JediDefender.com Forums
Collectibles => Past Hasbro 3.75" Lines => The Black Series 3.75" => Topic started by: P-Siddy on January 16, 2014, 04:51 PM
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A month away from Toy Fair (16-19 Feb) and I thought I'd get a thread started. What are our expectations? Any new figure announcements? Possibly some "Rebels" reveals? Questions for Hasbro reps (if they do a Q&A).
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I'm certainly hoping to see the next couple waves of the Black Series, both 3-3/4" (Wave 4 (http://www.jedidefender.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=23160.msg564714#msg564714) and more) and 6" figures (Wave 4 (http://www.jedidefender.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=23275.msg564713#msg564713) and more). I'm hoping we'll see the 6" Scout and Speeder Bike too.
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Given the reveal of the Inquisitor over at the official site? Rebels is probably going to be the big push at Toy Fair. But I'm also wondering if the Star Wars line is going to get scaled back the way we've also seen the Hasbro Marvel movie lines get scaled back.
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I think we'll see 4/5 of 4" TBS, one wave ahead on 6" TBS, a bit of Rebels unveiling, possibly Jabba AND Speederbike/scout 6" TBS as that is supposedly an assortment...
No exclusives. Old hat on vehicles. I'd guess Rebels will eat up any 5POA slots, and no film stuff except what we already know of.
No "Big" item.
Angry Bird SW still having a presence as it's still a strong seller for them I guess.
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Yeah, I'm hoping to see the next 6" wave after the one with Bespin Luke. I assume this would be Anakin, Clone Trooper, and Chewbacca, with Obi-Wan being the carry forward figure. (I realize what an asinine choice that is, just passing along what I have been reading in the rumor mills) Really just want to see Chewie.
I'm probably most keen to see any Rebels stuff they might have to show off though, hopefully something besides just figures.
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I'm not expecting anything. I have no interest in the 6 inch line or the Rebels line, and those are probably going to dominate, along with Angry Birds like Jesse said. We might see pics of the next wave after the Dagobah Luke/Yoda wave but nothing else.
I'm actually expecting Hasbro to not have anything Star Wars, at least what little they will have will be brushed aside in favor of Marvel stuff since the movies are out in April and May. Star Wars will get more focus at SDCC, but that should be all Rebels.
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Yeah, I'm hoping to see the next 6" wave after the one with Bespin Luke. I assume this would be Anakin, Clone Trooper, and Chewbacca, with Obi-Wan being the carry forward figure. (I realize what an asinine choice that is, just passing along what I have been reading in the rumor mills) Really just want to see Chewie.
I hope we find these rumors unfounded. I'd hate to see a 6" wave dominate by prequel figures. I just have this feeling that they'll be the 6" version of the TVC TPM wave.
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I thought when the 6" line was originally starting up, it was mentioned (even by Hasbro?) that the line would maintain a 3 to 1 ratio of OT/PT. Then again, now we're down to 3 new figures per wave, so who knows.
As for Toy Fair, I think it could be an interesting year, depending on how chatty Hasbro will be about the future. I'm a little concerned that many retailers don't seem to be carrying/ordering the 3 3/4" Black Series, and we still haven't seen preorders even go up for the Dagobah Luke wave. So, I'm most interested to see what will be revealed for that line - but like others have said I could see more focus on Rebels, 6" Black Series, and Angry Birds (and Marvel/Transformers/etc. with those movies this year).
Realistically, I hope we see the next couple waves of 6" figures (or one wave beyond Bespin Luke), the next wave after the Dagobah/Empire wave of 3 3/4" Black Series, and a nice preview of Rebels (maybe 7-10 figures and a vehicle or two?). I think many of us are most interested in the state of the line at this point, and what we'll see this year overall. I just wonder if superarticulated (or just, articulated) 3 3/4" figures are going to continue on, or if we'll see more of a Marvel approach of 6" Collector figures and 3 3/4", 5 POA action figures. Then again, if you look at the Cap movie line, they have the 6" collector figures and a smaller wave (four figures I think) of the smaller scale stuff, but I think the figures themselves are pretty nice. If Star Wars got the same conservative approach, but kept up the articulation/detail along those lines, I'd be happy.
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If a new movie came out and we only got 4 new figures I would cry.
Not really, but it would bum me waaaay out.
As far as Toy Fair goes, I really have no idea, and after last year I am simply not getting my hopes up.
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I'm actually expecting Hasbro to not have anything Star Wars, at least what little they will have will be brushed aside in favor of Marvel stuff since the movies are out in April and May. Star Wars will get more focus at SDCC, but that should be all Rebels.
Don't forget Transformers. With a movie coming this summer, they've already started the pre-Toy Fair hype machine (http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/20/business/media/hasbro-gives-its-transformers-toys-a-new-look.html?_r=0). I'm expecting a TON of attention/time being aimed on the new kiddie-focused figures the article mentions. ::)
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I agree with that the current Transformers are tough to transform and I guess I prefer the vintage ones over these complex ones. Now, doing a transformation with a push of the button? Intriguing, but hopefully spring-loaded and not electronic. In fact, didn't they have some spring-loaded ones back in the old days?
As for SW, I think Jesse might have it right. SW is not going to be their main focus right now. But I'm curious to know how satisfied Hasbro is with the 6" line? Has its sales met its expectations?
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I think the reason we haven't seen a pre-order for the ESB wave is that there will be no further Black Series waves. The line, on the 3 and 3/4 side anyways, hasn't performed. My guess is we'll see the collector line re-established concurrently with Rebels in the fall and the ESB figures will set that off. We'll see some strong OT figures until the new movie late 2015. At this stage retailers must be looking past TBS and it makes sense to hold off until there's some extra media support.
I expect to see one, maybe two waves of the 6 inch figures, a little bit of Rebels but nothing really since they'll wait until closer to launch to spring most of it. it will be very slim overall as we're now used to. Once Rebels kicks into gear, and we creep closer to the movie, things will improve.
There were quick change transformers - the Jumpstarters Top Spin and Twin Twist (two of my faves) - had this exact same concept in 85.
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TBS 4" sold well here... No clearance and I've seen all 3 waves. The last 2 sporadic but they also didn't show till after Xmas. Wave 1 sold through many cases before it backed up and now there are stragglers but I'd not call it peg warming. A clone or two a Biggs or Ani... I saw more Padme than others just last week.
It sold as well as the 6" did if not better. Costs involved probably balanced it out.
Legends stuff did ok at some stores and not so well at others. At Walmart where it was almost all that was new it sold better. At TRU Kmart and Target not so much. Kmart seemed to sell a little but hit a dead spot quickly.
That's here anyway. TBS, both scales, sold steady... I saw none on clearance at Target or I'd have picked up some Biggs maybe for cheap. Right now when I do see any it is limited selection. Some Kmart stores have one of several characters from wave 1 as they seemed to get a Wave 1 case in right at Xmas.
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If a new movie came out and we only got 4 new figures I would cry.
Not really, but it would bum me waaaay out.
As far as Toy Fair goes, I really have no idea, and after last year I am simply not getting my hopes up.
Yeah, I guess I didn't necessarily mean a wave of four figures for SW, that is a different beast entirely. I am ok with the style of the Cap figures though. They might not have quite as much articulation, but they are better than the 5 point stuff and can at least stand and everything. Now if they could drop the price a couple dollars that would be great. In a non movie year like this, I'd be happy with 20 to 25 figures though. I'm sort of wondering if Darby is right and we are in for a Black Series (3 3/4) break for a bit, or even the end of super articulated stuff (hopefully not). I just hope that if we don't see much we at least get answers as to the future of the line, leading up to the new movies.
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Why not retire the uninspired Black Series and have, like Yakface suggested, a Power of the Force vintage themed waves with a lot of OT goodness like Sim Aloo, Yakface and others?
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I'm not sure the cards are the issue... Wave 4, would anyone be saying anythin bad about TBS if that wave were shipping right now and most retailers were getting a case or two in? My stores have the room so I don't think pegwarmings an issue. And I like TVC cards too but I don't think card backs play that big a part.
It is price, figures, and quality ultimately. I wouldn't be shocked to see TBS canned but I also wouldn't care if it stayed so long as I can get good figures on whatever cardback.
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Yeah, I get what you're saying. I guess what they were possibly alluding to was the 'loophole' that Hasbro said there wouldn't be any return to Vintage-style cards, but that left open the possibility of PotF1. That would be interesting since it's vintage in a sense, but I bet it wouldn't be true vintage-style PotF1 without the coin packed in... and the fans would cry foul because of that.
I, too, am looking forward to Wave 4. I have bought only 4 figures from the past 3 waves and one of those (Vader) was kind of 'do I really want need another one?' I just think I'm bored with the prequel stuff and enjoy the classic trilogy things more because that is what I grew up with. Granted it's not the cards but the choice selection and carry forwards that are the problem. And I do not fault Hasbro for the Attack of the Clones figures because they were supposed to be supported by a 3D movie. I totally get Biggs and why he's being carried forward, but if I was working for Hasbro or TRU, Biggs would have been a pack-in with his X-Wing. If not that, maybe a TRU exclusive figure, or a figure with the promo that if you bought his X-Wing, you get the figure for free... or half-off. I think we'd see less of Biggs on the shelves. But I can't complain about just Biggs, either because I've seen the army builders (clones, scouts) warming pegs, too. I guess Hasbro could properly gauge how TPM3D would do and gave us a lot of TPM figures, many that didn't move. So they readied for AotC with less product, but were left with no movie that would have supported the carry-overs.
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I think it's breaking up a little now though. I have tons of room locally at all stores for new figures. If retailers order they'll get. I just hope wave 4 is where the ice jam breaks on new cases showing up and stores actually ordering.
I'm surprised to see as much as we have when you think one of the 3 major retailers basically hamstrung themselves with the dpci issue too. TRU went nuts but was gettig wave 2 in. It's a slowdown now because stores are going to be entering inventory too... I'm not terribly panicked on retail right yet. I will order wave 4 when it goes up and maybe even 2 cases for myself, but it's so early to worry too. Not a good time to expect much in stores.
I could see tons of rage over the lack of a coin on modern potf1 cards too btw. It is collector logic for sure.
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Just wondering about some perspectives. I seem to recall a number of leaks typically leading up to TF, but nothing much so far? Leads me to believe I will be underwhelmed.
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I know for a fact Hasbro's refocused itself... I think Hasbro's not got much they CAN show that they're working on right now, honestly. They'll show what they can, but I don't think it's going to be some big blitz. A little Rebels blitz, but not much outside of that.
I'll be shocked if it's more than a couple unseen waves of anything.
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I think most of the leaks were verbal because UK Hasbro was pretty good at keeping out the photos this year with Rebels still being embargoed.
We did get a rumor list, that Scott posted that was based on UK Toy Fair (below). I'm thinking we'll get good looks at the stuff on the rumor list below (hoping for hard copies of at least the TBS #20-25 below) plus maybe a little bit on "immediate future" store exclusives (though they don't always have those in the booth, just the slideshow).
Maybe a surprise or two beyond this, but I'm not expecting a ton more (keeping the bar set low :P).
New rumors
http://www.jedinews.co.uk/news/news.aspx?newsID=15237
The Black Series 3.75" Range
•#20 Ep3 Darth Vader (Star Destroyer)
•#21 Ep5 Luke Jedi Training (Dagobah)
•#22 Ep5 Yoda Yedi Training (Dagobah)
•#23 Ep5 Toryn Farr (Hoth)
•#24 Ep5 Snowtrooper Commander (Hoth)
•#25 Ep5 Wedge (Snowtrooper) (new head/helmet)
•R5 Droid
•Ep6 Sgt. Doallyn
•Ep6 Ree Yees
•Ep5 Hoth Luke "Wampa Attack" (new head)
•Ep5 Hoth Han Solo's "Search For Luke"
•Ep5 Darth Vader "Yoda's Test" (new head)
The Black Series 6" Range
•#09 Ep4 Stormtrooper
•#10 Ep3 Obi-Wan Kenobi
•#11 Ep5 Luke Bespin
•#12 Ep3 Anakin Skywalker (Darth Vader)
•#13 Ep4 Chewbacca
•EpII Clone Trooper
•Ep6 Darth Vader
•Ep6 Luke Jedi
Saga Legends
•15 Ep1 Darth Maul
•16 Ep5 Snowtrooper (Hoth)
Mission Series Figures
•01 Zeb & Stromtrooper
•02 Rebels C-3PO & R2-D2
•03 EpV Darth Vader & Luke Skywalker (Bespin) Refresh
•04 EpII Yoda & Darth Sidious (Refresh)
•05 EpV Boba Fett & Stormtrooper
Class II Vehicles
•Ep5 Boba Fett's Slave I (Signature ESB Deco)
•Ep3 Obi-Wan's Jedi Starfighter (Utapau)
•Ep2 Anakin's Jedi Starfighter (CW Deco)
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I'll go ahead and drop this in here... a link to our 2014 Toy Fair page!
(http://www.jedidefender.com/images/ToyFair2014/ToyFair2014_logo_main.jpg) (http://jedidefender.com/toyfair2014.php)
I head out to NYC in just about 15 hours. Can't wait! If Hasbro allows it, I'm planning on doing live tweeting from the Saturday event (which starts at 1:00pm Eastern) so make sure you're following along with @jedidefender (https://twitter.com/jedidefender) for updates!
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Have a great trip Jeff, I look forward to what you have to show us!
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Same here! Safe travels.
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Awesome! Have a great time Jeff!
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Two new TBS Clones coming? Tied to Clone Wars possibly? I'm intrigued!
I'm hoping TCW style heads... Gree and Cody Phase I would be my two wishes. Or Fox wouldn't be bad either, and very unique.
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Cardback redesign coming Fall this year... TIE Pilot styled black cards? Giddy!
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Biker Scout & Speederbike...
We called that one by the way. :P
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6" Jabba the Hutt revealed...
We also called that one here at Jedi Defender. ;)
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6" Chewbacca, E2 Clone, Vader w/ Removable Helmet (woo!), and Jedi Luke! Alt. Pauldron (Black Trooper) Sandtrooper.
Luke has TWO shirts by the way, which is how Jedi Luke figures should be IMO. :P
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4" TBS has limited showing... R5-G19, Luke Hoth with improved headsculpt... :(
More at SDCC though, but the 4" wad was small. 6" much more pow!
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NO Dais for Jabba shown... that jives with what we were told here at JD. However, and I'll put it out there, that a 6" Scale Dais was at the very least, designed/mocked up in some capacity... Too expensive for the assortment, obviously, but the idea is there. :-X :-*
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I have a slight theory that they're holding 4" figures back to promote the new line look more than anything... 6", clearly took center stage. It'll be telling about 4" if they're playing second fiddle at SDCC though and 6" is equal to or surpasses them in what's shown.
If that happens I think 4" articulated figures are on their way out.
I'm curious, what 2 Clones for TCW final season were they planning? Hmmm... That's interesting, and will be a topic of some debate since they're eating up some 4" slots.
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Any news of when waves 4/5 hit for 4" line?
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Not yet.
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Any news of when waves 4/5 hit for 4" line?
Considering they are holding back images of the Spirit Vader and Hoth Han (and Ree Yees and Starsher if you only go by the presentation) for SDCC. Wave 5 probably won't hit until after.
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The showroom had a nice surprise in having ReeYees and Doallyn present. My pics are downloading from my camera now, hopefully (hotel internet connection coperating) they should be going up soon!
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I'm curious, what 2 Clones for TCW final season were they planning? Hmmm... That's interesting, and will be a topic of some debate since they're eating up some 4" slots.
One kind of looked like Wolffe, but not exactly. The other was more of a green color, kind of like Captain Lock or whatever his name was, but Phase II for both. Also sounds like that lost Captain Rex will hit the Black Series too later this year finally. Outlook not so good for the missing two BAD astromech from the droid factory though :(
NO Dais for Jabba shown... Too expensive for the assortment, obviously, but the idea is there. :-X :-*
Not yet... but there was a lot of hinting that a dais with Salacious Crumb could maybe be it's own thing at some point.
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Oh really? :)
Well, that'd jive then wouldn't it. :-X :-*
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Posted so far:
Hasbro Black Series - 3.75" (http://www.jedidefender.com/gallery/imageFolio.cgi?direct=Conventions/Toy_Fair_2014/Hasbro/Star_Wars/Black_Series_-_3.75_inch)
Hasbro Black Series - 6" (http://www.jedidefender.com/gallery/imageFolio.cgi?direct=Conventions/Toy_Fair_2014/Hasbro/Star_Wars/Black%20Series_-_6_inch)
Working on Rebels/Legends/Mission Series next... but first a look at the 2014 Black Series card, which is like 1000 times better than last year IMHO. ;)
(http://www.jedidefender.com/gallery/files/gallery/Conventions/Toy_Fair_2014/Hasbro/Star_Wars/Black_Series_-_3.75_inch/DSC_0099.JPG)
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Great coverage Jeff!
I agree about the new Black Series card back.
It serves as a great companion line to the new Saga Legends card back and also makes it so there's a great chance we may at least get The Inquisitor and Kanan in the collector line.
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Posted so far:
Black Series - 3.75" (http://www.jedidefender.com/gallery/imageFolio.cgi?direct=Conventions/Toy_Fair_2014/Hasbro/Star_Wars/Black_Series_-_3.75_inch)
Black Series - 6" (http://www.jedidefender.com/gallery/imageFolio.cgi?direct=Conventions/Toy_Fair_2014/Hasbro/Star_Wars/Black%20Series_-_6_inch)
Kids 12" Figures (http://www.jedidefender.com/gallery/imageFolio.cgi?direct=Conventions/Toy_Fair_2014/Hasbro/Star_Wars/Kids_12_inch_Figures)
Role Play (http://www.jedidefender.com/gallery/imageFolio.cgi?direct=Conventions/Toy_Fair_2014/Hasbro/Star_Wars/Role_Play)
Saga Legends Basic Figures (http://www.jedidefender.com/gallery/imageFolio.cgi?direct=Conventions/Toy_Fair_2014/Hasbro/Star_Wars/Saga_Legends_Basic_Figures)
Saga Legends Mission Series (http://www.jedidefender.com/gallery/imageFolio.cgi?direct=Conventions/Toy_Fair_2014/Hasbro/Star_Wars/Saga_Legends_Mission_Series)
Star Wars Command (http://www.jedidefender.com/gallery/imageFolio.cgi?direct=Conventions/Toy_Fair_2014/Hasbro/Star_Wars/Star%20Wars%20Command)
Star Wars Rebels Vehicles (http://www.jedidefender.com/gallery/imageFolio.cgi?direct=Conventions/Toy_Fair_2014/Hasbro/Star_Wars/Star_Wars_Rebels_Vehicles)
That concludes the booth showroom photos for Star Wars. I'll be posting some other non-Star Wars stuff and the offical Press images next...
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Great photos, Jeff! And thanks for making the trip to our frozen neck of the woods. Even with all of the snow here, NYC is probably pretty mild compared to the cold you guys have been braving in Minnesota.
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I'm curious, what 2 Clones for TCW final season were they planning? Hmmm... That's interesting, and will be a topic of some debate since they're eating up some 4" slots.
One kind of looked like Wolffe, but not exactly. The other was more of a green color, kind of like Captain Lock or whatever his name was, but Phase II for both. Also sounds like that lost Captain Rex will hit the Black Series too later this year finally.
I would guess one would have to be ARC Trooper Fives as he plays a prominent role in "Season 6". Not sure about the other guy but haven't seen any photos yet to ID either. I wish they would use the original TCW ARC Trooper sculpt...that thing was perfect.
Great to get these two guys though, and even better to hear Rex may finally be on the way. :)
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Anyone else's wallet start crying after these Toy Fair pictures start showing up?
The 6 in. The 3 3/4 in. The vehicles. Ugh
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I'm curious, what 2 Clones for TCW final season were they planning? Hmmm... That's interesting, and will be a topic of some debate since they're eating up some 4" slots.
One kind of looked like Wolffe, but not exactly. The other was more of a green color, kind of like Captain Lock or whatever his name was, but Phase II for both. Also sounds like that lost Captain Rex will hit the Black Series too later this year finally. Outlook not so good for the missing two BAD astromech from the droid factory though :(
NO Dais for Jabba shown... Too expensive for the assortment, obviously, but the idea is there. :-X :-*
Not yet... but there was a lot of hinting that a dais with Salacious Crumb could maybe be it's own thing at some point.
Was that from chatter on the side, re: clones, etc.?
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I thought the Clones were part of the presentation (I wasn't there, just the impression I got). the Dais thing's side chatter though from what I am gathering.
The Clones stuff cropped right up on Twitter as soon as the SW end of the presentation started it seemed.
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i just had not seen any names associated with the clones report.
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Yes - season six clones was in the presentation; dais chat was on the floor.
In the main presentation, there was a slide with the Clone Wars logo and two unnamed clones from Season Six. The clones were animated drawings, NOT figures. They said that the two Clones pictured on the slide would be turned into figures and released in the Black Series to celebrate season six but they could not give us their names yet.
Like I said, one reminded me of a Wolffe type trooper, the other of a Lock type trooper; both in Phase II armor. No more detail than that right now, but more will be shared at SDCC I guess.
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Interesting choices... I really had hoped for a Phase-I Cody to get done realistically, but that seems like just a dream at this point. Gives me something to work on myself I guess. :)
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Anyone else's wallet start crying after these Toy Fair pictures start showing up?
The 6 in. The 3 3/4 in. The vehicles. Ugh
Comparatively? Just the opposite. It's doing back flips not having to strain itself much this year.
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To me, it looks like a manageable year. I've been trying to be a little more cost conscious about things, and this line looks like Hasbro recognizes some of the strain the economy has put on their customers. The figure line isn't exhaustive, but there are some really cool choices in there. The vehicle line doesn't look completely rehashed. And the the 6" figure line is going in an interesting direction with things like the speeder bike and Jabba.
However, the lack of exclusives? That seems telling.
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They typically don't show (or talk about) exclusives at TF.
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Was there a standard-Hasbro style slide show of all the things they were showing?
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They typically don't show (or talk about) exclusives at TF.
Recently, it would seem. I've been to a number of Toy Fairs, and they have shown exclusives there in the past. The new trend seems to be bringing the retailers to the showroom and pitching exclusive ideas for Q3 and Q4.
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Yeah I'll be buying vehicles which I've not done in a LONG time it seems, but they're back for me. For now anyway.
I'll be picking up TBS 4" and a couple 5POA figures, but very few. For me the added cost is in vehicles then this year I guess. If cases pan out at 2 per, I may wind up even saving a little there as time goes on. 4/5 I may want cases to myself... Hell I may want 2 cases of one of those assortments anyway.
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Great coverage Jeff!
I'm pretty happy with the showings in general. The 6 inch is stellar, Rebels is very promising, and I like what we're seeing in the 4 inch line. I'm curious about the dais set and whether that will be come exclusive heart breaker down the line. All in all it looks I will be a lot more modern SW this year than I did last, which is unexpected. I really thought this year would trickle away, but it seems like Hasbro is really committed to course correcting and offering something for everyone. Love the new TIE Pilot cardback also.
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Thanks for the amazing coverage Jeff!
I have to say, I really dig the Black Series packaging redesign, that TIE Pilot helmet just makes it look cool to me for some reason. Big improvement over the current design, which is a bit blah. Overall, I'm pretty happy with what we've seen from Toy Fair. A pretty nice push for the 6" stuff, just enough of the 3 3/4" to keep us interested, and the first taste of the Rebels product (nice to see some new vehicles coming up).
Honestly, if the 3 3/4" Black Series line continues this trend, I'd be pretty happy. Not an overwhelming amount of releases, a focus on OT for the most part, and the figures we've seen all look pretty amazing. I hope it keeps up (whether called Black Series or something else) in the years to come. Interesting to read at a couple places that Hasbro has specifically been told to stay away from EU and also pull back from prequel stuff. Surprised that they came out and confirmed that, but it is good to know. I'm still wondering if we'll still see OT or PT stuff during the upcoming movie years starting in 2015. I'm guessing there can't be too many spots available for "other" stuff in those years, let alone much focus there as the stores are likely going to want primarily the new movie stuff. We'll see.
The 6" stuff looks just amazing I think. I know not everyone is into these, but I'm really enjoying them. So far, it has been just the right pace that I can afford to keep up, so hopefully that continues. I can't wait for that Chewie, not to mention Luke and Vader. On that topic, not that it is a new thing, but wow we are getting lots of Lukes between the various lines in the next year or so.
The Rebels stuff looks cool too, especially the vehicles. I'm not sure what I'll do about the figures yet, but I'm guessing when the show is starting up and the hype begins I might bite. Plus, if it is good, that will help as well. I'm pretty excited for the show itself, and the figures - despite being 5 POA - have some neat designs in there too. Honestly, I hope if nothing else it is a fun line for kids where the figures can fit in vehicles, are sturdy, and everything works well together.
Overall, not necessarily a TON of stuff for Star Wars, but still more than we've been used to recently it seems. I know there is a lot I'm looking forward to this year, as we build momentum into the Episode VII onslaught. Glad to see so much OT goodness everywhere as well.
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(http://I have to say, I really dig the Black Series packaging redesign, that TIE Pilot helmet just makes it look cool to me for some reason.)
This isn't being talked about much but yeah, people have to be happy with that package. It's pretty badass looking, kind of obscure but in a positive collector way (TIE Pilots seem like the "cool kids" of the Empire).
And nobody seemed to see a packaging shift like this coming either. Weird. I like that they're doing it though. TBS was ok, but that charcoal sketch looking stuff was odd and didn't look right. This, just looks better.
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Does anyone who reads/keeps up with JTA notice their TF coverage article stating that the EU is dead and we'll be getting 0.00 products from that era anymore?
http://www.jeditemplearchives.com/content/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=13152/#details (http://www.jeditemplearchives.com/content/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=13152/#details)
Considering most of what I buy anymore is from the EU, this is very, very bad news. In fact, hasn't Star Wars as a franchise survived because of the EU? Especially merchandising-wise? Hell, the TCW figure line is an example. Plus, it gives you kind of an image of how Disney is directing "Star Wars" these days.
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I think, given their current delving into eras the EU's covered, but wanting to go their own direction, it was kind of expected.
An edict was handed down by LFL to start focusing on the new, rather than the old. This happened last year, and EU is getting swept up into it I think... I don't think it means EU is dead, I just think it means it's dead till they decide what they're going to walk over with new films.
So I can't say I didn't expect EU to take a very far back seat... Especially as 2015 nears. I think the OT's only going to get much love because of its relative proximity timeline-wise to what the new films are probably going to be about. The PT seems like something Disney's willing to distance itself from too, at least for the time being. Hasbro wasn't the only license told to refocus too.
I think Rebels is the sorbet before the main course... You never know what may happen though as they get their handle on EU they want to keep, and what they're sure they're going to be writing over.
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I think, in this context, when Hasbro says "EU" they mean the books, comics, etc - not the Clone Wars. We're getting Rex finally and the 2 new clones in the BS so it seems like they will continue to mine that property, thankfully.
But yeah, the price on some of those older figures (Revan, Malak, etc) is going to skyrocket even moreso.
Overall, I have to say - great Toyfair. My expectations were very minimal so I was happy to be overwhelmed. All the Rebels stuff looked great, the confirmation of the 3 TCW characters upcoming, the 6" reveals were all amazing.
Thanks for all the great photos Jeff, terrific job on the coverage and super fast posting of all the galleries!
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No offense to Paul, but this is hardly surprising. Of course they are going to avoid the EU with E7 potentially re-writing that portion of SW history. They're already rereleasing Bastila Shan, Darth Malgus, the Republic Trooper and Starkiller, so how many more slots can the EU fill before we're right on Top of the next movie? If E7 re-writes the EU, then of course we wouldn't see any of those "future" characters again. Even if they did follow the existing EU, I'm guessing they'd go with newer movie renditions of any characters versus falling back on older molds. Between the movie and Rebels, I'm not expecting to see much of any previous lines.
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I can see some OT build-up... like a "remember this!?" kind of a thing going into E7. That's about it though. They're really on E7 and new movie mode... You figure it's like steering an oil tanker... It takes a while to make a turn, so you know things have to be handed down fast for all the stuff to launch just right at movie premiere time.
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To the segment of collectors out there claiming this was a bad Toy Fair, I couldn't disagree more. If you take the foreknowledge of the entire list of product scrubbed from Hasbro's database out of the equation, this show had a ton of reveals. I can't say I'm disappointed with anything other than the huge x-wing "sibling maimer" or the Command line and the fact that there was no reveal of The Ghost or female SWR action figures.
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Given what we've been seeing from The Official Site and other news sources regarding the Expanded Universe in general, I'm not surprised at all that there's a pullback on the Expanded Universe across multiple fronts. I take issue with the article simply because I find Paul's work focuses far more on hyperbole and nerd rage than substance and thoughtful analysis. I found that to be the case during my tenure on the staff at JTA and that shift in style was a major part of my reasoning for leaving that website. But that's besides the point.
The EU pullback is actually very logical from a marketing standpoint. Look at what's happening:
-Dark Horse's comic license is coming to an end. That's been a major source of EU material over the past decade plus.
-Marvel taking over the comic license and re-launching the direction of Star Wars comics.
-The announcement of the creation of the Lucasfilm Star Wars story group which will be determining what is canon and what is not. And notably this will have an impact on the post-ROTJ EU, which will likely have a tremendous impact on the story direction of Episode VII and beyond.
-Focusing Star Wars on the REBELS television series launch for fall 2014.
Getting the Star Wars toy line working along with the other arms of Disney/Lucasfilm to this common goal is something of a no-brainer in the modern world of brand management. It does have the side effect of impacting some fans of a particular niche in Star Wars. This is an unfortunate casualty of the new world view for Star Wars. But it' seems clear that Lucasfilm Licensing is looking at the big picture and trying to steer things towards a greater goal. That means working towards a successful launch for the REBELS animated series and a ramp up towards the release of Episode VII. This move away from established EU figures et al really seems to have been inevitable given the overall change in direction for Star Wars.
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Especially as 2015 nears. I think the OT's only going to get much love because of its relative proximity timeline-wise to what the new films are probably going to be about. The PT seems like something Disney's willing to distance itself from too, at least for the time being. Hasbro wasn't the only license told to refocus too.
how many more slots can the EU fill before we're right on Top of the next movie? If E7 re-writes the EU, then of course we wouldn't see any of those "future" characters again. Even if they did follow the existing EU, I'm guessing they'd go with newer movie renditions of any characters versus falling back on older molds. Between the movie and Rebels, I'm not expecting to see much of any previous lines.
But it' seems clear that Lucasfilm Licensing is looking at the big picture and trying to steer things towards a greater goal. That means working towards a successful launch for the REBELS animated series and a ramp up towards the release of Episode VII. This move away from established EU figures et al really seems to have been inevitable given the overall change in direction for Star Wars.
You guys have kind of covered it, but basically, it's a numbers game at this point when you talk about ongoing support for existing EU.
You've got Rebels in 2014 and then a new movie every year. It's not so much, "YOU CAN'T DO EU FIGURES" so much as it's "USE YOUR NEW TOOLING DOLLARS ON STUFF THAT'S OUT NOW".
Disney/LFL would rather Hasbro focus on **** that's happening right NOW (Rebels, Ep 7/8/9, spinoffs, TV shows, etc) versus comics and novels that some dude read 10 years ago or whatever.
No kid is going to get excited about a human replica chick from a video game that came out in 1996. Collectors might... BUT, they might like a bunch of stuff from ESB (2014) and ROTJ (2015) instead... both of which lead into Ep7. ;)
Despite this... I gave one last pitch for my dream Marvel Comics Star Wars #15 Comic Pack with SpaceScuba Han Solo and Crimson Jack. It ain't happening. :'(
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Lump me as someone bummed though. Don't get me wrong. I had high hopes for that Wookiee/Noghri set, or Jan Orrs... I feel like she's sorely missing in my collection though I have a pretty solid custom formula for her.
But yeah, I've had little hope for, well her at least... The Noghri/Wookiee comic that was at the least mocked up if not prototyped I had wished we'd see at some point but I just don't see it ever happening now. I'm dejected over all of it for sure. But like Jeff said, some comic or novel written eons ago (in terms of striking while the iron is hot anyway) compared to the movie-a-year scenario we're basically coming up on...
It's going to be pretty crazy and new how marketing works for Star Wars now... It's a new age when it's not long periods of time between films now. Kind of weird, exciting, scary (financially anyway). It's very weird though to think there could be these movie blitzes of crap just pounding collectors. So many will have to be selective, myself included in that camp. I'm thinking how I've had to become selective NOW and since 2008-ish is going to help me long-term with staying in the thick of the hobby.
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There are definitely some things from the EU that I'd like to see get explored. My focus tends to be from some of the Dark Horse comics and video games. And it still seems like fairly fertile ground from a character standpoint. But I get this shift in direction. It's an attempt to keep the Star Wars line CURRENT and moving forward with a sense of anticipation towards the new trilogy.
And then there's the shift in the action figure business. We've seen a pattern emerge where interest seems to be gravitating away from the 3.75" action figure to collector focused 6" figures and the video game sector. There have also been some massive failures on some serious movie licensed toy lines. That's led to action figure lines that are leaner, more cost-concious and more risk averse than they were say, 5 years ago.
For the continued health of the line? I'm okay with this shift away from the EU. I understand what's driving it. It's a compromise that's being made in the interest of benefitting the broader Star Wars merchandise line.
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The only EU figure I can't believe they never made that I'd have liked (I'm not into EU) is Jorus C'baoth.
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I think the brand is shaking off EU so that they don't need to worry about any continuity. Seems like it now extends to merchandise. I am sure the Mouse House doesn't want Hasbro making Jaina Solo figures when their EP7 negates her existence in some way.
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To the segment of collectors out there claiming this was a bad Toy Fair, I couldn't disagree more. If you take the foreknowledge of the entire list of product scrubbed from Hasbro's database out of the equation, this show had a ton of reveals. I can't say I'm disappointed with anything other than the huge x-wing "sibling maimer" or the Command line and the fact that there was no reveal of The Ghost or female SWR action figures.
I thought this was much more promising too - I can't say I was blown away, but it wasn't too much of a letdown. Compared to 2013's Toy Fair event, this was night and day.
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Not much in terms of quantity, but I thought the quality was there.
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Definitely, I thought it was a good showing. I came away optimistic.
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I was downright floored by the coolness of stuff like the AT-DP and early model TIE Advanced... That stuff shocked me, as I expected turds like the last Class II vehicles. Undersized, pathetic looking representations of vehicles that were nowhere near to-scale. $25 for stuff that looks pretty spot-on? I was a pig in slop.
Nevermind the new TBS 4" we saw... and even the 6" was neat.
And I'm in the minority but the Hero X-Wing has me at least intrigued enough to give it a chance as a base for a to-scale X-Wing possibly. Something I've had on my to-do list since I was young.
5POA figures aren't my thing but I'm still getting Chopper and possibly one or two more figures... Depends on my mood ultimately, and how much I have in Reward Points at K-Mart I think. :-X
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5POA figures aren't my thing but I'm still getting Chopper and possibly one or two more figures... Depends on my mood ultimately, and how much I have in Reward Points at K-Mart I think. :-X
I was thinking something similar... wait for a TRU BOGO50%off sale, toss in a $5 rewards coupon and you'll get two figures for about $4. That's how I've been buying the Saga Legends that I've picked up so far. Not totally sold on the Rebels stuff, but if you can get them that low every so often, why not grab a few? :P
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I blew Reward $ all holiday at K-Mart combined with the perpetual $3 off $10 coupons I kept getting... I felt like a glutton at the end, and kept worrying about spending all those points, but since KM is the only store in 10 minutes drive of me, I'm back up to $84 in points. Hell they gave me $10 for Valentines for no reason whatsoever. I'll buy a Biggs or something. :D
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Looks like also DePriest feels that the helmets are oversized for the phase 2 clones... which makes me very happy. I hope that his comments to JTA really mean that something will be done about it. I'm not holding my breath, but do have some optimism here.
(http://yakfaceforums.com/main/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/clonehelmets3.jpg)
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Read that bit myself. But I also read another Toy fair note that indicated an edict had come down from Lucasfilm Licensing to Hasbro to focus their effort on REBELS and the Original Trilogy. What does that mean where it pertains to Clone helmets? We'll see.
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Yeah, that's why I'm not betting they'll do anything about it. I wish we had gotten something into DePriest's hands a year earlier. Not that it means it would have made a difference, but the timing certainly would have been better.
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Jeff, did you get special scoops in your one on one time with the Hasbro folks?
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Any "scoops" I had have been put into the relevant threads by now. Most of my talks with them were "off the record" type conversations about the general future and health of the line, nothing about "when will character X get a figure" or "why does distribution suck" or whatever.