Realistic Clone Wars 3D Figures

[Jesse James]

I really don't expect them to "reboot" the basic line into animated...  I think they're well aware of how many people they'd lose, even if they gain a fair number with animated figures.  I think they'd try two lines side-by-side for a longer period long before that happened.

Seriously - "albeit in a much smaller capacity"?  This summer/Fall, we're getting around 30 basic figures, 6-10 comic packs, 3-4 $20 vehicles, 3-5 more Evo packs, 4-6 new Battle Packs, two vehicles over $100, etc etc.  And that's only what we know is coming, there is more to be revealed at SDCC plus exclusives.

Not to mention price-hikes, price-hikes, price-hikes...  I don't feel cheated by the animated figures, not in the slightest.  On the contrary, I'm looking forward to having the money I'd have spent on whatever we could've had in their place, on all the things Jeff listed...  Big ass $100+ ships that I want, comic packs, $8 basic figures, exclusives...  I have a lot to keep me financially occupied this year.

Not to mention if I want a 1:18 King Tiger Tank, it's gonna cost me $100 this year itself...    I got 99 problems, and they're mostly friggin' toys.

[jedi_master_sal]

This lull in between SW toys has made an impact on SW collectors. Some have saved, some have collected other line (and many of those being NON-Hasbro lines). While others have taken this time to filling their collection holes via eBay and the like. That's all money Hasbro has LOST. Why? They chose to focus on other toy lines. Marvel, Iron Man, Indy and even Hulk.

Not to be a jerk, but "Marvel, Iron Man, Indy and even Hulk" (along with TFers and GI Joe too) are all Hasbro lines, so they are still getting plenty of collector money this summer...   

What I meant to say in that line, is that was money Hasbro lost on the Star Wars line. Yes, they got the money from those other lines, but some of them, like Hulk and Iron Man are flash in the pan type lines and will be discounted before the end of the year, if not the ned of summer.

No worries. we don't have to agree on everything.

[Matt_Fury]

I'm kind of glad they are going this route.  It's making it easier for me to save money for house projects.   

[David]

The pics in the latest SW Insider issue look really, really nice. A few of these are growing very tempting.

I still hate Yoda and Grievous though.

[Brian]

Thought this fit here as well as anywhere else, but SSG has a little post-CC Q and A up with Hasbro, and they mention that there won't be "realistic style" versions of the new Clone Wars characters anytime soon - and they seem pretty definite on that (of course, we "definitely" weren't seeing a number of other things at some point or another too).  Anyways, just thought I'd pass it along, this particular question is towards the end.

[smartsoccerbb]

I like the animated style.

[shmashwitdaclub]

I am not certain if this belongs here - but this is where I am putting it since I believe Curto got the intel from CV.

Supposedly we will start seeing some Clone Wars figures done in realistic format - Curto has reportedly posted this info from his Twitter page (I don't tweet so I can't confirm).

What do you guys think about this?  I am slightly put off from this info because while I haven't purchased too many CW figures, just some of the ones that are unique to the series (and Aurra cuz she is so BA), the only reason I purchased them was because of the notion that we have been told we will never see them in a realistic format (I know I shouldn't listen to what Hasbro says - my bad).  So I will be buying the figure twice, something I despise doing. 

What are your thoughts on the subject?

[McMetal]

As a diehard TCW completist, I am strongly opposed to this. Keep the lines separate. It's bad enough they put L8-L9 and the Hawkbat Battalion trooper in the realistic line. I am STILL trying to find both of those. It makes it really really difficult for completists to insure they have everything.

I don't know why Hasbro feels the need to try and cross-pollinate the TCW line with the other stuff; it does just fine on its own. I don't think they need to spend any more energy trying to appeal to the Vintage/Legacy collector market.

Plus, IMHO the stuff just doesn't look good when rendered in a non-animated style. That old "realistic" Durge they put out was horrible...looked nothing like the character from the Tartakovsky series.

What exactly did Curto say? I don't do Podcasts and they seem reluctant to transcribe...

[Darth_Anton]

I don't need more non OT product in my life.

[shmashwitdaclub]

I don't think the official podcast has been posted/happened yet.

As for why Hasbro would cross the streams?  Simple answer - $$$  They got the money from collectors, like me, upfront for figures collectors thought they would never see in any other way shape or form - now they want to get that money again.

[Jayson]

I'm against this as well. Part of the charm of the CW figures is sculpt which captures the look and feel of the show. Reinterpreting those signature designs in to a "realistic" interpretation just doesn't appeal to me. Not right now anyway. Back in 2008 when they released the Clone Wars wave in the TLC line, I didn't much like those figures either (despite them being decent sculpts) as they weren't based on any live-action source material.

I would be just as against animated versions of Classic Trilogy characters, unless there was an animated series to support such an endeavor.

[CHEWIE]

I have to say that if they went down this road, it would pull me in completely.  I think the CW series is cool, but I don't care for the styling... but making those awesome characters in realistic style?  I'm up for that.

This is just a guess, but here's why I think it would benefit them to do this:


- I think there were some lackluster sales in certain waves that ended up causing a bottleneck for the later waves (how many of us found the Sidious wave?)... maybe they are sensing the animated style isn't as popular as they once thought

- If they're running low on fuel for figures in the realistic line, then this adds more ammunition for them... plus we know Hasbro loves to rescult figures - now they can do so with these characters in a realistic sense

- Kids who are fans of the animated series are going to want figures of the characters regardless if they are realistic style OR animated, and it's going to pull people like me into this line


Seriously, wouldn't a character like Whorm Loathsome look better in a realistic style than the goofy looking thing we got last year?  All they need to do is put a concept artist to work to make aliens like him look like creatures from the films - and bingo!  Great figures in the realistic form could be imagined.
 
Personally, I don't think the animated style is all that great.  They have made some very good figures for that styling, but I think most of the market (kids included) would prefer an Anakin that looks like the character from ROTS over a cartoony looking version.

[JACKOFTRADZE]

I think this is a great idea.
I also think the animated figures in general look stupid. They never appealed to me however they are well made. They look like marionette puppets and alienated long time collectors like me. I get the whole kid appeal argument but honestly I think most kids would still would collect this if they looked real. I invested so much in this line and to invest in cartoon figure line that will never match my main collection just was not in the cards. I would have been buying every figure had they been realistically styled. They lost a lot of business with me. Again, I understand the kid target business position. They have to make the best business decision for the company.

This animated line long term will have a short life, it will last as long as the animated show, another 2-3 years max. The realistic line will outlive it long term. If I am going to buy another Anakin or Obi-Wan from the prequels I would love to have them in their animated attire. I would not mind a figure of Commander Cody in Phase 2 armor. a realistic Asoka and Cad Bane would be sweet.

Just look at these pics:





Keep it limited but I am all for this.

[JACKOFTRADZE]

Chewie, we posted almost at the same moment with the same sentiment. I am with you on every point!

[Pete_Fett]

For me, this is great news.

I never felt they should have done figures in the animated line in the first place.

They should have always just made the figures compatible with the rest of the toys and then development of characters who are no different than their movie counterparts would be easy money for Hasbro on re-release.

Characters like Battledroids, Super Battledroids, Destroyer Droids, Count Dooku, General Grievous, AOTC-style Clones, ROTS-style Clones, Plo Koon, Kit Fisto, Ki-Adi Mundi, Aayla Secura, Bariss Offee, Luminara Unduli, etc... all could have just been improved versions of previously released figures, the kids really wouldn't give a damn if the figure matched the source material 100% and the collectors would welcome the SA upgrades.

The vehicles were never going to be any different between the two lines, so why should the figures be?

They did this to us (albeit on a much smaller scale) with the first Clone Wars micro-series toys, and then slowly over the years, they made a realistic version of EVERY animated character that had previously made and then on top of that started to pump out characters that we never thought we'd get like the Hawkbat Battallion, Yoda on the Kybuk and that wolfman Jedi. Not to mention the great Clone Wars figures from TLC Wave 2.

They will start with Anakin, Ahsoka and Obi-Wan and eventually expand it out to Rex, Cody, Ventress and other characters.

There will eventually be a day where collectors simply ignore the animated style figures in favor of getting the realistic versions 'cause it may seem impossible now, but like others have mentioned, one day the 3D cartoon series will end, and then the 3D animated-style figure line will end, but the "realistic" line will continue and just like we continue to hope for all 96 vintage figures to be remade, there will be a list of all 3D animated Clone Wars characters that we're hoping to be remade.