complex ball jointed knee as a means of increasing poseability overall on Cantina figures (those Cantina guys need to sit after all ). (JD, 9/01/06)

It is not that the ball joints them selves are more expensive but that the more points of articulation / greater the number of parts, then the greater the cost associated with manufacturing them (i.e. more labor and increase in decoration expenses because there are more parts). Ball joints are slightly more expensive than say 45 deg elbows or straight pivoting articulation because the nylon pins are insert molded into the pvc parts (this means more parts, more labor, & slower production times).

In the design process of action figures, when and why is the decision made to use "cut-joints" at the elbows of figures as opposed to "ball-joints" for the elbows? Each appear to require the same amount of tooling and materials, yet the superior "ball-joints" which provide a better playing and display experience for children and collectors are passed over for the choice of "cut-joints." Can we look forward to a better quality joint for all future action figures? (JD, 6/30/06)

For the most part, its much more expensive to produce figures with the ball joints. Every figure we do is a balaning act between articulation, deco, accessories and the overall complexion of the wave. We add articulation where we can afford it and where it makes the most sense for each figure, but ball joints are not going to become the standard on Star Wars for the reasons stated.

Articulation is a popular feature on toys for children and adults alike. Is it possible we'll see things like elbow, wrist, and knee joints become the standard in the Hasbro basic line on all figures, regardless of their role in the films, since poseable toys are popular? (JD, 6/16/06)

We weigh each figure based on their individual needs and the costing of the product overall. If a character has a significant accessory, or is in a multi-pack, we will evaluate that vs. just premium articulation for the sake of articulation.

Since ball joints offer greater pose-ability and play value (as opposed to the swivel-joints) for things like elbows, shoulders, and knees, why don't more of the figures have ball joints? (TJ, 6/16/06)

For the most part, its much more expensive to produce figures with this manner. Every figure we do is a balaning act between articulation, deco, accessories and the overall complection of the wave. We add articulation where we can afford it and where it makes most sense for each figure, but ball joints are not going to become the standard on Star Wars for this reason.

Will we be seeing less action feature and more articulation i.e. ROTS pilot Obi-wan? (AFI, 6/16/06)

It depends on the figure. If they come with a signifciant accessory (say a curved Cantina bar section) we may have to make a choice on the number of point so articulation to deliver the accessory.

Attacktix

Series 2/3 Attacktix seemed rushed and it shows with the quality of several pieces, particularly Darth Maul and Luke Skywalker. (My son has 3 Mauls that never worked right out of the package).  Has this been fixed for the upcoming series and is there any action planned for exchange of these items, considering the difficulty in finding the Super Rare items? (TJ, 8/11/06)

We're constantly making changes to Attacktix to result in a more durable performance. The challenge is that kids really put these figures through their paces!  Our Consumer Affairs dept (Hasbro.com, click on the Customer Service tab) will replace broken figures, but we do not curently have a 1-for-1 swap.

Can we expect to see some kind of 'accessories' pack available to replace lost projectiles? (Something that includes a nice assortment of the 'common' projectiles.) Being a kid’s game, its not hard to imaging these flying missiles turning up missing, rendering the play piece unusable. (JTA, 7/14/06)

We're aware of the problem, especially since the launchers are so powerful! We don't yet have a solution for this but we are looking at it. Thanks for the question.

Matt:
Battle Packs

The concept of the 3 3/4" Battle Pack has evolved to include Beasts and Speeders (welcome additions). The original concept used newly re-tooled figures or new paint schemes, more accessories, and clear stands. Are the bonus accessories and stands completely phased out in favor of a new figure here and there? (Padmé from Ambush on Ilum could've really used a stand.) Would the Battle Pack series be the outlet for a completely new Imperial Speederbike? (It's overdue for an update, and there are several key figures that can interact with them.) (GH, 3/16/07)

The concept of multi-figure packs is not a new one, as you point out, but the success of the new ones versus the older ones lies in the energetic, scene-based packout and the character selection (either heroes or Clones/troops), and now we are expanding that out to include smaller vehicles and beasts which we are excited about as well because it adds a dimension to the line we haven't had since the "deluxe" price point. We are looking at opportunities for new speeders but don't have anything definitive in the works. Finally, while we don't rule out larger accessories where it makes sense for the these packs, battle stands won't be coming back into them. Fans will soon have the opportunity to get 40-packs of official figure stands (2006 Saga stands) from HasbroToyShop.com. They will be made available for the first time at Celebration IV in Los Angeles.

There are rumors of 3¾" figure 10-packs coming out for the Mos Eisley Cantina. Might we see a big box set (sort of "Ultra" Battle Packs) in time for the holiday shopping season? (GH, 3/02/07)

The rumors of the 3¾" Cantina band 10-pack are untrue.

Any chance we can get a picture of the Rebel Troopers from the "Capture of Tantive IV" Battle Pack without their helmets? (JD, 01/26/07)

We only have one picture available for one of the Rebel Troopers, and it's only with the helmet. We're sorry, but this is the best image we have for now.

Through European outlets, images of the Treachery on Saleucami Battle Pack have leaked out, and the set quite obviously includes two Republic Speederbikes. Is this, perhaps, the future for the small-sized vehicles, or is this Battle Pack a one-off? (Is this a Target exclusive?) (GH, 01/12/07)

This is an exclusive for Wal-Mart, and is not part of the same Battle Pack line that is at all retailers. We are open to thinking of figure/vehicle packs like this for ideas further down the road. Stay tuned…

Images of the Treachery On Saleucami Battle Pack with BARC speeders recently showed up on the internet. First can you tell us if this will be a store exclusive, or will it see a regular release? Second can you tell us if there are any plans to do further battle packs like this one with the small vehicles? For instance Speeder Bikes with Endor Luke and Leia or Taun Tauns with Hoth Han and Luke are some suggestions our readers have made. (JI, 01/12/07)

Since the cat is out of the bag..we can confirm that it will be a store exclusive for Wal-Mart and will probably be on shelf in April sometime. We are looking at the possibility of additional ones like this in the future, expanding the battle pack idea.

For the upcoming Geonosis Arena Battlepack, what was the reasoning for putting in the selection of characters you chose? Why not a little more of a mix of some more accurate sculpts/more desirable figures, such as the following -

- Pablo Jill
- Coleman Trebor
- Red Battle Droid x 2 (from SAGA Accessory Set)
- Destroyer Droid (EPI battle damage) (YF, 01/12/07)

That pack was mostly kid-targeted, and the one "less known" character slot we had to fill was assigned to Aayla because the tools were all in the same factory (a critical component for any battle pack in order to hit our price and release date targets). The figures you suggest would be a good start for another Arena battle pack if we go back to that theme at some point....Coleman Trebor is a figure that deserves a re-release in some form or another.

Was the Toys 'R Us exclusive Battlepack, "The Hunt For General Grievous" under produced or under shipped?  This was one of the most difficult to find.  Is there any chance of a re-release of this in the future? (ST, 12/15/06)*

It was neither...it was simply very popular.  While the TRU-exclusive Clone Wars Republic Gunship was re-released, TRU chose not to re-release the matching Battle Pack, so that explains the paucity of this pack.  We are thinking about the possibility of re-releasing it elsewhere but it would not be until well into 2007 if we did re-release.

3¾" Battle Packs seem to be doing really well at retail (especially during this holiday season) and most of those "leaked" over the summer are already out, or coming soon. Is this segment meeting Hasbro's expectations, and can we expect more (general release) Battle Packs in 2007? Any hints as to what concepts or locales we can expect? (When can we expect images and information about the Ambush on Ilum Battle Pack? When is it expected to be at retail?) (GH, 12/08/06)

The segment is doing very well and it will continue through spring '07 with remixes of the six packs for which details have been released.  As to whether this will continue throughout all of 2007, we have yet to decide, but we are considering it for a year-round product.

Is the Snowbunny Padme figure from the Target exclusive "Ambush on Ilum" Battle Pack an all-new sculpt? Is she heavily articulated or pre-posed? (JD, 12/01/06)

It is an all-new sculpt. She is not pre-posed, but has normal articulation.

In the photos that recently showed up of the 2007 battle pack "Capture of Tantive IV", why are the Stormtroopers in the box using the Evolutions Sandtrooper mold - the one without any mid-torso articulation - and why are they sporting that Sandtrooper's dirty paint job instead of a clean Stormtrooper deco? (SSG, 11/17/06)

They are showing up as Evo-style Stormies because that's what they are. The mix-up came when the factory grabbed existing deco masks to make the sets, rather than the new deco input we specified. They will ship clean. (SSG editor's note: we were asking why they are using Evolutions Sandtrooper molds in this battle pack, not just in the photos.)

Early catalog images of the "Ambush at Ilum" battle pack appeared this week thanks to an e-tailer (so I'm sure you'll see this question asked by someone else). Will this set come with one or two of the new droids pictured on the packaging? (JD, 11/10/06)

It will come with two: one "solid" and one partially transparent.

Early catalog images of the "Capture of Tantive IV" battle pack also appeared this week (so I'm sure you'll also see this question asked by someone else). Collectors are already asking about those Stormtroopers. Are they based on the VOTC sculpt or the Evolutions sculpt or something else entirely? Will they be nice and clean or will they be "battle damaged" or dirty? The mock-up images make them look pretty dirty which is disappointing if true, everyone knows the Stormtroopers have shiny new armor; it's the rest of the imp troopers who get dirty. (JD, 11/10/06)

The figure is the Evo Stormtrooper sculpt. The troopers will be clean. The dirty ones are an error at the factory that we are working to correct. As a result, this one will be delayed relative to the other two national battle packs (Dagobah and Geonosis), but should catch up in schedule quickly. These packs will be available throughout the spring ('07), so collectors should be able to pick up one or more Tantive IV sets without a problem.

With the first images of the new 2007 battlepacks reaching the web, many collectors are getting extremely excited for the Tantive IV battlepack with what appears to be VOTC Stormtroopers. Anticipating that collectors, specifically army builders, will be buying tons of this set for the VOTC Stormies and Rebel Fleet Troopers (with two different heads perhaps?), does Hasbro adjust their case assortments and/or distribution of given sets based on perceived collector interest, thus putting more of these sets on the shelves to meet demand? (FFURG, 11/03/06)

The Rebel Troopers do indeed have two different head sculpts (based on real individuals, whose identities shall for now, remain a mystery..). We will be making sure that this pack, which features the Evolutions Stormtrooper tool, will be in abundant rotation through the Spring.

Hey Hasbro ever thought about making battlepacks or extra accesories with your new snowtroopers and sandtroopers and flip up visor scouts, mabye like five per package with a web blaster or something big like that with some nice bfg's for the sandies? I would love to see an AT-AT driver battlepack done like this too. Maybe have a scuplt of a new trooper or imperial commander in with em? I would think these would sell like hotcakes compared to the battlepacks I have recently seen released. (ST, 10/22/06)*

The Battle Packs are a great format and at some time could get to these ideas….but there are others ones in the pipeline ahead of these.  For now and for some tins the only place to find these figures will be in the Tins.

There were some mixed signals at Comic-Con on this one. Will 2007 3¾" Battle Packs come in the new concave packaging similar to the upcoming Galactic Heroes Cinema Scenes Assortment? (GH, 9/29/06)

We never indicated that 3¾" Battle Packs would change format.  They will follow the same format from last year (that has continued this year with some exclusives like Mace Windu's Squadron, Defense of the Galactic Senate, etc).

How does the team go about pitching & developing Battle Packs? How do they decide which figure gets a re-deco, which pieces can be "repurposed" or repainted to form a new piece, & what ties it all together? (GH, 8/25/06)

Battle Packs start out by establishing the target: kid (mainline) or collector (exclusive), then we go from there.  Sometimes we have ideas we've been saving. This is especially true for the collector ones where there are a lot of "wouldn't it be cool if..." discussions.  For the kid targeted ones, we may look to a scene we can complete with existing figures (like the Arrest of Palpatine) or a compelling collection of figures with enough combat between them that it seems like a solid pack.  During the ideation, the design team often has ideas on upgrades or new deco that could be done to existing figures to make them fresh...often ideas they had been saving for the right opportunity.  The better battlepacks are the ones that are either grounded in a specific scene and have a nice group of strong characters, or where the theme (such as Mace Windu's Squadron) binds together the whole set in a very strong way.

What factors determine whether a battle pack is all re-packs like the upcoming "Battle Above the Sarlacc" and a battle pack with some customized or all new figures like "Jedi vs. Sith?" (FFURG, 8/11/06)

Ahh - great question! The mainline, or national battle packs are designed with kids foremost in mind. That's why there are very few new, and they are more commonly themed repacks with a heavy concentration of recognizeable and cool kid characters along with a couple lesser known characters to complete the theme (Battle/Sarlacc being a prime example of this).

Now for exclusive battle packs, we take a different approach. We design these to be collector-targeted, knowing that if we strike the right chord they are something collectors will want to go to that retailer to find and ensure the sell-through at the retailer. This is why the exclusive battle packs have more of a troop building flavor to them. They are designed specifically to ensure that the packs will be able to sell through in a certain period of time.

Will we see any more Ewoks? Maybe even an Ewok Battle Pack? Maybe a Tusken Raider Battle Pack? Perhaps a Stormtrooper (not Clonetrooper) Battle Pack? (YN, 6/16/06)

Those are already on our radar, but there is no timetable for them. We have a lot of ideas and not enough space to put them all, but eventually there will be more Ewoks. Probably Ewoks before Tuskens, if that helps..

Collectors have been very enthusiastic about the Battle Pack Assortment. Would Hasbro consider including canceled figures like the Trophy Edition Obi-Wan Kenobi and Trophy Edition OOM-9, or hard-to-find figures like Sio Bibble, TC-14, and the Comm-Tech Princess Leia (Hood Up) figures in these assortments? (GH, 6/09/06)

Each Battle Pack tells a story.  We approach each one individually, taking a close look at which characters make the most sense for the scenario we're looking to recreate.   If any of these characters would fit into a future scene we want to do, we'd consider them.

We understand the idea behind rehashing and reusing older figures in the the sets. But is it necessary to use those figures from way back and not the more modern issue (ie Untimate Bounty Hunter set had older Bossk from 1997 and not 2004) (TJ, 6/09/06)

When putting together sets, we try to use the most current figure available to us at the time, but sometimes the most current figure isn’t always the one that is available for us.

Battlestar Galactica crap

Since Hasbro is doing some of the SCI-FI Channel's Battlestar Galactica ships as Titaniums, will you be doing any action figures from the new series or the old TV series? Would they be in the same 3 3/4-inch scale as Star Wars figures if you did? (SWC, 9/22/06)

Yes, we do have plans and they are in the 3-3/4" scale. The first one up this Fall is the current Cylon. Look for that on shelves in Dec. As for 2007, there are more plans for both the new and old shows but you'll have to stay tuned.

Okay, it's not Star Wars related, but hey, we love all science fiction around here! Since you have the license, and have done Titanium Series vehicles (and the upcoming Cylon figure), would you ever consider doing a line of Star Wars-scaled Battlestar Galactica action figures based on either the original or the new series like; Apollo, Starbuck, Adama, or a Cylon? (RS, 9/19/06)

We do have the license to do originals, and we are looking at that. We have no announcements yet, though.

Does your Battlestar Galactica license cover both the new and the old series and does it extend to figures or just vehicles? (YN, 9/19/06)

We do have the license to do originals for both segments, & we are looking at that. We have no announcements yet, though.

Beasts and Creatures

Just about all modern Jabba the Hutt figures have been based on CGI models of the character which look notably different from the original ROTJ puppet. With the excitement generated by Sideshow's 12" Jabba figure, can we expect to see a Jabba with Throne (dais) of similar quality for the Hasbro 3¾" line? (SSG, 3/02/07)

Your suggestion is certainly a valid one. We are looking at doing a new Jabba at some point, but he has taken a back seat to some other ideas we've been working on. When we get back to him, we'll look at what makes the most sense regarding style.

Can we expect to see the Acklay repacked anytime soon? (TJ, 3/02/07)

There is a good chance, yes.

With a new Bantha and Tusken Raider on the way from Toys "R" Us next year, what are the chances of getting, say, a reworked Jabba the Hutt from ROTJ with his dias and maybe a sitting Slave Leia and Salacious Crumb, along with a bunch of accessories? This would be a great set. (SWC, 12/15/06)

We are looking at a new Jabba sometime but it won't be in 2007. By the way - the Bantha on the way is a redeco, not a totally new Bantha.

Since the Episode 1 Eopie wasn't eligible for the Saga Legends voting, is there any chance you can squeeze this beast into a Battle Pack in the future? (Sort of like 2004's TRU exclusive Naboo Final Conflict set which featured a repainted Kaduu). The Eopie is still one of the toughest Episode 1 items to track down and many collectors would love to see it return (especially since the beast was featured alongside Obi-Wan in Revenge of the Sith as well). (JD, 12/08/06)

This is a good suggestion and we will consider it for the future. Thanks.

You said previously (via Q&A answers) that the upcoming Target exclusive "Battle of Felucia" Battle Pack would get us more of the Evolution-Sculpt Felucia/Yellow Clone Troopers we desire. Will it also give us a Gelagrub (that blue slug thingy) for the troops to ride on? (JD, 12/01/06)

We have no plans to make a Gelagrub at the present time. The battle pack will follow the current Battle Pack definition of 5 figures against a backdrop. Would we do the Grub in the future? Maybe, but it's a really specialized creature and I'd have to say it's low on our list of things we "need" to do.

The rumors on the Internets are predicting that the Bantha will be re-released next year-ish. So while Hasbro is feeling beastly, what are the odds of getting a Dewback with some real-feel hide, or at least a removable saddle? (The Saga Collection's Sandtrooper would look awfully good on one, wouldn't he?) (GH, 11/17/06)

We agree that the Dewback should see a new sculpt at some point and he's on the shortlist of vehicles and creatures that we'd like to do. But, like so many cool things, there's no specific timetable set for an update.

With Sideshow offering a 12"-scale Jabba's dais, could we be seeing one in 3 3/4"-scale to go with the Saga '04 Ultra Jabba with Hookah? Perhaps with a new sculpt of Salacious Crumb as an accessory/figure? (SWC, 11/03/06)

We'll look at this as it makes sense when (and if...) we do a new Jabba. We'd do both at once rather than just a dais, though.

I know that you are no longer able to answer questions about specific characters, but is there any way that you could tell us if there are *any* new-sculpt beasts on the way such as the dactillion, the aiwha, or the orray? These could fill a low price point and it has been a while since we have seen beasts on the market. (YF, 10/22/06)

These are all cool ideas, but none are in the works right now.

Is there any chance of eventually seeing a newly-sculpted ROTJ accurate Jabba the Hutt? I would also love to see Hasbro build upon Jabba's throne room organically, like you are doing with the Cantina pieces over time. I would love to see the ornate bar-b-que grill that sits behind Jabba (which has never been released before) along with the dais, a new-sculpt Salacious Crumb and sitting Slave Leia. (RS, 10/6/06)

It is time for a new Jabba, we agree, but just haven't found the spot in the line for him. We're thinking about it though. Interesting suggestion on the organic build for his environment pieces, too. Thanks.

Could we get a US release of the Eopie Creature from the Episode I line which to date has only been released in non-US countries? (SSG, 10/6/06)

We have looked at this. We're not sure how pervasive the demand is, but it remains an option for a future release.

When will Hasbro make a new sculpt of the Dewback? There's no reason why it couldn't be done to scale with the 3.75" figures and be the ultimate version. (AF, 9/22/06)

Good comment. It's one of those things where we need to balance the priorities of the line vs the great ideas available to fill them. We don't know when it will happen, but we will do a new Dewback sometime.

Any plans of re-releasing Jabba the Hutt with his throne? (JI, 8/04/06)

Good question. He's a great iconic character whom we haven't done anything with in a long time. We have no plans right now.

Are there any plans to make any beasts available again like the Dewback, Tauntaun, Rancor, or Bantha; either newly-sculpted versions or re-releases of previous versions? (SWC, 7/14/06)

We're looking at beasts as an '07 possibility, more-so as exclusives, but there are no specific plans right now.

Will we be seeing more Beast/Creature assortments in the foreseeable future? (AF, 6/09/06)

Though we understand that beast/creature assortments are desirable, at this time it appears that new vehicle assortments are in higher demand. Vehicles will play an integral part in our future line releases.

Business and marketing issues

It has been widely published that during the 1978-85 Kenner run, that over 250 million action figures were produced. While I understand that Hasbro does not release production run numbers, I was wondering if you could share with us if the 1995-present run by Kenner and Hasbro has surpassed the 250 million mark and if so, approximately when did this occur? Also for comparison, can you provide an approximate total of how many total action figures have been produced during nearly 12 year run of the line? (FFURG, 01/26/07)

We closely guard information on our production runs, so we cannot answer your question (it is also difficult to validate anything from the Kenner run since our records are spotty). Regarding the number of figures made to date.well, that would take some time and might be an exercise best left to the fans to figure out!

What other toy lines do you see as the Star Wars line's chief competition, both in-house and across the market? (AF, 12/15/06)

Generally, any property that is vying for kids' mindshare is a competitive property. As far as collectors, there is only one Star Wars! It doesn't mean we can rest on our laurels, though - we have exciting things in store to keep collectors excited for many years to come.

Do you think we will ever see a return to where the toy market will support the release of large vehicles and playset like back in the 80's? (JI, 12/15/06)

Older kids (10-12 year-olds) who were once active in action figures have left the category entirely in favor of videogames and other pursuits. So we won't see the return of these kids to the category - they have aged out. Combine that with more TV shows and movies, and more toy lines, vying for attention and it means there's a smaller share of the pie for the existing boys brands. I think it's challenging for many boys brands to make playsets work, including Star Wars. We do not preclude playsets from Star Wars, but we would lean in the favor of large vehicles. There are some large vehicles in the mix, but it's too early to commit to what those might be other than what info we have already given previously.

I know the Q&A has had a lot of new vehicle and playset questions and you have told us why you don't make them, but fans are not convinced by these reasons because, they walk down the toy aisles seeing other large toy companies and small companies (who have less funding and resources than Hasbro, make new molds without the issues Hasbro has with making new molds) filling the shelves with new vehicles and playsets for their toy lines, which the retailers obviously don't mind selling in their shops and are being bought; many items could be listed in one store alone. GI Joe being an example of the outcome of this. I would of thought as a toy maker, Hasbro would want to constantly put out new product not just new packaging to keep it fresh, to be Innovative and up to date in your chosen business. For example Hasbro has said no to build-a-figure suggestions, but the next Buffy wave of figures will have it so it must be a good idea. This is the point most fans don’t get Hasbro turned it down; though the company will experiment with items like Choppers and Playskool etc.

As well as fans, Kids want new Vehicles and Playsets to put their favourite figures in, as we all did when we were kids. Collectors will only buy so many Jedi Starfighter repaints before they've had enough and most kids will only want one of each different vehicle, again as we all did when we were young, because we wanted new ships not the same we already had but in a different colour.

Sorry if this sounds more like a rant than a question, but this is the frustration many fans have, we feel let down compared to other fans and kids. You have given us some great figures and battle packs but what about the rest? My question boils down to how come you give reasons, saying you can't do something or you say retailers have an issue with shelf space, when other Toy companies are doing it and retailers are stocking it? (YF, 12/15/06)

Just because other companies are doing something does not mean it is a successful business model, or that even if it successful for them does not mean that it would be successful for Hasbro or for Star Wars to pursue. We cannot speak for other Hasbro brands, because they have different strategic objectives and make a decision to allocate their resources against the objectives that are going to be important for them to gain momentum with kids. However, we are committed to making new vehicles and that has been well-discussed, as vehicles are an important part of the play pattern. The development of playsets is an inordinately expensive, time-consuming and resource intensive endeavor that has not proven, in Star Wars, to be worth the investment. It literally means that we would be doing less of other things like figures or vehicles, and we do not think that this tradeoff is worth it.

What is Hasbro's #1 strategy to retain current and obtain future Collectors? (ST, 11/03/06)*

Interesting question, Troopers.  Putting kids aside, who are also considered heavily in our line planning, our primary strategy is to keep delivering quality new products that get collectors excited, and believe that this "moving forward" approach demonstrates Hasbro's commitment to Star Wars.  The newness and continual evolution of figures against core "Wants" (whether it's aliens, Jedi, Ewoks, Droids, and the like) is what keeps the line fresh and new.  As for acquiring future collectors....in our experience, a great retailer presence and continued buzz and excitement for Star Wars is the best advertising we can have.  It doesn't really work to advertise to a more casual audience to get folks to "become" collectors.  When talking to collectors, we've found that usually the way they become reacquainted is by rediscovering the fun of Star Wars by seeing it in store or finding vintage gems at a sale or flea market and rekindling those fond memories of their youth. Increasingly, lately, it's also stumbling onto an online fan community that is already in place and getting pulled into the fun of collecting Star Wars figures that we all can relate to and enjoy with our own approaches.  These are experiences that are often happen on the collectors own terms and involve a nostalgic component that is difficult to trigger with conventional advertising.  So we think our best method of acquiring new and future collectors is by continually evolving the product line (looking for new hooks and angles, like the Saga Tins), working with the fan community to spread the word about our great hobby, and making sure that we have a great retail presence for the brand.

We often wonder why the current "kids market" is treated so much differently from the "collectors market", could you explain Hasbro's perceptions of the distinctions between the "collectors market" and "kids market" in Star Wars collecting? What are the percentages of "kids" collecting the line right now? Isn't that line blurred since most adult collectors started their interest as kids dating back to Kenner's first Star Wars action figures with notions of "collect them all" in 1978? There's a notion among collectors that the "kids market" is more important to Hasbro in the Star Wars collecting even though collectors make up a significant portion of the line's consumers and often buy multiples of each item, are kids today that much different in how they buy and enjoy their toys from 28 years ago that they should be treated as "non-collectors"? (SSG, 10/22/06)

Last year, kids outnumbered the collectors by a very wide gap. The reason is simple - we had a great movie, and Star Wars became the thing that kids everywhere wanted to get involved with. Just like collectors love Star Wars figures, kids piled on that bandwagon too. Well, kids didn't jump off that bandwagon this year, just like we thought they wouldn't given the product that we were designing to keep them engaged in Star Wars. Usually after a movie year we see kids' interest shift in a different direction, and some did wander away this year, but kids continue to be involved in Star Wars in a big way and are a very important component of the line's current and future success. Collectors do not want to see us focus on just collectors either - a healthier overall line means we can do more products than we otherwise would because retailers see the demand. If the line were just focused on collectors, the relatively smaller volumes would be at risk for being delisted, or we would have to create so many new, more obscure figures to keep the line going that we could not commit the resources and tooling dollars to get everything done. The healthiest Star Wars line is one that has both audiences, kids and collectors, engaged in the highest possible way. How do kids interact with Star Wars figures? Some have a more casual engagement, picking up a few core hero figures, while others dive deeper and appreciate another tier of characters like Kit Fisto, Agen Kolar, Plo Kloon that are the next step for someone who really wants to build up "the world of Star Wars." Others do a deep dive like an adult collector, and these kids may never leave the brand like many of us never did. These kids behave like collectors but our data shows them as kids.

Can we ever expect another midnight madness? Each of the three that happened garnered some free media coverage for Hasbro and gave collectors a chance to get the bulk of the figures for a new line in one shot. This would make a great annual event to introduce the new line. (RS, 9/29/06)

Unless there is another film, I doubt we'll see anything like this. The new equivalent is probably the Ultimate Galactic Hunt, which is a strong call to head to retail although it isn't a specific date and time.

What does Hasbro think the current number of "collectors" versus "casual buyers" (kids, and parents who buy for them) are in Hasbro's Star Wars line? (SSG, 9/22/06)

We don't release numbers for our kid or collector bases, but the number of kids actively engaged in Star Wars right now is VERY high. Our challenge is to plan for some of this audience to diminish over time, but we still need to keep a solid mix of heroes and collector-targeted figures to keep kids engaged. We also acknowledge that some kids will behave like collectors and buy very deeply (if not completely) into the line, but for the most part the "kids" we're talking about are the ones who will get a few vehicles and ten or so main figures over the course of the year to continue their involvement in Star Wars. There are a large number of these kids and we keep them in mind when we design waves and greatest hits.

Hasbro has a minimum sales requirement/expectation in mind for each line and even each item within it - often with a timeline attached - which seems to always be geared towards mainstream mass retail audiences, lines such as Action Fleet and Unleashed and Titanium Series 6" Ultra Vehicles often suffer because they either don't meet these requirements, or like the Titanium Ultras even when they do sell they don't sell fast enough for Hasbro's requirements - many of these lines being collector favorites, and some actually get better products as later waves come out. None of the other SW licensees seem to have sales expectations as high as Hasbro's - with the possible exception of LEGO, and even there they vary their expectations wildly between mainstream casual buyers and the hardcore collector base – yet those others continue to produce their SW lines even when it means lower volume sales. What is the difference between Hasbro and those other licensees in this regard, why does Hasbro need to have higher volumes, why are Hasbro's expectations higher or for faster sell-throughs or overly-focused on mainstream audiences which can lead to premature demises of some popular and quality Hasbro SW lines? (SSG, 9/19/06)

What you are talking about is the difference between a large toy company with a retail-based business model and a smaller company that has succeeded in creating a different business model. The "boys aisle" space at major retailers is intensely competitive with a high standard for productivity in a relatively small amount of real estate. If a product line does not meet our - or retailer - expectations, it struggles and the future for that line is in doubt no matter how much we like it or how passionate the fans for that line may be. What fans have to realize is that even though they love something, a line that is struggling does not have as widespread support among fans and that is tough to appreciate without understanding the larger retail landscape and the performance of each line. This is exactly why we chose to partner with Sideshow on the 12" line. We knew that we struggle at retail with 12", but a small company that focuses a great deal of their efforts around this category can excel because they have a very different business model than we have.

We often hear that Hasbro's Star Wars items are being marketed to kids and collectors. With kids still very much in the equation, where are the TV commercials (and viral video for the net generation) for the action figures and vehicles? The vintage-era TV commercials were instrumental in selling the line. (GH, 9/01/06)

We have taken a different strategy toward advertising the line, which seems to have paid off.  However, the fan base is doing a great job of driving the viral video portion with the various stop-action fan clips that folks have done. Great stuff!

How will the continued the increase in oil prices affect toy production for Hasbro? Will it mean that we'll see more repaints and reissues as opposed to new sculpts? Will Hasbro be cutting back on production numbers or raising prices to compensate? (FFURG, 8/25/06)

Well that is the billion-dollar question, Ashley. We have seen some effect of the price increase, which has affected not only plastic but pretty much everything else as well (steel and packaging). We were able to hold the line on our basic figures for 2007 (along with pretty much everything else) but we don't know what it will look like that far down the road. However, the oil price will have no impact on new vs. redeco or reissue....they use the same amount of plastic either way. We add reissues to the line to add variety while working within our tooling budget for the line.

Recently a report in the news stated there was a loss for Star Wars for Hasbro. Will this affect or change any plans to the current lines? (ST, 8/25/06)*

The Star Wars line always comes down after the activity of a movie year. The key thing is how the line is doing versus expectations.... and the good news is the line is doing great and is exceeding all expectations so far this year.  Because of that there actually HAVE been changes: we have actually added some items like more basic figures, reintroduced battle packs, added the GH Cinema Scenes, and more.  This is on top of the new products already in the pipeline slated for the back half to keep both kids and collectors engaged in the brand.  How does all of this impact the future of Star Wars?  If the line keeps doing well, we'll keep looking for opportunities to introduce additional items over and above what we have originally planned.

A report in the NY Post recently reported a loss by Hasbro last quarter. Many feel this is due to the amount of times Hasbro issues repacks. With many collectors turning to high-end collectibles (Gentle Giant, Sideshow), what are Hasbro's plans to rebound? Is this a concern? (ST, 8/11/06)*

Two issues here - I'll deal with the tougher one first.  The misconception is that we do repacks instead of doing new figures.  We actually plan our year with a mix of both, knowing that we cannot do an entire year of Star Wars with 100% new figures/vehicles - it's simply too costly from both a resource and tooling standpoint.  Instead, we look to repaints and repacks that make sense for the target audience (mainline battle packs, for instance, we know have great kid appeal. For single carded figures we take kids and collectors into consideration for the mix or volume we release). 

As for your second question, it's moot to compare the performance of the line this year to last year (the all-time best Star Wars year for Hasbro). The line always comes down after the activity of a movie year. The key thing is how the line is doing versus expectations.... and the good news is the line is doing great and is exceeding all expectations through the first half of the year.  So thanks to you guys and the incredible kid response to the brand, the outlook is very, very good, and that's why we have gone back and added some items like more basic figures, reintroduced battle packs, added the Galactic Heroes Cinema Scenes, et al.  This is on top of the new products already in the pipeline slated for the back half to keep both kids and collectors engaged in the brand.

It seems that collector interest is still running high for the Star Wars line...roughly what percentage of Hasbro's market does the collector community represent? How do you determine this number? (RS, 6/23/06)

We don't release sales information or consumer sales profile statistics.

Why does Hasbro not want to discuss specifics in regards to possible upcoming products when Hasbro has no competition for making Star Wars action figures? (SSG, 6/16/06)

Excellent question. We manage the flow of information for a variety of business reasons. One advantage to the plan is that we always have upcoming news and collectors don't get bored. When the public knows the line too far in advance, there's a tendency for items new to the shelf to seem old if the line list has been out there for months (case in point last Toy Fair, when our line list was well-known, and the criticism was that there was "no new news.").

Matt:
Case assortments

Will Hasbro ever decide to change the distribution in their waves? Let's face it, army builder or not, clones (and the like) are easily the best selling figures due to their numbers on screen. Why not release a wave containing 1 each of slower moving characters such as Palpatine, Vader, Senators, and Cantina extras and another consisting solely of clones (maybe 2 or 3 different ones per case). This way, Hasbro could ensure that peg warmers would not be over-shipped and there would be enough clones for all. (RS, 01/26/07)

The best way to manage the line, as we have been doing very successfully for the past two years, is to stick with a balanced approach. We balance our cases to ensure that we have the best mix at retail for both kid-targeted figures and collectors, ensuring the best retail "turn" on the pegs. Producing solid case packs of "niche" characters is a sure way to doom the productivity and would lead to these types of figures being dropped entirely, which nobody wants to see.

What does Hasbro do to try to avoid peg warmers? For example, when you made the Lushros Dophine figure, which has been a peg warmer for about 6 months now, you had to know that this would not be an extremely popular figure among kids or collectors so why did Hasbro make so many of them and how will this issue be rectified in the future? (ST, 12/08/06)*

Key learning on Lushros: Initially, we decided to limit him to a historically-based "low-end number," but because of the runaway success of figures this year, we scaled him up in proportion with the rest of the line (this happens automatically, say, if we decided to double the amount we make of any one wave to keep up with demand, instead of remixing and deleting and adding a different figure). We knew kids didn't want him, and that there are more collectors engaged in 3-3/4" then there have been in many years so we felt confident we could let the line play out on him. We did overshoot on him though, and it was valuable data for future line planning. He is really the only figure that we have seen in abundance, though.  Overall, we do not have any problems with figures and it has not gotten in the way of getting TSC to shelf so this was an isolated incident that has not been a problem and we are watching it more carefully.

Why are the most sought after figures one to a case. I remember Cody and Scorch being hard to find at first but you have Commander Appo being one to a case as well. Do you realize the demand for the figure? Why not put more per case of have solid case packs? (YN, 12/01/06)

For basic figures, collector-targeted ones, we tool at 1-up tools so our capacity is more limited. It costs more to duplicate figure tools, and for more narrowly released figures it does not make fiscal sense to cut more steel than is needed. When demand is high, we can produce only so many to go in the case packs and as such, the factory can only supply enough to provide 1 per case because the overall production is elevated. That was the case this year. Sometimes (like Scorch) we re-release because demand was much higher than we originally anticipated. Also, keep in mind that what is highly prized by collectors is not necessarily what kids are looking for....so you have been seeing very different case mixes than you were used to seeing, say, during Saga 2002-2004 where collector figures were heavier up, but the overall figure volume was lower too.

How come Hasbro keeps packing clones, Republic Commandos and clone commanders in such low numbers considering that they are the most popular of all the new assortments? (A-F, 6/30/06)

They have been selling well, but it doesn't mean we've been shorting them. Usually our case-weighting has more to do with the tooling capacity (how many we can draw from the mold per week). We'll continue to look for ways to get high-demand figures back into the market.

What are you doing to remedy case assortment problems such as pegwarmers like Yoda and Poggle and Bren Derlin, as well as hard to find figures like 1-per-case Scorch and Commander Cody? (AF, 6/09/06)

We are constantly updating our case packs to meet the needs of our total audience - both kids and collectors. What you may be seeing on a local store level is not necessarily an indicator of what is going on at a national level.

Clone Wars

A few weeks ago, Hasbro answered that figures of Clone Wars General Obi-Wan Kenobi in Clone Armor and a Space Armor Saesee Tiin (Clone Wars, Vol. 2) were great ideas for the 2008 line. Might we also suggest the following figures to round out a Clone Wars-themed wave in 2008?

* Barriss Offee (all-new, super-articulated sculpt, from Clone Wars Vol. 1)
* Holographic Darth Sidious with Mechano Chair (EPISODE I Holographic Darth Sidious with all-new Mechano Chair accessory)
* Roron Corobb: Ithorian Jedi Knight (Clone Wars, Vol. 2: all-new sculpt)
* Yoda on Kybuck (Clone Wars, Vols. 1 & 2: Yoda from ROTS Deluxe Yoda on Can-Cell, with all-new Kybuck)
* IG Lancer Droid (Clone Wars, Vol. 1: mix of retooled IG-88 parts and all-new sculpts, with battle lance accessory) (SWC, 12/08/06)

Thanks for the comments. There are some exciting figures here. At this point, 2008 has been locked down for some time and the good news is that at least one of the figures, and maybe more, are on there. In addition, at least one of these, maybe more, will appear before then. Stay tuned...

While the 30th Anniversary of Star Wars and the associated 30th Anniversary Collection are looming on the horizon, it seems that Hasbro is probably planning further ahead for 2008 and beyond.  And it seems very likely that what Hasbro designers may be working on now is a 2008 collection and possibly a line to complement the upcoming animated series.  Now we've heard from Lucasfilm that the Clone Wars cartoon that is in production is going to be very different in style from the 2 Volumes of Clone Wars that we've already seen.  Now to the question:  Has anyone at Hasbro seen concept art or designs for this new cartoon?  And will the toy line that is sure to complement this new series be stylized like the new animation, or in the current life-like style? (TJ, 12/08/06)

Well, as far as the non-animation component goes, the 2008 line has been "locked down." The line plan has been secure for months and we are moving into sculpt mode with the first waves of figures.  We do not anticipate that there will be changes to this line beyond the few usual character tweaks and refinements, when we are moving from concept into execution. The Clone Wars line has not been finalized and remains in development. We have been working with Lucasfilm very closely on the series, and there are many stylistic details yet to be worked out that will not be revealed for a while, so stay tuned.

Will there ever be a single-carded version of Obi-Wan Kenobi as a general of the Republic figure (dressed in Clone Trooper armor)? One that utilzes a Clone Trooper body, perhaps, instead of snap-on armor? (SWC, 11/17/06)

This would be a good figure for a future basic figure and is on the wish list for doing sometime down the road. It won't be in 2007, but there's a strong chance he'll make the 2008 roster.

Now that we're getting a Saesee Tiin Jedi Starfighter, any chance of seeing a figure of him in his battle armor from CLONE WARS, Vol. 2? (SWC, 11/17/06)

That's another gem of a figure from Clone Wars that deserves to see a plastic version someday. He is in the same camp as Obi-Wan in General's armor ... it would be cool and it's on the short list for the not too distant future. If we do Obi-Wan, this would make a good companion figure in a wave.

Will we ever see another run of Clone Wars Animated 3 3/4 Figures? (YN, 11/03/06)

If we do more of the Cartoon Network Clone Wars figures, we'll be focusing on realistically styled figures.

I know you included an Obi-Wan with snap-on Clone Trooper armor in the Jedi vs. Sith Battle Pack last year, but I know I'm not the only fan who was really hoping for one tooled from the SA Clone Trooper body with soft goods cape and robe. Is this on the drawing board?

And since you've been making "real" versions of Clone Wars cartoon characters (thank you for that by the way, can't wait for Snow Bunny Padme), I'd like to know if Saesee Tiin in his space armor is also being considered. (YF, 10/27/06)

Good questions. In the short term (i.e. next year), the answer is no. But they are both on our short list of great figures to do.

Does Hasbro have any future plans to make more waves of the animated CW figures. There are still more figures to be made. Also any plans to go outside the CW era and animate other figures (a la Gentle Giant)? (YF, 9/19/06)

We do not have plans to produce more Clone Wars animated-style figures at this time.

Can we expect to see more animated Clone Wars figures? If so, what is the rough timeline? (GH, 6/16/06)

We do have plans for some of these characters in 2007, but we won't be announcing the specifics just yet. However, any we do will be in "realistic" styling rather than animated. We done some polling with fans, and overall the realistic style is prefered over the animated style so we are going to stick with that.

What are the chances of one more Animated Clone Wars Wave (or box set)? We still need to get C-3PO, R2-D2, Padme (Ilum Snow Gear), and Darth Sidious to round out our sets! (JD, 6/09/06)

Characters in CW are great - and we're looking at ways of getting more of them in the line for 2007. However any we do will be in "realistic" styling rather than animated. We’ve done some polling with fans, and overall the realistic style is preferred.

Coins and Coin Album

The back of the coins for the Galactic Marine and Airborne Trooper have the 8 spoke Republic symbol. Shouldn't it be the 6 spoke symbol? (POTF2, 3/16/07)

Our design team chose the eight-spoke for these by the flip of a coin . Ha, just kidding. EpIII clone troops can be seen as either pre- or post- Order 66, like some with alternate shoulder pads (Shock Troopers for example) have been portrayed in the past. It could have gone either way of course, and we still look at them as either pre-Empire or post to suit our own display needs, and we figured collectors would do the same.

I'm worried that the collectible coin pack-ins for The 30AC might lead to increased incidences of vandalism at retail. Unscrupulous collectors who don't want to buy one of every figure might break into packages in order to get a complete set of coins, leaving behind the carded figures. While it was rare, I did see a few TSC packages at retail that had their hologram figures stolen out of the packaging. Was this at all considered during the product development of the coins and The 30AC basic figure packaging? (SWC, 12/08/06)

Yes, we have taken this into account in the blister design. There is an inner trap blister into which the coin is set that cannot be easily removed in the store.

Will there be another outlet to acquire the coins next year other than having to buy figures we already have? Perhaps mail-order, POP redemption, or some other service? A lot of fans are excited about the re-release of the coins, but acquiring a whole set would mean purchasing figures we might already have. I think using 30th anniversary figure POP's for redemption would be a good solution since we would still have to buy figures to redeem for the coins we are missing. Any thoughts on this? (JTA, 11/17/06)

There will not be another way to acquire basic figure coins other than getting them with the basic figures.

Will the new coins be unique to each figure or will every coin be randomly on each card (like the little holo figures were)? (YN, 10/22/06)

The main basic figure line (the 30th Anniversary basic figures) will have a unique coin for every figure (60 total) and will be the coin series that is intended to occupy the 60 numbered slots in the coin binder. There will be additional coins, notably some "movie" coins that are not specific to the character that will be found in the Greatest Hits asst.

What type of material are the 2007 Collector Coins made from? (Metal or plastic?) Will the Collector Coin Album be available at big box stores? (GH, 10/6/06)

They are aluminum - the exact same material the previous coins were made from. We wanted to stay true to the roots of the coin program and make them from the same material and to be the same size.  There are some new details for the 30th Anniversary, though — some coin details that are pretty cool and unique.  The figure/album will be available everywhere from 1/1 to approximately 3/24.

We've seen the coin holder on Entertainment Earth for the 30th Anniversary line coins that will be packed in with various figures. The description mentions it will hold all of the coins from the basic line (60) as well as for promotional and convention coins (and I would suppose other exclusives as well). What is the total number of coins we can expect for the 30th Anniversary line? (JTA, 10/6/06)

That number is still yet to be finalized, but there will only ever be 60 basic figures coins. One thing we are going to do, however, is hold the exclusive coins down to a very minimum. The ony exclusives which will have coins would be either CIV or Comic Con. In addition, if we do end up putting a "Greatest Hits" basic figure line into play, we would have to evaluate what sort of coins they would have.

Is the 30th Anniversary Darth Vader with STAR WARS Coin Album and Exclusive Coin currently available for pre-order online going to be an Internet exclusive, or will it also be available in stores? (SWC, 10/6/06)

It will be available in stores and online from roughly Jan 1 until the end of March.

Regarding the announcement of the Vader with coin album...the album leaves spaces for "promotional, exclusive and extra coins." Will the promo and exclusive coin slots be labeled or will they simply be blank? (RS, 9/29/06)

They will be blank because we haven't nailed down what we'll be doing for additional coins yet. Also, we want allow flexibility for folks to slot in coins of their choosing, including dupes if someone happens to be a troop builder.

Will the coins included with the basic figures in 2007's The 30th Anniversary Collection be character-specific, or just medium-specific (i.e.: film name or EU source name)? (SWC, 8/11/06)

They will be character-specific on the front, and movie- (or EU) specific on the back.

Collector club

What are the chances of having a Collector's Society program where fans could buy toys directly (through HasbroToyShop.com perhaps, like how the GI Joe 3 3/4" line is currently offered) that Hasbro thinks wouldn't sell well in regular stores, such as an AT-TE, Sith Inflitrator, and new playsets? (AF, 10/27/06)

Actually we think the Sith Infiltrator would sell very well in stores and that's where it will be released. Any future ambitious releases HAVE to involve the major retailers as that's the only way to get these in the hands of the most collectors possible to sell enough units to justify the investment in the product. Our own HasbroToyShop.com (or any etailer) can play a part in a product release, but cannot carry the load for a brand new product like that.
(AF editor's note: this question was sent in a while before the Sith Infiltrator was a confirmed vehicle.)

Has Hasbro explored the possibility of starting a collector's club, offering unique figures and accessories to its membership? How many collectors would need to 'organize' in order to pique Hasbro's interest in this concept? Hasbro dedicates a lot of care and attention to nurturing its relationship with G.I. Joe and Transformers collectors, adopting official conventions and collector clubs, and Star Wars fans often feel left out of the fun. Will Hasbro make any such efforts for Star Wars collectors in the future? (GH, 6/16/06)

Lucasfilm runs the official Star Wars [Fan] Club and Celebration shows to maintain that conduit with collectors. We'll participate in those events (and Comic Con) to showcase our upcoming products and interact with collectors, but there are no plans for another Club devoted to figure collecting.

What happened to the "one of every figure" club that they mentioned at C3? (SWAN, 6/16/06)

Unfortunately this idea came too late to be able to implement because at that time many of the Episode 3 figures were already out of production having been created in the months prior to the movie shelf date. As a result there was not enough collectors interested in signing up for the whole set to merit reproduction of some figures.

Will there ever be a subscription service/one-of-every-figure club/opportunity for fans to purchase convention exclusives, possibly through HasbroToyShop.com? Whatever happened to the subscription program announced at Celebration III? (RS, 6/09/06)

The 501st San Diego Comic Con figures will be available on HasbroToyShop.com, but it's not possible at this time to set up the type of large-scale subscription service that I know you're referring to. Maybe down the road.

Comic book two-packs

This is something of a 2-part question regarding the Comic 2-packs.  We've been seeing consistent reports of a Comic 2-Pack with Mara Jade.  Who will the other character in the set be?  Also, we've seen reports of an A'sharad Hett & Anakin Skywalker Comic 2-pack.  Will A'Sharad Hett have his Tusken Raider face coverings? (TJ, 3/02/07)

Mara will be packed with Luke, re-creating their escape from the Stormtroopers in Shadows of the Empire.  Hett will indeed have his Tusken Raider face coverings.

Will we see new comic packs in 2007 after the first wave? Any clues on what we will see? Will they always be based on old Marvel Comics, or will we see some based on Darkhorse Comic titles? (JI, 01/26/07)

There will be at least 15 comic 2-packs on the shelves this year, and judging by the early fan reaction, they can't wait to see more. This validates our assumption that delivering two figures (some new, most always refreshed) with a great story is something that fans and kids want to see. The second wave won't be on shelf until about April, and consists of Quinlan Vos & Vilmarh Grahrk from Star Wars #19, Republic #55 with Obi-Wan and Alpha, and Star Wars #4 (Marvel) with Luke and R2-D2. About 25% of the comics this year will be Marvel-derived and the balance will be Dark Horse.

The Marvel Comics 2-packs have been hit or miss with collectors. I personally like them as this is something I wanted to see Kenner do back in the 80's and the execution with these figures is great. I was wondering though about the choice of Vader's for the Vader/Rebel Officer pack. This pack is clearly based off the scene where Vader chokes the Rebel Officer, yet Hasbro chose to go with a Vader figure that could not re-create the scene, such as the 2002 SAGA Vader. Even a new arm sculpt would have done the trick here. Was there a decision made about not re-creating the choking scene as shown in the comic? (FFURG, 01/12/07)

Our choices were based entirely on the figures we had to work with, with no opportunity for any new tools in the first wave, in order to get the product to shelf in the time needed for retailer resets. So our choice was based on that. But in general, we don't necessarily intend to recreate any panel (one scene) in the comic but provide a couple of interesting and new figures when possible wherever they appear in the comic.

Will the Mara Jade comic figure be based only on how she appeared in the comics or will Mara Jade-actress Shannon McRandle's likeness be taken into account? (SSG, 01/12/07)

She is based on the Dark Horse comic imagery.

Is Quinlan Vos still slated for release? If so when? We are seeing a two pack believed to be the Hasbro retailer catalogue stating Komari Vosa and Vilmarh Grahrk, is this a typo? (ST, 12/15/06)*

He is indeed slated for Wave 2 of the comic packs.  We do not have an image available right now, but the pack should be made available very soon.

I like the way you are making the EU comic 2-packs. I was wondering, what factors go into the selecting of what comics to use, and then what figures to make? (RS, 12/01/06)

We meet and go through our favorite issues that resonated with cool stories and great characters. We keep a running list and update it as we get caught up with the entirety of the Dark Horse and Marvel library. On our spreadsheet, we note whether we would need new sculpts or can work with existing ones. We also note whether there is any inherent kid appeal to the figures or whether they are purely collector-targeted. We base our final selections (in close collaboration with Lucasfilm and consultation with Dark Horse) on a balance of all factors so the wave has balanced kid and collector appeal, some important new tools, but a manageable quantity, affordable cost, etc. In short it's not unlike the process we go through for basic figures....creating balance that will enable the line to succeed at retail.

How many comic book 2-packs are planned?  Can you tell us which story arcs they cover? (JTA, 11/10/06)

We have 15 packs slotted into the lineup next year with a possible early ship against the 2008 line bringing in one more wave before the end of '07. We don't want to be too specific on the story arcs, but it covers some of the greatest Dark Horse stories (with the occasional Marvel reprint) from both movie period and beyond.

The Star Wars Comic Packs. Set #1, Kir Kanos & Carnor Jax (Crimson Empire) has started shipping and the first non-exclusive wave, based on the old Marvel Comics, were revealed at SDCC. When do we get to hear some official details about Wave 2? Soon? Toy Fair 07? Right Now? (hint, hint) (JD, 10/27/06)

As the waves are slotted roughly 2-1/2 months apart, Wave 2 will be on shelf approximately the first week in April. We will probably reveal the full contents of Wave 2 in December.

Since the Star Wars Comic Packs revealed so far show figures packed with reprints of the original Marvel Comics adaptation of Star Wars #1-3, will we be seeing similar two-packs for issues #4-6 in 2007? (SWC, 10/22/06)

Not initially. We are going to move into some Dark Horse-produced titles after that with occasional dips into the Marvel issues after that. We see the future of the line being roughly 75% Dark Horse / 25% Marvel in the long run.

With the comic book 2-packs being released, could we see a two-pack featuring new Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade figures, as they appeared in the comic book "Union"? (SWC, 10/6/06)

We won't be doing Mara's spa outfit, if that's the one you are referring to. ;)

Will the EU 2-packs be solely based on comic books? How about characters from the novels and/or video games? Even some of the fringe Miniatures game characters would make for great-looking action figures. (RS, 8/11/06)

The 2-packs are going to be built around comic reprints, so novels are fair game if Dark Horse has done a comic version of it; the same holds true for the video games. Central to the idea, for the kid audience too, is to provide a great bite of the story so folks can get acquainted with it. Now most of the Dark Horse stories run over multiple issues so it won't be the complete picture, but it will be enough to introduce the characters and interest fans and kids in picking up the rest of the story if they haven't read it already. So that's the idea behind the comic and why we'll stick to that format. It doesn't mean that we can't do novel or video game figures elesewhere in the line, though.

Can you hint at the EU Source Material that the future waves of the Comic Book 2-Packs will be based on (beyond the already announced Marvel Comics and Crimson Empire)? Not specific figures per se, just a hint at the source material please. (JD, 8/11/06)

We'll be releasing the info by wave as we get closer to the release date for the packs. Releasing the issues would just be giving out too much right now.

With the new comic book two-packs coming, is there any chance in the future of two-packs consisting of two figures and a paperback version of an appropriate novel? For instance: "HttE" paperback with Mara Jade and Grand Admiral Thrawn; "SotE" paperback with Prince Xizor and Dash Rendar. (SWC, 8/04/06)

Very interesting idea, and the format certainly does allow for doing some things like that. However, we prefer the visual medium of comics to allow kids into the product as well. We're more likely to reprint a Dark Horse comic version of these novels before the paperback.

With the way Hasbro is doing the comic book 2 packs from Marvel and Dark Horse.  Wouldn't this be a perfect opportunity to re-issue the vintage Droids and Ewoks series of figures in this form too?  Demand is definitely there for them! (YF, 8/04/06)

The comic packs, like all of the figures slated for '07, are designed in the realistic style. We do not have plans to go back to the cartoon style of Droids or Ewoks.

Are the 3 3/4" Expanded Universe Marvel 2-Packs going to be 'realistic' styled figures or will they be designed to look like the comics? (TJ, 7/14/06)

We'll be releasing details at Comic Con.

Customizable figures?

Customizing is very popular among SW fans; ever thought of bringing "Customizing Kits" onto the market ... would save us the trouble of hurting our fingers prying figures apart. They could come complete with pots of paint and little "how to" manuals. (JTA, 3/02/07)

Unfortunately, this area is not one in which we are investing a lot of time since it is likely any expertise we develop would still be dwarfed by the great work that you guys are doing and the more advanced tool set you have developed to do the job to your satisfaction. In short, you guys are the experts here, not us, and we prefer to keep it that way. Continue to amaze us with your work...that's the involvement we seek to continue having with this segment of the hobby!

Customizing is a huge trend with collectors from all around.  Are there any plans in the near or far future to come up with packs of body parts, heads in particular, or something of this nature? (ST, 11/03/06)*

We aren’t focusing on this area.  Sorry!

Do you ever consider customizers when you produce a figure, and what are the chances of you producing an action figure for customizers? Maybe a Create your own Trooper or Jedi, figure kit, something similar to your build your own lightsaber kit . (YF, 7/14/06)

The closest we came to that idea was the Evolution sets. We don't have plans to specifically tailor a product to customizers lined up.

With the recent battle packs of both The Hunt for Grevious and Clone Attack on Coruscant, many fans have noticed Hasbro's tendancy to "kit-bash." While I totally understand this practice for financial reasons, I was curious of Hasbro would ever be interested in releasing a "Make your own clone" type package which could include various heads, bodies as well as accent accessories. I know with all the talented customizers as well as play factor for kids, this could be a great hit for your company and you wouldn't have to sculpt anything new. (RS, 6/30/06)

Interesting suggestion, Dan. That's not something that is in our plans for the near future.

Deluxe figures

Will Deluxe figures be part of the line in the near future? (TJ, 6/30/06)

Hopefully, but there's no timeline.

Is there a possibility of bringing back the 3 3/4" Deluxe figure line? (SSG, 6/23/06)

Not right now. It's possible that we may bring back the line when the animated series is released in a few years.

Will we see a return of the $10-15 price point Deluxe line?  It has a lot of potential for releasing small vehicles and beasts (Geonosian Orray and Arena cart) along with background figures. This format could also be utilized for multi-packs, oversized figures (Hermi Odle) and accessories too. (Did we mention Hermi Odle?) (GH, 6/23/06)

We're not planning to return the Deluxe/Ultra lines in the forseeable future. But, it may be a possibity with the release of the animated series in 2008.

Evolutions

Any chance Hasbro will be revisiting the Evolution 3-packs in the future? (JI, 7/14/06)

Not in the foreseeable future.

Will there be more Evolutions figure sets? (AF, 6/09/06)

In a movie year, Evolutions was a way for us to include figures with premium articulation in our line. This year, we're doing more of this style figure in the basic assortment, so we did not see the need for a separate line.

Are you planning to do more of the Evolutions Sets? If so, when? If not, why? They seemed to sell very well and were popular with both kids and collectors alike - we'd love to see more! (JD, 6/9/06)

In a movie year, Evolutions was a way for us to include figures with premium articulation in our line. This year, we're doing more of this style figure in the basic assortment, so we did not see the need for a separate line.

Matt:
Exclusives

Celebration 4 is fast approaching. Can you tell us if Hasbro will be offering an exclusive for the event? if so what is it and are their any images? (JI, 3/16/07)

We will be offering an exclusive figure, but Lucasfilm will be making the official announcement. In addition, the 40-packs of the official Star Wars figure stands will be available for the first time to fans at the event. They will be based on the Saga Collection stands and will be available for $9.99.

What was the thought process behind making the last 5 figures in the 2006 SAGA line exclusives? Any collector can tell you that the last wave in most of the current lines is nearly impossible to find (i.e. Episode 1, POTJ, SAGA 2002, ROTS, etc.), and now it's exclusive to Wal*Mart as well which makes it twice as hard to find, if not more. Not to mention that these five figures are included in a case with other figures, and only 1 of each per case at that. While I am not a fan of exclusives, I do understand that stores want something "special" to bring customers in. However, I would urge Hasbro NOT to make the exclusives part of the regular line of figures in the future. (ST, 3/02/07)*

Troops - because the "last waves" of any line have been hard to find in the past does not mean that this one will be.  We are very aware of what has happened in the past and have designed this wave not to fall prey to the same issues.  There are other reasons those waves were short as well - mainly the time between the wave's release and the fact that the old line look must make way for the new gives it very little breathing room.  This one has a different circumstance.  The simple fact is that we are releasing as many of these figures as we are for any other average figure in the line, which means that WM will have a good concentration of this.  As is the case with all of our case packs where a figure is weighted at 1-per, like early on with Scorch or Cody, our ratio weighting choices are dictated by the tooling capacity of how many we can physically manufacture to satisfy the overall demand, and not the demand of the figure itself.  How many we put per case is largely irrelevant for collector-targeted products; the most important statistic is the number we eventually make.

During the last few years there have been chrome, then silver painted convention exclusives, some later sold at TRU. My question is why did you switch from the chrome to the toned down silver and are there any plans to keep up this tradition for convention release or mass release in stores? Those figures rocked! (SWC, 3/02/06)

Thanks for the comment. There has been some feeling that once the major characters were done, these "trophy" versions (silver of chrome) sort of lost their uniqueness. In addition, they really don't have a place alongside the figures on the shelves of our collections as a living part of the Star Wars character universe, so our philosophical shift has been away from silver and more toward figures that have a purpose. That's not to say we won't look at it in the future, but we'd rather look at, say, Shadow Stormtroopers as interesting figures than all silver. Regarding the shift from chrome to silver, our factories determine what's best based on what is needed for the paint to adhere to the specific plastic substrate. PVC parts cannot be chromed but must be painted, while ABS parts can be. If something spec'd as chrome will not pass our QA standards, factories will not want to proceed with the figure and silver paint is the only way to go.

Can we anticipate that the 2007 Hasbro Summer Convention Exclusives will once again be for sale on HasbroToyShop? (YN, 3/02/07)

The details on the convention exclusives, both products and who will be distributing them, will be announced closer to convention time.

In the past, TRU has had several promotional figures that could be obtained free with a purchase of $15 or so (such as Holographic Yoda and Palpatine, and some silver figures). Will we see more promotional figures such as these in the future, perhaps more holographic figures that would otherwise not be sold at normal retail? (AF, 01/26/07)

We don't have plans to continue this campaign right now, instead choosing to use our "item count" in different and more impactful ways with our retail partners, preferring to do an additional vehicle at regular price rather than one of these figures.

Are you going to sell the 501t Trooper that was issued to the 501st members who marched in the Rose Parade to the general public? The packaging is awesome! (ST, 01/26/07)*

This figure is a special tribute figure and a token of thanks for the folks who did the heavy lifting and provided amazing support for that great event. It will not be made available or sold to the public, aside from the very select few which will be auctioned for for charity on eBay.

In the last two years, Target has received many exclusive Star Wars items, but inevitably many of them go on clearance on a national-scale such as the Lava Reflection Jedi and Demise of Grievous figures as well as the Skirmish in the Senate Battlepack. How do these clearances effect what exclusive items Hasbro will make in future years and what steps are being taken to ensure a more premium based item is made as an exclusive? (FFURG, 01/12/07)

The goal is to try and call a number that we think will sell through in a certain period of time (like the duration of an end-cap at Target for instance) Even when we call the number "right", things aren't always perfect in every store, and there are usually some pockets of stock that will go on clearance as part of the move to clean up the stores and get ready for the next end-cap. We use the sales of any exclusive to dial-in on what we think the right quantity is for any future exclusive release. In general, our 3-3/4" releases have been very clean and nothing we have released has had much of an impact on future 3-3/4" releases. The exception has been the Unleashed 7", which we have cut back on for the spring Wal-Mart release to be more in line with the sell-through of the Fall products.

Can you shed some light on what types of exclusives we might see this year for conventions and mail-away? (JTA, 01/12/07)

It is too early to announce anything yet on our Convention exclusives..but we can confirm there will be some.

Sometimes exclusive figures are just "too" exclusive, for example the Hunt for Greivous Battle Pack. Is it possible or even feasible, that when an exclusive is released, maybe a few months after it has been gone from the shelves, that Hasbro can offer that exclusive for sell on the net? It seems that most places (i.e. Target, Toys R Us, Wal-mart) do a poor job of stocking the exclusives on their shelves as well as on their websites. Any help from Hasbro would be great! (RS, 01/12/07)

In order to incentivize our retail partners to get behind an item, we have an exclusivity policy that we will not offer those packs (or figures from those packs) elsewhere for a length of time (usually up to a year) after they clear the shelves. There are two tricks with that. One, it's rare that an exclusive sells out everywhere clearly and there are sometimes pockets of stock that retailers still have - just the inevitability of the distribution system. Two, we have usually (but not always) moved beyond an item at that point and we're not certain that collectors will embrace a re-release with the fervor that is needed to sell through the quantity that we need for a re-release (another factor that needs to be considered). That said, you will see some cases where we will be bringing out exclusives again, so look for that.

In an earlier Q&A session, Hasbro was asked about trying to get exclusive items offered through various retail partners' websites.  The response that we got was that efforts were being made to get some of the exclusive items made available online.  However at this time it appears that only Toys R Us and KayBee have made their exclusives available online.  What has the response been from retail partners like Target and WalMart on this issue?  It does not appear that they have made their exclusives available to collectors online. (TJ, 01/12/07)

It has not been as easy as you may think.  The ultimate merchandising strategy is decided at the highest levels of our retail partners, but they have been made aware of collectors' desire to find the exclusive products online.

When stock numbers for exclusives show up in retailers' computers, is this akin to 'penciling in' a date, as opposed to a done deal? Many collectors assume that once an item is in the CPU, it means the ink is dry. Is this not the case? Is it possible that negative reaction to a rough sketch product description can deep-6 an exclusive? (GH, 10/27/06)

With very rare exceptions, when a product shows up in a retail computer, it's a "done deal" and has been proposed, evaluated, and accepted by the retailer.

Given the recent Lucas Family set that was a StarWarsShop.com exclusive, How does Hasbro feel about future exclusives that utilize all new tooling? Has it become more feasible now that the Internet is more prevalent in the home compared to the days of the B'omaar Monk and Oola online exclusives from years past? Could this be the avenue through which we might see the really obscure fan-requested characters in the future? (RS, 10/22/06)

That pack was the rule rather than the exception, but we will be exploring some new tooling in exclusives to provide a point of differentiation from things we've done in the past. But it won't be mostly new figures, as the Lucas Family Pack was.

Will there be any difference between the upcoming Celebration 4 exclusive figure(s) and Celebration Europe's, be it a packaging difference or a difference in the figure itself? (GH, 10/6/06)

It's too early to talk about Celebration 4 just yet… ask us in about a month.

Army-builders and collectors alike were ecstatic over the San Diego Comic-Con 501st Stormtrooper exclusive figure, but some were a bit dismayed that it had English characters on both the figure and the banner, instead of the STAR WARS in-universe characters of Aurebesh. Any chance of a future re-release of this figure with Aurebesh lettering? (SWC, 10/6/06)

We don't plan to re-release this 501st figure again, but if we do do a future 501st offering then it makes a lot of sense to do Aurebesh. We did think about it, just didn't do it this time.

Is the Wal*Mart exclusive wave from TSC going to come and go as quickly as the Separation of the Twins sets did? Is there a possibility of this wave being offered elsewhere once Wal*Mart is finished with it? (GH, 9/29/06)

The seasonal timing more than anything played a big role in helping clear out the Separation of the Twins so quickly.  Since these will be on shelves post-Holiday (latest date is 2/1 on shelf) the guess is that collectors will be able to find them without trouble. Hopefully.

In past weekly Q&A sessions, it was implied that HTS.com may offer items that are exclusive to retail stores. Can you clarify that? Also, it was stated that Hasbro is working w/ walmart.com to offer the Wal-Mart exclusives online, is Hasbro working w/ target.com to do the same for Target exclusives? So far Toys "R" Us' tru.com is the only retailer that actively offers their exclusives to both physical and online stores. (RS, 9/29/06)

We don't have any more information on the exclusives on HTS.com, except that we will not be offering other retailers' exclusives on there. We have confirmation that wal-mart.com will be carrying their exclusives online if the retail price point is over $12. Target.com will be carrying their exclusives online this Fall but in limited quantities.

We saw some images of the Han Solo / Chewbacca Transformer with gold Titanium pack-ins a while back. Can you give us information on when and where that will be sold? (JTA, 9/22/06)

This is a Wal-Mart exclusive product available in limited numbers (compared to the main run). It will be on shelf Nov. 1.

Almost annually (I think they skipped a year or two) warehouse clubs like Costco have offered a really nice, value-priced, value-added Star Wars toy set for their membership to purchase. Is there anything in the works for this year, and, if so, can we get any details? (Side note: I'm asking because we often don't find out about these sets until it's too late, and they're sold out. So please, any advance warning will help.) (GH, 9/19/06)

Yes - there are two this year.  Both will be at Costco.  One is a 2-Pack of Electronic Lightsabers with 2 pack-in 3-3/4" figures (no redeco, straight repack).  The other set will be the "Star Wars Tater Trio Set" which comes with all three Star Wars spuds in a cool new giant-size Darth Tater outer package that serves as a container.  Look for those in about a month.

We've heard on many occasions that Hasbro is always trying very hard to make sure that everyone who wants a figure or a toy can get that item.  But then collectors are presented with the Wal-Mart exclusive wave of Basic Figures and the situation is somewhat different. Obviously these basic figures will be available at Wal-Mart stores, but is Hasbro actively pressing Wal-Mart to offer these figures online through Walmart.com as well? (TJ, 9/19/06)

We are discussing this, thanks for the suggestion.

We will be seeing any wholesale club exclusives this year? If so, where and when? (YN, 9/19/06)

Yes - there are two this year. Both will be at Costco.

One is a 2-pack of Electronic Lightsabers with 2 pack-in 3-3/4" figures (no redeco, straight repack). The other set will be the "Star Wars Tater Trio Set" which comes with all three Star Wars spuds in a cool new giant-size Darth Tater outer package that serves as a container. Look for those in about a month.

The next time you have an exclusive(s) on www.hasbrotoyshop.com, will you be able to handle the traffic without the site shutting down or freezing up or never loading? It's pretty frustrating for those who tried to order and were not able to get what they wanted because the site was so bogged down. (YN, 8/25/06)

That was actually a server glitch during the 501st relist, not due to the traffic. The HasbroToyShop.com team assures us that they will be able to handle the volume when exclusives go on sale.

Next time you have Exclusives on HTS, can you have orders for say the Star Wars exclusive be at a different time than the Transformers exclusive? That made it twice as hard to get your order in? (YN, 8/25/06)

That's a good point and we'll pass that on to the HasbroToyShop team.

Will HTS be carrying the last wave of 2006 basic figures that is slated as a Wal-Mart exclusive? (JTA, 8/25/06)

They will not be. Update on the expected date for this wave is January on shelf at WM.

Can you tell us what the exclusive figure will be offered at Celebration IV? (JI, 8/11/06)

We are working on them, but it's still too far off to reveal any info. Look for more info at the end of the year or beginning of 2007.

Why were people allowed to buy the 501st figure at the SDCC by the case, and why was service so bad at your web site that you were unable to handle the web traffic and people spent upwards of an hour with the product in their shopping cart but were unable to checkout. Will there be another, more organized opportunity, for people to buy this exclusive figure in the near future? (ST, 8/04/06)*

Without knowing the details, it's possible that what you were seeing was collectors using more than 1 badge, or simply using the empty boxes as a sturdy way to transport figures.  We did confirm with our HTS team that there was a limit of 5 for the duration of the convention.  As for the web delays, the unfortunate issue was with Verizon servers going down that day.  The good news is that there are more 501st figures (and Titanium) available to consumers and they will go back on HTS.com Friday Aug 4th.  So....spread the word!

How much will the SDCC Exclusive 501st Stormtrooper cost and what will be the limit on the number you can purchase? (JTA, 7/26/06)

$14.99, and the limit is 5 per person.  Figures will also be available on-line during and after the show.

Exclusive 6+plus figure sets (NOT the 3-pk Evolution sets), like the Bounty Hunter one offered by Diamond, allowed many late in the game to obtain all the great characters in one purchase. Any chances of more, like a 6-pack of Clone Troopers (with Commander Cody- I can't find him!!!!) (F, 7/14/06)

More Cody's are on the way and should be hitting retail soon. As for your question on 6+ packs…stay tuned! We'll be making some announcements later next week at Comic-Con.

When can we expect to hear more information about this years SDCC Exclusives? (JTA, 6/16/06)

Information on the EU "Shadow Stormtrooper" figure is available at StarWarsOnlineShop. We will be making more information available on the HasbroToyShop "501st Stormtrooper" figure just before convention time, so be sure to check it out.

Many collectors are frustrated with exclusives which are often hard to find due to scalper draw, limited or uneven distribution, and exclusives to chains not available in certain areas. While understanding that exclusives are an important part of getting certain items released, as well as a tool for Hasbro's dealings with their retail partners, what can be done to remedy this ongoing problem so that collectors can feel like Hasbro cares about their interests and concerns? (AF, 6/16/06)

Good question, and we do care. We are not trying to deliberately short the market or create frustration. We release exclusives with the size of the collector market in mind. We try to ensure that the retailer is willing to commit to anticipated quantities and item needs to satisfy the collector base We attempt to obtain national distribution on what we think will be high-demand items. What we can't plan for are the store counts and amount shipped to each store, which our retailers decide on; individual collector pockets of high concentration; the unfortunate scalping element (which at least seems to less than it was several years ago); and sets with an inherent multi-purchase pattern (troop building) that motivates folks to go unusually deep. From these standpoints, exclusives are probably no different than national items....some national items can be just as hard to find locally but nationally on the average they are OK.

Will Hasbro start to offer store exclusives at HTS.com? I love some of the recent Target exclusives but I don’t have a Target within 30 miles and when I do make the trip, the pegs are empty and I have to pay 2x or 3x retail on ebay. If they sold even a small portion on HTS it would give people a better chance to get them! (YN, 6/09/06)

Yes. Soon, fans may visit HTS.com and purchase a selection of exclusive items including the 501st SDCC figure, Titanium Series Gold TIE Advanced X1 Starfighter, and an all-new action figure collectors case. These limited edition collector cases (6"x9") are branded Hasbro, Star Wars, Lucas Film Limited and Kenner!

Expanded Universe (general)

I fully applaud the current direction you're taking with respect to the EU characters that are slated for 2007. I'm a big EU fan and especially love Timothy Zahn's creations. That said, I'm thrilled to see a new Thrawn, Mara and Bothan announced, or so I read. For the Bothan, what interpretation (source) will you be using for the figure? (I'm very partial to the old 'SW: Rebellion' computergame look for the Bothans myself) Also, are there currently plans to incorporate Talon Karrde, Joruus C'baoth and a Noghri into the line? (ST, 01/12/07)*

Patience - with time, we hope to get to most of these pretty important figures (we're not sure about C'baoth though….he's lower than others).  As for Bothan reference, we'll probably take our cue from the Rogue Squadron-esque styling of Fey'laa and others which has been a consistent visual mainstay in many of the Dark Horse EU books.

What about 3 3/4" Fem Trooper (Female Stormtrooper) or female Imperial officers? (ST, 11/17/06)*

We will probably be doing a female Imperial in the comic packs at some point, since there are some great characters there that we can work with and have storylines in which they play central roles.  However, female Stormtroopers just aren't a natural fit with anything so we will not be going there.  If female Stormies do appear in a future vehicle (such as TV, videogames, or comics) then we'll look at it.

The minis from Wizards of the Coast have covered a lot of territory and some cool designs (Basilisk War Droid!), any chance we'll see some of them offered as toys (or made in a larger scale)? (TJ, 11/17/06)

We do enjoy the Star Wars Miniatures.  We might look to some of their new designs if they will get screen time in other media to help get broader acceptance of the concept.  Expensive new items in a 3-3/4" scale like you mention need extra support to get going (as opposed to say a figure deco we are passionate about and willing to take a chance on).

Since you are delving into the EU are there plans for figures such as Commander Faie, Commander Keller, Clone Assassins? (ST, 11/10/06)*

These are good figures (the Commanders can be seen in action in Dark Horse's Republic comics series), but haven't found a specific opportunity for them yet.

What's stopping the production of a Bothan figure like Koth Melan, Borsk Fey'yla, or Asar Seil'lya? We know that's it's the standard EU debate all over again but we'd love to see who Mon Mothma is all shook up over. (FFURG, 10/6/06)

Heh. I can say that we will, at some point in the next few years, see one or more of these (Koth is a good one if we ever do more Shadows of the Empire figures). But it won't be near term. Patience..and know that Bothans are on our scanners.

Bothans are widely talked about in the Star Wars universe, yet we have never seen a definitive image of one, nor have we ever gotten a figure of one.  Can we ever hope to see some Bothans? (ST, 9/22/06)*

Yes, yes indeed.  If the schedule holds, you will see one at the very end of 2007.

2006 is the tenth anniversary of the multimedia project SOTE. Was there ever any thought given to commemorating this with a special figure, such as the designed-but-never-produced Guri? (SWC, 8/11/06)

We haven't given this any thought for 2006. Shadows was important for being the hallmark of the EU, an important predeccesor to many things to follow, and in that sense the spirit of Shadows has literally cast its shadow over the rest of the EU figures in our line next year.

Although he's been seen in Dark Horse Comics for some time, now that Darth Bane is also being featured in a novel (October 2006's DARTH BANE: PATH OF DESTRUCTION), could this at all influence the decision to make an action figure of the character? (SWC, 8/11/06)

Certainly he's an interesting character with an interesting prominence in Sith lore. We should get to him at some point, but there's a lot of great stuff to choose from in the EU.  Patience...

Now that he didn't win the Fan Choice, what are the chances of a figure of Nom Anor now?  Obviously from the Fan Choice, fans seem to be craving him.  How about some other Yuuzhan Vong figures as well? (YF, 8/11/06)

We won't comment on any more of the Fan's Choice figures until they get close to release….so you'll just have to stay tuned.

Now that Hasbro is officially out of the "EU Closet", how will you deal with fan requests like Luke Skywalker & Mara Jade wedding figures? That's got to be a tough sell. What's the approach? (GH, 8/11/06)

There are SO many great EU figures to work with, from new Jedi and Rebels to new Imperial officers and troops, to classic but updated versions of the main Original Trilogy characters, to life after the Saga, to the phenomenal videogame characters, that it's a balancing act to try and get to the best of the best of the EU.  Hopefully, with time, we'll be able to cover a lot of these bases.  To answer your specific question, we'd like to tackle a great version of any EU figure before getting to the niche outfits (like a wedding set).  We think collectors would prefer the most iconic versions first, in this case the ready for action outfits.

Will Hasbro ever go back and expand on the Shadows of the Empire line by adding some characters that are prevalent in the book but did not make the figure assortment? (YN, 8/04/06)

Possibly, but our preference would be to go back and re-do (with current sculpting/articulation) some of those original Shadows figures first.

Why would Hasbro not give Quinlan Vos the Fans Choice figure on card like he deserves? Shouldn't the #1 vote get the figure on that particular card? Fans voted him in and giving it to Darth Revan seems like Master Vos is getting short-changed, since Hasbro has such a history with repacks, why did Quin get jobbed? (ST, 8/04/06)*

Because Quinlan Vos was already in production for the comic 2-pack series. To take him out would have left an unfilled void in that series.  Because we wanted to be straight up with fans that he was the #1 winner, we also wanted to be straight up about why we went to the #2 for basic figures.  We look at it this way: it means more of the Top 25 figures will be done next year, which is a good thing.

EU us the big topic of the moment. Is there anything that is off-limits, like The Holiday Special? (GH, 8/04/06)

Generally, there is nothing off limits.  However, we select figures based on the overall desirability and interest we think they will have. The Holiday Special has a few cool elements, but overall I don't think most collectors want to see us do too much with it. Nor does Lucasfilm!

Will there be a 5th wave of Star Tours figures? (AF, 7/26/06)

Wave 4 will be the last wave.

Are there more non film-based Clone Troopers (Expanded Universe) planned as either part of the basic line or as exclusives for 2007? (SWC, 7/26/06)

Yes…but this may change as the exclusives plan is still a long way from being solidified.

Any plans for a Sith Lords Darth Bane or Darth Pelagius figures? (JI, 7/14/06)

Not at the present time.

Back towards the end of the vintage line, there were plans for a line of Star Wars toys that were not based on the films, but rather all-new adventures and designs (see The Star Wars Collectors Archive for details). Would you ever consider revisiting this line with new sculpts and accessories? Or perhaps develop something new along these lines that's unique and original, yet still in the Star Wars style? (RS, 7/14/06)

Interesting idea, but the answer is probably "no" unless those ideas have been brought into the EU somewhere. The only places we're really planning to explore outside of the six films and Clone Wars is the EU and the upcoming TV.

Could we see new SOTE figs as part of the EU line next year? (BTT, 6/30/06)

It's too early to announce the specifics of the EU line.

Also what are the chances of seeing more EU figures such as the Solo kids and more Quinlan Vos? (ST, 6/30/06)*

It's too early to release specifics of the EU line-up. There is only one certainty on the EU - there will be many, many figures that fans want to see made and not enough slots to cover them all, at le ast in 2007…so the best thing I can say is "patience."  If the EU line does well, chances are it will continue and eventually we could get to most or all of the higher-profile figures collectors want to see introduced or re-done.

When the Covert Ops Clone Trooper was offered on SWS.com, the product description said the trooper could be the 'debut of a possible new line of troopers released by Hasbro in the coming months.' Any update? (TJ, 6/23/06)

Currently, Starwarsshop.com is offering Shadow Stormtrooper, which is a great example of an Extended Universe trooper.

What are the plans for the Expanded Universe? (JI, 6/16/06)

A lot of great characters have been created in the Expanded Universe and we do plan to include some in the 2007 line. We can't release more details than that, but stay tuned.

I heard that Hasbro is thinking of adding a few EU figures into the mix for 2007, but will any of these figures include characters from novels? And, is there a ballpark figure on the number of EU figures that will be made next year? 2? 3? An entire wave? (POTF2, 6/16/06)
 
I can't give any more details beyond "wait and see." I know it's frustrating, but I'm glad people share the same passion for the EU as we do and Lucasfilm does.

Where does Hasbro see the future of the toy line moving? With the influx of non-movie, expanded universe characters gaining popularity from the books, video games, and television series, is there any consideration of pursuing a full line of these sort of characters? Even if not, will there remain occasional EU chase figures such as the Shadow Stormtrooper? (SWAN, 6/16/06)

Fantastic question. This really does go to the heart of the directions available since the future of the Star Wars entertainment, be it the new series, comics, video games, novels etc., is by definition EU. However it’ll be a balancing act I think, with demand for Saga based characters (Episodes 1-6) still extremely high for the next few years I see the movies still remaining the heart and soul of the line, but the EU occupying a prominent part. We will have a more concrete answer to at least one of your questions in our panel at comic con, so stay tuned.

What are the chances of seeing more Expanded Universe figures? The two TV series are still a couple of years out. It'd be neat to branch out and cover some of the EU that a lot of fans have been asking for. (The Kir Kanos is a step in the right direction) (AFI, 6/09/06)

There are a lot of great characters created in the EU and we plan to include some of these in 2007. Stay tuned!

Will we be seeing more EU figures, especially characters beyond just clonetrooper repaints? (SSG, 6/09/06)

Yes. There are great characters in the Expanded Universe and we plan to include some of these in 2007. Stay tuned!

With the awesome addition of Kir Kanos, how far does Hasbro plan on carrying on the Star Wars Expanded Universe theme? Plans for any vehicles? When can we expect them? (F, 6/09/06)

Both vehicles and EU will be an important part of the line in 2007.

Expanded Universe (comics)

With all the different, scene-specific versions of Vader made between 1995 and the present, it seems likely that Hasbro will soon have to delve into the EU for new versions of him. In the Dark Horse Comic one-shot Star Wars: Purge, Vader suffers some serious battle-damage at the hands of a group of Jedi. Any chance of seeing a figure of a beaten-but-unbowed Sith Lord somewhere up the line? (SWC, 01/26/07)

Yes, but it won't be the version from the Purge comic. Stay tuned…

In 2007 or 2008, are we going to see any Star Wars Legacy figures? We'd love to see a Darth Talon, Darth Kryat, Cade Skywalker, Delialah Blue and mostly the new Stormies and Imperial Knights. (ST, 11/17/06)*

Not in 2007, since the comic pack line was "put to bed" before we knew about Legacy. But there's a high likelihood we'll see a couple figures in 2008.

How about a EU dark Jedi Sora Bulq, all it would take would be a repaint of the existing figure to dark colours, cloak and red sabre. (YF, 11/17/06)

It would be a good one to do down the road. Some of the Republic issues that feature him are some of the best Dark Horse Clone Wars-era stories, and fertile territory not just for Sora Bulq, but other great off-screen Jedi as well. With all the great characters to work with, it'll just take time to get to them all.

Dark Horse Comics' new STAR WARS: LEGACY monthly is certainly stirring up the imaginations of figure customizers, with multiple Sith Lords and all-new Jedi and Stormtroopers. Any possibility of seeing figures from this comic in the next few years? (SWC, 11/10/06)

Not next year for sure (we locked down the year before we knew about Legacy), but it is a strong contender for future issues. This series certainly has some fantastic new characters, and if any fan isn't currently reading this title, they should be!

Expanded Universe (novels)

In previous Q&A's you have mentioned that it is difficult for Hasbro to design EU based figures due to a lack of visual reference material and that has led in part to the creation of the Comics 2-Pack line which has the visuals you need. I was wondering for EU characters from novels which do not have comic adaptations, would Hasbro consider using the various Novel covers, Reference Guides, and CCG Cards that exist depicting EU characters? (FFURG, 01/26/07)

If we select to do a novel-based character who does not have any comic appearances, then any other canonical artwork from any source would be valuable inspiration and would not be ruled out for that characters' appearance. It isn't our intent to re-create characters when good information already exists.

Hasbro's answers about making Expanded Universe figures based on the novels have suggested one of the reasons they're not as likely is because there are no singular visual representations of the characters. However, one of the licensed reference books currently out is "The Essential Guide To Characters" which use Lucasfilm-approved artwork of character likenesses from the novels that are not in the comics, such as many of the Yuuzhan Vong and the Solo Kids. Also, the Japanese cover art likenesses has been claimed as canon by Lucasfilm Licensing executive ficton & comic editor Sue Rostoni, these likenesses being used even on the StarWars.com EU main page as graphic elements. Will Hasbro consider using these sources for the inspiration for future EU action figures? (AF, 01/12/07)

We will look at all possibilities to bring popular EU characters out wherever they originate, including novels. The challenge is that novel characters can really only slot into the basic figure line right now and those slots are for the most part driven by the movies and Clone Wars. The comic packs will all have comics, which will house most of the EU this year and next, and is a comic-based format. So that's where we will continue to concentrate our efforts. For the EU characters that are relatively unfamiliar to the larger Star Wars audience, this is important as our strategy has been to tell some of that story (via their comic appearances) so the context is understood and appreciated. Kids like comics too, so that is a great medium for them, as well as for collectors. Novel characters unfortunately have little visual reference and their story is tough to convey in context so they are at somewhat of a disadvantage. All that said, there will likely be some novel-based characters in the comic line either based on the novels Dark Horse has done, or because they are cross-over character who are in other comic stories. Keep in mind that we are aware of the interest and are looking for opportunities to get novel figures in where it makes sense and where they would be positioned for success, rather than failure.

In terms of the Comic Packs, is this going to be the only series of action figures looking solely on the Expanded Universe? Because that leaves a massive hole in everyone's collection. Especially seeing that, apart from Splinter of the Mind's Eye and The Thrawn Trilogy very few, if any, Star Wars books have been made into Comic Series. Do you intend to do a wave of EU figures in next year's or even 2008's series of figures based entirely on figures that couldn't possibly be included in the Comic Packs? (RS, 12/15/06)

Admittedly, books that do not have visual representation are very low in consideration for us, simply because we can't pack in a story as a way to convey the context for a figure that otherwise the broader audience may not be familiar with. We do not intend to slight the novel fanbase, but we do think we have some figures that will keep them very satisfied over the next couple of years. As we look to the future, we want to evaluate how we can better take advantage of the characters from the novels.

With non-movie stories becoming the future of Star Wars it seems like you are (will be) really jumping into tying in the comics and the future TV series into the toy line. The Legacy of the Force novel series is right in the thick of things now. Do you have plans in offering characters from this series or other novels into the line? (JTA, 12/01/06)

First, I would rather say that we are embracing the EU storytelling right alongside of (and not replacing) the movies. The movies are the foundation and will remain that way for a good long time. We know the novels are looming out there, but it's tough to make the direct connection to figures since they are not an inherently visual media. We will have to see how these figures do on future fans' choice polls, and if the strength of the characters continues to resonate, we'll consider them.

We're getting the Sith Starfighter and Vader's astromech droid from the novel Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader. Any chance of action figures based on characters from the book, such as Senator Fang Zar (who was also seen in Revenge of the Sith), or Jedi Roan Shryne and Padawan Olee Starstone? (SWC, 9/22/06)

We might get to those figures, but it won't be for a while. The novel figures don't have much visual reference, so it's tough to work them into the comic 2-packs. This means the only "home" for novel figures right now is the very competitive slots we have planned for EU figures in the mainline basic figure assortments.

Are there any plans at this time to release a figure of the "Darth Plagueis" character that will tie in to the book being written by James Luceno for release in 2008? (SWC, 7/26/06)

He's on our wish list….but not in 2007.

Is there any chance of seeing New Jedi Order figures in the near future? Either as a spin off line (like Clone Wars) or as a wave or two in The Saga Collection. (AFI, 6/30/06)

You'll have to wait and see what figures are in the EU line as it unfolds. At some point they would be good to do, I agree.

When are we going to see a line of figures based on the Star Wars novels? The last expanded universe line was years ago. With the success of the book series it would be a perfect time for another EU line. Especially since we only have one figure of Mara Jade, the most popular EU character, and dozens of figures of characters that were in the movies. And I'm not including her bust, since it's only a convention exclusive. (YN, 6/23/06)

You're right. The EU is fertile ground. We know that there are great characters in the EU and we plan to include some of these in 2007. Stay tuned!

Expanded Universe (video games)

With so many new Star Wars video games coming out these days, and with kids being so into video games these days, has there ever been thought about doing a line of figures based on them again? (JI, 12/15/06)

Yes.

Are we ever going to see a Clone Blaze Trooper and a Clone Assassin Trooper from the Ep III game? (ST, 12/15/06)*

They are not in the plans right now, but with the welcome reception to the Republic Commandos figures, we are looking to see what videogame inspired figures we could work into a future line.  We’ll take your suggestion into account.

After the success of Expanded Universe clones, is there a possibility that we could soon see some other EU troop builders like Sith Troopers or Mandalorians so Darth Revan won't be all alone in the Old Republic? Fans want more KOTOR figures! (RS, 10/6/06)

We're looking at that. The EU has many great figures to choose from and we want to spread it around a bit. Stay tuned.

Can you shed any light on the Lethal Alliance line of toys, recently hinted at in the Wall Street Journal? Will they be a subline all its own, or a part of The 30th Anniversary Collection? (RS, 9/19/06)

Lethal Alliance is the new PSP game launching in December from Ubisoft. We do not have any plans regarding this game right now.

With the announcement of the upcoming Darth Revan figure from the KOTR line of video games, there is an opportunity to have a figure, like ROTS Anakin #50, that could be two figures in one. One figure would wear the armor, mask, and cloak, while the other character, without giving away the ending, could be the actual jedi/sith character you play. How about it? (FFURG, 8/25/06)

That's a very interesting idea, but we were planning just a straight-up version of Revan. What you propose is an interesting twist on vidgames where you may start as one character but progress through the course of the game to become something very different.

A few customizers have made versions of the unique playable characters in the Battlefront video game series. Although there was one exclusive Scout Trooper for the first release, we'd love to see figures like the Rebel Sniper, Battledroid Sniper, 501st Jet Trooper, Arc Trooper Heavy Gunner, or AOTC Clone Jet Trooper be produced. In most cases, these figures could be repaints with new accurate weapons or accessories. This could be a repack internet exclusive through LucasArts or, even better, a Battlepack with copies of the games now that the price has come down. Is this even remotely a possibility or are we dreaming here? (FFURG, 8/25/06)

That is a very good idea and one we have been looking at with the immense success of BFII. However, while we're looking at it, there are no specific plans right now. It's on a short list of "wouldn't it be cool if." kind of ideas.

Will we be seeing the rest of the Republic Commando clone troopers in 2007? (YN, 7/14/06)

No.

It's interesting to see the number of characters from the EU make the top 25 in the current Fan's Choice Figure poll. The fact that 5 characters alone were from KotOR clearly suggests one thing...FANS WANT KOTOR FIGURES!

Without revealing the winner of the poll or even naming any specific characters (I realize that a lot is being kept secret until after Comic-Con), will there ever be any figures from KOTOR? (RS, 7/14/06)

Thanks for understanding that we're keeping the results of the Fan's Choice vote under wraps until Toy Fare has the opportunity to break the news. What we can say is that the Expanded Universe will be an important part of the line in 2007. (Dan's Note: Obviously, this was written before the winners were announced earlier this week.)

Can we see EU toys in the near future again? Like the popular KotOR game getting some toys? (A-F, 6/30/06)

The EU is fertile ground. We know that there are great characters in the Expanded Universe and we plan to include some of these in 2007. Stay tuned!

With the recent success of Clone Commando Scorch flying off the shelves is there any plans to make his 3 pod brothers - Boss, Sev, and Fixer? (F, 6/23/06)

Good question … but the answer will have to wait until Comic-Con!

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