Author Topic: RC Hailfire Droid  (Read 17094 times)

Offline Jesse James

  • Staff Member
  • Grand Master
  • *
  • Posts: 35448
  • Slippery When Poopy
    • View Profile
    • JediDefender.com
RC Hailfire Droid
« on: February 18, 2010, 01:43 AM »


Here's another thing I'm surprised there isn't more buzz about it...  Check it out in our Toy Fair Hasbro Gallery

The RC Hailfire Droid being shown at Toy Fair this year was outstanding.  It's not accurately scaled but it's quite sizeable.  I'm looking at it (since it has a smaller missle magazine as well) as a smaller model of the same vehicle.  The wheels are much larger for durability reasons I'm assuming, and the missle pods are for 9 in each pod (fire in 3's).

They're really going all out with this.  It makes me wish they'd tried to make the Turbo-Tank RC in some capacity, but I'm sure it would've impacted its cost significantly.  I'd love to see a Speeder or something though.

RC's a toy niche that's come down in price significantly.  Growing up I recall similar vehicles were quite expensive from companies like Nikko and Tyco.  They were simply toys though, nowhere near the level of sophistication in the RC Hobby.  This new Hailfire's not too different from the toys though, and will cost much less it seems.

This is one I'm actually anxious to add to my collection, and I'm glad to see the answer to the RC question we asked last year.
« Last Edit: February 18, 2010, 01:45 AM by Jesse James »
2011 Rebel Fleet Trooper Gets My Seal Of Approval!  But Where's The Friggin' Holster On Him!?
Jedi Defender.com Contributing Editor, Twitter @JediDefender & @Jesse_James77

Offline McMetal

  • Jedi Master
  • *
  • Posts: 7135
    • View Profile
Re: RC Hailfire Droid
« Reply #1 on: February 18, 2010, 10:41 AM »
Can anyone who got a close look at this please answer a burning question for me?

Is the Clone Trooper that comes with this going to be a unique sculpt/paintjob/etc? Or is it going to be a pure re-pack of a previously released figure?

I'm not a fan of the R/C stuff, but as a TCW completist I will have to buy this if the clone is something new or even remotely a variant at all.
A character’s face is melted by fantastical energy

Offline iFett

  • Jedi Sentinel
  • *
  • Posts: 11402
  • wabbit hunter
    • View Profile
Re: RC Hailfire Droid
« Reply #2 on: February 18, 2010, 10:59 AM »
I had a "model" RC Tamiya Toyota Hilux when I was like 12 and loved that sucker, but I think I'm passed the RC thing now.  Just like those spinny flying things.  0 interest.
Learn new skills at home that some consider to be.....unnatural.  Easy repayment terms.  555-PLPTN

Offline CHEWIE

  • Jedi Sentinel
  • *
  • Posts: 14630
    • View Profile
Re: RC Hailfire Droid
« Reply #3 on: February 18, 2010, 11:16 AM »
No interest in this thing whatsoever and I assume the average collector doesn't care about it either.  It's destined for failure in my opinion. 

Offline shmashwitdaclub

  • Jedi Apprentice
  • *
  • Posts: 2089
    • View Profile
Re: RC Hailfire Droid
« Reply #4 on: February 18, 2010, 11:43 AM »
since I don't have a Hailfire yet I am mildy interested in this so far.  I need to see it in action though before I would buy it.  Are there any videos floating around with this in action yet?

Offline Jesse James

  • Staff Member
  • Grand Master
  • *
  • Posts: 35448
  • Slippery When Poopy
    • View Profile
    • JediDefender.com
Re: RC Hailfire Droid
« Reply #5 on: February 18, 2010, 02:50 PM »
There's pictures of the Trooper in our Toy Fair coverage. 

While I get why some collectors who have a Hailfire already won't care perhaps, the paintjob's new, the sculpt's nice, and it's intended for the main line, so I think some collectors are going to actually want this.  Kids though are its main target, thus it has a battlepack planned specifically to go with the Hailfire Droid as well.

To me this is a great play pattern and it's targeted to the line that actually is selling well without collectors which is pretty key there.

I'm looking into one because it's really well done, and I enjoy RC as a hobby so this is interesting to me.  The ability to control the missle launcher, etc.  It's pretty neat.  My only gripe's its scale but I'm willing to go with it as a different model of the same droid.

I can see kids wanting this to run over their Clones though, for sure. 
2011 Rebel Fleet Trooper Gets My Seal Of Approval!  But Where's The Friggin' Holster On Him!?
Jedi Defender.com Contributing Editor, Twitter @JediDefender & @Jesse_James77

Online GrandMoffNick

  • Jedi Master
  • *
  • Posts: 6236
  • You are what you choose to be
    • View Profile
Re: RC Hailfire Droid
« Reply #6 on: February 18, 2010, 03:02 PM »
Did I miss the price?
This is the water, and this is the well. Drink full, and descend. The horse is the white of the eyes, and dark within

Offline Jesse James

  • Staff Member
  • Grand Master
  • *
  • Posts: 35448
  • Slippery When Poopy
    • View Profile
    • JediDefender.com
Re: RC Hailfire Droid
« Reply #7 on: February 18, 2010, 03:19 PM »
You didn't miss anything Nick, I didn't see a price either.  Someone who was doing more chatting may know it, but I didn't catch it myself.
2011 Rebel Fleet Trooper Gets My Seal Of Approval!  But Where's The Friggin' Holster On Him!?
Jedi Defender.com Contributing Editor, Twitter @JediDefender & @Jesse_James77

Online GrandMoffNick

  • Jedi Master
  • *
  • Posts: 6236
  • You are what you choose to be
    • View Profile
Re: RC Hailfire Droid
« Reply #8 on: February 18, 2010, 03:22 PM »
I'm somewhat intrigued by this, but only at the right price and I doubt that will be the case.
This is the water, and this is the well. Drink full, and descend. The horse is the white of the eyes, and dark within

Offline Jesse James

  • Staff Member
  • Grand Master
  • *
  • Posts: 35448
  • Slippery When Poopy
    • View Profile
    • JediDefender.com
Re: RC Hailfire Droid
« Reply #9 on: February 18, 2010, 03:35 PM »
I'm guessing between $40 and $50.

Bearing in mind it's a fair size, it has RC function (drives like a tank, if you're familiar with that) that works not only the drive mechanism but missle firing in groups of 3...  Cost will be a factor.  I'm wondering on speed.  Can it really plow into a line of Clones?  That's my curiosity right now.

They're speedy in the movie so I'd hope the toy's got some umph.
2011 Rebel Fleet Trooper Gets My Seal Of Approval!  But Where's The Friggin' Holster On Him!?
Jedi Defender.com Contributing Editor, Twitter @JediDefender & @Jesse_James77

Offline Jayson

  • Jedi Sentinel
  • *
  • Posts: 11050
  • I am one with the Force and the Force is with me
    • View Profile
    • www.yakface.com
Re: RC Hailfire Droid
« Reply #10 on: February 18, 2010, 04:28 PM »
According to the most recent DCPI list it's $59.99

Quote
087-06-1497 HAILFIRE RC vehicle $59.99


Yakface.com Owner/Content Manager
Follow me on Twitter - @yak_face / @JediJaybird

Offline Jesse James

  • Staff Member
  • Grand Master
  • *
  • Posts: 35448
  • Slippery When Poopy
    • View Profile
    • JediDefender.com
Re: RC Hailfire Droid
« Reply #11 on: February 18, 2010, 04:31 PM »
Ah ok...  Didn't think to go to the DPCI lists, thanks Jayson. 

Pricey...  I'm still going to get one though.  I'm already working in my head on just calling it a later model version of the same thing to adjust the size and payload differences, and be happy with it rolling around the room chasing cats and clones.
2011 Rebel Fleet Trooper Gets My Seal Of Approval!  But Where's The Friggin' Holster On Him!?
Jedi Defender.com Contributing Editor, Twitter @JediDefender & @Jesse_James77

Offline Jayson

  • Jedi Sentinel
  • *
  • Posts: 11050
  • I am one with the Force and the Force is with me
    • View Profile
    • www.yakface.com
Re: RC Hailfire Droid
« Reply #12 on: February 18, 2010, 04:53 PM »
Ah ok...  Didn't think to go to the DPCI lists, thanks Jayson. 

Pricey...  I'm still going to get one though.  I'm already working in my head on just calling it a later model version of the same thing to adjust the size and payload differences, and be happy with it rolling around the room chasing cats and clones.

Hasn't it been established that the CIS designs were scalable as that's how they explained away the sizes differences in the Tri-Droid and Octuptarra Droids? I think this could follow suit without too much of a stretch in logic.
Yakface.com Owner/Content Manager
Follow me on Twitter - @yak_face / @JediJaybird

Offline Jesse James

  • Staff Member
  • Grand Master
  • *
  • Posts: 35448
  • Slippery When Poopy
    • View Profile
    • JediDefender.com
Re: RC Hailfire Droid
« Reply #13 on: February 18, 2010, 08:02 PM »
Kind of the way I was thinking...  I was applying the WW2 military kind of logic, with how German tanks kept changing to adapt to the changes of war and things.  This looks like it's kind of like that.  Bigger wheels for the variations of terrain, lower warhead capacity perhaps because they're more powerful, smaller creating a lesser profile, and so on.

Geeky?  Sure, but it's the kind of geeky that I enjoy I guess.  I'm thinking of just dubbing it a "Mark IV 'Hailfire Droid' Tank" and going with its own little EU story sort of.

I think it'd be great to see RC updated in a Landspeeder now...  Luke's or something.  They're not aggressive enough probably, but it'd be neat.
2011 Rebel Fleet Trooper Gets My Seal Of Approval!  But Where's The Friggin' Holster On Him!?
Jedi Defender.com Contributing Editor, Twitter @JediDefender & @Jesse_James77

Offline CHEWIE

  • Jedi Sentinel
  • *
  • Posts: 14630
    • View Profile
Re: RC Hailfire Droid
« Reply #14 on: February 19, 2010, 10:47 AM »
I guess I just can't see myself or enough people shelling out $60 for this to be successful.  If the Y-Wing and ARC 170 had issues at $65, then I'm thinking this will too as it's much smaller and the previous versions of the Hailfire droid have been in the ballpark of $20.  Even though it is remote control, I don't know if that's enough of a selling point... I could be wrong, but I think Hasbro's going to look back on this one and see it as a failure and the concept will be short lived. 

The concept is cool of course, but for myself I pretty much just display my stuff and use some pieces for photonovels here and there, but this just looks too animated to me. 

Ok, I made my case against this thing.  There's just too many other items I'd rather spend this sort of money on.  If it ends up doing well though, then good for Hasbro.