Well said.

I'm also growing rather tired of Hasbro's attitude that the collector base doesn't really factor into the viability of the line.

In my personal life, I can look at eight boys who all passed through the optimal age range that Hasbro is looking for between the years of 1999 through 2007. I know what these boys have because one is my step-son and the rest are my nephews. I can honestly say that (a) about 60% of the Hasbro Star Wars stuff they ever acquired as kids were gifts from their Uncle Pete; (b) that if I were to add up all of the stuff that their parents and I bought for them, and then compared it to the amount of stuff I have purchased over the past 13 years, it would be at least a 1:30 ratio between the amount of stuff these kids have vs. the amount of stuff I have; and (c) I'm still collecting and not a one of them are even interested in Star Wars toys anymore - sure when they visit they're interested in seeing what some of the new toys look like, but for the most part, they typically drill me about whether or not I've heard if The Force Unleashed release date has slipped or when the cartoon will be starting or if there will be another movie - they aren't interested in toys anymore.

So what's my point? At any one time, the kids may outnumber us, but that is only because kids ARE the target audience for the figures. However, in terms of long-term interest in the line, continued purchasing patterns, loyalty to the brand and money to spend, we (the collectors) should reign supreme when it comes to Hasbro trying to decide whether or not to make a change to the line.

Let's LOGICALLY look at the situation Hasbro has put themselves in - regardless of what Lucasfilm wanted.

Kid A - he's seven years old and his dad just took him to see the Clone Wars animated movie in theatres. He wants to get Anakin, Ventress, Rex and Ashoka action figures to play with. He will go to the store, find those figures and buy them. He's looking for specific characters. The style of the figure does not play a role. The figure should look "cool" and entice him to buy it, but if he wants the figures, he will nag his parents for them.

Collector B - he's spent the last 13 years collecting the "realistic" style figures. He's passed on Force battlers, the Animated Cartoon Network Clone Wars figure line, and other junk because they aren't in the same scale and/or they aren't in the same style. You have shown him that even if you make a figure in an animated style, down the line, a realistic version will be made. Motivation for buying an animated version of Ashoka, Captain Rex or Anakin? Non-existant. Conversely if you made the figures in a realistic style, that collector is right there with at least $500 on July 26th looking to make a substantial investment in the Clone Wars line.

One could argue that from a business perspective, Hasbro has taken a gamble with the style change. Now all we have to do is sit and wait to see if that gamble pays off. Come Christmas when the pegs are CLOGGED with the Clone Wars Turd Yoda figure, we'll see that it did not.

More than likely Hasbro will crank out realistic versions of those as well.  I understand if you don't want to buy the line because it's animated, but why all the hatred toward Hasbro about it?  It's just odd to me.

You just summed up my argument for me - the fact is that we all know that realistic versions of Captain Rex, Ashoka, Anakin, Obi-Wan, Ventress and any other new characters that are cool will eventually be made.

So my problem is - why wait? Just do it now.

Picked up the following figures, just to finish off my seventh Crystal Skeleton Mail-away certificate:

Sallah (so I can permanently put one in my Well of Souls playset - he's now in there with my extra RotLA jacketed Indy)
Indiana Jones (Jacket, KotCS)
Mutt Williams (Jacket & Sword)
Irina Spalko

I have a two peg stand that I've set up Irina and Mutt having a duel with. It looks pretty good.

Like I said, I picked these up for the stickers, but the other reason is that if they ever release the Duck/Seep vehicle, I'll get two of those and use those three KotCS figures along with a pair of Russian Soldiers to make a mini display from the chase scene in the movie.

So I think all I have left that I want to buy is one more Temple Pitfall Set. I want to use the snakes in my Well of Souls playset and I'll take the Indy to put hanging off of the grill of the Cargo Truck. I'm going to give the tree/pit piece to a co-worker of mine who picked up a regular Indy figure and let me have the sticker for one of my Crystal Skeleton certificates. 

Basic Figures
Belloq
Monkey Man
Cairo Swordsman
German Soldier
Mutt w/ Snake
Mutt w/ Sword
Indy w/ RPG

Deluxe
German Soldier 2-Pack
Marion & Cairo Swordsman
Indy w/ Ark

Around here, it's pretty much the same story except also throw in Whip Cracking Cairo Indy.

I like the Mutt w/Motorcycle and I'm glad their doing the Cairo Henchmen/Thugs 2-pack - I will get at least two of those.

I think there will be a good number more deluxe sets, even if it's just figures combined with previously released vehicles/animals.

Finally picked up a MIB Large Wing White TIE.

I also grabbed a MOC Carnor Jax/Kir Kanos re-release w/the clear visor. I wasn't going to pick this set up, but I stumbled on one where you can actually see their eyes through the visors so that convinced me to grab it.

Personally, this is an issue I could care less about - however, it's clear that folks like Morbug feel as strongly about it as I feel strongly that the Clone Wars 3D toy line should have been done in a realistic style, so I can definitely appreciate his point of view on the subject.

I think slapping a Jar Jar Binks on a Vintage Kenner style card is a tad bit ridiculous.

I thought that for 2009, they should be releasing a small wave of 10th Anniversary Edition Episode 1 figures and putting them on reproductions of the EP1 Darth Maul cardbacks, the figures on the cards could still be done to the same level of design as the VOTC/VTSC/VTAC figures were done so there should be no difference there. Clamshell them up like was done with the VOTC line and I'd be okay with buying into a 10 - 12 figure nostalgia wave of EP1 figures designed to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the first prequel.