TVC Gaming Greats Line

[Nicklab]

Don't mistake this observation about the Gaming Greats sub-line as a complaint.  But is anyone else puzzled about why Hasbro would offer two TVC trooper figures from Jedi - Fallen Order?  I'm asking that because Hasbro has yet to take on the main character in the game, Cal Kestis, in the 3.75" scale.  I think that these releases would lead you to believe that a 3.75" version of Cal Kestis might be coming in the near future.  But having these trooper villains and not the central protagonist for them to oppose seems a little strange.

[Muftak]

Don't mistake this observation about the Gaming Greats sub-line as a complaint.  But is anyone else puzzled about why Hasbro would offer two TVC trooper figures from Jedi - Fallen Order?  I'm asking that because Hasbro has yet to take on the main character in the game, Cal Kestis, in the 3.75" scale.  I think that these releases would lead you to believe that a 3.75" version of Cal Kestis might be coming in the near future.  But having these trooper villains and not the central protagonist for them to oppose seems a little strange.

The current team doesn't look at this sort of thing at all, to them these figures are widgets and are completely interchangeable. If you want to talk about main characters, look at the line-up for Episode 9 figures. We got one main hero (two if you count Poe, but he was not in his movie outfit so I tend to not include that.) No main villains. Some army builders, some fanboy designs.

From a widget POV the Purge Trooper gets priority over Cal Kestis because there are several easy repaint/repack/reuse opportunities for the tooling. And the other is a retool already.

There is no intended world-building with the current TVC line. They struggle so hard with that (looking at Leia and Lando coming out over a year after their Carbon Freeze playset dropped.)

[Nicklab]

I'm right there with you on the Episode 9 figures!  And I was so shocked that Hasbro didn't respond to my question on the Hasbro Pulse Instagram account about that very topic.  I wonder why they wouldn't do that? 

I get the business calculation that goes into producing troopers.  It's a character that is pretty much guaranteed to sell multiples.  I will actually give a little bit of credit to Hasbro because they're doing more solid case packs with troop builders.  They did it with the Rogue One Stormtrooper, the Remnant Stormtrooper and they're also going to be doing it with the Walmart exclusive AT-ST Driver.  They get the demand for that segment of collecting.

But there is something to be said for a brand presence at retail.  At most of the Target stores near me the planogram has MOTU right next to the shelf space allocated for Star Wars.  And there are ALWAYS He-Man figures on those pegs.  With the Star Wars space?  They have a pretty banner featuring the Mandalorian on it.  But how often has ANYONE actually seen a figure of the Mandalorian on the pegs in either the 3.75" or 6" scales?  Or for that matter any TVC figures in quantity at retail?  That same brand presence concept should apply to central characters in the saga that should always be available at retail:  Luke, Anakin, Vader, Rey, etc.  And in this case with a major game release - Cal Kestis.

[Rob]

Don't mistake this observation about the Gaming Greats sub-line as a complaint.  But is anyone else puzzled about why Hasbro would offer two TVC trooper figures from Jedi - Fallen Order?  I'm asking that because Hasbro has yet to take on the main character in the game, Cal Kestis, in the 3.75" scale.  I think that these releases would lead you to believe that a 3.75" version of Cal Kestis might be coming in the near future.  But having these trooper villains and not the central protagonist for them to oppose seems a little strange.

The TVC line isn’t getting much new tooling these days and troopers are easy for them to kitbash and repaint.  That’s the simple answer.

[Matt_Fury]

I'm hoping that some KOTOR figures make it into the gaming greats, not just a re-release of what's already been put out, but some new figures as well.

[Mister Skeezler]

I mean they repainted the ****** Battledroid that's currently stinking up the pegs. Did anyone, anywhere ask for a repaint of that?

[GrandMoffNick]

I mean they repainted the ****** Battledroid that's currently stinking up the pegs. Did anyone, anywhere ask for a repaint of that?

I can't speak for the 1000s of other Targets, but of the four I frequent, one has 2x TIE Pilot, one has a Karga and Leia and the other two have nothing. Maybe there's lots of Battle Droids elsewhere.

Also clearly Black Series showed us Gaming Greats will be lots of somewhat altered existing troops specific to video games. The fact they chose four TVC figs that BS already got including the Battle Droid doesn't seem that shocking to me

[Jesse James]

It’s similar here.  Battledroid sells first and the others sit to diff degrees.  I don’t like that droid myself but others do...  whatevs.  I just wish those 30AC 2-packs were still the standard haha.

[Matt_Fury]

You guys have figures in stores??

[Rob]

One copy of The Child a couple weeks ago is the only 3.75” item I’ve seen in stores in as long as I can remember.

[Jeff]

As a guy who doesn't do a ton of gaming anymore, I'm conflicted on these. 

I just can't get excited about the idea of paying $15 for a single Battle Droid repaint, the 3rd (or 4th?) try at the 'phased' Trooper from TFU, or even a Scout Trooper repack with a new harness and electrostick. 

I guess maybe I'm finally getting too old for this ****. 

[Rob]

As a guy who doesn't do a ton of gaming anymore, I'm conflicted on these. 

I just can't get excited about the idea of paying $15 for a single Battle Droid repaint, the 3rd (or 4th?) try at the 'phased' Trooper from TFU, or even a Scout Trooper repack with a new harness and electrostick. 

I guess maybe I'm finally getting too old for this ****. 

For me it's that Hasbro has gotten extremely lazy when it comes to 3.75".  They don't seem to care, and it's trickling down to collectors.

[Jeff]

They don't seem to care, and it's trickling down to collectors.

Yeah, I agree with that.  It's like Muftak said earlier - 3.75" figures are just widgets.  There is no rhyme or reason to what they pick anymore and it really is disappointing to the point of killing my interest. 

This idea that Hasbro are designing 3.75" and 6" to "compliment each other" is just stupid.  I don't care that 6" TFA Leia exists.  I want 3.75" TFA Leia for my collection.  I don't want to hear "we made him in the 6" line and it looks great" when I ask for a 3.75" SOLO Dryden Vos.  They really don't get that some of us don't mix and match 3.75" and 6" stuff.

Blah.  Now I'm even more depressed about all this.

[Rob]

That should be extremely obvious.  What kind of monster just mixes and matches two scales?!

[Dave]

They really don't get that some of us don't mix and match 3.75" and 6" stuff.

Does anyone do this?!?

I've got shelves of each figure style, but they never are together. 

I like my 6" display, but for the most part its just the figures and some GTP space walls in the back.

My 3.75" display is far more rich with variety, vehicles, accessories, creatures, etc.

This is maybe the dumbest thing I've ever heard -

This idea that Hasbro are designing 3.75" and 6" to "compliment each other" is just stupid.

If Hasbro really does think this way they should be kicked in the nuts repeatedly until they spend more time with collectors and kids to understand what they want.