Collectibles > The Legacy Collection
The Hasbro Q & A Compendium
Matt:
Fan Relations
Does Hasbro want to know why I decided to pass on purchasing a certain Star Wars product or why I'm not entirely satisfied with a product that I was on the fence on but decided to try anyway? If so, what is the best way to communicate this information? Can you tell us a specific website, email, or phone number that is best to use for this? What specific information should we include (product's name, UPC, etc)? (SWC, 3/02/06)
Sure. You can send us any and all comments on our product line (not just Star Wars of course) to our Customer Service center at hasbro.com. Check it out - we've made it pretty easy to get to where you need to go. This feedback is collected and gets back to the team periodically. Regarding products that are defective or are unsatisfying for a specific reason, information on the products' specific name and UPC code is vital to connect your comment to the issue. The more specific you are, the better. In cases where you didn't choose to purchase a certain item, keep in mind that you may not be the intended target market for that item and your feedback in that case would be less valuable to us. On collector-targeted lines we try to keep up with the various message boards for feedback in any case, so we advise the community to keep doing what they are doing and talk about the products on different forums.
Will Hasbro try to hit more conventions to showcase their products since we'll never see a movie again or will CIV be the main focus? (ST, 01/26/07)*
We will once again showcase our Fall line at the SDCC this year (in addition to CIV). We'd like to be at more fan events in person, but the travel schedule for the team is what prevents us from committing to more shows than we can handle. Both conventions are a great time to meet with fans face to face and discuss the line, and we'll continue to support those shows.
Since the beginning of these Q & A's, (which I want to thank you for by the way) is there any upcoming product that has been given the go-ahead as a direct result of an idea from them, that perhaps otherwise wouldn't have been? I understand if you can't give out specifics right now, though if you did, it would be appreciated. (YF, 12/15/06)
There are a couple important ones. First, there are the Fans' Choice figures in the Saga Legends assortment for next year. While we do read the fan boards to see what folks are talking about, it was the questions about character reissues that got us to thinking about straight re-issues for some characters, which we would otherwise probably never have gotten to (like Pit Droids, for example). That led to the vote, which really was an amazing thing and the end result is that we were able to accommodate many figures and many types of figures (troops, droids, and characters). The multi-pack of Battle Stands that will be coming out from HasbroToyShop next year is a another good example of something that we wanted to do at some point, but did not trigger specifically until the early Q&As got us to bring forward and finish the idea (look for these in May - 40 stands from all six films + some EU, for $9.99). Other than that, no specific new ideas have sprung from the Q&A, but some of the questions and back-and-forth have given us more confidence in pursuing certain ideas, some of which I cannot discuss right now.
What's been the biggest learning point that you've taken away from participating in the first 20 Q&A sessions? Has there been anything in particular that made you sit back and think, "wow, those crazy collectors are really after product X?" Have there been any specific products set into motion for 2008 or beyond based on the collective Q&A input? (JD, 12/08/06)
Interesting question. If anything, it has been that our intuition and interest in expanding into the EU definitely struck a vein of fan interest and the large number of EU-related questions have enabled us to think as broadly as possible about the prospects and think about other opportunities. Another thing we have taken away is that beyond the EU, we think that we have been constructing the whole line in a way that touches upon many, if not all, of the specific sub-classes of figures and themes that fans like at least as far as the figure and vehicle selection goes that fans have been asking about. If fans are asking detailed questions that is good for us and helps us think more deeply about things. Of course, the hardest thing about the Q&A is holding ourselves back a bit in our answers and not "spilling the beans" about the exciting things we have coming out. We prefer to keep things as close to the vest as possible so we have new things to talk about, and not have the line gradually revealed all the way until the end of 2008.
Back at the start of the modern line of 3.75" figures Hasbro (well, probably then Kenner) used to post design sketches of the figures (front, back, and side view) on their website along with a photo of the finished product. I LOVED this feature, as it was interesting to see how the figure was conceptualized as well as how it changed (if applicable) along its path to finished product. This has also been done with a number of the Fan's Choice figures. Might there be a chance to see some "behind-the-scenes" sketches on current/upcoming figures on your site? With the vast improvement and sophistication of articulation (thank you!) has the design process changed? Has the process of developing a figure shifted from drawings on paper to something else? (RS, 12/01/06)
The process itself is still very similar but involves more tech, as you might guess (drafting onto a pad vs paper in many cases), but the essential input remains the same. It's just a matter of time and priorities regarding getting this out on the website, and partly, it's a victim of wanting to try and hold some new product news as close to the vest as possible (on Star Wars, the ability to surprise and excite is challenging!). We have been prioritizing other types of content for the website, and since the process of how figures are produced has been told before, we didn't think there was a lot of new news there.
What question are you guys most tired of answering -or if you'd like to be more diplomatic- Which question have you been asked the most since this feature started? (RS, 12/01/06)
It's all fair game, after all, that's what the Q&A is about. We welcome the chance to explain our decisions and thinking. We are often asked about our approach to maintaining balance in the lines, such as the fact that kids are as important to us as collectors, which some collectors still don't recognize as a very positive sign of health for the future of the brand; the misperception that the Greatest Hits means that the regular basic figure line is disrupted, etc. Or questions that require some more detail on the business situation (like the case for playsets). It's all good dialogue and we're happy that we can make it as 2-way as possible.
Will Hasbro have a presence at Celebration Europe, or only at CIV? (JTA, 11/17/06)
We will be at both shows.
I remember when I was a kid and played with G.I. Joe's that you had a really awesome promotion, as a matter of fact, my all-time favorite promotion that you have ever done. The promotion was that you make your own G.I. Joe of yourself. I remember that everyone got the same Joe but what was really neat was that the toy was named whatever you wanted it to be named and you got to create your own battle stats for it. Any chance we will see this done for Star Wars, maybe as an awesome Fan Club exclusive. All you really need to do is mail out a Stormtrooper with a piece of paper with the selected stats and name. (ST, 10/6/06)*
Ah yes, the Steel Brigade promotion. Unfortunately, this is a time-intensive and not an inexpensive promotion and we just don't think it would get that much interest. Believe it or not, we have looked at the feasibility of custom heads on other lines, Joe in particular, and just can't get past the huge cost and time involved. It's just not something we're set up to do, which is deliver higher volume products to retail.
Any plans to do something with Jedi Points, like to use for a mail-away figure? (JI, 9/01/06)
We've discussed this, but it's still murky. We're not sure how many people were influenced to discard their points after the eBay auction last year. These are the people who could become upset since they were led to believe that the points would be useless. So....what do you think is the reality? Did people toss them out or get rid of them, and would they be upset if we did something with them? Should we just start all over with fresh points, like we did with the Lucas Stormtrooper mail-in?
Has Hasbro considered offering small amounts of booth space at shows for certain collector sites / fans to use to educate people or show off their collections? This could be an interesting way to involve the SW community and have value-add for booth visitors. (BTT, 8/25/06)
Our booth space is allocated down to the square foot for all participating brands along with HTS.com, so having the space to host something like this is a challenge. It's an interesting way of building "community" and that's always a great thought.
How come Hasbro hasn't made it out to Wizard World Chicago in three years? (ST, 8/25/06)*
We would like to go to more shows, but the crushing reality is the amount time the marketing and R&D teams spend preparing for and attending the shows to do it up right. It's difficult to stay on top of the product line when we're out too much. Multiply that by all of the brand teams across the Hasbro Boys group and it makes sense to focus on one great show every year plus the occasional extra mandatory convention like CIV.
How is a big company like Hasbro adapting to the smaller, niche companies' personal relationships (through things like blogs and podcasts) with the collecting audience? (GH, 8/11/06)
We just don't have the personnel to be able to build the more personal relationships like some of the smaller companies are able to do. This weekly Q&A is a good opportunity to be able to address a wide range of questions & provide more info to fans, so we look forward to continuing this as a weekly event. Please keep encouraging fan questions & we'll get to them weekly.
Do you look at fans' customs of figures to get ideas for desirable characters that haven't been made or for improvements over previously made figures? (JTA, 8/04/06)
We don't intentionally review customs for ideas. Our design team has more ideas for figures (and improvements) than we can possibly get to in any year.
How does Hasbro generally feel about Star Wars customizing (figures, ships etc.) in general? (JTA, 8/04/06)
The fan base is a truly great community, and the depth of passion, energy and creativity is amazing. Our team is driven by this same passion, and it's great to know that this similar enthusiasm is out there on a massive scale in the fan community.
The Jedi Master Points auction still left quite a few collectors empty handed. Is there another project to look forward to for turning in our thousands of Jedi Master Points? (ST, 7/26/06)*
Excellent question and one that we need a little more info on. Did collectors toss out Jedi Master Points after the auction, or keep them? We don't want to upset those collectors who thought that there would never be a use for them and tossed them away. Can you dig a little deeper for us on this by questioning your readers on what they did with their points?
FOLLOWUP: I have reason to believe many collectors DID hang on to their Jedi Points, would Hasbro be willing to explore a poll or gauge an interest on their Star Wars Hasbro page? (ST, 8/04/06)*
Yes, we might look at a poll, but the question is really the opposite. The key question is this....did some fans discard their Jedi Master points because they thought they would never be used again? If so, then doing something with them now would upset those fans and it would be best to just abandon the idea of using points for good.
Have there been any surprises (good or bad) from the Hasbro perspective to come out of the Q & A? (TJ, 7/26/06)
We are incredibly pleased and encouraged by the passion that our fans continue to demonstrate week in and week out and we look forward to diving into each week's submissions!
While we know that Hasbro doesn't take requests per se, does 'the team' consider input from fans who post ideas in the various forums (e.g. people who want a Battle Pack with an Eopie in it)? (GH, 7/26/06)
We do read the forums, so we are aware of fan chatter. We have to look at the broader market and judge the merit of an idea against the greater market demand for figures/scenes. The demand from some vocal collectors may be there, but it may not make the best decision to release that idea ahead of others we have.
What is Hasbro planning on doing to make purchasing their product more fan/collector friendly? (ST, 6/30/06)*
Can you please elaborate? (EDITOR'S NOTE: )
The Force Unleashed
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is already generating a lot of gaming buzz and the Toy Fair figure reveal has the toy buzz going too! Will the recently announced delay in the game’s release date affect the release of the figures? Also, what are the 2 Trooper types shown at Toy Fair? Do they have names yet? (JD, 3/16/07)
We will be pushing back all of our The Force Unleashed product with the exception of the new Lightsaber with spring-activated hilt guards. We know that the figures that were shown at Toy Fair really whet a lot of appetites, and trust us, they will be worth the wait! In the meantime, the place in the calendar previously marked for the TFU figures will be occupied by wave 8 of the basic figures which had been pushed out to make room for the TFU wave (wave 9). So there won't be any gaps in the delivery of new figures to the shelves late this Fall.
The two troopers do not have official names yet, as LucasArts is still nailing down the details. By the time we need to deliver packaging they will be final but we have some time yet for that.
Will the delay of the Star Wars Force Unleashed video game to 2008 have an effect on the release of the toys based on the game? (JI, 3/16/07)
(See JD, 3/16/07.)
Will the delay of "The Force Unleashed" next-gen video game until April 2008 mean the delay of Hasbro's game-based action figures? (SWC, 3/16/07)
(See JD, 3/16/07.)
The Force Unleashed figures shown at Toy Fair were very impressive. What are the names of all of the characters in that wave? And when can we expect this to be released? Will their release coincide with the release of the video game? (TJ, 3/16/07)
(See JD, 3/16/07.) The final characters names are not all in (especially for the troopers and the Samurai Jedi) and won't be until a little later. We will probably have the final lineup with us at Comic Con.
Foreign distribution
Will the final 22 The Saga Collection figures be available in Canada? (AF, 11/10/06)
We're looking at that right now. Most will come in with the Wal-Mart exclusive wave, but all may not be available. We are working with the Canadian team on a way to make sure collectors have a chance to get them all between now and spring. Stay tuned...
UK collectors have been fed rumours of a cantina band tin set as a Toys "R" Us exclusive. This was thought to be part of the "spend £50 and receive free tin set" promotion until now. Will this set actually be available to the UK, and if so, when? (RS, 11/10/06)
The Cantina tin (a Wal-Mart exclusive this Fall in the U.S.) will not be shipping to TRU in the U.K.
Why has the Canadian line remained intact and not been replaced just by throwing French stickers on American cards? (POTF2, 8/25/06)
We produce our basic figure cards already for the three biggest SW collector countries (U.S., U.K., and Germany) and there are extra texts and symbols for these as a result. Adding French and legal marks for Canada would be too much for the packaging to support, and as a result, the Canadian team adapts their product as they determine the Canadian market requires it.
Hi I am curious about certain star wars figures that I get in Canada. Why is there no pictures or artwork on the card backs here but all of the other figures from the U.S. and Europe have a shot from the film or the picture on the back? Is Canada a sort of clearance warehouse for a lot of Star Wars merchandise? We need more Canadian "Exclusives" because we have no Target of Best Buy or KB toys. Thanks for hearing me out. (JTA, 8/04/06)
The backs (and sometimes bottom) of the carded figure packaging is often changed by market to meet the requirements of importing product into that particular country, or because the assortment is different than the product offered to the U.S. market. We are working on getting U.S. exclusives wider distribution in Canada.
I have a long list of items that aren't coming out in the UK or other parts of Europe. Why doesn't Hasbro get said toys in limited quantities via FOB and sell them through their web shops to supply the demand? (RS, 6/16/06)
While all of our domestic (U.S.) products are made availabe to retailers in other regions, that does not necessarily mean that they will see retail distribution in that area - some of these things are out of our control.
Why do we not have the entire line of Star Wars 3" 3/4 product here in FRANCE in our supermarket. Why should we rely on specialized toy shops or the internet to be able to get a complete collection and pay overpriced items ( I mean US customers paid what $8 max when in FRANCE, in US currency, each fig costs $ 13 MINIMUM!) Also why do our neighbors country (Germany and Great Britain ) have the VOTC line in their stores and we could get the George Lucas in Stormtrooper Disguise ? (YN, 6/16/06)
It's up to retailers in EU regions to decide whether to carry the full or a partial line. There are very large collecting bases in both the UK and Germany, so that is why you see more offerings, including many exclusives in these countries. The best I can say is to let your retailer know, that you would like to see them carry more Star Wars collector lines.
Galactic Heroes
Hasbro has previously said that vehicles for the GH line did not sell well, but the only vehicles that have been released in the GH line itself are 2 re-releases of previous Playskool vehicles at higher pricepoints and 2 transforming vehicles taken from an unrelated line. The GH line has only 2 movie vehicles to choose from, the Millennium Falcon and the X-wing, but no vehicles for them to fight. Given that there is now a TIE Fighter Pilot, it seems only natural to make a TIE Fighter around the same size as the X-wing. What might be done to rectify this situation? Also, are there any plans to re-release any of the SW Playskool figures or elements that have not yet been offered in the GH line, such as Wicket or the Wampa or the Naboo Fighter? (SSG, 01/26/07)
We are looking at the GH vehicle situation, and agree with you that they deserve another shot. However, before we commit to new vehicles, we have some research to do with kids to get at what they want to see to further their GH experience. We are also looking at getting some of the other un-released Playskool figures and vehicles back out there.
Are there any plans for producing Galactic Hero Playsets? Given the size of the figures, success of the line, and the fact that nearly all of them now have holes in the feet... it would seem to be a natural course to take. The Falcon was awesome especially since it doubled as a ship and playset. I know a six year old who would love to see a Death Star, Arena Battle, or Hoth playset sitting on his floor. (YF, 01/12/07)
We are looking at ways to expand the Galactic Heroes play pattern but have not settled on our solution and whether that would be vehicles, playsets, creatures, cardboard playsets, or more. We do think that there is a need for more fun things to play with in addition to collect so we will look for ways to bring those to market. Stay tuned....
Any chance we can see the Galactic Heroes figures released in two-packs of Clone Troopers like was done with the Stormtroopers a few years back? Fans really like the 501st and Shocktrooper Galactic Heroes figures and would like to get more, but they don't want to get several Palpatines and Sith-Eyes Anakins. (RS, 11/17/06)
We are doing other troop packs next year, we just haven't slotted in any clones. We'll look at that when we get an opportunity. Thanks for the suggestion.
I love the Galactic Heroes line and would love to see them in a larger scale. Any chance we would see them in a 4" or 6" scale? (YN, 11/17/06)
We haven't considered that, preferring to keep our product development focused on the main scale.
With the upcoming 10-pack Cinema Scenes in both the Galactic Heroes and Unleashed lines, you must know that you run the risk of driving completists away from this line (since they won't want to spend that much money for 8 or 9 figures that they already have just to get the one or two new exclusive ones). You must also know that you (and the retail stores) also run the risk of having numerous sets tampered with as frustrated collectors (for the aforementioned reason) pull the old "figure swap" by removing the exclusive figure(s), replacing them with some older figure(s), and then (fraudulently) returning them back to the stores. So my question is, will the few exclusive figures to these sets be made available separately at some point to avoid these potential problems? If not, why stick it to the fans of these lines like this? (JD, 11/03/06)
We have no plans right now to bring these figures forward as part of the 2-packs. One thing we've learned is that there seems to be quite a few families playing and collecting Galactic Heroes together. We thought that this is a great pack to share, so adult collectors could get figures with some variations they wouldn't see otherwise and we might never do, and kids could get some figures they might not have. So that's why we went with adding new when we could, and it turned out that some packs have quite a bit of fresh figures. One thing to mention, too....is that fans can entirely remove the blister packaging from the inner package and use it as a cool cardboard playset. For the Unleashed, this is more of a troop building play pattern and the new troops, we felt, were important to include. There are also no plans to bring those out in 4-packs.
The waves of the new Galactic Heroes (Han/Greedo/ Wedge/TIE Pilot, etc.) figures have been very hard to find in the retail outlets. Is this because of any decreased interest from the retailers or has the arrivial of the wave been slowed due to changes made in the paint apps of the troopers? (YN, 10/22/06)
The demand for Galactic Heroes continues to be high�.hang in there, more are on the way.
Any chance we'll see new vehicles in the Galactic Heroes line? The figures are great, but we really need a TIE Fighter, and re-releasing the X-Wing, even the dune buggy variety, can't tell the whole story on how a new ship would sell. (TJ, 9/19/06)
Galactic Heroes certainly has captivated both kids and collectors, and we think there is a vehicle opportunity, but we have not figured out yet the exact solution. It's a longer-term initiative in any case. Stay tuned!
Any chance of a Galactic Heroes carry case? My son has a ton of these and hauls them everywhere. (YF, 9/19/06)
That is a good point and while we don't have a specific solution in mind yet, we are looking at options. It will not be next year in any case.
Are any plans for a GH TIE Fighter vehicle to go along with the X-Wing Fighter currently out? (ST, 8/25/06)*
There are no plans for GH vehicles for now. The sales, both to kid AND collector, have been way over on the figure side. The vehicles we released last year struggled, even with the influx of kids into the market. So.... what are kids doing with them? Probably what a lot of their dads do...collect them. That's why vehicles are a tough sell right now. But we're passionate about the concept & we'll look for news ways to approach the play pattern, but they may or may not involve vehicles.
The new Galactic Heroes Luke & Han Stormtroopers have different paint apps than the previous stormtrooper & different from what is shown on the packaging. Specifically, the black stripe above the eyes is missing. Was this intentional or a paint application that will be ""fixed""?" (YN, 8/11/06)
The paint application will be corrected. It was a mistake that was not caught until Comic Con and will be a running change if not from piece 1.
In an earlier question, you blamed soft sales for the absense of vehicles & subsequent focus on figures in the GH line. If my memory serves me correctly, since the Playskool line was re-launched as GH, there has not been one single "new" vehicle introduced outside of EU kit-bashed contraptions. Have you completely written off the possibility of testing a "new" movie version of a GH ship given the current popularity & exposure of the line (which far exceeds the Playskool launch w/vehicles)? Or can we still hold out hope the little guys will have something besides a small handful of aging ships to climb into in the not-too-distant future? Something like the TIE Fighter or AT-AT w/exclusive figure pack-ins would compliment existing sets nicely & have broad appeal. (RS, 7/26/06)
That is true, but given their iconic nature of the MF and X-Wing, we expected them to do better. What it points to is that kids did not embrace vehicles, which was a surprise given the apparent kid appeal of the line. We won't rule out vehicles at some point, perhaps with animation, but for now we will not be pursuing the introduction of vehicles because it appears vehicles appeal to a very small subset of the GH consumers.
Will the Darth Tater Backpack Dangler ever be offered in the regular Galactic Heroes packaging, say with a Spud Trooper or Artoo-Detater? (AFI, 6/30/06)
No specific plans, but it's an interesting idea.
What more can we expect from the youth-inducing Star Wars Galactic Heroes line of super deformed figures? My kid loves 'em. (Ok, so do I:) (F, 6/30/06)
Galactic Heroes has been very successful, and these guys will definitely be continuing for the foreseeable future, with a combination of fan favorite characters and new sculpts in the mix.
The Galactic Heroes figures continue to be very popular and it’s great to see some coming back out. Many of the figures are now selling for insanely high prices on the secondary market. Is there any chance that we will see a re-release of some of those figures that have yet to be announced? Namely the Padme / Anakin and Jango /Obi-Wan sets? (YN, 6/23/06)
Didn't get Derryl before leaving - we'll email him directly as soon as we have an answer.
With it’s seemingly good success, is the Galactic Heroes line planned for a long life? (BTT, 6/23/06)
Galactic Heroes has been very successful, and these guys will definitely be continuing for the foreseeable future, with a mix of fan favorite characters and new sculpts in the mix.
Any plans for GH passed in the upcoming line (Wedge, Stormy Luke and Han) -- including GH vehicles or playsets? (AFI, 6/16/06)
Galactic Heroes has been very succesful, and these guys will defintely be continuing for the foreseaable future, with a mix of fan favorite characters and new scuplts in the mix. However, the GH line has proven itself to be figure-driven and the vehicles have struggled, so we're just concentrating on figures at scale. But there are some great concepts coming for this series....stay tuned for details.
Georgetrooper
How come it takes so long to mail out the George Lucas figure? (ST, 11/03/06)*
It depends on the workload at the time at our redemption facility, which is why we allow for a window for delivery. Sometimes it takes less!
The George Lucas Mail-away figure redemption form stated that the offer is available 'while supplies last'. How limited is this figure? What is the approximate production run? Is there any chance this figure might run out before the December 31 mail-in deadline? (JTA, 10/6/06)
We don't release numbers on our production runs for any figure, even exclusive promotional figures like this. As of now, unless there is larger-than-anticipated last minute surge, we will have enough to honor all submissions.
Would you consider the mail-away premium George Lucas figure a successful campaign? What are the plans (if any) for future mail-away exclusive items? Any plans on venturing outside the action figure arena and maybe offering something like display stands or other unique accessories like we saw during the vintage days? (JTA, 9/22/06)
We like the idea of continuing to do promotions. The GWL Stormtrooper promo was certainly a success in showing retailers that we have ideas that get collectors excited and drive traffic to retail, and sell-through was very good overall. Retailers look forward to the next wave next year. There were two key learnings, though, that can inform our future plans:
1) What did not succeed, and this is something we have to constantly work on, was the requirements for the redemption. We should have anticipated that Scout Troopers (and to a lesser extent Lukes and Tuskens) would be heavily picked regionally and disrupt the redemption model;
2) It was something of a surprise, but the number of actual redemptions was smaller than we thought compared to the number of sets sold through. A lot of collectors have apparently chosen to keep their clamshells sealed, which means the number of GWL figures in circulation is going to be less than we originally anticipated and built for. This, though, is an unfortunate byproduct of having to heat-seal the clamshell to prevent theft of the stickers. So...despite all of that, we do plan another promotion next year and hopefully it will be smooth with tweaks from our learnings.
Will the Georgetrooper ever end up on HTS.com Once the promotion ends if you still have stock left? (YN, 8/11/06)
It will not. It will ONLY be available via the mail-in promotion.
My check has been cashed, so when can we expect to see the Lucastrooper hitting the mailboxes? (YN, 6/23/06)
Anytime now…
Are the American and Canadian Proof of Purchase tabs on the Vintage Saga Collection figures interchangeable? Can I still redeem my Lucas Trooper if I have mix of Canadian and American tabs on my certificate? (RS, 6/16/06)
Yes.
Matt:
Greatest Battles/Heroes and Villains/Saga Legends assortments
How many waves/figures will we see in the Saga Legends line? (JTA, 12/01/06)
Saga Legends will have four waves, with the Fans' Choice coming in the last two. However, there will be multiple remixes of these waves just like the regular basic figure line.
The Heroes & Villains, Greatest Battles, and other figure re-hash lines have been teeming the pegs at all of our stores. This begs the question: are these product lines actually profitable? Hasbro has frequently stated that one of the reasons (if not the only reason) for this re-packing is to filter popular characters to younger collectors, who ultimately only want the popular characters. Is this philosophy based on the actual sales of these type of figures, or focus groups of children who may or may not be collectors? Will Hasbro provide a comprehensive analysis that demonstrates their philosophy that lines like Heroes & Villains and Greatest Battles ACTUALLY sell? Doesn't the mass amount of figures from these re-hash lines collecting dust, while waves of the new line are selling well, demonstrate that younger collectors--like older collectors--are also more interested in new product? Does this lack of sales of the Heroes & Villains/Greatest Battles waves cause stores such as Wal-Mart and Target to purchase less Star Wars figures from other lines of new product such as The Saga Collection and, potentially, the upcoming 30th anniversary line? (ST, 11/10/06)*
We use both market sales data and research with kids to inform our decision-making. In the case of the Episode III greatest hits figures, we took sales data from Episode III and selected the best-selling figures who still had some ways to go with their sales potential. As you recall from last year, we had huge demand and many kids couldn't get their favorites by the end of the year. We have been chasing this demand all year.
At FFURG, we're quite excited about the new fan poll at Rebelscum for next year's Greatest Hits (GH) as it will give customizers an opportunity to obtain many figures that are currently quite scarce on the secondary market. You've stated in previous Q&As on other sites that the GH are a separate collection from the main collection of new releases. Does it concern Hasbro that the pegs in stores are full of GH figures that aren't moving, leaving no room for other waves of new figures? We're concerned that if there's no room on the pegs, we won't see much of the 2007 GH waves. Is it simply the result of having this year's GH figures be such recent releases from EP3? Do you feel 2007 line of GH figures, with the entire saga to draw from, will do better than the current 2006 GH? (FFURG, 11/03/06)
Actually the situation is the reverse, which is why we like to remind folks that what they see (or would like to believe) does not reflect the real, national situation for Star Wars. But it does give us a chance to explain. Flow of new stock in to retail is automated based on stock levels and the need to replace sold inventory. The Greatest Hits figures are flying even faster than the main collection, due largely to a huge amount of kids engaged in the brand (a very good thing). However, since they are separately managed from a stock perspective (there are two different assortments set up, like Coll 1/Coll 2), with dedicated pegs, the abundance or lack thereof of Greatest Hits has nothing to do with the stock levels of the regular Saga assortment. And thanks for the support on the Fan's Choice vote!
Staying on the 2007 GH subject, will the winning figures be straight repacks or, if an opportunity presents itself, will the figures be upgraded, through kit-bashing, with improved sculpts, articulation, and/or weapons? For example, would you simply reissue Dak Ralter if he wins the vote or would you use the old head on the new Zev Senesca body, which would be a much better figure? (FFURG, 11/03/06)
The figures would be straight repacks. We decided to go this route simply because it made it the easiest to get the fan vote boiled down and also because we do not have the ability to go in and have our design team design more "new" figures at this stage since tooling and deco take time (which we don't have) and resources which are being spent on delivering the already planned new figures in 2007. However, one great by-product of the Fans' Choice vote is that they have helped identify figures that deserve an update even though they may not be in the final 8....like Dak.
Would Hasbro consider changing the Greatest Hits-style line to have packaging different from the regular basic line, the cardback graphics being more different than they currently are, so both it and the regular line draw unique attention from each other? (SSG, 11/03/06)
We work with Lucasfilm very closely on the differentiation of each line. It's felt that a "family" look is more important than a different look, and that is why there are small changes between the two rather than very large ones. This is likely to be the case next year for the 30th Greatest Hits line as well.
Why aren't all the SW forum boards voting on the inclusion for next year's Greatest Hits line? (SSG, 11/03/06)
In the future, if we run another such poll, we will probably do it differently to make sure we get the widest possible net-wide participation. Ideas range from selecting a smaller subset of figures for voting and allowing all sites to send back results, or possibly using the Hasbro site as a voting place. We understand the reluctance to drive traffic off-site, but I think it's the community that you and others have worked so hard to foster is what makes each site special, and that's what makes people keep coming back.
Using Star Wars collector sites to run a fan poll is a great idea. It's also an opportunity for a specific site to introduce itself to thousands of potential members the site may otherwise never have a chance to reach. In the future will you allow other collector sites to have this exclusive opportunity? It's a win-win situation for everyone and Hasbro doesn't run the risk of offending anyone. (ST, 11/03/06)*
Well - in the future, if we run another such poll, we will probably do it differently to make sure we get the widest possible net-wide participation. Ideas range from selecting a smaller subset of figures for voting and allowing all sites to send back results, or possibly using the Hasbro site as a voting place. We understand the reluctance to drive traffic off-site, but I think it's the community that you and others have worked so hard to foster is what makes each site special, and that's what makes people keep coming back. The Greatest Hits vote right now on Rebelscum is open to all and registration is not required, so folks can debate beforehand on their own community, vote, and come back to discuss.
Buyers have long suffered basic figure case assortments that cause more collecting problems than they solve, whether they be cases trying to refresh older product, focus on unpopular figures across multiple cases, or an extended lack of focus on popular figures - even a perception of intentional shortpacking (and I don't mean chase figures like UGH, that's a separate can of worms). Case revisions often don't do enough to remedy the problem, sometimes making it even worse. Currently, the "Greatest Battles" and "Heroes & Villains" older-figure assortments are in heavy rotation and are choking off shelfspace for actual new assortments in many markets. Nearly every Target, Toys R Us, and Wal-mart is stuffed with those figures which move much slower and have no room to put out the newest TSC wave, Endor 2/The Phantom Menace. Now Hasbro is saying this "greatest hits" style of assortment will be continuing next year. Why are new-product case assortments still such a problem, what is Hasbro doing to deal with the problems beyond simple case revisions, and - understanding that there is some need for older figures to keep a continued presence on shelves - how will the current problems of the "greatest hits" assortment be addressed? (SSG, 10/22/06)
Just as Collections 1 and 2 in prior years had dedicated space on the pegs, so too will the two basic figure assortments next year (and they also do now, by the way, sit side by side with separate assigned space in the planogram). Retailers replenish figures based on the sell through rate of the assortment, so when stores sell down on 85770 (TSC), they will reorder more. The 87181 (Greatest Hits) have no effect whatsoever on this replenishment. Inventory is managed to keep ample stock on both assortments, independent of how you see them put back on the pegs at the end of the day. One more thing, too - you couldn't be further off regarding the sales of the Greatest Hits figures. They have been a runaway hit and the reason why we are creating a new assortment for next year to keep this going.
Do some other Star Wars sites/forums get exclusive official polling rights with Hasbro, or do all sites get equal input? If we are all equal which figures does Sandtroopers.com get to have in our poll? And what other sites will be included in this polling survey? (ST, 10/22/06)*
This is a great question and an opportunity to explain for everyone the philosophy behind the Greatest Hits polling. As you now know, we are working very quickly to make sure we have two basic figure assortments running full year next year -- and we are going to populate the second line with Greatest Hits like we did this year. Unlike this year, where our carryforward figures were all Episode III, we wanted to draw from all films this time around. As such it made sense to open it up to a fan vote. But we needed to act quickly, while at the same time getting the most accurate input possible. We decided that ALL previously created figures would be eligible for fan voting and consideration for the Greatest Hits.
We approached RebelScum.com with the idea of collaborating on a poll among fans since they have a great comprehensive database and an ability to implement such a poll almost immediately. The fan vote is not exclusive to RebelScum. All fans can vote in Round 2 (the bracket of 64) from across the net and make their voice heard. (Registration is not required for Rd. 2.)
Ensuring that the fans know that their voices are being heard is imperative. I hope all other sites, such as Sandtroopers.com, realize that although there are many Star Wars fan sites with unique approaches and thriving communities, the Star Wars fandom community as a whole is incredibly strong and this is a chance for all of you to be heard.
The Collection numbers are noticeably absent from TSC line. Will we see them return, or are they gone forever? (POTF2, 9/29/06)
We walked away from the Collection 1/2 separation after 2005 because we felt that we could manage the basic figure business from one powerful SKU (85770, or the Saga Collection). What quickly proved to be the case after holiday 2005 was that demand far outstripped supply and we still could not keep up even with 85770 running at maximum capacity. We looked for another basic figure solution to bring more to the shelf, and especially more Episode III which kids still want in high degrees, and thus the 87181 Greatest Battle/Heroes and Villains line was born. It sort of is a C1/2 strategy, but we didn't call them as such because 87181 consists of 100% existing figures so the analogy of C1/2 didn't follow through. We are now looking to do the exact same thing in '07 because of continued high basic figure demand. This will mean there will be two basic figure assortments next year, with a 100% New/Refresh line (87500, the 30th) and a 100% existing line. We're looking for fan input on some of the character selections and the details on how this will take place will be announced soon.
Will 2007 see any basic figure sublines like the Ep3 Heroes & Villains and Greatest Battles Asst's? (JD, 8/25/06)
We don't have any plans right now for these lines. Both of those were created in response to a very large demand for basic figures. We are doing something a little different next year and getting ahead of the demand curve by providing support for the Saga through the first three months of 2007. The new waves that were shown at Comic Con will largely be available from late Nov through Spring. So in a way, we've already shown you what the new subline will be.... so more Saga.
Will there be more Heroes and Villains/Greatest Battles figures this year? Next year maybe? (YF, 8/25/06)
We have no plans for more H&V figures beyond just this year.
HasbroToyShop.com
HasbroToyShop.com has had some nice deals in 2006, especially the ability to get exclusives there. Any chance in 2007 you will offer solid case packs on the site? (YN, 12/15/06)
We are looking at this possibility.
Is there any way that HasbroToyShop.com could be better-stocked than it is? There's rarely any new SW product on the site. And could HTS.com's ordering system be augmented with an active preorder system on all items listed as "coming soon"? Currently they cannot be preordered if they're still listed as "coming soon". And/or how about an email-notification system on "coming soon" and "out of stock" items? All the pages say now are "check back soon" which isn't too handy, especially for high-demand items that sell out quickly once they go online. (SSG, 11/03/06)
These are good suggestions and we've passed them on to the HTS.com team. As for product availability, Star Wars has been challenging this year because of continued high demand for many assortments... a lucky problem to have, but a problem nonetheless.
Understanding that it's not currently possible for HasbroToyShop to offer a 1-of-every-figure subscription service, what about offering individual 1-of-every-figure-in-the-wave sets on the site when they come out, so a buyer can get all the unique figures in that wave at once without having to buy a full case with all its duplicates? Those duplicates could even be sold as individuals on HasbroToyShop. (SSG, 9/01/06)
We're looking at ways to facilitate this, but there's no solution in place. It comes down to how many different versions of our basic figure waves we can produce and make sure wires don't get crossed at our warehouse level. The operational execution is critical... it would be bad to send these heavy collector-targeted waves to mass retail, even if by accident. If we can solve that, we could probably so something like you suggest.
Holiday figures
The past Holiday Edition figure sets, such as R2 and 3PO, Yoda, the Jawas, and then Vader, were great. Since the Vader didn't seem to sell that well, and wasn't very well received by many collectors, is that why the line has been canceled? Just a personal note, just because the Vader didn't sell well doesn't mean people don't want these Christmas figs. Maybe if the Vader would have been the one shown on the card enclosed, you probably would have sold out. (SWC, 01/12/07)
We have not pursued one for '06 or '07 simply because we didn't really find any concepts we felt strongly enough about to pursue (one of the reasons we tried something different with the red Holiday Vader). however, there will be a holiday pack in '07, but it won't be Christmas. Hmmm!
Have we seen the last of the Holiday Edition action figures? Was the Vader the end for that series? (GH, 9/19/06)
I doubt it will be the last…but we will not have a Christmas-themed figure next year at least.
Indiana Jones
You mentioned in a previous Q&A session that there will be 30 figures in the Indy line next year. Are Indy figures in 2009 a certainty or is it more of a "wait and see" type of thing and see how 2008 goes first? We're just curious if this is going to be a toy line with legs under it like Star Wars has been, or if it will be much more subdued in character choices/variety. (JD, 11/09/07)
We are actively planning and producing for a multi-year run. IJ is something we are committed to and hopefully fans are excited about it as we are.
Now that you are doing Indiana Jones product as well as Star Wars, have you ever considered doing a tribute to Harrison Ford set that incorporates both Star Wars and Indiana Jones in the same set for collectors? (JI, 10/26/07)
That is an interesting idea, but something we have not considered pursuing as we remain focused on the characters and each property separately.
We love Galactic Heroes, but we're wondering why supply of new product is so inconsistent. There have been no new 2-packs at Toys'R'Us for several months now, and the Darth Maul/Sith Speeder item was never seen on the pegs. Is this an issue with the individual retailers not restocking, or is there a limited assortment distributed to the UK ? Will we see the Indiana Jones 'Adventure Heroes' line in the UK ? (TPU, 10/26/07)
We are not sure what the issues are - since the 2-packs have been in continual production and retailers have been able to carry and stock the waves as they come in. What we do know is that the Galactic Heroes style, while an unquestioned smash hit in the U.S., has been slower to be embraced by as widespread a fanbase in other markets (like in the U.S., where it was introduced in 2002 but really didn't start gathering steam until late 2004 ) and it may take some time to really gather an audience and command retailers' attention. Until then, we will try and see what the issues might be in the UK. The IJ Adventure Heroes will be offerred to all retailers in the UK and Europe, and as far as we know will be carried everywhere.
For those of us who like to budget in advance, about how many new Star Wars figures will we be seeing in 2008? Indiana Jones? (BB, 10/12/07)
It's too early to give totals, but in next year's "Saga" line (including Spring 30th and the follow-up line) you can expect about the same as this year, perhaps a bit fewer as we make room for Clone Wars. The Clone Wars details are being kept under wraps, but it will be a solid showing. Finally, on IJ, we are looking at close to 30 basic figures....strong support for all four IJ films over the course of the year.
Will we have an opportunity, perhaps through a mail-away offer, to get the gold "Indy IV" coin? Perhaps an offer on the first wave of figures? Also Are there any plans for a Vintage-style line for Indy figures, similar to the VOTC/VTSC Star Wars line? One thing the collecting world could certainly use, is a finely-sculpted, super-articulated Indiana Jones figure! Thanks! (YF, 09/28/07)
We think that you will be plenty pleased by the lineup of quality figures we have slated for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. We have discussed it, but right now, we don't have plans to do vintage figures. We will be focusing on some other areas our first year.
In regards to the Indiana Jones line, what types of ideas are being considered? Would it be safe to assume that characters like Mola Ram, the giant Thugee guard, Temple of Doom "wear & tear" Indy with torn shirt and missing sleeve, Henry Jones Sr., Willie Scott, and Short Round are good possibilities? After all, they do all seem like logical choices. Will the Star Wars Battle Pack and Comic 2-Pack concepts be used in the Indiana Jones line? How about Indy role-play accessories? (AF, 09/14/07)
Right now it is still too early to talk about the breadth and depth of Indy....that will probably come next around Toy Fair. We we will say that we are doing both a mix of classic (previous three films) and figures from the new Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The figures you named are all strong classic figures, so there's a good chance most or all of them will be in the line at some point.
I believe you previewed a 12" Indiana Jones figure at SDCC. Are both Hasbro and Sideshow Collectibles going to make 12" Indy figures or will there be an arrangement similar to the 12" Star Wars figures which Sideshow produces? (BB, 08/17/07)
While Sideshow produces 12" figures under sublicense from us, they have a separate arrangement with Lucasfilm on Indy
Let me start by saying the Marvel Legends Icons series is fantastic! they're huge, super-articulated, well-sculpted and superbly detailed. Dr. Doom's soft-goods cloak, in particular, is an impressive feature for a figure his size!
Since the Unleashed concept has begun to diversify, what are the odds of expanding the Icons series into your other lines, i.e. the Star Wars universe? Would it even be possible, or might this undermine the efforts of other licensed Star Wars vendors and cause a legal dilemma? Would the the fact that the figures in the Icons series are nearly 24 inches tall somehow be a loophole?
If not Star Wars, why not the upcoming Indiana Jones line? (I personally wouldn't mind having a two-foot tall Mola Ram on my desk at work clutching a flaming human heart) What about for Hasbro's other popular collectible lines? I see some brilliant (and lucrative!) potential here! (TJ, 08/17/07)
We agree that a larger format figure makes sense for the Indiana Jones line, and at Comic Con we announced the first of those figures producing a line of 12" Indiana Jones figures with soft goods, accessories, and features, so we agree that a larger-format figure makes sense for Indy. For Star Wars, we think that Sideshow is doing a great job with 12" and don't plan to offer a scale at this time that is in that range.
Now that the Indiana Jones figures have been confirmed and a few revealed at Comic-Con (which look great by the way, I'm extremely excited). Will you be accepting any questions about this line in future Q&A sessions as well?
I know it's the Star Wars Q&A, but SW and Indy have always gone hand- in-hand down through the years, and since they're being worked on by the same team, I'm hoping you'd be willing to field a few questions about this exciting new line.
IF so, let me attempt to be the first by asking whether or not the "vintage" playsets will get an update (Well of the Souls, Streets of Cairo, Map Room) as well as vehicles (German army truck w/ Ark crate). The flying wing with shredible German Mechanic would also be a cool new addition.
Finally, IF the playsets and vehicles get an update, will they utilize the molds from the vintage toys like many of the current Star Wars vehicles or would they be all new sculpts? (YF, 08/17/07)
Yes, Indy questions can be sent to the same address here, and since it's the same team bringing you the IJ excitement, we can answer. The answer to playsets is about the same as you might expect from Star Wars - It's a been a struggle so we are adopting a wait and see attitude on them and seeing where our figure/vehicle demand nets out first before going too far in the playset direction. The cargo truck is a definite probability for 3-3/4", but the wing is tough because it really is a big one. One thing that is known is that NONE of the original Indy tools exist anymore, so we will not be going back to the vintage tools.
So Indiana Jones continues to be a hot topic. When can we expect to see the first products hitting the stores? Will there be some kind of "sneak preview" figures like we had with Star Wars? (BB, 08/03/07)
There will be no sneak preview, but the figures will get to retail several weeks prior to the movie, in approximately early May.
Not exactly Star Wars, but all of our readers are interested....can you give us some hints about Indiana Jones and what we'll see from that line? (BB, 07/06/07)
We are glad to hear about the interest in IJ - because we are pumped too! While we will be sneak-previewing some figures at Comic Con International, we have to keep the details under wraps for now. We will divulge that there are some very familiar scales as well as a few surprises in the line. Suffice to say that we have top men working on it. The same top men that have been bringing you the Star Wars line, so there should be a lot of consistency in approach..
OK, last time we asked, you couldn't say. But, now that the cat is out of the bag thanks to the LFL press release, what can you tell us about your upcoming Indiana Jones IV toy line? Scale? Vehicles? Playsets? New and old movies? Will we see a preview at Comic Con? Will we have to wait until Toy Fair '08 for our first glance? (as you can tell, we're all pretty stoked about Indy toys ) (JD, 07/06/07)
We are glad to hear it, because we are stoked too! While we will be sneak-previewing some figures at Comic Con International in San Diego, we have to keep the details under wraps for now. We can divulge that there are some very familiar scales, as well as a few surprises in the line. Suffice to say that we have top men working on it. The same top men that have been bringing you the Star Wars line, so there should be a lot of consistency in approach.
OK, it's not Star Wars, but we have to ask - do you have the toy license for Indiana Jones IV? If so, can we expect to see the 3.75" scale Indy figures we all want in 2008? (JD, 3/02/07)
We cannot comment on the Indiana Jones franchise and whether Hasbro or another company will be executing the license.
Licensing issues
Are there any characters owned by companies such as Dark Horse or artists such as Jan Duursema that are owned by them that you don't have license to produce? If so, are there any you are pursuing to get license to produce? (ST, 11/03/06)*
All concepts are owned by Lucasfilm, and are fair game.
Recently you were quoted as saying that Hasbro had subcontracted the 12" figures to Sideshow as their smaller business model allowed them to manufacture collector-quality 12" figures in a more cost effective manner. Given Hasbro's shelfspace limitations & struggles to generate profits with playsets, larger vehicles, & Action Fleet/Micro Machines, would Hasbro consider subcontracting those fan-desired items out to other companies? (AF, 10/22/06)
We would not consider that right now, primarily because we hope at some point to re-enter those categories. We decided that we would not pursue the 12" business when we decided to go with Sideshow. We cannot say the same for the other business and want to evaluate the opportunity.
Mail-aways
Are there any plans to do more mail-away figures? If so, can you tell us what they would be? (JI, 7/26/06)
We will be offering a Vintage line in 2007. However, we have not yet determined the specific promotion that will support the release -- or even if there will be a promotion. You'll just have to stay tuned for more information.
Will you be offering any more "mail away" figures for 2006? Would it be something that you will look at again in 2007 if the vintage Lucastrooper mail-away is successful? (JD, 6/23/06)
There will be no more mail away figures in 2006. We're still planning for 2007 right now, so it's too early to know if we will repeat the promotion next year.
If the George-Trooper does well, can we mail-order more Senate pods and weapon packs? (AFI, 6/09/06)
An interesting idea, but perhaps a little too niche for our current promotional plans.
Marvel Legends-style figures?
With Hasbro now producing 6" super articulated Marvel figures, could we eventually see a special line with 6" super articulated Star Wars figures? (AF, 11/03/06)
We have no plans for this type of figure line. As the heart and soul of the Star Wars collecting world, we are focused on making sure our 3-3/4" line is vibrant, fresh, and exciting first and foremost, along with providing continued newness for our other play patterns (Star Wars Transformers, Unleashed 2", and Galactic Heroes).
Any thoughts on other crossovers? There was the SW/Transformers crossover. How about a SW/G.I.Joe or Marvel Legends crossover, especially since Hasbro takes over the Marvel Legends line in 2007? (ST, 11/03/06)*
We have no plans for this type of figure line. As the heart and soul of the Star Wars collecting world, we are focused on making sure our 3-3/4" line is vibrant, fresh, and exciting first and foremost, along with providing continued newness for our other play patterns (Star Wars Transformers, Unleashed 2", and Galactic Heroes).
With Hasbro's recent acquisition of the Marvel license, can we hope to see modular pieces (a la build-a- figure/vehicle/playset) introduced into the Star Wars line? Many larger-scale figures and mini-sized vehicles could finally see production this way. (GH, 6/16/06)
Not at this time.
With the HUGE success of the Marvel Legends Build-a-Figure idea, is there any chance that we might see that implemented in the 3.75" Star Wars line to get figures (such as Hermi Odle or a new Probot) or maybe playsets (like a Jabba's Dais or Moisture Evaporator)? (JD, 6/16/06)
Not at this time.
Are there any plans for a poseable 6" Marvel Legends style line of Star Wars action figures? (JI, 6/16/06)
There are no plans at this time for us to do a Marvel Legends-style series.
Have you considered doing a 6” Marvel Legends-hyper articulated style Star Wars line? Maybe based on the old Marvel Comic since you now have the Marvel license as well? (AFI, 6/09/06)
While Dark Horse has been reprinting the Marvel Star Wars comic series for years, there are no plans at this time for us to do a Marvel Legends-style series.
McQuarrie concept figures
On the upcoming McQuarrie Fett, what on earth (or not) is that thing in his midsection? (GH, 01/26/07)
It is the weapons compartment! We wanted to be true to the original design which is why we built this in. Obviously, Fett changed from concept to production, but this… interesting… little feature is something we wanted to put in there as tribute to the source material.
There was some hope for the poncho with the McQuarrie Concept Boba Fett figure. Is the poncho a scrapped idea or just not included in the photo we saw? (JD, 12/15/06)
The figure does not have a poncho.
If the upcoming Concept Art-based figures are popular sellers, could we see more figures along these lines beyond wave 8 of The 30th Anniversary Collection? (SWC, 10/27/06)
We think there is a lot of magic in the McQuarrrie series, tying back to those great, early conceptual beginnings of Star Wars, that makes it a perfect series for the 30th Anniversary year. Going beyond that, we probably won't do anything as comprehensive as next year's series, but it's certainly a possibility we'll look for more inspiration in concept art.
The new 07 figures look great, especially the redeco of the McQuarrie Concept Stormtrooper. My question is that since his card/packaging is part of the "Signature Series" will we see concept figures from other talented Lucasfilm artists like Joe Johnston, Doug Chang, Trisha Biggar or Ryan Church? (YF, 10/6/06)
Well, next year the focus is on Ralph's designs, but there will be one other very cool one in the mix. For future years we could go back and look at other artists and their great concepts, too…but we'll see how the McQ series does before we go there.
At Comic-Con, you mentioned that each of the 2007 waves 1-8 will have a McQuarrie concept figure. Are these concept figures just limited to designs from Star Wars (Episode 4 aka A New Hope) or will there be a chance at a McQuarrie design from The Empire Strikes Back or Return of the Jedi as well? (JD, 9/22/06)
While most will be from EpIV, some will go beyond. We'll be releasing specifics as each wave gets closer to shelf.
In the past, Hasbro has produced figures and vehicles based upon concept drawings and/or deleted scenes. Will there be any more in the near future, particularly figures based on McQuarrie's concept drawings, Doug Chiang's Sith Witch drawings, and of the 'battle-damaged' Jedi concepts from preliminary ROTS sketches? (SSG, 6/30/06)
Great question! Be sure to come to our panel on Friday during Comic-Con to learn more.
Will we ever see a re-issue of the ridiculously hard to find Ralph McQuarrie concept Trooper? Will we ever see any more McQuarrie concept characters? (I need a Vader!!) (AFI, 6/23/06)
What a fantastic question! The answer is……...yes. The Trooper will be re-released in 2007. Specific details will be released at Comic-Con.
The Ralph McQuarrie Stormtrooper from 2003 was a big hit with fans, and they were snatched off of shelves as quickly as they appeared. Is there any chance that we'll see figures based on Concept Art, Poster Images, or other non-movie images in the near future? (GH, 6/23/06)
I can't be too specific right now, but that's a great question. Details will be revealed at Comic-Con.
Matt:
Packaging issues
Some of the package inserts on the window boxed products look amazing. Going back to POTF2 with the Y-Wing up to current pieces like the Death Star Briefing multipack or the Betrayal on Felucia battle pack, the backgrounds to these pieces look fantastic, and in a way they might satisfy fans who are clamoring for diorama/playset offerings. Where did this drive for intricate backgrounds come from? And might we see some kind of evolution of these backgrounds to where they may be almost as durable as the ships or figures that they're offered with? (TJ, 3/02/07)
Thanks for the comment - we'll make sure our packaging team, who pioneered this approach and keep "upping their game" with every release, gets your note. We also hear you on whether the inserts (as they are known) can become more of a part of the play and display aspects similar to what we have done successfully for the Galactic Heroes Cinema Scenes. It's a little trickier in the 3-3/4" sets but we are looking at ways to make the packaging part of the play experience, and there may be a couple test cases coming. Thanks again for the comment.
Why go with the full card-width bubble and figures displayed in poses via the tray? Have you thought about going back to side-bubble, neutral-posed figures for basic figures a la the Vintage, POTF2, and Episode I lines which were easier to store carded and could fit more units into cases? (SSG, 11/10/06)
Admittedly, we are less concerned about how many figures fit into a box as we are with the whole presentation of the figure and keeping the excitement and energy level for each figure very high. With the Saga line, we really wanted to emphasize the integration of the figure in the context of the movie scene as well as ensuring we have dynamic posing. That's what we thought was best for the line. For 2007, it's a different approach emphasizing the energy of the character and the focus on a new look for the 30th. The 2007 blister is on one side and not all the way across the card. This might be more like what you are talking about in terms of somewhat smaller blister size, but still a strong departure from some of the past lines in terms of presenting character.
Aside from monetary issues, why is tape used to seal the 3.75" figures to their cardbacks for the ROTS and TSC lines? Will tape be used for the 30th Anniversary line? You do realize that a chunk of your market is made up of collectors that don't open their figures and tape sealed figures will not do well in posterity? (YN, 11/10/06)
Tape is the only option to seal blisters that wrap around from the front of the package to the back, the aesthetic that we were going to for in TSC. The 2007 basic figure line will be heat-sealed to the front of the blister card like the OTC blisters. The comic packs will continue to sealed with tape around the back of the card.
Will the new 2007 30th Anniversary Collection of basic figures with collectible coins fit in your figure cases for sale on your website or do we have to look for new cases again? (ST, 10/22/06)*
They will indeed fit any 6"x9" card, and we have designed the 30th Anniversary figures to fit. Since the 6" x 9" format is a collector standard we are keeping that footprint as the basic figure card size (believe me....we have had wranglings with some retailers who have wanted to change the size over the years!). We are designing future-forward compatibility in the line so all future basic figure cards will fit the figure cases.
What does the Blue Sticker and "A" on the datestamp of recent case assortments mean? (POTF2, 9/29/06)
We haven't seen that ourselves, so we honestly don't know.
Why do some bubble changes exist? They don't seem to have any effect on the stability of the figure or any cosmetic/noticeable effect. (POTF2, 9/29/06)
Sometimes changes happen because we request a slightly different packout to facilitate more reliable transit. Sometimes things happen at the factory level without our request and when there is no noticeable effect on the appearance of the product in package (for example when there is a better or more cost-effective way to do something like manufacture blisters at a faster rate or an improved design that reduces scrap rate). Many times we ourselves aren't aware of the change if it doesn't really affect the way the product is shown in package. Collectors do notice these things, but they are not something that we deliberately design into the mix to produce variations....in fact, we would prefer that we just have one version from the outset for most items and save the "true" variations for when we really want to get them in (like Rebel Trooper running changes, etc)..
Why did you release an Official Star Wars Figure Protector Case and advertise the use of it with the current Saga line, illustrated in its instruction flyer that comes with the cases, if it pinches the top of the current Saga line cards, thus damaging the collectable? I can only assume this was an oversight in marketing or in design. Is this something that will be corrected soon? (ST, 9/29/06)*
We designed it to accommodate the Saga Collection cards and for the most part we have not seen a problem. However, it is noted that the 2006 (and 2005 before it) cards can have an inconsistent variation in height because of the way they are constructed (blister taped to the backer card, which allows for variations at the time of assembly). You may have some statistical outliers in your collection that are taller than others, and for that we apologize.
What is the reason for the pieces of black tape on the bottoms of each figure's package in the Endor wave? On some figures it is on the outside part of the clear plastic blister, and on other's it is directly applied to the bottom of the blister insert, over the picture of the lion's head inside the yellow triangle & the letters "CE." (SWC, 9/01/06)
We develop product to be able to go into the heavy collector markets - the U.S., U.K., and Germany with a "one size fits all" package approach. Sometimes, this means that the consumer caution statements needed for one country don't apply to all countries The rules are slightly different between the U.S. and European countries and that's where your seeing some of the products "caught" between the slightly different standards. Since we need to have consistent communication in the U.S. (i.e. not have a caution statement when there is none needed), we'll have to cover up the European warnings when the product is released in the U.S.
The POTF2, POTJ and E1 lines all have 2 or 4 digit numbers that would increase every time a change is made to that card (i.e. .00 to .01). Why was this practice stopped? (POTF2, 8/25/06)
We have a new system and change the PN (part #) when the artwork needs to change. This is why the UGH Vader insert has a new PM from the regular. Any time we make a change to the part, the number will change. Here's how it works. For the upcoming Galactic Marine figure, we have made one change already to correct the spelling of a word. This change was made AFTER the original went to film to go into production. Our design team caught the mistake in the proof stage, and we issued a new part # for the correction. If the factory can use the new PN without slipping dates, they will run the new part and skip the old one completely. If they are pressed to hit their initial dates and the new film isn't ready, they will run with the old (incorrect) part until the new one is ready. Such is the case with packaging, or deco revisions. If we can hit the dates, we will.
The Endor wave shipped with little black stickers on the bottom of the figures' bubble. What's the purpose of such stickers, and what do those four symbols actually mean on the bottom of the insert? (POTF2, 8/25/06)
It's possible that you got a different county's version of a card in the normal domestic run. The samples we've seen of Endor do not have any stickers. We develop our packaging to be able to go into the three biggest collector markets - the U.S., U.K., and Germany. The symbols on the insert are for consumer caution statements for the U.K. and Germany.
Is Hasbro going to go back to 100% heat-sealed packages next year? There is a significant amount of fakes/fraud with the current packaging (figure swapping, etc). This hurts both kids and collectors, as well as Hasbro's brand identity. (POTF2, 7/14/06)
We're still looking at alternatives.
As a follow up, just so everyone is clear... does Hasbro EVER package an older figure in a newer sculpts package (such as POTF2 Garindan in the Saga Collection Garindan package)? (POTF2, 7/14/06)
Never, never, never. It's only one figure or in rare cases an alt deco of the same sculpt (like the upcoming Rebel Trooper).
What does the last digit on the datestamp stand for? Usually it is a 1, but sometimes it is a 2. (POTF2, 7/14/06)
The date codes usually go week-day-shift, so what your referring to is either first or second shift.
Past lines
What are the chances of seeing a relaunch of the Collector Fleet series (the larger, electronic starships of the Rebel Blockade Runner, Imperial Star Destroyer, & the very-rare Super Star Destroyer from '96), with new entries such as ROTS ships like the Venator Class Star Destroyer and The Invisible Hand? (SSG, 11/10/06)
They don't fit any of the strategies we have, so there are no plans for their re-introduction.
Why was the POTF2 Millennium Minted Coins series from 1998 so named? Was it in relation to the Millennium Falcon, or was it in relation to the Y2K Millennium fever? (RS, 9/19/06)
The latter.
As I look at my collection of Target exclusive glasses, I notice that Episodes III-VI have three glasses each representing them. However, to date, there has only been a single glass for each Episodes I and II. (YF, 8/04/06)
And that's all there will be for that collection. Sales weren't the best for the glass/figure concept, so there won't be any more for the foreseeable future.
Will Hasbro be doing more 3-figure, movie-accurate diorama Cinema Scenes/Screen Scenes sets? (AF, 7/26/06)
Not at this time. We're sticking with the Battle Pack series and a couple other multi-figure formats for the near future.
What concept would 'the team' most like to revisit in the future? (Cinema Scenes? Deluxe/Ultra? Beasts? Princess Leia Collection?) (GH, 7/26/06)
We like all of those, but Evolutions still has a fond spot in our hearts. If/when we have the ability and retail opportunity to bring that back, we will look at it, but there are no plans right now.
Figure Carry Cases. The reintroduction of Darth Vader and C-3PO was nostalgic and very cool. Plans for bringing these two back and/or new ones in the shape of other characters? (F, 7/14/06)
We have no plans right now.
Playsets
We know that playsets are not in the cards right now, due to cost restraints and such. But, now that I think about it, I don't really want a playset in the traditional sense. What I want, and perhaps I'm not alone, is a display set of some kind. I want something that allows me to display my figures in various locations on the Death Star. Perhaps a better Carbon Freezing Chamber, or a Bespin Gantry where Luke and Vader can be posed. I want a great backdrop of Mustafar, or Geonosis for my figures to be displayed on.
Maybe something along the lines of the vintage Land of the Jawas, Land of Hoth, or the Rebel Base playsets. These were not much more than plastic stands with a cardboard backdrop, but I think modern versions could be cool. Imagine taking the Land of the Jawas set, turning it into a Mustafar background with lava river and embankment instead of desert sand. (RS, 3/02/07)
You have captured, my friend, the very crux of the problem. What you have described is uninteresting from a kid perspective ("passive" vs active action play), which puts us in the range of high-tooling/low return (i.e. extremely high risk). While some vocal collectors are imploring us to pursue this (we can hear the chorus of voices.."Take the risk!"), the market data suggests, and Hasbro management knows, that products like this that narrowly focus on one audience will not succeed and thus they will not take hold. Until we identify those ideas that we are confident can satisfy both markets, we won't be looking at playsets/displays/dioramas.
Due to the cost of producing plastic playsets for the 3 3/4" action figures being so high, would you ever consider updating the old Toltoys or Palitoy cardboard style Death Star playset with new graphics? There's hardly any plastic pieces so production costs would be low. (GH, 12/15/06)
We have looked at cardboard (and other materials) but have been underwhelmed by the results and believe that the majority of fans (kids and collectors) probably would be too.
Since we saw at least one playset for each of the prequel films, are we likely to see one (or more) for the upcoming animated series? Was there a contractual obligation to produce a playset for each film, or were they created to fit a play pattern? (GH, 12/01/06)
There is no contractual obligation, although the periodicity with which we have released them might seem to indicate that! We'll look at the opportunity as it presents itself for the animation.
You've stated that fans have been "unenthusiastic" about playsets and that info suggests that playsets don't and wouldn't do well if released. Have you considered that perhaps it's the specific playset idea that is unexciting or mediocre to fans, and not the toys themselves? In other words, the last few playsets that I remember (Theed Palace, Geonosis Arena, Mustafar mountain) are really good toys but lack iconic appeal (for me anyway). Perhaps if better, more fan-friendly scenes or movie locations were the idea at hand (like a Death Star or Cantina), then the set would sell "enthusiastically?" (TJ, 12/01/06)
Your points are valid about the ones we have released to date in that they weren't the most iconic from Star Wars. However, the problem isn't just Star Wars, but many great boys line have suffered from an inability to produce profitable playsets. Partly it's because the active age of action figure kids has shrunk considerably from the golden age of playsets (1978-1980s), but these great playsets of the past are always the reference point for a lot of us collectors who are from that generation. Combine that with the fact that collectors on the whole are figure-focused first, vehicle-focused second with playsets somewhere in the second tier, and it paints a business scenario that does not lend itself to taking risks on big playsets. The liability when they don't sell can be enormous.
You've mentioned that certain products coming out next year, like the Imperial Conference Room set, would not have enough support to be done later if it wasn't for the 30th anniversary theme of the 2007 lineup. Given this "last chance" for the original trilogy mindset, wouldn't it make sense to re-release the vintage Dagobah playset to accompany the awesome X-wing we got at TRU earlier this year? Are the Kenner molds and tools still available for this playset? (FFURG, 11/10/06)
The Kenner mold record is very spotty, and we don't know if Dagobah is intact. Admittedly playsets have been faint on our radar screen due to the unenthusiastic market reception for most playsets in the last few years. I do want to correct a misperception, however....we don't see the 2007 line as a "last chance" for the OTC, as the OTC will still be an important focus in our thinking down the road. It's just that with animation and other forms of entertainment looming on the horizon we may not have the opportunity to slot in something like the Imperial Briefing Room in future years.
Given that there is a commitment to the mid-sized vehicle assortment by both Hasbro and Retailers, what are the chances of including something with the same footprint that is not a vehicle within a case mix? Perhaps the POTF2 Endor playset (you could even include a Speeder Bike so it is a vehicle). (TJ, 10/22/06)
We are looking at this, but not for playsets. The "footprint" does allow for flexibility.
Zizzle has released a 2.5-foot-long Black Pearl pirate ship for their Pirates of the Carribean 4" figure line for MSRP $50. In light of this, why hasn't Hasbro done Jabba's Sailbarge yet, especially when Star Wars is the more popular brand? (SSG, 10/6/06)
What other companies release is not an indicator of what we could release at comparable retail prices, or even that we could release the same toy as they do. Hasbro has different business models, factories, and standards that we work with - it's a very different situation. One thing that has changed from "the way it used to be" is that playsets used to be low-margin drivers that were intended to be the center of the action figure play pattern. Now the situation is very different and playsets are not embraced in the same way by kids, so the business model is a little upside down and we cannot "subsidize" playsets like we used to. This pushes the price up to a very expensive range, and, of course, the higher the price, the fewer the unit sales. The old catch-22. Until we rebuild the kid base, hopefully through animation, we can't look at 3-3/4" playsets as a viable line.
How about one good playset in 2007. Please Hasbro. (YF, 9/29/06)
We've discussed playsets to death, I think. There won't be any in 2007. Sorry! But if you follow my distracting hand movements over to the new vehicles, I think you'll be very happy.
'Playsets' have been a recurring theme in the QnAs, but what about cardboard dioramas (like the two from the POTF2 days)? Both of them were very well done and are a great for displaying figures. (TJ, 9/22/06)
We are actually looking at this kind of thing with the Galactic Heroes Cinema Scenes this fall, which all have bases that can be removed from the box and set-up like a mini-diorama. We will keep considering these for future ideas, balancing out the benefits vs tradeoffs (this can also increase cost, meaning fewer figures per pack).
We've seen a couple of Star Wars pieces appropriated and recycled in the G.I. Joe line. The Geonosis Arena was tweaked to become Cobra Mountain in 2003. With playsets involving larger investments, has there been any thought given to re-imagining existing playsets? The Mustafar Battle playset from Revenge of the Sith could easily get a nice snow deco, and become a Wampa Cave or a Hoth Echo Base. Does it boil down to the big box and the lack of shelf real estate, or is it the overall cost in a hypothetical situation like that? (GH, 9/01/06)
It's all of that. Primarily it's a large, receptive audience (which goes beyond collectors and is driven partly by kids), followed by shelf space and the retail productivity for the large footprint that is needed, & then the unit sales expected for the retail price.
Two weeks ago it was mentioned that Hasbro has three concept Death Star playsets around the office. Are these ideas that are being currently (or recently) kicked around, or are they older concepts that have been rejected? How much collector support would it take to really get a substantial Death Star playset made? (GH, 9/01/06)
They are older concepts from a couple years back. Unfortunately, there is little chance this specific idea will happen as they are ambitious and expensive. With the cost of plastics having increased even further, the idea of doing a large Death Star playset is even more prohibitive.
You recently stated that you have 3 different Mock-ups of a Death Star playset in your offices. What if you turn those 3 in to modules & offer 1 at each of their major exclusive carriers, Target, Wal-Mart & TRU? It would drive traffic to all 3 retailers and finally give us addicts what we've been waiting almost 30 years for... (JTA, 8/25/06)
This still doesn't solve the issue—there just isn't enough market interest from the combined collector/kid.
Any chance of ever seeing the Death Star Trash Compactor released in some form like a playset? (JI, 8/11/06)
Probably not. If we do any playsets, we'll have to take our cues from the upcoming animated series.
Do you think it would be possible for you to bring out a huge half of a DS playset unlike the original vintage one? Sure we know play sets don't sell as well but if you produced it in a small quantity and made it exclusive to online retailers like the imperial shuttle I am sure the collectors would pay big money for this item. Heck even I would pay a couple of hundred dollars for a DS playset that actually seemed to be more accurate in size. (YN, 8/04/06)
Good question and one which we are always looking at. You answered the question yourself, though, by saying that we'd produce small quantities and have to charge a lot for it. That by definition is a very risky niche product with a massive R&D burden and tooling budget. Quite simply we have to find mass-market solutions to massively intensive R&D challenges like play sets. By the way, we've got mocked up in the office three versions of the very play set you describe.
Any plans for some type of Cantina playset for all of the Cantina alien figures, or get curved pieces to go along with the already existing bar pieces? Something to allow them to make a complete bar? (JI, 8/04/06)
The curved pieces *will* be coming out in 2007. There are no plans for a complete diorama or playset….fans will be able to build the bar organically, however (the curved sections will be compatible with the straight sections).
Do you still have the old Kenner mold to re-release the classic Death Star playset? (JI, 7/26/06)
That's one we're not sure about.
With collectors very much interested in playsets as is evident in the previous Q&A's, would Hasbro consider outsourcing a line of playsets to another SW licensee? Pride Displays is making some very interesting display pieces at this time. Is there the potential that a sub-license could be worked out with Pride or another similar company much in the same way that the 12" figure line was licensed out to Sideshow Collectibles? (TJ, 7/26/06)
This is not something we would consider, because it would complicate matters should we want to reintroduce playsets at some point.
Will we ever see a Tantive IV playset? (YF, 7/26/06)
A Tantive playset would be in line behind others that deserve to be done first.
Is there any chance of seeing a new Dagobah Playset to set up with our "Handstand" Dagobah Luke (OTC) and the Dagobah X-Wing w/R2D2? The new ship looks great, but collectors want more. (ST, 7/14/06)*
Thanks! We're glad that you like the new ship! We're not planning to release any new playsets in the near future.
If it's not feasable for you to make some new playsets (or even re-release old ones, like the vintage Dagobah playset) due to low demand, have you considered sub-contracting the playset portion of the license to another company (like GG or SS)? It's seems to have worked well for the 12" figure line, why not playsets? (JD, 7/14/06)
We have not considered sub-contracting this out, but it's not something we would want to do in any case.
Other companies are manufacturing attractive and compatible stands and display environments for Star Wars action figures. What, if anything, can we collectors do to encourage Hasbro to enter this market in lieu of play sets? (We're going to need somewhere to put that Cantina Bar when the U-shaped piece comes out.) (GH, 6/30/06)
It has been noticed. It's just that we have chosen to allocate our design resources toward producing other products right now. That may change in the future.
Many collectors still love the old cardboard backdrop, plastic base play sets from the vintage era. Are updated versions of these considered just too hokey for such a robust, detailed modern line? (GH, 6/30/06)
There is demand for these among a core of collectors, and even on the team here, I have my original Sears Cantina set here at work. I would't rule out the possibility that they will ever come back, but their right time and place seems to have been in the original Kenner line.
Have you ever considered making display environments (movie accurate set pieces like the Lars Homestead dome, Moisture Vaporators, Yavin Rebel Base Command Center) targeted solely towards collectors rather than playsets that are targeted primarily at kids? Looking at the forums, it looks like collectors prefer movie accurate environments to display their loose figures in rather than kid oriented, action feature-laden playsets. Kids might even go for movie-accurate display environments as well. Would you ever consider offering something like this? (RS, 6/30/06)
Deluxe sets (some of which have had pieces like you suggest) have always struggled in contrast to the basic figures or vehicles. We've put our focus in other areas. When the opportunity arises, and when we can afford it, we would rather put some of these elements into the basic figures so sets can be built organically.
Had a Death Star playset as a child. You've remade many playsets of my youth, any chance of this coming up (with Trash Compactor Monster!)? (F, 6/23/06)
There has been quite a bit of discussion internally on whether or not playsets could be successful in today's market. However, we continue to see diminished demand for playsets. If we ever see the landscape changing, it's something we could take a look at in the future.
Have you considered new playset ideas, especially modular playsets so collectors can build larger playsets from smaller sets? (SSG, 6/09/06)
A scaling playset is a great idea. There has been a lot of discussion internally on whether this could be successful in today's market. However, we continue to see diminished demand for playsets. If we ever see the landscape changing, it's something we could take a look at in the future.
Does Hasbro intend to release any playsets, large or in smaller sections to create a larger playset? (YF, 6/09/06)
As the saying goes, "great minds think alike". There has been a lot of discussion internally on whether this could be successful in today's market. However, we continue to see diminished demand for playsets. If we ever see the landscape changing, It's something we could take a look at in the future.
Are there any plans to re-release the classic Deathstar playset in the Saga line or possibly do a new version, perhaps a modular type playset that people buy in parts and then once they have all of them could combine to form one large playset? (TNI, 6/09/06)
As the saying goes, "great minds think alike." There has been a lot of discussion internally on whether this could be successful in today's market. However, we continue to see diminished demand for playsets. If we ever see the landscape changing, it's something we could take a look at in the future.
With the pressure of the 'movie years' now past us, are we more or less likely to see Hasbro produce any playsets for the Star Wars action figure line? (GH, 6/09/06)
The demand for playsets just hasn't been there. Instead we've put our focus behind vehicles. Vehicles and figures are more popular play patterns for the kid audience than playsets.
Any possibilites of having smaller playset sections that ACTUALLY connect to make a larger one? (TJ, 6/09/06)
A scaling playset is a great idea, Chris. However, we continue to see diminished demand for playsets. If we ever see the landscape changing, it's something we could take a look at in the future.
Matt:
Potatoes
Why is it that with some of Hasbro's Star Wars non-main lines (most recently the Potato Head line), the initial item ships in large quantities while further releases are released in smaller numbers that diminish as the waves continue, resulting in a glut of the first items, later items very difficult to find, and diminished sales overall for that line? And why use secondary waves to replenish initial waves when often there's no way to tell how the early waves sell, such as stores having plenty of Darth Tater while the Spudtrooper's case has more Darth Taters in it so stores have less room for Spudtroopers and even less room for them when the R2-Potatoo comes out? The POTJ-era Mega Action line was the same issue, and these examples are hardly alone. (SSG, 12/01/06)
The question you ask goes to a drop off in popularity after Darth Tater. The casual consumer (not collector) was what kept this subline turning at retail. Artoo Potatoo and Spudtrooper just weren't the iconic draw and commanded less volume, not enough volume on their own to keep the line going. Darth Tater by far was the more popular of the figures among consumers as a whole, and as such we kept releasing him in heavier ratios.
I love the Darth Tater T-Shirts on the Hasbro site and the one for sale on HasbroToyShop.com and was wondering if you thought of a roll-out of shirts based on the figures and vehicles in adult sizes? (YN, 11/03/06)
The Darth Tater shirt was a one-time program developed with Disney, so it's doubtful we'll do something similar.
Are there plans to make more Star Wars characters as Mr. Potato Heads? (YN, 10/22/06)
As of now, the line ended with Artoo Potatoo. The reality was that demand fell off after Darth Tater and retailers were not interested in carrying additional line extensions, preferring to see us concentrate on the many Star Wars figure SKUs.
Darth Tater and Spud Trooper were a success and I look forward to Artoo-Potatoo in my collection. Any odds of seeing a BOBA FETT RUSSET:)? (F, 6/23/06)
For now, Artoo Potatoo is the only Star Wars Potato Head figure planned for the foreseeable future.
Any more Star Wars Potato Head figures after R2-D2 in the works? (JI, 6/23/06)
For now, Artoo Potatoo is the only Star Wars Potato Head figure planned for the foreseeable future.
Pre-Production
How many sculptors work on the basic Star Wars figure line and how does the process work? Is one sculptor assigned to a particular figure and solely responsible for it's look? Are there sculptors that work solely on Star Wars or do they work on other lines as well? (JD, 01/12/07)
We have a team of 10-12 freelance sculptors on the outside who are supervised by our sculpting design manager. One sculptor will be assigned for a particular figure, and then tweaks and changes (as needed) will typically be made in house, so the end result is usually the collaboration of either one or two sculptors depending on the extent of the changes needed to secure approval from Lucasfilm.
The rumor has always been that Ephant Mon was a figure on which you took a beating financially. If this is true, why? The figure's size was obviously quite large but shouldn't you make up for a figure like Ephant Mon by giving us tiny figures like Yoda or the new Chief Chirpa? Many fans would love to see Hermi Odle (Jabba's Palace) but worry that he'll never see the light of retail aisles because he'd be large like Ephant. (JD, 10/22/06)
His large size means that he had a voracious appetite for plastic resin, which made him very costly. However, we have not ruled out other large figures. We just have to be creative in bringing them out and make sure that overall, on an averaged basis, we're making our targets.
On the issue of perceived value with small figures like Ewoks, Jawas, Astromech droids, etc., while scale-accuracy is important, smaller figures have often come in 2-packs - Wicket & Logray, Jawa 2pack, Gonk Droid & Jawa, Yoda & Chian, Jedi Padawans, Library Droids, even the just-released Dud Bold & Mars Guo; Wicket & Logray are not only a 2-pack but are scaled-up for perceived value - yet the recent Chief Chirpa feels like a very empty package because it's a very small figure with few accessories. Why was Chirpa not part of a 2-pack, and would Hasbro consider using the basic 2-pack format with smaller figures again in the future to give greater value for buyers' money and get more figures out there? (SSG, 10/22/06)
We will consider it in the future. As to why Chirpa was a single pack, it was needed to help cost average the wave somewhat.
What is the selection process for characters to be made into figures, and what is the best way for fans to increase the chances of the release for a certain figure? (AF, 10/6/06)
The Star Wars 3-3/4" selection process is probably not unlike the NCAA basketball committee selection process. We start out by framing the line by film (our strategy for '06, '07, and '08) and who we could do or redo from a scene along with any new characters. We then slot in the strongest characters to anchor a wave making sure we have strong ('A' level) characters in every wave (not unlike spreading out the division champions across brackets). Once we have the main figures laid out, we start to look at the collector-type specialty figures, and this is where we get a lot of fun lobbying for favorites (again, not unlike lobbying for the smaller school to get in). It's done as a team approach, with collaboration from the team at Lucasfilm too. We take fan input into consideration... things we've seen or heard, emerging trends we're seeing, etc. The ToyFare Top 25 Poll was a great way (and the best, since it was quantitative) for fans to make their voices heard.
Is it an objective of Hasbro's to eventually make every character that had a speaking role in the films - whether or not they interacted with core characters - into action figures? Nearly all these characters have been given names by Lucasfilm or EU authors. (AF, 10/6/06)
Not a stated objective, no. The objective is to field what we think is the overall best lineup each year between core character and collector-types. We may put a background character with no speaking part (Cantina or Jabba's Palace guys, or many droids) over someone with a speaking part just because it's a better or cooler figure.
We've seen a few answers in the Q&A recently, both at FFURG.com and other sites, that mention tooling costs. What emphasis during pre-production is placed on the ability to re-use some existing molds to create a new figure? Does the re-use of some molds/parts allow for you to have additional accessories, paint apps, or articulation that we might not see if a character is "all-new"? (FFURG, 9/29/06)
Absolutely. By refreshing a figure (using one that was created before) we can make changes to it and create accessories that would not have been possible before. A good example of that is Foul Moudama. We were able to create a new character by adding some parts to a figure we had before, which we probably would not have done if we had to start from scratch. We do try and take that into account up front for some figures when it make sense.
FROM LAST WEEK: 1) Many a collector is impatient to get what they might refer to as an "Ultimate" versions of major characters and the somewhat iconic background characters of the Saga. How does this concept mesh with Hasbro's need to hold the collecting community's interest for the remainder of the SW toy license? (TJ, 9/29/06)
You have asked a million dollar (or million figure) question! Creating a figure line for any year is a balancing act between hero characters that kids still want and the more obscure background characters that the hard core fan base wants to see. There are so many cool collector-targeted figure categories we could be doing (troopers, Cantina aliens, pod racers, Ewoks, droids, vidgame characters, Padme and other females, Jabba's palace denizens, Separatists, Senators etc) and the challenge is just fitting enough of them in for any given year Trust me, fan's patience will be rewarded in the long run, as we get to make most of the figures from the films...but patience is emphasized. We're confident, that every year, as long as we're covering some of these bases, fans will be happy.
When looking at main character re-sculpts, what's the criteria for choosing any given version of a main character out on the market? For example, why choose Tatooine Luke over Throne Room Duel Luke or Bespin Han over Hoth Han, etc? (JD, 9/19/06)
We choose a character that we think best matches the wave that we are crafting, and then decide on how to make that figure new depending on the last version we did. Sometimes it's also based on the desire to update a certain figure, and we can build a wave out around that figure if there are enough other figures from that scene to do.
I understand with the main characters, for example Death Star II Luke Skywalker from ROTJ, you have a lot of reference material to work from in making a new figure: the films, photos, etc. There's plenty of resources to use for main characters.
But what do you do when there's little or no reference material for a minor character? For example, Sgt. Doallyn from Jabba's Palace...how would you make this character? Does Lucasfilm have reference materials for such a minor character, or would you use your own creative designs? What do you do when their are limited resources? (RS, 9/19/06)
Sometimes there is more than you would think for reference from costume shots and other stills. Practically everything from the prequel trilogies is well-documented, for example. It gets trickier for the OTC, especially EpIV. Many of the Cantina figures, for example, do not have complete body reference but that hasn't stopped us! In these more extreme examples of needing to "fill in the blanks", our design team will come up with a proposed solution for the rest of the figure that is submitted to Lucasfilm. After one (or more) rounds of comments, that character design then becomes canon for that figure or species.
Since the beginning of the modern collection of SW figures, there have been many changes due to advances in technology &, I assume, the pursuit for accuracy. One of those changes is in the arena of scale. At some point a few years ago, there was a somewhat abrupt shift in scale for the 3¾" figure line. Most noticeably, we began getting Leias that were much smaller than those released earlier & Chewbaccas that now towered over earlier versions of the same character figure. At what point & to what degree does scale become a factor in the sculpting of new figures? The recent Chief Chirpa figure seems dwarfed by most of the previously released Ewoks, even those released just a year or two ago. Does scale get occasionally compromised for detail or other considerations? Or, has the Hasbro team settled on a size upon which all future figures will be scaled? (RS, 9/01/06)
You are correct. Along with new & improved tech, we are also constantly striving to improve the sculpted details / authenticity of the 3.75" figure line. Scale goes hand-in-hand with detail. Several years ago (roughly '99 -'00 time frame) we took another look at scale and realized we figures like Leia and Chewie could be done more accurately. Before this time we may have done a Leia slightly larger because we were concerned with perceived value. However, we have sense re-evaluated this philosophy because we feel there is just as much value in accuracy and we will sometimes compensate for smaller scales by adding additional extra value pieces.
Scale is key to authenticity across the line but the only compromises to it may occur when a character is 8+ feet tall and may need to be scaled down to fit in package or possibly 2 feet tall and needs to be increased slightly to incorporate the articulation. At either end of the spectrum, we still incorporate as much detail as possible (of course, the larger the detail the easier it will be to recreate it).
Has Hasbro ever planned a figure that LFL vetoed, or have they ever especially recommended a figure? (TJ, 9/01/06)
All the time. There is a lot of collaborative give-and-take when we are designing a year of figures (or isolated exclusives). Typically we'll go through several versions of a line plan, settling first on the versions of core characters which are usually uncontested, and then working our way to approval on collector-targeted figures. It's here that folks (with at Hasbro and Lucasfilm) have favorites or may not care for a figure, and there is back and forth to settle on the line that everyone is comfortable with. The challenge is that there are many great collector-targeted figures and only so many slots to fit them in, and we want to get the right balance. This is also where early line plans that are "leaked" out to the public can be misleading. It's unfortunate, but the current line plan that you guys have has examples of these early "wishful thinking" figures on there....an early line plan that was revised later before becoming final. Some collector figures on there will not be in the actual 2007 line. The good thing is that we take the ideas and push them off for later use....a good figure will come back into the next year's plan, for example.
We've been getting a number of figures in the Basic Figure and Vintage lines with softgoods, and the quality of softgoods offerings has gotten much better over the past year. What are the determining factors in deciding whether or not a figure should get softgoods accessories, and what was changed to improve the quality of the softgoods materials? (TJ, 9/01/06)
Thanks for noticing the improvements to our softgoods. We have tried very hard to get them to a level that meets both collectors and our standards. Because of the small nature of 3-3/4". it's really hard to consistently get great results but we like the results we've been getting. Softgoods allows us to reinvent characters in fresh, new, and exciting ways that may have previously never been done before. We typically consider softgoods in cases that will enhance a figures value / performance (i.e. when it will let us achieve a higher / better degree of articulation). In some cases, it's finding the right fabric to drape correctly that makes the difference. The characters aesthetic details, as well as cost, (Softgoods are very labor intensive, making them costly) will also factor into the equation.
When a toy is canceled, what happens to it? Is the concept (assuming that it was developed enough) mothballed for future consideration? (GH, 8/25/06)
It depends on the state of the concept. Ideas rarely get mothballed completely. For instance, nearly all basic figures that have been put aside for one reason or another have gotten back into the line - these are pretty safe products. But the more complicated and expensive ones... there's less likelihood that they'll ever get made simply because the business situation behind their original creation probably hasn't gone away. One exception: The Ultimate Lightsaber. This product had been at Hasbro - nearly complete - since 2002 when it was revived for Revenge of the Sith and became our key holiday driver and a big hit for us. It needed the right timing - a big influx provided by interest in EpIII was the right market we needed to launch it. We couldn't have done it in a typical non-movie year.
For years I have been wondering if Hasbro will ever like produce a behind the scenes documentary on how your toys are made, from the first stages of design to the final product and packing. Not only would it be great to see other lines, but more importantly the Star Wars line. Would the Hasbro Division ever consider this? (YN, 8/25/06)
We will be working with Toy Fare magazine on such a story, for the development of the Darth Revan (Fans' Choice) figure. However, it will be a print piece, rather than a film. Stay tuned!
Are there any figures that are just too morbid to touch (e.g. Dying/Dead Padme)? (GH, 8/11/06)
Yes, there are some that cross the line to grisly. We'd probably never do figures in their deceased state (aside from Spirit of the Force figures). [GH editor's note: Is that a hint???]
Re: the reuse of existing molds for new "kitbashed" figures--how often, if ever, does Hasbro look at customizing sites for new ideas on how to re-use existing parts for new figures? (FFURG, 7/26/06)
We do not look outside for ideas. The design team usually has good ideas they have stored up from previous projects when deciding what to do next.
Does every character cost the same amount of money to produce (i.e. from concept to finish) or do some figures have some features “cut out” in order to invest money in other figures? (JTA, 7/26/06)
Yes, balancing a wave or a year to hit our goals is something we're always doing. Articulation, accessories, deco, and packaging all are taken into consideration. Sometimes one character may not have as many accessories to produce, say, large accessory for another. Same with articulation. Deco is changed around late in the game when we have a better read on actual costing based on factory quotes. Sometimes we can add some back in, sometimes we might trim some out.
How do you decide which sculpts get rehashed/repackaged? (BTT, 7/14/06)
We make our choices for refreshed/repackaged figures based on demand for that character, quality of the original figure (for instance, if the aesthetics of the character still work for a re-release), and the availability and quality of the tooling.
With so many high-demand characters with speaking roles in the movies that have not yet been made (such as Tey How, Tagge, Ask Aak, Jocasta Nu, Lando in Smuggler's Gear, Queen Jamilla), why do you produce new sculpts, not just re-releases of existing sculpts, for minor characters who were done adequately in the past and who have five seconds or less of screen time (eg, Hammerhead, Garindan, Bossk, Dengar)? (SSG, 7/14/06)
The selection of figures for a wave or the year is always a balancing act to keep the widest possible fan (kid and collector) traction in the brand. In many cases the characters you listed as being re-released are more popular than the ones you suggested for new figures overall. While we do like many of the figures you mentioned, and some or all will probably see the light of day over the next few years, the fact is that Cantina aliens and Bounty Hunters are very high-demand segments of the Star Wars figure world. They stand out among others for their strong iconic nature and important role in taking us to a galaxy far, far away in Episodes IV and V.
Production
Vacuum-metallizing is nearly always used for C-3PO and R2-D2 even though it seems to be more troublesome to work with, makes the parts more fragile, is difficult to keep paint applied to, limits the amount of articulation & gimmicks that can be have, and the chromed-look doesn't scale down very well. The only time R2's vac-metallized dome has looked right is on the Episode I figure where a dull-coat was applied over it, and unfortunately this technique was never used again. And painted R2-D2 domes generally aren't painted shiny enough even though Hasbro has used shinier paints in other items. Why use vac-metallizing so often with these figures, why not use shiny metallic paints instead, and for remaining vac-metallized elements what about using dull-coat again? (SSG, 11/10/06)
Simply, kids like things that are as bright and shiny as they can get. Currently available metallic paints don't achieve the same results, so we haven't been excited by them. There are, however, some new paint techniques available that our R&D lab is evaluating for future vac-metal applications that may offer the same solution you are talking about. We don't know if or when we'll use these (they have to pass our rigorous play test standards), but if they work out, you'll see us using these for future shiny parts or figures.
What types of continuity checks/quality control do figures go through to ensure correct paint jobs and the inclusion of proper accessories? (i.e. giving the current X-wing Luke the wrong lightsaber hilt accessory) (YF, 8/04/06)
Our design team (along with the team at Lucasfilm) checks the figures at several stages to ensure accuracy. Sometimes, due to the amount of details something may be missed. Our team is extremely passionate, but they are human!
Usually while swapping parts, we customizers get to see how the figure was produced, why a certain joint was used for an arm or leg, and why a certain part was sculpted a certain way. One thing that's puzzled us in recent years is the use of much softer plastic in the limbs of the newer figures when compared to earlier figures. Why did you change to the softer plastic, which we feel is less durable? (FFURG, 7/26/06)
I don't think you mean less durable, but rather not aesthetically pleasing, right? In any case, the durometer, a.k.a hardness, does vary both deliberately by figure and as an undesired manufacturing change. We are aware of the softness issues and are looking at that overall.
Replacement parts
Would Hasbro willing to create a catalog of replacement parts for those parts that break or get easily lost on vehicles and playsets so consumers can always get replacements even long after the toy has stopped manufacturing? If not, why not? (AF, 11/10/06)
We do offer replacement parts through our consumer affairs department for as long as that toy is expected to have a normal useful life. However, it's not every piece, and limited to mainline products (as opposed to exclusives, which operate on a different engineering and ordering system within Hasbro). But, quite simply, with as many products as we have it's just logistically not feasible to be able to stock every part for every toy at all times.
On Hasbro.com, there are several Star Wars items that have replacement parts order forms, like the Ultimate 12" Anakin/Vader and the Clone Commander #33. Why aren't more parts available on the website? Although I'm sure you don't mind customizers buying up peg warmers for individual parts, I'd bet if more replacement parts were available online, customizers would be buying them in bulk. Personally, I could use more Ewok weapons, POTF2 Stormtrooper blasters, and Senate Pods...nudge...nudge... (FFURG, 10/6/06)
We'll take that under advisement. For the most part, the number of collectors who would find this service useful would be small. But we'll look at it.
Role-play toys
With your great Dark Horse partnership in action figures, can we foresee the selling of cost-friendly "SABER SLIPS" (the pieces found in build-your-own Ultimate Lightsabers) yet "SLIPS" culled and characterized from EXPANDED UNIVERSE sabers / characters such as Quilan Vos, Darth Revan, Darth Krayt / Talon / expandable to Nihlus, and Exar Kun, etc.? I can see this compliment sales of the "Ultimate Lightsaber" as well as the EU line and interest. (JTA, 3/02/07)
Good question and one we have given consideration to as we approach a new era of entertainment. Role-play (such as the Ultimate Lightsaber) is driven overwhelmingly by kids, not collectors, so we'll look at new character sabers as they make sense given the recognizability and demand for those characters among the kid audience. Right now, there is almost no awareness of the EU characters among this audience, and as you know, we have even stopped short of generating sabers for the "second tier" level of Jedi like Saesee Tiin, Plo Kloon, Kit Fisto and Sith like Palpatine because the demand for these characters is not as high as the primary heroes. It is likely we would go to these characters before we would get to EU. We hope that helps frame our direction for character selects when it comes to role-play.
With your great Dark Horse partnership in action figures, can we foresee the selling of cost-friendly “SABER SLIPS” (the pieces found in build-your-own Ultimate Light sabers) yet “SLIPS” culled and characterized from EXPANDED UNIVERSE sabers / characters such as Quilan Vos, Darth Revan, Darth Krayt / Talon / expandable to Nihlus, and Exar Kun, etc.? I can see this compliment sales of the “Ultimate Lightsaber” as well as the EU line and interest. (YN, 3/02/07)
(See JTA, 3/02/07.)
Anticipating the “Dark Times” which Obi-wan lionized as the saga between Episodes III and IV --- can we see what was done to the recent repaint of Mace Windu’s saber --- but with Obi’s saber (e.g. Obi’s ROTS saber-mold but in a ANH paint job, with tiny little re-tooled add-on’s? Packaging alone can attract fans both (young and old) picturing both Obi’s (young and old)! Like your old vehicle molds with tiny new retooled add-ons; Obi’s weathered “New Hope” saber can wield tiny new details; although small, can make such big differences. Example; a thin-strip of transparent plastic formed to make the “bubble-lined-button” for the igniter press. Or a cheap thinrubber-wrap molded to make a “dull-grip” (covering the “sharp-grip" ROTS-molded-handle) painted rough with weathered spreckles, would be so cool, yet still cost-effective. You did it with Mace’s repainted saber (shamefully, sorry to say). BUT, you’ve done it successfully and beautifully with more detailed repaints of old vehicle molds (coupled with tiny re-tooled add-ons made perfect). You did for Mace, did it for old vehicles --- can we do it for Obi? (YN, 3/02/07)
See above for our philosophy and direction for role-play. The changes to the Mace saber were done for kids and collectors were not a part of our thinking. To this point, our research has shown that collectors are not a big consumer of our role-play toys and we have been devoting our collector-targeted efforts to the things that are most meaningful on the whole to the collector audience, primarily the universe of 3-3/4" figures and vehicles. However, we'll dig a little more into the situation to see if the passion you are talking about for Hasbro role-play is a prevalent feeling in the community, and we'll consider that when we make future release decisions.
The E-11 Imperial Blaster role-play toy has never looked quite right since it lost the 3 position, fold-out stock featured in the original 1978 release. Any chance we could see that piece return, even if it doesn't actually fold out anymore? (JD, 01/12/07)
Probably not. We do have some new blasters coming out in the next couple months - a Rebel Blaster and Episode II Clone Blaster - that are very cool and those will be our new ones for a while.
With the new, spring-loaded electronic lightsabers now hitting the shelves, any plans for an updated, ROTS-style Mace Windu lightsaber or a Darth Sidious lightsaber? (SWC, 11/10/06)
Mace is a natural for a line extender, but we haven't slotted him into the lineup yet. We're going to let the 4 main styles (Vader, Obi-Wan, Luke, and the green Jedi) carry the line next year as kids upgrade their main lightsaber arsenal with these 4.
Since, just like the vehicles, some of the old Kenner molds are often reused for role-play weapons like the Han Solo and Stormtrooper blasters, I was wondering if the mold for the vintage Biker Scout pistol still exists, and if so, could we see it return to retail? (YF, 11/10/06)
We're pretty sure we don't have that one, and are focusing on different blasters in any case.
We've seen pics of the Springloaded LightSabers, will we be seeing these in the stores anytime soon? and what all lightsabers will be released in this variety? (A-F, 6/30/06)
The wait will soon be over. You should start seeing the Force Action Light Saber in stores in October. There will be four styles - Vader, Obi-Wan, Luke (blue), and a green Jedi blade which will be available in November.
Are there any plans for making a Darth Sidious electronic lightsaber? (JTA, 6/23/06)
I doubt it. The problem is the tiny hilt and blade, which do not make a heroic statement to kids. I know Yoda says "Judge me by my size, do you?" but it's not very high on the kid demand list for lightsabers.
Will we ever see Darth Sidious' lightsaber? (JI, 6/16/06)
I doubt it. The problem is that it is the tiny hilt and blade, which do not make as heroic a statement to kids. I know Yoda says "Judge me by my size, do you?" but it's not very high on the kid demand list for lightsabers.
Matt:
Specific figures (Episode I - The Phantom Menace)
Hasbro has said that for future releases of Battle Droids they would be released as 2-packs, how about releasing a blue Pilot Battle Droid 2-pack since that BD has been requested since the Episode I line came out? (AF, 11/17/06)
We will look at that possibility. If it doesn't come out next year, we'll probably get to it sooner rather than later.
Will you ever release the Trade Federation PK Droid seen in The Phantom Menace? You could use the Star Wars Saga SP-4 figure mold for the body since they have the same design, and just make a new head. (AF, 11/03/06)
Interesting suggestion. We haven't looked at this one, but will evaluate it. Thanks.
The packaging for The Saga Collection's Naboo Soldier shows some soldiers in red armor and helmets. Any chance we might see those other soldiers, using the same body but with a new head? (SWC, 11/03/06)
We were thinking about this originally. With the production run on this figure, we didn't get a chance to spec this change in. Perhaps some time down the road, but it won't be this year.
Hasbro was previously asked in a Q&A if the cancelled trophy edition OOM-9 could be released in a Battle Pack, and the response was "If [it] would fit into a future scene we want to do, we'd consider [it]." What about releasing cancelled OOM-9 and also the cancelled Destroyer Droid (from the Droideka vs Gungan 2pack) and Trophy Edition Obi-Wan as regular basic carded figures? (AF, 10/22/06)
We've dug into this one for you. The simple answer is that these figures never went to tooling. Some of the sculpts (like the Darth Maul and Battle Droid/OOM-9) did eventually get made. But the others never got farther than hard copies and paint. So I'm afraid these concepts are ones that will never see the light of day, still.
(AF editor's note: the Destroyer Droid in question is unpainted and was seen in the test-shot phase which nearly always comes after the tooling phase, so it's surprising to hear it didn't get that far.)
When exactly will we be seeing the release of a new, SA, high-quality Qui-Gon Jinn figure? It's been a while since Qui-Gon was offered as a basic figure and fans would love a new super-posable version! (JD, 8/04/06)
We agree, but there's no specific time-table for an SA Qui-Gon.
In light of the recent Lucas Family boxset, has there been any consideration given to making other production crew movie cameo figures like Rick McCallum and Ben Burtt from the end sequence on Naboo in TPM (AF, 7/26/06)
Those are good suggestions… they aren't in the works now, but when we go back to Naboo they would be interesting figures.
Are there plans for any more figures based on the other Pod Racers in Episode 1? It seems like that is still a fertile pool to pull characters from. (AFI, 6/30/06)
Ah - great question. I have been pondering the same thing, as my kids (and I) love the Pod Racing scenes. However, when it comes to the vehicles, they just wouldn't sell as well as more aggressive or iconic vehicles. Not to rule out that someday we will do them, but we look to focus on bringing out the occasional pod racing driver pack.
Will any of these planned (but unreleased) items ever see the light of day?
Gungan Accessory Pack (w/Gungan Warrior) (Saga)/Trophy Series Obi-Wan Kenobi/Trophy Series OOM-9/Holo Queen Amidala/Holo Obi-wan/Holo Nute Gunray/Obi-wan w/"Skeeto"/Qui-gon Jinn vs. Battle Droid (Action Heroes 2-Pack)/Jar Jar Binks vs. Destroyer Droid (same) (RS, 6/23/06)
That's a bunch of questions in one! The short answer is: I doubt it, as we've moved in a different direction.
What are the numbers for the figures in the Endor and Naboo waves? (JTA, 6/16/06)
Endor is #39-43 (Wave 5) and #44-46 is Wave 6. The Naboo wave is #49-52 in Wave 6. We combined the two into one wave as both ended up on the same schedule.
Specific figures (Episode II - Attack of the Clones)
The plain white Clone Trooper from Attack of the Clones hasn't seen retailer shelves a whole lot lately, but it seems like the kind of army builder that should see a regular rotation in the basic figure line. Is the SA format of this figure due out at retail again in the near future? We know that the Green AOTC Sergeant is on his way this Fall of course, but I'm sure many out there would love more of the AOTC grunts for our armies. (JD, 9/29/06)
Good question, and we agree, but there may be many such figures fans want to see come back. Stay tuned for an opportunity for fans to input on which "greatest hits" we should be doing.
Do you have any plans for a 'torn shirt' version of the upcoming Geonosis Padme' figure shown at SDCC? (JI, 8/25/06)
Not in the near future, but it is a great idea for a figure that needs an update. It's on our "wish list" to do sometime.
With the popularity of the many ROTS style clonetrooper, can we still expect to see AOTC style clonetroopers released? (POTF2, 6/23/06)
Yes. If you'll be at Comic-Con, come to our panel on Friday morning to learn more details.
Any chance we can expect to see a Lars Homestead scene pack with Cliegg Lars, prequel Owen and Beru, anytime soon? This could be a great exclusive? (YF, 6/16/06)
Not at this time. While they would be cool, there are a bunch of characters we'll be getting to first.
Specific figures (Episode III - Revenge of the Sith)
Looking at my ROTS calendar the other day I saw a scene where Obi-Wan is watching a holographic video in the Jedi Temple of Anakin bowing to Lord Sidious after executing Order 66. Would we ever get to see this as a two-pack, kind of a Holographic Lord Vader's Rise? (SWC, 3/16/07)
This is an interesting suggestion and one we too have eyeballed for doing something with at some point. It's worthy of looking into, possibly for a future comic 2-pack for example.
Is there any effort going into the hopeful re-release of Commander Gree with accurate paint deco in a Kashyyyk Battle Pack? I want to emphasize the "accurate paint deco" portion of this as the previous figure is way off in terms of movie accuracy... and I know of many who are longing for this. (GH, 3/02/07)
We have stayed our hand at re-releasing Commander Gree simply because we are feeling that the fans would want to see us retool him before we repainted one that does not have the correctly molded torso. Right now there is no timeline for the release of an updated Commander Gree, but that's why we are holding off.
Every year, Hasbro puts out a bunch of really great figures. With that said, I'm sure that every year also has a couple figures that you would have liked to improve or tweak just a bit, but you just ran out of time. In 2005's Revenge of the Sith line, what figure is THE figure you'd like to backtrack and maybe start over again? Grievous' Body Guard Droids perhaps (who could use some more articulation and detailing)? Maybe Commander Gree (who seemed a bit rushed to fill out the line at the end of 2005)? (JD, 3/02/07)
Well, there are always a couple at which we wish we could take another pass, but we're glad we were able to get them all out. Since the only way we could do Gree at the time was to repaint an existing tool, we made the decision to go with him and we think he's a nice figure to have. Given his importance to the ranks of the Clones, though, he's the one that we've stayed our hand against re-releasing, even though the demand for him has been very high, simply because the if and when we get Gree back out there he should probably be a new figure. No timeline for him right now, though.
In a previous Q/A you said there would be a new Mace Windu figure released this year with decent articulation, any chance we can get a sneak peek of that figure with an image? (JI, 01/12/07)
The new Mace Windu figure is in the first wave of the 30th Anniversary Collection (TAC) and images were released in October. We have attached the released image in case you have not seen it.
I was very excited when I picked up an Obi-Wan Kenobi #28 on sale at Target a few days ago. I could finally have a soft goods cape, unlit hilt, headset and stand all in one figure, but I was kind of disappointed the figure's foot wasn't deep enough for the stand. Hasbro is releasing another Obi-Wan next year that has been retooled for the mouth piece, but will this version have a retooled peg hole in his foot? With all of the accessories that have been released with this great sculpt of Obi-Wan, dating back all the way to the ROTS Pilot version, I want him to at least be able to stand on his... stand without any problems. (YF, 12/15/06)
Thanks for the comment. The figure does have the same footpeg from this year's version and will ship that way to begin with, but we'll take your comment back to the engineering team and see if we can make the hole deeper going forward. It’s tricky to get the peg that deep when a figure has a super-articulated foot because the foot peg cannot always be migrated to the thicker heel, so it may not be possible. Thanks.
Any possibility of releasing an SA IG-100 Magnaguard (aka Grievous' Bodyguard)? (AF, 12/08/06)
At some point we'll probably do it, but that figure might be one that needs a fresh approach. We might see a new tool before a re-release.
I understand why you are using the S/A Scout Trooper for now as a Kashyyykk Trooper instead of making a new one, but why didn't you use the S/A Scout with opening visor then you could of at least molded a Kashyyykk Trooper visor and belt for it, to make it slightly more accurate. This surely would not have cost much and helped with any future new Kashyyykk Trooper. (YF, 12/08/06)
The Kashyyyk trooper was a costly one already (due to deco), so we went with the closed mask version to not escalate ops and part count.
Why is the upcoming Saga Collection #64 figure being called Commander Appo? He is clearly modeled after Commander Bow (as he appears in comics, with the pauldron), not Commander Appo (who in the film wears the same armor and markings as the other 501st clones). If it is to differentiate between him as a commander and the regular grunts, why not just call him Commander Bow for the sake of accuracy? (AF, 12/01/06)
We made the assumption that it was Appo who appeared in Purge and took our cue from that.
Can we get a picture of the 2007 Super Battle Droid, sans removable flames? (JD, 12/01/06)
See attached image: (Click here for pic.)
The wookiees were a big part of Revenge of the Sith, plus they make awesome figures. Will there be any new wookiee figures in the 30th anniversary collection or any ewoks, maybe a female ewok with child? (YN, 12/01/06)
We're going to hold off on Wookiees for a while. It may have been their rather small time on screen, or it may just be that their speech is unintelligible to the average human, but the Wookiees, aside from Chewbacca and later in the year, Tarrful, did not seem to enjoy the same level of popularity as other characters last year. We'll come back to them at some point, but we're resting them for now.
Now that Tomy (Japan) has made the remote-controlled R2-D2, is there any chance that Hasbro will make the "light show" R2-D2 from RotS where he distracts General Grievous with all of his gadgets? (Spinning action and lights!) Are we likely to see 3¾" scale R2-D2 figures with electronics in the future? (GH, 11/17/06)
Ha! This is a good one. We actually hadn't considered this but it would make an interesting figure at some point. As for additional electronics, we evaluate on a case by case basis as to what we can afford. A motor is a much more expensive component than a light/sound chip so we won't be doing something like this for a basic figure.
Is the upcoming 41st Elite Trooper going to be the flip-visor version from the Tins or simply the "regular" VTSC version? (RS, 11/17/06)
It's going to be the regular VTSC version.
Can we get a picture of the 2007 Galactic Marine, sans removable helmet? Does he have the same head as the 2007 Airborne Trooper? (JD, 11/10/06)
Sure, here you go. (Click here for pic.)
It is actually not based on the same head as the Airborne Trooper. It's based on the younger clone played by Tihoi Taylor.
Are there any plans to release battle packs of Order 66 and the execution of the Jedi, like maybe a 4 pack with Obi-Wan, Commander Cody, and 2 Utapau troopers or 1 and a Parjai? Something similar for other scenes, like a Yoda, Chewbacca, Gree, and Elite corps trooper? You get the idea. Because that would be a super-cool and fast army builder set. Call it "Order 66", or "Rise of the Empire" or something flashy. The kids will love it. (RS, 11/03/06)
This is definitely a strong theme and some of our Battle Packs have had (and will have) this kind of structure. We know that the Jedi/Clone cooperation/betrayal leader/troop dynamic lends itself to some interesting possibilities, and will be a focus of some of our products in 2007. Stay tuned....
If Hasbro were to re-release the ROTS Anakin Skywalker (Battle Damaged) #50 figure, any chances of packing in the Medical Capsule as an accessory? Lots of diorama builders have been asking for this one! (SWC, 11/03/06)
We don't have any plans to re-release this...painful...looking figure right now but if we did that's a good accessory to include. Thanks.
Although we have two figures from Utapau (Tion Medon and Utapaun Warrior, both Pau'an species), the planet had a second species seen in ROTS, the Utai - not major players, but they have several moments of screen time making them at least as prominent as background characters such as the Mustafar Sentry or Neimoidian Warrior which are already figures - so are we likely to get any Utai in the near future? (SSG, 10/27/06)
The poor Utai. The petrol-drenched, varactyl-wrangling blue-collar working class of the sinkhole planet just haven't gotten their fair share of the attention. Which, as befits their status, is a small share. Until they send an ambassador to our line planning meetings, they remain a more long-term goal.
Now that e-tailers have started pre-sells for the Order 66 Two Packs, can anyone at Hasbro shed any light on these? Should we anticipate repaints, or are there new figures paired with troops? (GH, 10/22/06)
We will not have any information on these until closer to the on-shelf date.
Fans were excited to see that the R2-D2 in the first wave of figures for 2007 appears to be the ROTS Sneak Preview Droid sculpt... but then came the disappointment after seeing all the yellow "flame reflection" paint aps on him. Will we be seeing a "clean" R2-D2 using this sculpt or are we going to have to buy some "goof off" to remove those yellow paint aps? (JD, 10/22/06)
This figure will only have Invisible Hand battle-inspired deco.
Any chance we'll see the Episode 3 Felucia Clone Trooper from the Evolutions Clonetrooper set released as a basic figure? It was was pretty tough to find since the Evolutions sets weren't out in abundance for many people and many troop builders would love a crack at this one as a basic figure! (JD, 10/22/06)
Many folks have probably now seen the rumor that there is a Felucia Battle Pack listed at Target for Spring. I can confirm this: it is real and it is spectacular. As a result, we won't be doing the Felucia trooper as a basic figure (and he will be removed from Greatest Hits voting eligibility).
Why does the Greatest Battle C-3PO come with so many different base variations. All the rest of the figure in that line come with the ROTS base. We can see where the white/grey Tantive IV base some into play, but what is the inspiration behind the brown one? (JTA, 10/22/06)
Well now that's a case of interative changes to "get it right." We were in such a hurry to get the Greatest Hits to shelf that we asked for products to be carried into the new line exactly like they appeared in the ROTS line. Well, we chose a background for the Greatest Battle C-3PO packaging that just didn't make sense with the lava base from ROTS, but we didn't see this until we were on the edge of production. So it became a running change. We then spec'd the ship interior base in the original colors, and then moved to the corrected, final colors that match the background scene. This was not intended to drive collectors crazy, but to get to what we thought was the best match of background and base. Unfortunately, it couldn't be from piece 1 because of the very tight schedule.
Will the 501st Clonetrooper using the Super Articulated body ever be made available on a basic card? (AF, 10/6/06)
The one from the K-Mart Battle Pack could come back - if fans voted for it! So how about it... is this a figure fans want to see? (AF editor's note: the K-Mart Battle Pack mentioned is the 2005 ROTS Jedi Temple Assault which came with 3 501st Clones but using the ROTS#06 "Quick-Draw Attack!" Clone body which is less popular than the ROTS#41 "Super Articulation!" Clone body.)
Is the upcoming Galactic Marine's helmet removable? Are the flames on the 2007 Super Battle Droid removable, and are his hips ball-joints? (GH, 10/6/06)
The Galactic Marine's helmet is in fact removable. The flames on the Super Battle Droid are removable, as they are snap-on parts. The Super Battle Droid is new and super-articulated with a ball joint head and waist, insert molded shoulders, elbows, and knees…but the hips are not ball joint.
Will the R2-D2 that's being released next year that's using the R4-G9's mold come with a Trade Federation Cruiser, the Invisible Hand hologram that attaches to Artoo's dome? (TJ, 9/29/06)
No…it will have a different accessory.
I'm sure Hasbro is aware but are there any plans to give Commander Cody a much more well deserved sculpt. All of us collectors wonder why he seems to be shorter then the other clones? The articulation is pretty awesome but his height could've been better. (YF, 9/22/06)
We haven't heard that consumers found his height lacking. We liked this version a lot, and with so many other characters to get to, it'll be awhile before we get back to Cody. But thanks for the comment and we'll take that into account next time we do a new Cody (or Commander) sculpt.
Can you give us details on which sculpt was used for Saga-064 Commander Appo? And on the topic of sculpts, it appears that the Saga-069 Combat Engineer Trooper re-uses the ROTS Evolution Clone Trooper sculpt. Does that mean he has a removable helmet? (JD, 9/19/06)
Appo is based on the super-articulated Clone with the pauldron from the Evolutions pack. The Combat Engineer is based on the Evolutions figure and will have a removable helmet.
Hasbro was recently quoted as saying that whenever you make a new General Grievous figure it will be correctly scaled, will we be getting a new Grievous figure next year in the 30th Anniversary Collection? (SSG, 9/19/06)
We can't address any more specific character questions for the line next year. You'll have to wait and see...
Will we ever see a Commander Neyo clone figure? If so, when? (YF, 9/19/06)
We can't address any more specific character questions for the line next year. You'll have to wait and see...
Will we ever see an accurate version of Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious as he appeared in REVENGE OF THE SITH while dueling Yoda? The version from the "Skirmish in the Senate" Battle Pack had the all-black costume he wore in scenes on Mustafar, in the Imperial Medical Chamber, and on the Star Destroyer bridge, while the costume he wore while dueling Yoda was the one from Hasbro's 12-inch "Darth Sidious" figure and the Unleashed "Palpatine vs. Yoda." (SWC, 9/01/06)
We don't have a new ROTS Sidious slated for the foreseeable future, but that would be a good update. Thanks for the comment.
Remember the RotS Sneak Preview Astromech Droid (R4-G9)? That is one killer Astromech sculpt (I love the retractable leg feature) and fans were thrilled to see it re-used for the EntertainmentEarth Droid 5-Packs. Our question is, when are you going to give us that sculpt with R2-D2's paint scheme? (JD, 8/25/06)
We're glad you like it - it's a favorite of ours, too. You'll be seeing R2 in this sculpt in 2007.
I would love to see an Anakin Skywalker in a medical capsule from ROTS made. Basically you would just need to make the medical capsule accessory and use the torso from ROTS Anakin #50 (Battle Damage). Any chances of that as well as the rest of the medical droids from the 'building Vader" scene? (YF, 8/11/06)
That is a good scene with some interesting droids, and we've considered that in the mix. It won't be any time soon, though.
Any chance we could see the ROTS #55 Obi-Wan Kenobi (Jedi Pilot) and the Evolutions Anakin Skywalker (Episode 3) figures from 2005 both repainted to reflect the burn damage to their costumes from their duel on Mustafar? These would make great repaints for the basic figure line (those Target Mustafar Duel figures were way too orange for most folks). (JD, 8/11/06)
We've thought the same thing….they are good altertnate decos for future figures. Thanks for the suggestion.
Is the #65 Elite Corps Clone Trooper (Kashyyyk), as shown at Comic-Con, the final product, or a mock-up? Collectors have noted that the image shown is a repaint of the Vintage Saga Biker Scout, and the helmet and armor scheme isn't movie accurate. Is this figure likely to be revisited down the road? (GH, 8/04/06)
It is a repaint of the vintage Biker Scout. If we do revise him down the road, it won't be for a long time…so this is the only version of this figure we are able to do right now.
Now that it has been confirmed there is an Airborne Clone trooper coming out in the Mace Windu's Squadron Battle Pack, what are the chances of him being re-painted orange and sold as a basic figure? (YF, 8/04/06)
The answer was revealed at Comic Con - yes, in Wave 1 '07.
Darth Vader is a very popular character that will find support for just about any figure you choose to make of him. That said, I found the ROTS Deluxe Vader on Operating Table to be rather in front of the figure's mouth, was devoid of any detail, yet past removable-helmet Vader figures had that great, cramped collection of wires and tubes. Is there any chance we'll see a new ROTS Vader with removable helmet in The 30th AC? (SWC, 8/04/06)
It's too early to know exactly what Vader(s) we'll see in '07.
I know the part was small, but then again it is Jeremy Bulloch and he is a major Star Wars icon. Are we ever going to see a Captain Colton, Tantive IV Pilot figure with Bulloch likeness? Bulloch has been behind the Fett mask for so long, I'd like to see a figure with his face, such as Colton. (ST, 7/14/06)*
He is a good candidate for a figure…but we don't have him lined up in the near future.
It appears as if the highly requested Airborne Clone Trooper sculpt is finally being released (with Purple colors, in the upcoming "Mace Windu's Squadron" Battle Pack at Target). When can we expect this figure to appear in the basic figure assortment, with the highly requested Commander Cody/Orange Squadron colors? (JD, 7/14/06)
You'll have to wait and see.
Why was the latest Anakin Skywalker action figure given an enemy style hologram? Shouldn't it have been called "Darth Vader" or given a friendly holo? (BTT, 6/30/06)
Good catch. The copy on this figure does suggest he's good at that point. The artwork suggests Jedi Temple, maybe on his way to do the Emperor's bidding, before he becomes Vader. I know, this answer is as complicated as, well, Anakin himself.
Will we see a General Grievous that is in proper scale with the rest of the 3.75" line? (BTT, 6/30/06)
Interesting question. We work far ahead of the final versions in some cases, and Grievous was one of those. We based our figures (all five) on the input we had at the time which stated that Grievous was 6'4" and had certain deco. The final film version was much taller and had different deco. If, and when, we go back to do a new Grievous we'll take the official film height into account.
Where are the following Clone figures...
A. Boss B. Fixer C. Sev D. Commander Fox E. Commander Neyo (ST, 6/30/06)*
Wait for Comic Con and some of your questions will be answered.
With all the time they spent on screen in Revenge of the Sith, why was the BARC Trooper only issued as a pack in to a vehicle and not a real articulated figure? Is a real Articulated one on the radar? (YF, 6/30/06)
He is a good candidate for a figure but we don't have him lined up in the near future.
Can you tell us what other clone trooper figures will be released other then the ones already out? There are still many versions from ROTS that have yet to be released in figure form. (JI, 6/23/06)
That's a great question! We do plan to release additional clones.
When will we see figures of Commander Bacara's galactic marines?!? (YF, 6/16/06)
Early in 2007.
Is there a plan to ship a variation of the Clone Pilot? The one which has shipped in the Episode III Heroes and Villains asst. is the black version, however the back of the card shows the gray/white uniform. (YF, 6/09/06)
We are currently shipping the black suited version.
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