Author Topic: Star Wars Hero Series Millennium Falcon  (Read 8558 times)

Offline Brian

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Star Wars Hero Series Millennium Falcon
« on: June 19, 2014, 04:49 PM »
Yoda's news has the exclusive info here, sounds like it is coming to Wal-Mart this fall, is supposed to be 2 feet long, and is very similar to the X-Wing we've already seen (no figure compatability, etc.)

http://www.yodasnews.com/hero-series-millennium-falcon-high-res-images/

Offline McMetal

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Re: Star Wars Hero Series Millennium Falcon
« Reply #1 on: June 19, 2014, 10:45 PM »
I don't need a two-foot paper weight.

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Offline Pete_Fett

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Re: Star Wars Hero Series Millennium Falcon
« Reply #2 on: June 20, 2014, 11:03 AM »
I don't need a two-foot paper weight.

Agreed - keep making things I don't want Hasbro! I'll have more money to spend on Lego!
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Offline Jesse James

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Re: Star Wars Hero Series Millennium Falcon
« Reply #3 on: July 16, 2014, 08:48 PM »
People are mad about this thing, but they already made US a Millenium Falcon, so why not a cheap one for kids to enjoy, and for retail to move more quickly, than a $150-$200 item, ya know?  That's all they're doing here.

Clearly price point is a major focus for Hasbro right now...  Get things affordable to sell more quantity.  Stuff like this is a necessity.  Not my cup of tea either, personally, but the need's not lost on me either.  It's how I view 5POA figures.

My fear there is Hasbro's going to take 4" completely that direction and 6" the collector line.  I think that's a still very real possibility in the near future.  Especially with new films rolling out, which obviously will grab for the kid dollar and attention far harder than they'll grab for ours.  :-\

Stuff like this Falcon though, it's pretty cool for a kid I think...  Especially when kids can't get that $50, $60, or far more expensive ship that we can blow $ on and not bat an eye.
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Offline Muftak

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Re: Star Wars Hero Series Millennium Falcon
« Reply #4 on: July 16, 2014, 09:19 PM »
Maybe it's just me, but sixty bucks still isn't cheap.  Had they cut the size in half and charged thirty, then I might see it as a kid-friendly version of the BMF. Especially because then a kid might be able to, you know,  play with it.

It just seems like the approach is so scattershot lately...if they wanted a big ship for the kids, why not make a hollow non-figure-compatible Ghost and capitalize on Rebels? Is there any way this Falcon uses the mold from the BMF to reduce costs? Being hollow with no opening parts, I just don't see how...

I just don't get it.  ???

Offline Jesse James

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Re: Star Wars Hero Series Millennium Falcon
« Reply #5 on: July 16, 2014, 09:31 PM »
Different manufacturing process...  these are rotocast toys, and the BMF's a multi-part injection molded toy.  Rotocasting's cheap but simplified...  Like a pink flamingo is rotocast generally.  The BMF's complex, electronic, labor-intensive, etc.

I'd assume they see this as something they can roll out again for the films as well... It's of an iconic (a true use of that word, not a "collector" use of it where we think everything's iconic, haha) ship, simple to make, large and "impressive" to look at, not absurdly heavy.

$60 isn't cheap to me either and I'd be picky on what I spent that on...  But compared to the ever-inflating price of the BMF?  If I had to guess why they didn't go smaller, it's that they want something visually impressive but still moderately affordable and more likely to sell than something $100 and well beyond.  *shrugs*

That's my guess anyway.  I'm sure many of these choices are to meet demands from retailers as well.  We suffer from that stuff too.

I wouldn't doubt that we'll see these ships, or at least the Falcon, again soon...  Same as that giant Vader from Jakks Pacific.  I can't imagine that won't be returning despite collector's opinions on it.  It's a big, goofy, "wow fact" thing, at a lower price.

I'm not personally interested in this Falcon, but I am pretty sure they don't care if I am either.
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Offline Muftak

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Re: Star Wars Hero Series Millennium Falcon
« Reply #6 on: July 16, 2014, 10:41 PM »
Yeah, I sure didn't get the Jakks Pacific giant Vader either. Something a clueless Aunt would buy a kid to try to impress, but not a toy to be played with at the end of the day. But at least it is a perceived value...and the "shampoo bottle" figures fill the large cheap niche even better, and are manageable enough in size.

The point about future releases makes sense. Gotta go with the product with legs.

I certainly remember zooming around simple rotocast non-figure spaceships of about a foot or less as a kid so I get that side of the play pattern. The scale and price just seem way out of reason for what it wants be.

Offline Jesse James

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Re: Star Wars Hero Series Millennium Falcon
« Reply #7 on: July 16, 2014, 10:50 PM »
Yeah I don't know many kids anymore to know if that Jakks thing is "cool" or not...  It's big.  Kids like big crap I guess, but I dunno.  It's not something I'd want, even when I was younger.  I think I liked small scale stuff like trains and models and things.  Probably the only reason I don't get more into 1/6 figures now.
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Offline Qui-Gon Jim

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Re: Star Wars Hero Series Millennium Falcon
« Reply #8 on: July 17, 2014, 09:14 AM »
People are mad about this thing, but they already made US a Millenium Falcon, so why not a cheap one for kids to enjoy, and for retail to move more quickly, than a $150-$200 item, ya know?  That's all they're doing here.

Clearly price point is a major focus for Hasbro right now...  Get things affordable to sell more quantity.  Stuff like this is a necessity.  Not my cup of tea either, personally, but the need's not lost on me either.  It's how I view 5POA figures.

My fear there is Hasbro's going to take 4" completely that direction and 6" the collector line.  I think that's a still very real possibility in the near future.  Especially with new films rolling out, which obviously will grab for the kid dollar and attention far harder than they'll grab for ours.  :-\

Stuff like this Falcon though, it's pretty cool for a kid I think...  Especially when kids can't get that $50, $60, or far more expensive ship that we can blow $ on and not bat an eye.
I LOVE this item.  The BMF is more of a playset.  This is a ship to have dogfights with.  I would have loved to had something like this when I was 8 years old.  I will definitely be buying one for my son.

Offline Qui-Gon Jim

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Re: Star Wars Hero Series Millennium Falcon
« Reply #9 on: July 17, 2014, 09:17 AM »
Yeah, I sure didn't get the Jakks Pacific giant Vader either. Something a clueless Aunt would buy a kid to try to impress, but not a toy to be played with at the end of the day. But at least it is a perceived value...and the "shampoo bottle" figures fill the large cheap niche even better, and are manageable enough in size.

You couldn't be more wrong.  I grabbed a Jakks Vader for my son, and one for my nephew, clearance at Target.  My son loves this toy and is playing with it constantly.  He has saber duels with him, he chokes out the Jar Jar plush.  He loves it.

Offline Muftak

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Re: Star Wars Hero Series Millennium Falcon
« Reply #10 on: July 17, 2014, 10:03 AM »
Well that is a surprise. My 4 year old son couldn't have cared less about the big Vader when we saw him in stores. Certainly sounds like your son is enjoying it, though. I don't mind being wrong if somebody's having fun.

And on topic, you find the $60 price tag of the new MF reasonable?  I'm still not sold. Granted, I fully expect to hear all the grumbling next year when the BMF returns for the movie at $300. I feel like $40 has always been the ceiling price for a value toy. At $60, parents are usually expecting something in the deluxe range.

Offline Jesse James

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Re: Star Wars Hero Series Millennium Falcon
« Reply #11 on: July 17, 2014, 05:53 PM »
That Falcon, just from a "detail" POV, actually sports some nice intricacy to it...  I'm actually somewhat impressed.  I don't know what scale it is at 2' long though.  I could see people sprucing it up possibly for smaller scale comparison.  It may be in the 1/32-ish range, or smaller.  I still won't buy one.  Space and all.  I could see that getting touched up by modelers though.

I'm still curious about the X-Wing myself...  It's pretty damn close to figure scale.  It'll take work, but if it's as detailed as this Falcon is, I can see the work being well worth the effort.
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Offline Qui-Gon Jim

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Re: Star Wars Hero Series Millennium Falcon
« Reply #12 on: July 18, 2014, 08:04 AM »

And on topic, you find the $60 price tag of the new MF reasonable?  I'm still not sold. Granted, I fully expect to hear all the grumbling next year when the BMF returns for the movie at $300. I feel like $40 has always been the ceiling price for a value toy. At $60, parents are usually expecting something in the deluxe range.

Three years ago, no.  The 30" figures are $30-35, and the detail on this far surpasses those, at least from the pictures.  $60 puts you right into pricing for a video game, probably the target.

Of course, this could look like a turd once we see real pics of it, raher than the Hasbro photography which may change my mind.  I am also curious to see how a figure looks next to this. How off is the scale?

Offline Phrubruh

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Re: Star Wars Hero Series Millennium Falcon
« Reply #13 on: July 26, 2014, 01:56 PM »
So this hero series MF has no play features except the gun moves? Exactly why would I want this? The only reason would be to repaint it to look more realistic.
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Offline Jesse James

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Re: Star Wars Hero Series Millennium Falcon
« Reply #14 on: July 26, 2014, 06:08 PM »
That's been my point though...  YOU aren't supposed to. :)

The only adult I could see wanting this is someone who models and wants to fit it into that, or someone using it for gaming (it may fit the miniatures in terms of scale).  For collectors it's rubbish.  I think it looks ok, but I'd rather a BMF given the choice.

But a BMF's what, $200 or more on the last time it was released?  And this is $60?  Which one would gram buy for her grandson who's a Star Wars nut?  Ya know?  Plus I bet the margin on it is HIGH.  I bet it was far less than $60 to make.  Just taking a stab at that.
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