JediDefender.com Forums
Collectibles => Past Hasbro 3.75" Lines => The Clone Wars '08-'13 => Topic started by: Jeff on November 20, 2009, 01:27 PM
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Jayson posted a preview or the 2010 Packaging Style (http://www.yakface.com/2009/november/2010StarWarsPkg.html) for Clone Wars over at Yakface. I think it looks pretty snazzy. Definitely a lot more color and pop compared to the mostly white look we've ben seeing lately...
Hasbro said they were hoping to differentiate the Legacy and Legends stuff from CW a bit more with the 2010 packaging... I wonder if that means that the Legacy Droid Factory replacement stuff will share the blue too or if it will veer off into it's own look/style?
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Wow, that's looks awesome. Can't wait to see how they incorporate it into carded figures.
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I like it...Very "fresh" Too bad the current card design turned me into an opener, but such is life.
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I like it too, it's very unique looking/different. Kind of action-y, it's attractive to the eye... I too wonder though what Legacy's going to look like now.
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Damn you, WebSense!!! >:(
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I like it too, it's very unique looking/different. Kind of action-y, it's attractive to the eye... I too wonder though what Legacy's going to look like now.
Good question. It's supposed to be very differentiated, so I would guess it will look exactly the same, but with a Stormtrooper in place of the Clone Trooper. ;)
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I don't collect the CW line, but seriously, how many packaging changes does Hasbro make in a calendar year? They literally JUST STARTED putting figures in the new packaging, and now that is already irrelevant. I wonder how much money from these recent price hikes go towards the design of worthless packaging changes? Pick a design and stick with it Hasbro.
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The current red/white packaging should last until summer/fall 2010 so the new design needs to be worked out now to be ready for printing and product roll out next year.
Also, the current Red/White line was revealed in Jan 2009 and we saw the new packaging in stores in June, so seeing this preview now isn't anything new really and is in keeping with a 12 month marketing campaign.
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I don't collect the CW line, but seriously, how many packaging changes does Hasbro make in a calendar year? They literally JUST STARTED putting figures in the new packaging, and now that is already irrelevant. I wonder how much money from these recent price hikes go towards the design of worthless packaging changes? Pick a design and stick with it Hasbro.
This sort of thing comes down from Lucasfilm, not Hasbro. It's part of the deal with the license. Lucasfilm Licensing actually comes up with a new line look and all of the licensees have to change their packagaging accordingly. There will be differences in the way licensees will present it: LEGO will have a slightly different look from Hasbro, but there will be an overall common theme with all of the licensees.
The line look will change some time around July 2010. I found out there would be a packaging change from Hasbro back at Comic Con. So basically it's an annual thing now. The motivation is that Lucasfilm Licensing needs to keep changing it up in order to keep things fresh and eyecatching.
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They've been more or less changing the line look every year since 1999. There's always been some change from one year to the next, even if it's been pretty subtle. I like the new packaging for CW, but I hope the Legacy line is really different. Just putting a stormtrooper up there instead of Rex won't really do it.
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Let me just start by saying that I do like the look of this sample. I understand the requirement set forth by Lucasfilm to refresh the packaging every year. Specifically when it comes to Hasbro (which is what I collect) I dislike the frequent packaging changes simply because as a MIP/MIB/MOC collector it gives Hasbro an excuse to try to get me to buy the same product I already had over again.
The time has come though that the licensees should really stand up to the annual packaging change requirement - keep their lines humming along with the same packaging styles and maintain their pricepoints, instead of using packaging changes as an excuse to increase their prices.
The number of licensees who STILL have product on the shelves today that feature the 2008 Blue/White packaging style is testament to the fact that the packaging styles should last for at least 18 months (if not two years) instead of just one year. I'm not talking about Hasbro either - Lego, the tall talking dolls from Diamond, those Marbs things, heck even small throwaway stuff like tins and candies you see as you walk through the registers at stores like TRU, lots of it is STILL in the Blue/White packaging.
If Lucasfilm is going to require the packaging refresh, then they should bare part of the burden of refreshing the product on the shelves.
People who buy Star Wars stuff aren't going to buy Star Wars because the packaging is "eye catching". This mentality, in my opinion, is old school marketing. Now that we're in holidays mode, most of the (grand)parents I see in the toy aisle are specifically looking for Star Wars because that is what their (grand)kid WANTS - it's not because they went into the store, looking for Bakugong (whatever the hell that crap is called) and said "hey, that Star Wars packaging sure looks spiffy, let's buy junior that instead!"
Here's another example - my niece wants some of those Zhu Zhu Pets hamster things. My sister tells me she wants two of them in particular. My response to my sister was like "are you kidding?" If you find one grab it who cares which hamster it is, isn't something better than nothing? Apparently not, my niece only wants the gray and tan ones. My point is that no matter what the packaging looks like, kids WANT what they WANT, for most kids the packaging goes into the trash never to be seen again.
This was the same thing when my own son was younger - he wanted specific things, if we tried to substitute it with something else it was a disaster, and even if we had him with us looking through the toy store, he gravitated to the things he liked regardless of packaging.
To think that your packaging is going to win a kid over to your product line is just ludicrous.
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I don't know if I like the new look or not. It's hard to visualize a carded figure from a generic packaging sample like that...it looks more like the package for a DVD boxset than an action figure. I guess it feels too reminiscent of the old white/blue packaging. I have been digging the red motif as a nice change of pace.
My problem with them changing the packaging design is that Hasbro feels this is an invitation to cram their waves with multiple repacks. We got a ton of those in the TCW line after they moved to the red. Ugh.
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My problem with them changing the packaging design is that Hasbro feels this is an invitation to cram their waves with multiple repacks. We got a ton of those in the TCW line after they moved to the red. Ugh.
Yep! And with many of those same figures still hanging around on the pegs in the Blue/White packaging it was silly that those same figures were getting repacked so quickly.
Meanwhile - good luck finding a generic all white Clonetrooper or a generic all tan Battledroid!
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Packaging is the cheapest part of the equation when taking into account the actual pricing of merch and it's the easiest thing to update to give the illusion of "new stuff" on the pegs. If things are warming the shelves in the 2008 blue/white packaging that is more attributable to the "**** in the box" versus its wrapper. ;)
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Packaging is the cheapest part of the equation when taking into account the actual pricing of merch and it's the easiest thing to update to give the illusion of "new stuff" on the pegs. If things are warming the shelves in the 2008 blue/white packaging that is more attributable to the "**** in the box" versus its wrapper. ;)
Good point - so shouldn't Lucasfilm want their licensees to focus on the product and not changing the packaging every year? It may be cheap to manufacture, but it can't be easy to have to shift gears and make new templates to cut the cardbacks, mold the bubbles or trays, etc...
Seems like a distraction that shouldn't be necessary.
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Packaging is the cheapest part of the equation when taking into account the actual pricing of merch and it's the easiest thing to update to give the illusion of "new stuff" on the pegs. If things are warming the shelves in the 2008 blue/white packaging that is more attributable to the "**** in the box" versus its wrapper. ;)
Good point - so shouldn't Lucasfilm want their licensees to focus on the product and not changing the packaging every year? It may be cheap to manufacture, but it can't be easy to have to shift gears and make new templates to cut the cardbacks, mold the bubbles or trays, etc...
Seems like a distraction that shouldn't be necessary.
To print a "X" quantity of cardbacks in blue doesn't cost any more than printing "X" in red (aside from one time new diecut and outer bubble tooling investment). So if they to reprint "X" in blue to avoid an esthetic update isn't really a savings because they have to print something anyway. So, it's best to use the printing budget dollars to keep the line looking fresh and to issue repacks to offset new figure/packaging tooling.
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aside from one time new diecut and outer bubble tooling investment
It's this investment that I'm talking about.
Not to mention the fact that they had to develop cardbacks, character art, bios, etc... for close to 20 figures that could have just continued to ship in their blue/white packaging if the packaging had stayed the same.
It just doesn't seem like any of these costs could have possibly been recouped by now:
1) Making a new tool for the bubbles
2) Making a new die-cut for the card backs and the bubble inserts
3) Making a new cardboard shipping box
4) Hiring a designer to develop/design a new cardback layout
5) Hiring a artist for paintings of each of the characters
I understand that the overall cost of manufacturing the packaging once all of the above is done is negligible but those things do cost a good amount of money. Money that wouldn't have needed to be spent if they just stuck with the Blue/White packaging from July 2009 - June 2010.
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aside from one time new diecut and outer bubble tooling investment
It's this investment that I'm talking about.
Since those tools are used to stamp out/vacuform 1000's of card backs, inserts and bubbles across all three lines, the costs for those are some of the first that get recouped. (Not to mention the savings in shipping the smaller form factor cards.)
(not trying to be argumentative here, just my 2¢ :) )
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Packaging is the cheapest part of the equation when taking into account the actual pricing of merch and it's the easiest thing to update to give the illusion of "new stuff" on the pegs. If things are warming the shelves in the 2008 blue/white packaging that is more attributable to the "**** in the box" versus its wrapper. ;)
Changes in packaging are also, in theory at least, a method to help retail to know to move certain product out (through a sale, clearance, or whatnot) and that new items are losing space to those older ones. At least with other products that can be the case, so I assume Hasbro's probably taking that into account somewhat.
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Listen, SW is an enigma. It's one of the few properties that keeps its footing at retail and therefore requires constant maintenance.
This brand needs a new look every year or so otherwise consumers (and retail buyers) lose interest. The style guide updates are a necessary evil for a brand / license this large.
These changes aren't made for the sake of making changes - there's always a reason behind them.
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(not trying to be argumentative here, just my 2¢ :) )
I know Jayson - I'm just trying to gain a better understanding, that's all...
I understand what ruiner and Jesse are saying too - there are two issues I see with what they both said however, although, I'm not sure if it's just poor management on the part of the licensees or laziness.
Issue 1: Change in the packaging to help retail know to move certain product through...
I'm all for a clean cut-over from one product line to another - and yes, they are great indicators to a retail chain like WM/Target/TRU that it's time to refresh their stock. There seemed to be a clean cut over from the 30th anniversary stuff in 2007/beginning 2008 to the Blue/White stuff in July 2008.
When they cut over to the new Red/White stuff this summer, it was a "soft launch" and therefore IMHO it became pointless. I don't know where all you guys live but around here in NJ there is still PLENTY of the Blue/White packaged product to be found - the biggest contributor to this are the local TRUs and so far, due to backlogs of CW product in the Blue/White packaging, they have been EXTREMELY slow in getting Red/White Clone Wars product. In fact, the only Red/White CW figures that the TRU by my work has had up until this weekend were loads and loads of Commander Ponds - who hasn't been selling. The Blue/White CW stuff has been selling though.
So explain that one. If the line needs to stay "fresh" then why are the Blue/White packaged figures still selling?
Issue 2: Changing the packaging helps refresh the look and prevents consumers from loosing interest
Like ruiner says, SW is an enigma - the real maintenance that it needs though is media support - whether that be movies or a cartoon or a live action TV series - it needs SOMETHING to keep it going.
Hasbro has all but come out and said that the kid interest in the line is keeping it going. In the 80s kid interest in the line died because kids didn't have anything else Star Wars to watch (there were the Ewoks and Droids cartoons, and those had lines of their own, but those cartoons were NO WHERE near as successful as the Clone Wars cartoon has been). If the kids didn't have the Cartoon Network Clone Wars series to watch, interest in Star Wars would be at an all time low. Regardless of how many times they released Anakin on a different cardback, it would not entice kids to buy him. They would have to be relying on new kids discovering the PT (or the OT) and looking to get some figures from those movies and that = a very small audience.
Packaging changes are only going to keep you afloat for so long and in the long run I think you're going to end up alienating your core die-hards (if that hasn't happened already) as you continue to ask them to buy and re-buy the same figures only on a new card.
Just my 2¢ :)
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So explain that one. If the line needs to stay "fresh" then why are the Blue/White packaged figures still selling?
In my best estimation it's simply that retail's less interested in sales and clearances on toys. I just nabbed a couple blue/white figures at KM again tonight... TRU locally is pretty depleted on the blue/white stuff last I saw, but WM has a TON of it at almost any given WM you visit... Part of me blames that largely on WM's wishy washy clearancing policies more than anything... Some WM's still have 30AC figures for full price (albeit in clearance aisles or with "clearance" red/white stickers on them). WM's just a dick like that.
I think some of that though is just retailers being stubborn. They're not dictated when to put stuff on sale, but Hasbro's packaging changes I think are a nudge to do so, to some degree.
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So explain that one. If the line needs to stay "fresh" then why are the Blue/White packaged figures still selling?
LFL dictates the line refresh but not now the old product sells through to get the new stuff out. (Unless there was a big marketing push/hard street date.) Individual retailers are probably unwilling to clear out merchandise to make room for the "new" stuff especially when they share the same asst. numbers as previous card styles.
Packaging changes are only going to keep you afloat for so long and in the long run I think you're going to end up alienating your core die-hards (if that hasn't happened already) as you continue to ask them to buy and re-buy the same figures only on a new card.
I don't think that is their intention. I think that they're of the mind that a new crop of collectors come up every couple years, and although they are rehashes to us, repacks are multi-purpose: profit generator and keeping core/main characters on the pegs for the fledgling collector.
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How is changing the packaging going to alienate hard core fans? I don't get that one. From a pricing perspective, basic figs would be $8 right now with or without new packaging. That's just the SRP they've decided to roll with and seems like it's working okay for them to date. If there is any packaging investment in changing to new styles or color schemes, I'm sure that just depletes a small portion of the penny profit per figure.
Anyway, I still really like the deisgn so far. Will be good to see what the rest of the line looks like and what they do with Legacy (or whatever it will be post Legacy!)
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How is changing the packaging going to alienate hard core fans?
I would argue that the "Two of everything" type collector is an endangered species, there are far fewer of us than there were in 2005 and there are A LOT fewer of us than there were in the late 90s.
Granted this type of collecting style is my choice and no one is forcing me to collect the line that way (I have to throw that in).
But at this point, when I reach the point of saying "enough is enough" it's going to mean that for me I collected up to a certain packaging style. Once the packaging style changes, I would resign myself not to buying anything in that packaging. I know quite a few collectors who did that when the ROTS line ended and the packaging changed over to the TSC collection.
One of my friends, he had been getting one of each figure to keep MOC and when the new Red/White CW figures hit and he was having trouble finding really good C9+ condition CW figures on the pegs, he gave up and is now collecting only opened figures. So there's an example of how a packaging change from a cardback that had very few corners to one that had more than it needed drove a collector to essentially purchase HALF of what he had been purchasing.
I'm not saying it's right or wrong, this sort of thing just happens. So perhaps alienating was the wrong word, I guess what I was getting at was that a packaging style change gives a collector an "out", a break point to say "ok, I'm done". And while I'm not so egotistical to think that my dollars spent really amount to a hill-of beans for Hasbro, I know I am not alone in that mentality - and that adds up when you start to lump several collectors together (or so I'd like to think).
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I was a loose and carded collector for about 5 years. And it was a very liberating day when I decided that I wasn't going to do that anymore. Even now I think the size and scope of each line has been so great that it's financially prohibitive to do it. If you're wealthy enough where you can collect both the packaged and loose items AND have the space for it all? More power to you. I know that I felt a lot better about collecting when I made my own decision.
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I really applaud people who can collect both carded and loose - I'd love a carded collection myself - but it was a very liberating day too when I decided I would collect only loose figures, and nothing else. I will occasionally cross the line for things like Wedge's X-Wing (it's Wedge!). Figures alone is staggering - my mind boggles at what I buy, and it falls out of my head when I think of someone buying the total range of what Hasbro does. I think the number of people that do that is very small, but still.
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I collect mostly loose figures (99% of my collection is loose), but I keep the special figures (exclusives/internet exclusives, mail-aways, old-era figures) packaged.
As for the new TCW packaging, it's BEAUTIFUL! I love that blue background sky, and it's cool to see Rex in action looking somewhere we can't see. :o I reeeally hope that they keep the same angular package shape as the red-carded figures, but with the new background.
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In the latest round of QA, Hasbro confirms 32 TCW figures next year before the package relaunch in the Fall. ;D
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In the latest round of QA, Hasbro confirms 32 TCW figures next year before the package relaunch in the Fall. ;D
So lemme get this straight - TCW is continuing up till the package relaunch, while it's only the realistic-styled figures that are taking a break? Reasonable, especially since so many collectors are catching up from the delays in figure shipments. ::)
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In the latest round of QA, Hasbro confirms 32 TCW figures next year before the package relaunch in the Fall. ;D
So it's 32 more CW figures in the Red/White packaging?
I interpreted their answer to mean that there would be 32 CW figures spread out from Spring through Fall. Meaning that the CW would be taking a break after the Cold Weather Gear Anakin wave and re-launching in August with its new look. So we have 9 "Spring" figures (the Hondo wave and the Cold Weather Anakin wave) and then 21 CW figures in the new packaging in the fall (which will also most likely include repack figures in the new packaging as well).
For the Legacy line this fall there's been 54 figures with 17 repacks. For the Clone Wars line there's been 37 figures with 13 repacks. It's not so unreasonable to expect that if the realistic line will have 24 new figures in 2010, that the CW line would only have 21 new figures in 2010.
I think there's going to be an overall slowdown across both lines, not just the "realistic" line. There are Clone Wars items out there that aren't moving either - the two Target exclusive CW battle packs come to mind.
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I could be wrong, but I took it to mean there will be 32 CW figs before next fall. I doubt seriously they would only field 21 total new figures given how popular the show is, and also that the Legacy line would have more new offerings. I think CW will be much larger than Legacy next year.
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I could be wrong, but I took it to mean there will be 32 CW figs before next fall. I doubt seriously they would only field 21 total new figures given how popular the show is, and also that the Legacy line would have more new offerings. I think CW will be much larger than Legacy next year.
Sorry, my math was crap - I should have typed 23 new figures in the 2010 packaging, not 21.
If you continue to fix/do the math from my prior post, you'll see that there are only 24 "new" figures this year in the Red/White packaging. If you combine that with the nine figures we got this calendar year in the blue/white packaging, that brings the total of "new" Clone Wars figures for 2009 to 33.
So for them to say that there are 32 new Clone Wars figures in 2010, really doesn't seem to be that big of a deal. If anything it indicates that the Clone Wars line is going to stay consistent year-on-year, whereas in 2009 there were 24 blue/white Legacy figures that came out (four of them were re-releases/repacks) and 54 red/white Legacy figures (with 17 repacks), so here are the totals for the 2009 calendar year of both lines:
Clone Wars - 33 "new" figures, 46 figures total
- 9 "new" figures in Blue/White packaging
- 24 "new" figures in Red/White packaging
- 13 repack figures in Red/White packaging
Legacy Collection - 57 "new" figures, 78 figures total
- 20 "new" figures in Blue/White packaging
- 4 repack figures in Blue/White packaging
- 37 "new" figures in Red/White packaging
- 17 repack figures in Red/White packaging
So if Hasbro says there will be 32 "new" Clone Wars figures for the Spring and Fall, they could very well indeed mean in both the Red/White and new 2010 packaging style. Who knows how many of the 60 unique Clone Wars figures that have been/will be released in the Blue/White and Red/White packaging styles will be re-packed in the new 2010 style? Repacking anywhere from 15 to 20 of them in the new 2010 style would help keep the Clone Wars line on the shelf pegs in force w/o Hasbro having to sculpt more figures.
They have clearly said that there will be 24 "new" Realistic-line figures starting in August, but they also said that there will be core-character repacks to round out each of the lines. My interpretation of that is to mean that each wave will feature 12 figures (they seem to like case packs where each figure is in there only once) with 6 of them being new and 6 being repacks (or carry-forwards from the previous waves in the later waves) to help keep the cost-per-case down.
So the potential totals for 2010 could look something like this:
Clone Wars - 32 "new" figures, 47 figures total
- 9 "new" figures in Red/White packaging
- 23 "new" figures in the 2010 packaging
- 15 (guesstimate) repack figures in the 2010 packaging
Legacy Collection - 31 "new" figures, 49 figures total
- 7 "new" figures in Red/White packaging (6 EU figures and the Bespin Wing Guard variant)
- 24 "new" figures in the 2010 movie-line packaging
- 18 (averaging the 2009 Legends and TLC repacks) repack figures in the 2010 movie-line packaging
So year-on-year the Clone Wars would be a +1 gain, and the Realistic Line could see around a -29 loss.
I don't see them actually increasing any line in 2010, but they have said they are pulling back on the realistic line, so a decrease like I'm estimating would make sense.
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That is some good guesstimation. I'd say you're right on.
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Pete, very comprehensive analysis...kudos.
I do think we're likely to see more than 32 TCW figures total for 2010, especially with the Hondo wave not shipping this year now. And I agree they are going to be getting more profile than Legacy next year.
I do NOT think even Hasbro would be so stupid and short-sighted to put this line on hiatus at the same time as the Legacy line. There is no way they are going to go that long between figure waves, I just can't see it. For one thing I don't think their fiscal model could support a business plan like that. '
Ideally we should be getting a new wave of 4-6 characters every other month. That's six waves a year and a grand total of 24-36 figures, depending on re-packs, etc.
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Believe it or not, I hope you're right McMetal - I really do.
Unfortunately, for me, I've come to treat this line from a "glass is half empty" point of view, that way, when they announce something is coming that is really, really cool (to me) - I can get all that more excited about it, since it far exceeded any expectations I had for the line.
So if instead of there being 32 new figures for the whole year, it was more like 64 new Clone Wars figures for the year, that would be one of those surprises that I would find to be really, really cool.
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I don't know, the other thing to reconsider is that with this line, rereleases are a must. The first 8 figures that came out, should always be out.
I think that that should continue to ship a "major player" case, all year long. Then, every other month, 6 totally new, and somewhat minor figues.
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Yakface.com has new pics of Lego sets with the Rex icon. That Rex picture sure does look spiffy!
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Looks like ToyArk has another leaked presentation slide - this time confirming the Yakface packaging pic that started this thread and previewing a look at the 2010 Clone Wars cardback (http://www.toyark.com/news/star-wars-toy-news-3/new-clone-wars-cardbacks-box-art-revealed-2211/).
Looks like the Clone Wars figures will have "battle game cards" as a pack-in this year...
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Wow, battle game cards...that really excites me NOT.
I really would have preferred they gone the Build A Clone route....
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Yeah the card thing is a bit different, but it could be fun too for the younger crowd/target audience. Hasbro seems to be pushing that concept across a couple of their licenses for 2010 - Iron Man and Spider-man specifically.
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Aah, well, don't forget that TCW figures originally didn't include a pack-in... at least we're getting something extra in this line.
However, it is a disapppointment (to me, at least) being that the realistic line of figures so far don't look like they're being packed in with something extra (when the new vintage cardback debuts). ::)
I hope these "battle cards" are something like character profile cards - none of those Pokemon/Yu-Gi-Oh!/Magic the Gathering-styled cards that are meant for play.
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Well they are "game" cards so I'd expect something like the Wizards of the Coast Star Wars Miniatures cards.
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So when is this new TCW packaging supposed to debut? After Wave 12? (Thi-Sen, Palps, etc) Or with the other Fall re-boots?
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Fall.
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For pete's sake, skip the stupid pack-in cards and give me knee articulation on all figures!
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Kids don't care about articulation remember? :P Kids do like card/battler games... (Yu-Gi-Oh, Bakugan, Pokeman). Hasbro is really going after the young generation with this pack-in.
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I've always actually thought some gaming system with the figures wasn't a bad idea... I'm kinda glad this is happening to CLone Wars though, and not the line I actually care about. I think for kids, it's a good idea, and this line's 100% aimed at them (thus things like Nahdar Vebb become mail-ins rather than basic figures). To that end, it all makes sense.
I hate the "kids don't care about articulation" mantra though... GI Joe came out, and really cut a swath in Star Wars, at least with me at the time. I was drawn away from Star Wars because of GI Joe, and having better figures with cooler accessories (I still loved nabbing a random SW figure for his coat though). The original GI Joe was put out super articulated to wow boy's with a "doll for them" that was not just a "doll", but also a figure you could put into any action pose. That was part of the draw, otherwise just give a Ken some weapons and kids should've been happy right?
Even my gf's kids hated the underarticulated figures during ROTS over the good ones... Pilot Obi-Wan saw to it that the other Obi's got hacked apart and melted. And Anakin was just a loser once that Pilot Obi showed up.
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What’s odd/troubling is that the new slide doesn’t say anything about these being exclusive to Clone Wars figures, it just says Star Wars 3-3/4” figures. Does that mean these will find their way into OT/PT figures too. I’d don’t know but if you look at the game cards, they do have Rebel and Empire symbols on them and that modified base (unless it is just being recycled for proof of concept purposes) has a ROTJ logo on it.
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Good point Jayson, it's not out of the realm of possibility either that Hasbro would want this to carry over so kid's interest doesn't slack from the realistic stuff... The whole notion of "hooking" kid's attention spans with the game and all, and having them be interested in figures for the game rather than the media they're predominantly from or sculpted to be from anyway.
BTW I want to second what the SW.com article said about the heavy "propoganda poster" look of the new packaging... I could easily see text below that image of Rex saying, "They serve because they're bred to. You serve because you want to." or something along those lines. That image really has that "national pride" vibe from WWI & II propoganda images, and I think I like that the most about it.
I just found that interesting that the article quickly pointed to the same thing I was thinking about that image though of Rex. It's slick.
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(http://jedijaybird.home.comcast.net/cwrecruit.jpg)
:P
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Sweet. You do that Jay? Nice.
I'd think kids would go stupid for stuff like that on role-play gear.
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Yep. Thanks.
I agree, I would have went bat **** crazy for "propaganda" stuff like that (posters, folders, notebooks etc) as a kid. They'd be wise to splash "join the fight" type slogans on the blasters, helmets and other role play stuff to really amp up the kiddos.
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I think the new cardback is very slick, very kicka$s. I'm glad that they're doing a nearly-full body image of the character - it adds a lot more uniqueness to the card. And it's totally obvious that Hasbro is aiming for a 100% cartoony look for even the packages now. Maybe that's why they're going with the Vintage look for the realistic figures.
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I don't like it. It's garish and looks cheesy. I really could care less though, as long as they hurry up and get some new product on the shelves.
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I think the new cardbacks look pretty snazzy! Might even get me back into collecting carded CW figs again - unfortunately :-\
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I like the new packaging myself. The card game does nothing for me but then again neither should action figures but they do!