The Gimmick that WOULD have worked...

[CHEWIE]

I know, some of you are going to say "No Way!" but hear me out... look at all the gimmicks Hasbro has out right now...

- Attacktix
- Choppers
- Transformers
- Force Battlers
- Galactic Heroes
- Unleashed Minis

Of those, what really sells?  Maybe the Galactic Heroes do to some degree and the Unleashed haven't done too bad.

But those other lines are just... bad. 

For the last two years, I have brought up a topic on two separate occasions, and now I'll push for it again.  I've been ridiculed for it, but so be it.  I think it's a good idea... Unleashed 3-3/4" scale 3-pks with a nice base stand.  I think that people who automatically kick and scream "No!" have a lack of vision.

What would this entail?  Great sculpts of memorable moments in Star Wars, and maybe a few "extreme" poses like we got in the original Unleashed line.  Priced at $15.00 each... you get three very detailed figures in action poses with a nice display stand for them.  Not bases attached to their feet, but a base they can stand on.

This idea was brought up again at GH this week in the Q&A session -

I'm a collector of the 3 3/4" figures & would buy an occasional Unleashed figure. My question is this: Instead of making ridiculously TINY Unleashed "Battle Packs", why not make some Unleashed figures in the 3 3/4" scale? Imagine the Clone Trooper Battle packs or the Wookie Warriors in 3 3/4" scale! I'd but 'em ALL I tell ya!! Who cares if there isn't any articulation. I imagine that without articulation, it would keep production costs down. I'm not suggesting that they replace the regular action figures... Just try 1 or 2 Unleashed 3 3/4" waves & see how they fare. Do you agree?

The 3 3/4" figure is a main portion of Hasbro's bread & butter. I can't believe that this hasn't crossed their mind. Or has it?
--Rich

Funny you should ask-- I brought this up in 2003 when I was at Hasbro HQ for the first look at Clone Wars and other items at their media event. Both Hasbro and the collectors within earshot hated the idea, but I think it'd be a sound one-- an "extreme" pose 3 3/4-inch figure (or two) for about $10 with a really nice base? I'd be for that.

Hopefully new Hasbro team members will get wind of it and consider it, but I think it's something they're considering-- although the one answer I'd expect to hear back is that similar scale means confused customers, and that can sometimes be a problem.

So, at least I know I'm not the only one out there who wants to see something like this at least tried out... ever see those new Kashyyyk troop pack that is now out in the mini line?  Anyone honestly say they picked that up, and didn't think to themself, "Wow if this were in the 3-3/4" scale I would have bought it?"

Now, don't get me wrong, I love the 3-3/4" line as being super articulated.  But since they love to dabble with the lines, I don't see why they couldn't give this a shot as a side line to the basic figures... it could be any army builder's dream!

 

[Nathan]

Sounds like a great idea to me, Chewie. I can't see why people wouldn't like it.

[Ithorian Clergy]

I can say that I have bought not a one of those silly Force Battlers, Galactic Heroes, or Transformers.


However, last week in Target when the peg hooks were loaded with the Kashyyyk wave of mini Unleashed, I had the Chewie/Tarfful/Yoda/Aayla pack, the BARC pack, and the wookie troops pack in my hands for no less than 30 minutes debating whether I really wanted to go down this road and start collecting this line too.  I decided that they were really cool, looked great, but that I just didn't want to start collecting another scale. 


I was really considering picking them up, because normally it's not my policy to leave something I might want to buy behind, as it probably will not be there when you come back and decide you want it.  But what did I do?  I put all the Unleashed minis back on the peg hooks, and bought some more 3 3/4" AT-AT drivers, Veers', and snowies.


If those packs were 3 3/4", I guarantee I'd have brought each and every one of them home with me in multiples.

[Ithorian Clergy]

I know, some of you are going to say "No Way!" but hear me out... look at all the gimmicks Hasbro has out right now...

- Choppers
- Transformers
- Force Battlers
- Galactic Heroes
- Unleashed Minis

I was just thinking that adding those Attatktix things to this list wouldn't be too out of line.

[CHEWIE]

Added them!

And good to see a couple fellow JD'ers agree that the Unleashed could work in the 3-3/4" scale.   

 

[Jeff]

I don't think I would buy them, but I can't see the harm in Hasbro trying it.  People are buying all the other junk that is out there, so I'm sure that many people would buy a 3.75" scale line of Unleashed.

I guess that some might argue that Hasbro has already tested the water on this type of idea by offering pre-posed 3-packs in the deluxe line (like the Jedi  or Clone 3-packs).  Those seem to sell pretty well and aren't too far off from what you are looking for (3 action-posed army builders), so I'm sure if the figures were more detailed or had a base and what not, people would buy them.

[Ithorian Clergy]

I don't think I would buy them

Even if they were fully compatible and blended well with the Hasbro regular 3 3/4" line, and we got some nifto trooper figures like BARC troopers or Galactic Marines in a 3 pack that aren't available in the regular 3 3/4" line?

[Diddly]

I think it'd be cool to have some 3-3/4 Unleashed figs, though I personally wouldn't buy any. I'm sure they would sell way better than stuff like Force Battlers, Choppers, and Transformers (Attactix actually somewhat sell around here).

However, last week in Target when the peg hooks were loaded with the Kashyyyk wave of mini Unleashed, I had the Chewie/Tarfful/Yoda/Aayla pack, the BARC pack, and the wookie troops pack in my hands for no less than 30 minutes debating whether I really wanted to go down this road and start collecting this line too. I decided that they were really cool, looked great, but that I just didn't want to start collecting another scale.

Funny, I did the same thing. However, I'd rather use the money to buy an extra figure, or another army builder. If the figure prices were cheaper, I would have been all over them.

[Jeff]

Even if they were fully compatible and blended well with the Hasbro regular 3 3/4" line, and we got some nifto trooper figures like BARC troopers or Galactic Marines in a 3 pack that aren't available in the regular 3 3/4" line?

See, that's why I said I don't think I would buy them.  I can't say for sure that I won't buy something if I have no idea what it looks like...

If it was something new like BARC Troopers or Mygeeto Clones that was fully compatable and blended seemlessly into the main 3.75" line, then yeah - I might consider picking them up (after I complained that they should have been SA and made as regular figures of course  ).

BUT, if they were something more like CHEWIE said -

Great sculpts of memorable moments in Star Wars, and maybe a few "extreme" poses like we got in the original Unleashed line. 

Then, no I don't think I'd buy them.  See, I like to collect "action" figures - figures that do stuff.  Figures that move and are posable.  I don't buy the current unleashed figures or the GG Bust-Ups because they don't move.

- I'd much rather have a VOTC styled Han Solo than a unleashed styled "extreme" posed version of Han
- I'd much rather have a VOTC styled Stormtrooper than a 3.75" scale version of the Unleashed Stormie
- I'd much rather have the SA Utapau Clone that is coming out than a 3.75" scale version of the mini-unleashed sculpt


Again, it's hard to say never when you have no idea what the final product would be, but if it's just the current unleashed style, shrunk down to 3.75" scale then my gut reaction is (sorry, CHEWIE) - no, it's not for me.

That doesn't mean I don't think they should make them because others might want them, it's just not for me.

[JesseVader08]

I think Hasbro is attempting this idea with the Titanium figures.  They are relatively un-articulated, come with a base, and in the 3 3/4" scale; however, their poses aren't nearly as dynamic as the 7" Unleashed. 

Would they be for me?  I'm not sure.  I find that the dynamic poses are much more interesting when on a larger scale and might be "lost" at the 3 3/4" scale.  Tough to say.

[SilverZ]

Didn't they already do Unleashed in the 3-3/4" line?

[CHEWIE]

Yikes, that Windu makes me sick... does the Barriss.  Those never should have been made as regular carded figures... for an Unleashed line I think they could do a lot better, especially if using army builders.   

Maybe I can come up with a mockup of what I mean.  I think that Ithorian Clergy is seeing it the same way as I am.  And I did mention a Kashyyyk set like it is now, but with them being 3-3/4" scale.  Not just great sculpts of memorable moments in Star Wars, and maybe a few "extreme" poses like we got in the original Unleashed line.  That's not the only thing I said.   

I do like VOTC style figures more, no question there.  But I think for diorama builders they could be doing a lot better than a 2" line of Unleashed.  If they're gonna do that, a 3-3/4" line really seems to be a no brainer.

When it's hard to say whether or not you'd be up for something like this because of not knowing what the final product would be, that's when some of us speculate on what we want it to be.  That's what a topic like this is intended to do, spark up how we'd like to see it, not what we're afraid of.  Think positive.   

As for the comparison to the Titanium line, I don't think that's in the same category.  The base isn't any sort of correlation to the figure's environment and they're in pretty static poses from what I've seen... I think those are supposed to be a "premium figure line" that they're experimenting with, catering to the carded collectors.

Anyways, some people may not buy them, but I hardly think these would warm pegs.

 

[Holographic Elvis]

I don't think it would work and I, for one, wouldn't buy them.  They Unleashed line was popular not only for the poses but for the scale and detail.  It was something different than the old 3 3/4".  Look at SportsPicks.  Those things are hugely popular and it's because you can't beat that kind of detail in that scale for that price.  The mini Unleashed seem to be pegwarming and for good reason.  The beauty of the Unleashed didn't translate well on such a small scale and it's doubtful it would on the 3 3/4" either.  Same thing with the 3" SPs.  Everything cool about SPs is lost on that small a scale.  People don't seem too interested in popping down $10 for a mini Unleashed 4pak and now that the basic figs are $7 each, that 3pak you're proposing could easily be $20 which totally kills it.

[Brian]

I think the overall Unleashed concept does work best in the 7" scale.  I think a lot of people, and maybe even casual buyers, look at it as a "cheap statue".  I kind of look at it that way too.  There are a lot of nice higher end busts and statues out there, but some people (like me) really can't afford them.  That makes a line like the 7" Unleashed very appealing, and on top of that, much or most of that line has been done pretty well.  I hope it makes a comeback and stays around for awhile.  I don't think it works in that current 2" scale, and that's why they are sitting.

That said, I can see where these might be welcome, in an army building/diorama fashion.  Something along the lines of those clone wars 3 packs might be neat, as long as there were also "normal", well articulated army builders out there too.  I think, for example, if someone could find a VOTC-style Stormtrooper (or any other trooper/figure) on the pegs for the basic figure price, and then could supplement your armies with pre-posed 3 packs of Stormtroopers (similar to the Clonetrooper packs), it might be something that is quite successful.  I'd probably buy something like that, as long as we could get a few of the superarticulated versions as well.  On a side note...that Mace Windu...man, that was not good.  We still need a decent Mace.  Much of that Saga range was pretty poor, especially in comparison to what we saw the past couple years.

[Jeff]

That's what a topic like this is intended to do, spark up how we'd like to see it, not what we're afraid of.  Think positive.   

Well, how I'd like to see it is super-articulated like the vOTC figures and not static/pre-posed figures like the unleashed.  Sorry if my opinion isn't as valued as one who would agrees whole-heartedly with the idea. 

I would rather have the opportunity buy four Super-Articulated, vOTC-esque quality Snowtroopers instead of just settling on getting this in the 3.75" scale:


For example, I only own 1 of the pre-posed Clone Trooper 3-packs from the Clone Wars line, but I own 24 SA Clone Wars Clones.  I've got a limited budget to spend on Star Wars figures, and I'm going to buy what I like.  What I like in my army builders is super-articulation.

I understand what you are saying is that they could be doing more for the diorama builders, but wouldn't 3.75" diorama builders be even happier with SA figures with limitless pose possibilities?  I know I would!

If we are thinking positive here, why not shoot for the moon?  Why settle for pre-posed figures when we know that Hasbro can do better?  I'll save my positive thinking for a possible vOTC treatment for all the OT figures. 


Now, does that mean that I think they shouldn't ever try a 3.75" Unleashed line?  No, of course not because obviously many people would buy them.  I'm sure they would sell very well. 

My point is just that the idea of 3.75" scale pre-posed/static Unleashed figures are just not for me personally when I could be getting stuff like this from Hasbro:



Personally, I would rather buy a Evo Set with SA versions of the Kashyyyk Troopers from that Mini-Unleashed set.  But, hey - that's just me.