Author Topic: Hasbro Q&A Sessions  (Read 305678 times)

Offline Scockery

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Re: Hasbro Q&A Sessions
« Reply #1350 on: August 9, 2011, 11:35 PM »
"the new designs will be original"

Great. I hate when new designs are unoriginal.  ;)

"Not currently planned"

Why plan much ahead when inevitably 30% of your new stuff gets pushed into the next year anyway?

Offline Nicklab

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Re: Hasbro Q&A Sessions
« Reply #1351 on: August 9, 2011, 11:58 PM »
Pretty lackluster Q&A all the way around.  And I attribute that to some sites submitting such specific product ideas in their questions that there's almost no way that Hasbro would agree to or confirm these ideas.  Hasbro has established some fairly rudimentary parameters by which they operate, and if some of these sites would pay attention they would know which of these questions were such complete non-starters.
« Last Edit: August 9, 2011, 11:58 PM by Nicklab »
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Offline User897

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Re: Hasbro Q&A Sessions
« Reply #1352 on: August 10, 2011, 01:29 AM »
All these "answers" are just solidifying what I've said long ago.  Hasbro is getting everything to focus on cartoon figures and can care less about TVC or the movies in general.  The pegs are 90% CW.  The mid-size vehicle assortment currently is all CW.  Aside from a TRU exclusive, all the small vehicles with figures are CW.

It really saddens this old fart.

Offline Jesse James

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Re: Hasbro Q&A Sessions
« Reply #1353 on: August 10, 2011, 01:58 AM »
Eh, you never know...  They've said some realistic CW figures are going to happen.  Personally I think at some point it'll sway away from CW, especially with the cartoon itself having a finite lifespan.

Some of the questions gained something interesting, or whatnot.  Not much though.  It was a rougher round too, timing-wise, so that's surely had an impact on what was asked.

I was kind of pleased/disappointed to hear that the Deluxe line in its current sort of form with "original" ideas was going to last for a little while it seems.  At the same time, like you said U897, I'm a little bummed they're not considering any OT stuff, or even much design that doesn't focus on the cartoons.  I'd have loved to see some NEW designs that are for OT characters, but whatever.

And hey, at least they're receptive to Trooper variations in packs, which is a positive thought in their heads for the realistic crew.  Planting the seeds maybe helped get a new Speederbike that's supposed to be coming, or the AT-ST, or other items.  It doesn't hurt generally anyway, especially since some of the Rebel Army Building/Head Variation stuff is kind of a big deal right now.

Hasbro's going to milk CW while that toon is alive though, I think that's just inevitable.  When the toon goes away, I think they may drift away from producing for it too.  It's a weekly commercial for the toys more or less.
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Offline Jeff

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Re: Hasbro Q&A Sessions
« Reply #1354 on: August 10, 2011, 09:37 AM »
When the toon goes away, I think they may drift away from producing for it too.  It's a weekly commercial for the toys more or less.

It's crazy to think that SW has been getting pretty consistent media support for 14+ years now... makes you wonder how much appetite there will be for it (on Hasbro's side and/or retail's side) once the movies/cartoons finally die out?  Unless LFL can get that live-action TV show up and running, it wouldn't surprise me if SW as a whole only gets 1-2 years past the cartoon's end and then Hasbro greatly reduces the line (or dumps it completely) to focus on the "get rich quick" summer movie schemes.
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Offline Scott

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Re: Hasbro Q&A Sessions
« Reply #1355 on: August 10, 2011, 10:11 AM »
Man...they must take turns with answering questions.  This week we got the short smarmy close to the vest guy instead of the verbose loose lipped nice guy :P

Offline Scockery

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Re: Hasbro Q&A Sessions
« Reply #1356 on: August 10, 2011, 02:33 PM »
It's crazy to think that SW has been getting pretty consistent media support for 14+ years now... makes you wonder how much appetite there will be for it (on Hasbro's side and/or retail's side) once the movies/cartoons finally die out?  Unless LFL can get that live-action TV show up and running, it wouldn't surprise me if SW as a whole only gets 1-2 years past the cartoon's end and then Hasbro greatly reduces the line (or dumps it completely) to focus on the "get rich quick" summer movie schemes.

I think Lucasfilm will come up with some other media, they are, of course, more addicted to making money off of the Star Wars franchise than Hasbro.

Would not surprise me if the live action TV show turns into another CGI toon.

Offline McMetal

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Re: Hasbro Q&A Sessions
« Reply #1357 on: August 10, 2011, 02:46 PM »
The most noteworthy thing I have read so far in this round is Hasbro's confirmation that HTS WILL continue to carry single figure offerings and not just case assortments.

I don't know how to plan to manage that, but they need to put them all up at once, and not just the cases first.
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Offline Jesse James

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Re: Hasbro Q&A Sessions
« Reply #1358 on: August 10, 2011, 03:03 PM »
When the toon goes away, I think they may drift away from producing for it too.  It's a weekly commercial for the toys more or less.

It's crazy to think that SW has been getting pretty consistent media support for 14+ years now... makes you wonder how much appetite there will be for it (on Hasbro's side and/or retail's side) once the movies/cartoons finally die out?  Unless LFL can get that live-action TV show up and running, it wouldn't surprise me if SW as a whole only gets 1-2 years past the cartoon's end and then Hasbro greatly reduces the line (or dumps it completely) to focus on the "get rich quick" summer movie schemes.

I was thinking similarly, that if there isn't something there then the line's "life" is going to be short.  It almost has to be, especially if "collector interest" isn't there like it used to be...  which I don't believe it is where it was once.  Between the economy, people getting older, the cost of the line, I think it's really not something that would chug along like it used to in the "non-movie-years".

If the new show turns up, which I think it will because Lucas won't want to let the cash cow dry up, then I think it'll be ok in some form or another.

Video Games don't seem to support though...  It's going to be either a new TV show in some capacity, or new movies, or something bigger than a video game or other media.
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Offline Paul

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Re: Hasbro Q&A Sessions
« Reply #1359 on: August 10, 2011, 04:04 PM »
Well if the 3-D craze takes off with TPM in February, aren't we looking at 5 more years at least of Movie Support?

Offline P-Siddy

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Re: Hasbro Q&A Sessions
« Reply #1360 on: August 10, 2011, 04:33 PM »
Well if the 3-D craze takes off with TPM in February, aren't we looking at 5 more years at least of Movie Support?

And doesn't that pretty much take us to the end of Hasbro's license?

Offline JediJman

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Re: Hasbro Q&A Sessions
« Reply #1361 on: August 10, 2011, 04:52 PM »
I think any discussion regarding the end of Star Wars figures is ridiculous.  Even without movie support, off-cycle from the cartoon, and outside of major holidays, this line appears to sell through more product than almost anything else in the aisle.  Even with the crap distribution I'd bet that SW sales the last 6 months have surpassed Thor, Iron Man, Captain American, or Green Lantern figures.  I can certainly see a slow down in new releases and more limited production runs, but there's no way that we see an end to SW figure production within the next decade.
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Offline Brian

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Re: Hasbro Q&A Sessions
« Reply #1362 on: August 10, 2011, 09:01 PM »
It will be interesting to see where the line will be headed once the CW is over - that is if we don't see other media support.  I mean really, we haven't known Star Wars without some sort of current media (OT special editions, prequels, animation) for a long time now.  Sure, there were the "between" years, but this would be the first time in a long time without anything to look forward to.

I would also be surprised if something else wasn't lined up by then too.  Lucasfilm really seems solid with the "Star Wars is forever" thing, and there has already been rumors/confirmations of further animated series beyond Clone Wars (the Seth Green project, etc.).  Plus, the whole live action thing if/when that happens.

I think Adam at GH touched on something similar to this in his Q and A this week (regarding the SW line's longevity and collecting), and I've seen discussions lately about action figure lines in general as Mattel tries to drum up support for its DCU subscription service.  Action figure lines in general just aren't what they used to be - and most (movie lines) are the passing fad each summer/year with kids.  It is the collectors that keep the continued life these days I think, regardless of what they might hope or say.  I just don't see many kids stick with a property that long, particularly if there isn't media support.

I'd have a difficult time seeing Star Wars die off as a line too, but it could happen eventually.  Either that, or it could go to an online, collector-only type thing.  Hasbro has sounded resistant to that in past Q and A's I think, but a property like Star Wars could probably really thrive like that (again, in the event that it couldn't make it at retail).  Like it was mentioned, I would think we'd see a pretty good run through the 3D movies at least (which is near the end of the license, as of now), and beyond that we'll have to see.

Offline Jabba the Slug

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Re: Hasbro Q&A Sessions
« Reply #1363 on: August 11, 2011, 03:00 AM »
I'd have a difficult time seeing Star Wars die off as a line too, but it could happen eventually.  Either that, or it could go to an online, collector-only type thing.  Hasbro has sounded resistant to that in past Q and A's I think, but a property like Star Wars could probably really thrive like that (again, in the event that it couldn't make it at retail).  Like it was mentioned, I would think we'd see a pretty good run through the 3D movies at least (which is near the end of the license, as of now), and beyond that we'll have to see.

I used to think that Hasbro would renew the license once it's expired, but I doubt it very much now. Too many problems in general - Hasbro v. Collectors, heavy distribution problems, rising costs, loss in interest... I mean, the list really does go on. If the TCW tv show goes past the expiration date, I could see Hasbro renewing it only as long as the show goes on. 
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Offline Sybeck1

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Re: Hasbro Q&A Sessions
« Reply #1364 on: August 11, 2011, 09:21 AM »
Maybe a reboot after Lucas dies, like they did with Star Trek. Recast with the disney channel regulars and make Justin Bieber the new Luke.