Big Items of the Future!

[Rob]

I'd much rather go all-in on a re-release of the TIE Interceptor. I only have one of those from the new tooling, and I'd like a couple more.

The first time we saw the TIE Defender was in that Rebel Assault game in the '90s, right? I kind of felt like "toss another wing on there" was in full effect with that design, but Rebels definitely did make it seem cooler. No one can convince me the TIE Crawler isn't a crappy design though.

Sure, but that's an easy update to a really good existing mold.  That's not a "big items of the future" / Haslab style thing.  They could do that so easily if they wanted to bother.

[Matt_Fury]

I’m still holding out hope for an Imperial Cargo Shuttle from Rogue One that would have the rest of the Rogue One crew as stretch goals.

[Ryan]

I’m still holding out hope for an Imperial Cargo Shuttle from Rogue One that would have the rest of the Rogue One crew as stretch goals.

Ooooo. That'd be a great one I hadn't really considered. If they put it out, they'd have the orange crates from the hovertank to pack-in as well. Hasbro would also be able to rerelease any of the crew members individually in the main line down the road. Just give them a slightly different accessory or cardback in the Has-Lab version and some people would even double dip.

For me, I'd be most likely to back a project from the OT, Rogue One, Andor, The Mandalorian, or the 3-D Animated series. I'd be much pickier projects from Solo, the Prequel, or Sequel trilogies.

[Matt_Fury]

For me, I'd be most likely to back a project from the OT, Rogue One, Andor, The Mandalorian, or the 3-D Animated series. I'd be much pickier projects from Solo, the Prequel, or Sequel trilogies.

I'd back one of those walkers from TLJ...imagine it being scaled to the Legacy AT-AT?

[Rob]

It’d be the size of a horse.

[Mister Skeezler]

I'd much rather go all-in on a re-release of the TIE Interceptor. I only have one of those from the new tooling, and I'd like a couple more.

The first time we saw the TIE Defender was in that Rebel Assault game in the '90s, right? I kind of felt like "toss another wing on there" was in full effect with that design, but Rebels definitely did make it seem cooler. No one can convince me the TIE Crawler isn't a crappy design though.

Sure, but that's an easy update to a really good existing mold.  That's not a "big items of the future" / Haslab style thing.  They could do that so easily if they wanted to bother.

Yeah, I got off topic because I was looking at the interceptor and got all gushy about it.

[Matt_Fury]

It’d be the size of a horse.

And I would be ok with that.

[Jeff]

Looking at the past five HasLab projects:

Project		Status
Black Series Reva (The Third Sister) Force FX Elite Lightsaber		FAIL
G.I. Joe Classified Series Cobra H.I.S.S.		Funded!
Marvel Legends HasLab Ghost Rider: Engine of Vengeance		FAIL
HEROSCAPE AGE OF ANNIHILATION: Vanguard Edition		50% with 13 hours left
Transformers Generations HasLab Deathsaurus		81% with 27 days left

That's not exactly a smashing success rate.  Hasbro went 7-for-8 on the first 8 projects (RIP Cookie Monster) but they are tracking to go 4-for-8 on the last 8 projects (RIP Rancor, Reva Saber, Ghost Rider, and probably Heroscape).

Seems like it's time for another Star Wars 3.75" HasLab if you ask me...  Hasbro could use a HasLab win and I could use a Mos Eisley Cantina, Death Star, or Krayt Dragon or something...

Since the last update:
- Heroscape = FAIL
- Deathsaurus = Funded!
- Dragonfly = Funded!
- The Ghost = Funded!

Looks like HasLab's win percent is 72% (13/18 - RIP Cookie Monster, Rancor, RevaSaber, GhostCar, Heroscape).  And, by my count, the Dragonfly HasLab pushed Hasbro over $75million in funds raised from campaigns over the years (not counting any added tax or shipping).


After a third successful 3.75" scaled Star Wars HasLab, what do you think Hasbro does next?

- do they get bolder with big money non HasLab things (like the $230 Throne Room playset) and offer a few more direct to Pulse?
- do they go right back to the HasLab well with another 3.75" SW next year?
- do they give non-3.75" SW another HasLab try?  And if so, what do you pick that is popular enough for what it'll cost?

[Matt_Fury]

The Rancor could've been successful if they hadn't botched the campaign so badly.  Marvel has had two large scale figures in the Sentinel and Galactus and they were smashing successes.

The Reva Saber was never going to make it because Force FX sabers are just s niche market to begin with.  That would've been better as a straight pre-order like Jabba's Boba Fett's Throne Room.

That being said, it's obvious that TVC is a winner for Haslab...they're three for three!  I would expect something in TVC for the next couple of Star Wars Haslabs.

[Dave]

After a third successful 3.75" scaled Star Wars HasLab, what do you think Hasbro does next?

- do they get bolder with big money non HasLab things (like the $230 Throne Room playset) and offer a few more direct to Pulse?
- do they go right back to the HasLab well with another 3.75" SW next year?
- do they give non-3.75" SW another HasLab try?  And if so, what do you pick that is popular enough for what it'll cost?

I don't really understand the calculus they use(d) to decide what goes the route of HasLab and what goes straight to market (e.g. BoBF Throne Room).

I think a Death Star, if its done in affordable modular bits, would be a no brainer for a direct to market item.  It they wanted to do a fully integrated big ass expensive playset they could always go HasLab.  I'm just not sure anyone at Hasbro has the balls to make bets anymore on something without HasLab to backstop their decision making process.

I honestly think they should just stick with 3.75" things.  There are plenty of cool things they could do and there is no reason to deviate.

The Rancor might have worked if they provided more value from the get go, but by the time they tried to recover from their disastrous rollout it was too late. 

All of the 3.75" items funded without much effort.  Keep it simple and keep making TVC items we want.

[Matt_Fury]

Just because TVC Haslabs are three for three does not make it a good idea for Hasbro to try and do a TVC Haslab every year.  I would be hard pressed to support a Haslab while still waiting on another to arrive and that would happen if they try a TVC Haslab every year.

Space them out a bit, try another Black Series next year (mid sized vehicle of some sort).  Then after the Ghost has shown up at the homes of everyone who has backed it, think about dropping a TVC Haslab after that...or do something smaller scale using the pre-order route first.

[Dave]

Agreed that they don't need to do a TVC HasLab on an annual basis.  But I also don't believe they should be doing SW HasLab annually either, especially if they don't have good ideas that are likely to fund from other areas of SW collecting. 

Doing an every other year HasLab TVC would be great as far as I'm concerned.  And they don't have to be $500.  Maybe a HasLab every other year and a direct to market on the odd years would be great.

There are plenty of good ideas that could fill the next decade.

[Rob]

Yeah, every other year is ideal.  Also imagine getting items this large every single year?! 

After this one I'll be hard pressed to find space for things that size.

[Dave]

I'd love to see a playset with modularity to it so people can choose to go broad, or longer and narrower.  Something like a Death Star or Ewok Village would be great.  Finding a shelf large enough for The Ghost is going to be a challenge.  I've got 18 months to figure it out, but right now I'm not sure where to put it.

[Jeff]

Also imagine getting items this large every single year?! 

I don't need something as large as the Ghost every year.  I do think if they manage it right, they can alternate Hasbro Pulse exclusive and HasLab exclusive yearly to crank out a lot of high demand items.  Put the $100-$250 items at Hasbro Pulse with a long-lead pre-order.  Put the riskier $250-$500 items at HasLab.