What will your perspective be if this thing is officially announced as coming out next year? Do you want to see it in the 2008 mix?
For myself, personally, I really don't care if it comes out or not. My overall enthusiasm for Star Wars (especially with anything prequel) has considerably diminished over the last couple of years, and I probably wouldn't buy one anyway.
But, for the hobby, and for the people that have really been wanting one, yeah, I think it would be absolutely fantastic if it comes out next year. If it comes out any year. I do think Hasbro's a bit damned-if-they-do, damned-if-they-don't, with it, though. They don't make it, people bitch that they should make it. They do make it, those same people bitch that it's too small/too expensive/too available/too limited/too exclusive/not the right deco/crappy pack-in/no electronics/too much electronics/what have you. You know what they say: "You can't please everybody, all the time--especially if those people are Star Wars collector nerds."
I know what you think, Chew': You think that because I bitch about other people bitching about the AT-TE, or other vehicles, or playsets, or whatever, that must mean that
I'm against the AT-TE, or other vehicles, or playsets, or whatever. And that isn't the case at all. I want all those things to happen. I want people to get what they want. I want them to be happy with what they get. I want you to be able to get your $200 Random Death Star Hallway Playset, if that's what you want.
So no, I want all those things to happen. Believe me, I do. It's the bitching I could do without. Bitching for Hasbro to make something. Bitching at Hasbro after they make it because it's not absolutely perfect. Bitching at Hasbro like they don't know how to run their own business. Bitching at Hasbro like they're somehow "out to get" collectors. Bitching that Hasbro somehow "owes" them something.
All that bitching has gotten to be really ******* tiresome over the last few years, and that's what I have a problem with.
So I bitch.