And I didn't mean to imply that anyone implied any... implications.
We would want to sell a different product (like a green Starfighter) as a different item, so if/when a green one comes to light and we can sell it, you can rest assured it'll have a green image. (Or no image. One of those.)
It's really important in the toy business to make toys look new. Key words: "look new." Placing a figure or ship in a new box makes it look fresh at retail and is one of the reasons they keep changing up the packaging on a toy line every few months. In Transformers, they usually switch up the look of the box with a totally new color scheme about halfway through each major line, but not always. By making the toy look different at retail in a new box, they can extend the lifespan of a toy by months or years-- like Anakin's starfighter, which came out, when, like in March 2005? It's having a really good run and collectors aside, it's still a spectacular seller. (We're currently out of stock on it again, and it really is nice to see people still wanting it. It's a great little toy.) The packaging changes aren't typically made with collectors in mind, it's to get the attention of kids who missed it before-- usually. You'd be astonished how much time and effort goes in to making new, attractive-at-retail packaging for even older products just to dress 'em up to the same people.
The thinking being that a kid/parent would see a ship in ROTS packaging and go "oh, that's the really old one." Obviously, collectors are a bit more savvy when it comes to this stuff, but hey, packaging is one of the most important ways to market a product at retail since it basically has to sell someone on an item in a snap.
I'd be a little surprised to NOT see a new box for Anakin's Starfighter next year if it ships past that first assortment, but hey, you never know with these things. Maybe they'll just do another sticker-- the "Sneak Preview" packaging is pretty much identical to the regular one except the "Firing Blaster Cannons!" burst was covered by the "Sneak Preview" label. Vehicles are expensive, if they can keep selling the same thing just by changing graphics in a box, it's really in their best interests.
While not confirmed yet, it's a pretty safe bet they're going to rotate in older ships again in 2007-- there are new case remixes up on Entertainment Earth that are 3 ships per and they tend to mix up new and old. Also fun trivia: the vehicle assortment number has been the same since the ROTS ship line started.
As to your questions...
1. We post everything we can post and share everything we can share. Which, right now, is the Saesee Tiin Starfighter and the TIE Fighter. Like the figures, there's probably going to be a lot of items spread across the whole year, and Hasbro doesn't like to show their whole hand at once.
2. Nope. Same assortment, but different item numbers.
Right now, it seems there's really nothing to indicate a green starfighter redeco outside what appears in Hasbro's Q&A and speculation-- for all we know, they might crank out an exclusive, and not a new "regular assortment" item. There are going to be lots of assortments with new product next year, and Hasbro really likes to spread out all the announcements-- so if there's going to be one, we might not hear about it officially for a few more months still. (Or next week. You never know with Hasbro.)
